Ed Stafford's Rite of Passage Season 1 Episode 6

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Transcript

00:05The

00:06The

00:10Kung Fu is arduous.

00:12This is not dancing.

00:15This is

00:17Fulanka.

00:29It requires strength, agility, balance, flexibility beyond my ability.

00:35It's not about winning a fight outside a bar.

00:39This is about inner peace.

00:42This is about enlightenment.

00:46I'm Ed Stafford.

00:47As an explorer and survivalist,

00:50I've made a career out of mucking about

00:52in the wild.

00:54If I'm honest, I've never really grown up.

00:56Look at that!

00:57So now...

01:00Ready guys?

01:02I've set myself a mission

01:05to see how cultures across the world

01:08navigate the messy business

01:09of becoming an adult.

01:14I believe many of us in the modern world

01:17have lost our sense of identity.

01:19But I'm hoping

01:20by immersing myself

01:22in the often extreme trials that young people face,

01:25I can figure out

01:26how these rituals make us better members

01:28of our communities.

01:30I've never experienced anything even comparable

01:33in terms of pain.

01:35By joining them on their journey,

01:38I hope I'll learn to become a better man.

01:43Maybe even grow up.

01:44Well, it's Billy Amos!

01:46Okay, he wants me to jump out.

01:47I'm gonna jump out.

01:48And successfully pass my own...

01:51Rite of passage.

02:13I'm in the middle of China,

02:14in Henan province,

02:16on my way to the world famous Shaolin Temple,

02:19which was renowned for his extraordinary Kung Fu.

02:25Henan is considered one of the cradles

02:28of Chinese civilization.

02:29And at the foothills of the sacred Song Mountain,

02:33the Shaolin Temple is one of the nation's cultural icons.

02:40I'm going there to live for a week with the monks

02:43to try and understand what it is

02:45within their training and lifestyle

02:47that helps young people transition into adulthood.

02:51Studying at the Shaolin Temple

02:52can be considered every Kung Fu student's

02:55ultimate rite of passage.

02:58Instilling respect, discipline and strength.

03:02Where hardening the physical form

03:05goes hand in hand with the softening of the mind.

03:11To create the complete martial artist.

03:16From what I understand,

03:18it's not just about Kung Fu.

03:20The whole ethos here is about slowing down

03:22and becoming the best version of yourself.

03:26With slowing down being something that I've struggled

03:29to really come to grips with in the past,

03:31it's an internal challenge that I must face head on.

03:35While Shaolin monks train for years,

03:38I'll only have a week to absorb as much ancient knowledge as I can.

03:43Before ultimately proving myself

03:45in a test of mind and body

03:46as a worthy Shaolin disciple

03:48to my new martial arts masters.

03:52I am so excited about this one.

03:54I cannot wait to get inside.

03:59Hello.

04:00Yen Jue.

04:01Hello.

04:02Hello.

04:03Hello.

04:04I am Yan Jue.

04:06I am Yan Jue.

04:07Oh, I am Yan Jue.

04:07I am very welcome to Shaolin.

04:12Yen Jue.

04:13Yan Jue will be one of my masters,

04:14known as Shao Fu in Chinese.

04:16I am not good at all.

04:19It is really good.

04:20Let me see you.

04:22He will help set me on the path needed to become a disciple of the Shaolin.

04:42If it's okay with you, I'd love to spend the next week living here amongst the monks

04:47and find out about how you live your life and the different qualities that you need to become a monk.

05:13If I didn't have a shaved head already, would I have to shave my head at this point?

05:17I would have to shave my head at this point.

05:20Yen Jiu explains that for me to become a disciple of the Shaolin,

05:24there is a ceremony that I must complete.

05:27It involves performing a complicated set of movements called the 13-fist routine,

05:33known to the Shaolin as Shishan Chun.

05:37There are two parts to the routine,

05:39a solo routine and a combat routine with a partner.

05:43This is the first level of a boy becoming a man.

05:47If I'm unable to pass, then I will have failed in becoming a Shaolin disciple.

05:52It will make you feel very surprised.

05:57And it will be very interesting.

05:59That sounds fantastic.

06:07The sun is starting to go down over the Shaolin temple.

06:10And, because I'll have an early start tomorrow,

06:13it's time to check out my digs and get ready for bed.

06:15OK, this is my accommodation block.

06:20I am number two.

06:22Welcome.

06:25OK.

06:28It's basic.

06:30OK, so obviously, as part of being here, I've got to dress the part.

06:39It's Billy Armas.

06:49It's going to be fun.

06:59I've taken the mattress off that bed and doubled up,

07:02so we've got two mattresses on that bed.

07:04to add a bit of comfort.

07:06So these mattresses are about that thin,

07:08and let's just say they're not orthopedic.

07:25Then we'll invite you to visit the artisan artist.

07:29Brilliant.

07:30And he'll teach you the youth skills.

07:32Okay.

07:34Today is so hot.

07:35Yeah.

07:37Gonna be boiling.

07:39This place is amazing.

07:48This is the artisan artist.

07:54This is the artisan artist.

07:56Hello.

07:57Hello.

07:57I'm your host.

07:58Okay.

08:00Welcome to the artisan artist.

08:03Okay, see you later.

08:03See you later.

08:05See you later.

08:05All right.

08:06Here we go.

08:10Mm-hmm.

08:15The mercury is pushing 40 degrees Celsius.

08:18But as I now have less than a week here.

08:21Okay.

08:22Here we are.

08:22I really need to start my Shaolin Kung Fu training now.

08:27Helping me on this journey are two of Xiu Fu's favorite junior monks

08:30who can help bridge the gap between Xiu Fu's words

08:33and the actions I'm supposed to take.

08:35and be able to climb up to 12 years.

08:40And here are three of them.

08:43And then, I'm so glad I can go.

08:50And here you are.

08:50And then, I'm so glad I can go.

08:52And then, I'm so glad I can find you.

08:54Yeah, I'm so glad you're so glad I can go.

08:55And now, I'm so glad I can go.

09:01So they'll be more like friendly, experienced kids showing me the ropes.

09:06Hopefully.

09:07Feet very wide apart.

09:09No.

09:09No?

09:10You're going to go to the mat.

09:121, 2, 2, 3.

09:17The horse dance is the very foundation of Kung Fu.

09:20So if I'm to complete my rite of passage, I'll have to really dig deep to push my nearly

09:2550-year-old body to its limit.

09:38I can't physically move any lower than that.

09:47I can't stand in that position.

09:50You can't stand in that position.

09:52Okay, easier said than done.

09:53Okay.

09:55Okay.

09:55Be careful.

09:57Go ahead.

10:00Okay.

10:01You can still feel.

10:02Okay.

10:03Hold on.

10:05Hold on.

10:13You can still feel like you're not.

10:15You can still tell me.

10:17Now.

10:24Sorry, I'm an old stiff man.

10:31Fighting sport or no fighting sport, this is hard.

10:35This is not dancing.

10:37This is not yoga.

10:38This is full on.

10:41The pose is difficult because it's right at the extreme of my flexibility.

10:46It's going to take a lot of conditioning, clearly.

10:54.

10:59.

11:09.

11:10So many bits of me that are saying no.

11:13Okay.

11:14Getting slightly dizzy.

11:16.

11:17.

11:21Time for another break, Shufu?

11:23.

11:24Of course not.

11:26.

11:27.

11:28.

11:29.

11:30.

11:32.

11:33.

11:34.

11:35.

11:40.

11:43.

11:47.

11:48.

11:50.

11:52.

11:55.

11:56.

12:00.

12:02.

12:06.

12:11.

12:12.

12:13.

12:14.

12:15.

12:16.

12:18.

12:19.

12:20.

12:45requires a great deal of mental clarity and focus to be completely successful.

12:50The movements in both routines are just as much about the mind as they are the body.

12:56How long are we going to be meditating for?

12:58For beginners, it's about 15 minutes to half an hour.

13:03Okay, cool.

13:04How does this fit into the whole Shaolin Kung Fu philosophy?

13:18All right, let's go.

13:21All right, let's go.

13:33And then, I'll give you a comfortable feeling and relaxed.

13:50You can see the warmth of your body is long or short.

14:00You can feel the warmth of your body is long or short.

14:11OK, I doubt.

14:27Yeah, it was, it was

14:30It's beautiful. Literally, when that breeze came in, I was in heaven.

14:33Really beautiful. I enjoyed that. Thank you.

14:40How's it going?

14:56Oh, it's nice, yeah. I like veggie food, though.

15:01Because the Shaolin monks are Buddhist, all their food is vegetarian.

15:06Is this typical of the food that you guys get to eat?

15:08Yeah. Do you ever eat junk food?

15:11No.

15:12No? No burgers?

15:14No.

15:14Never?

15:15No.

15:15Okay.

15:17Crikey.

15:20No, really? Okay.

15:24So, most of that you would watch on your phone, though, would you?

15:29So, have you got your own TV, or is it like a TV room for all the monks?

15:45Yes.

15:45Did it rain a lot here?

15:47It's very little.

15:47Yes, it's very little.

15:48Today, the people always go up.

15:50No, really, really.

15:55Yeah.

15:57I guess, for me, the main social part of the day,

16:02certainly for the family, is to get everyone around the table.

16:05And while we're eating, I'd ask them about their day,

16:08how's it gone.

16:09It's the main time when we all talk to each other, yeah.

16:12Why? Do you not talk when you eat?

16:15Really?

16:18Wow.

16:21Takes the fun out of it, doesn't it?

16:24Yeah.

16:25Yeah.

16:25No, I'm only teasing. I know, it's nice.

16:28The whole concept of being mindful when you eat

16:30and appreciating your food is a good thing.

16:33Is that why you eat quickly, then?

16:35So you can get out?

16:36Yeah.

16:39That's bad for your digestion.

16:41You should slow down, chew each mouthful 50 times.

16:44You should slow down, chew each mouthful 50 times.

16:46And do you ever get, um, pudding?

16:49Pudding?

16:50Pudding?

16:51Like dessert?

16:52No.

16:54No dessert?

16:55Wow.

16:56That's the biggest sacrifice of all.

17:09Breakfast over, and it's time to get warmed up before learning the very basics of the 13-fist routine.

17:17Chef Hu takes us all up into the forest training ground at the back of the Shaolin Temple, because apparently

17:22my movements are less like water and more like concrete.

17:27You definitely don't want to bounce, not when you're as tight as me, mate.

17:31It will sco-

17:31PING!

17:44PING!

17:46PING!

17:49PING!

18:01PING!

18:04PING!

18:08PING!

18:11PING!

18:17PING!

18:25PING!

18:27If I can learn those moves, then I will have officially got the sort of certification.

18:33PING!

18:34For me, that will be a big success this week.

18:37I can learn 13 moves in the next few days.

18:39No sweat.

18:49which way?

18:50Which...

18:50which arm over... which?

18:51so...

18:52so from here,

18:55Okay...

18:57okay,

19:00Okay...

19:13It might look simple, but it's incredibly difficult to get the movements exactly right.

19:29Like Bruce Lee said, I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear

19:36the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times, or something like that.

19:46As an all-systems-go kind of guy, I reckon it might be easier said than done to really

19:53slow myself down and take in all of the Shaolin monk's teachings.

20:04One of the core aspects of the Shaolin Ware of Life is mastering the mysterious powers of

20:09Chi, which takes years of careful cultivation of breathwork, meditation, and mindful movements

20:16to attain.

20:18To the Shaolin monks, Chi is a vital internal energy that connects mind, body, and spirit,

20:24generating strength and focus beyond what is meant to be physically possible.

20:38Can I ask a very basic question?

20:41I don't understand what Chi is.

20:42Can you explain it to me?

20:45Chi?

20:46Chi?

20:47Chi?

20:49Chi?

20:50Chi?

20:52Chi?

20:56Chi?

20:59Chi?

21:25While something of an alien concept to me,

21:28I'm hoping that learning a basic level of qi

21:30can help bring my movements to life

21:32and allow me to complete my rite of passage

21:34with flying colours.

21:43Here's one I've broken.

21:44Yeah, man.

21:46OK.

21:48OK.

21:58OK.

21:59OK.

22:18Is it a problem at this stage that I can't feel the qi?

22:22That is a problem.

22:27OK.

22:31All right, I'm watching.

22:56And did that hurt?

22:59It does hurt, though. That's interesting.

23:02Yeah.

23:04I think it's a doable thing.

23:06I think you've just got to tense your muscles up.

23:09Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll try it on my back, yeah.

23:12OK.

23:15I'll try it. I'll try my best.

23:17If not, I'll just get a bruise back.

23:19It's all right.

23:21So I'm going to breathe, I'm going to breathe,

23:22and then I'm going to go like this.

23:25Is that right?

23:29Do you reckon?

23:32Just give it a go. Give it a go.

23:34What's the worst that can happen?

23:43I'll give it a go if you want.

23:47No?

23:50OK. We're doing it.

24:06OK. Two bruises. That's cool.

24:26I thought you were going to break it.

24:28You're going to get a go.

24:33You're going to...

24:35You're going to get a go.

24:36No, no, no.

24:37If I'm honest, I still can't feel the go.

24:39I don't really know what it is.

24:41However, I'm very happy to have the stick broken over my back

24:43because I'm going to tense my muscles,

24:45and I think that will help me.

24:53I may have bitten off a little more than I could chew, trying to harness my chi energy

25:01so quickly.

25:03I guess there's only so much I can learn in a week.

25:06Fingers crossed, this doesn't derail my ability to complete my 13-fist routine.

25:17Let's do more of the chi breathing first, before we do any more.

25:22It's a good idea, this is just painful.

26:09Step one, I think I have nailed it.

26:18But I can't really say the same for step two onwards.

26:23Here we go.

26:26Step one.

26:27Step one.

26:28You can use a chi breathing.

26:29You can't hold this thing down.

26:31You can't hold this chest.

26:32I'll make it up.

26:32This is as if you can.

26:33One.

26:35One.

26:36Three.

26:37One.

26:42Two.

26:43Three.

26:45One.

26:47One.

26:49Two.

26:53OK, not the smoothest, but I pretty much did it.

26:57So now, on to the second half of the solo part of the routine.

27:34It's better this morning, slept well, my attitude has improved.

27:39My motivation to learn feels more attuned,

27:43and I'm taking on board the stuff that is new in a sort of less panicky way.

28:19My Shaolin Rite of Passage is the day after tomorrow,

28:22so time is quickly running out to learn and master the combat portion of my 13-fist routine.

28:29Yeah.

28:44Yeah, that's meant to be a punch.

28:46Yeah, OK.

28:47If you learn the last half, you can learn the movement.

28:51Four.

28:53Five.

28:55Six.

28:57Seven.

29:03Three.

29:04Four.

29:05Five.

29:07Six.

29:10Three.

29:11Four.

29:11OK, OK.

29:12Just down there.

29:13Here.

29:13Five.

29:14Oh, I know, I'm interested in the next bit, but...

29:25This is getting ridiculous now.

29:27I just don't get why Shifu won't continue to teach me the rest of the routine.

29:35OK.

29:44I think there's an element of me learning that I clearly don't like being told what to do.

29:53And I, without going into too much detail, I've had a period of my life where I was controlled to

29:59a degree where I gave up everything and everyone that mattered to me.

30:03And it was the darkest years of my life.

30:08And so there's a very large part of me that does not want to have anyone else manipulate my life.

30:17And it's hard being told what to do, therefore, because I'm in charge of my life.

30:27Always gives me problems with my wife as well.

30:30She wrote me a list for our wedding of jobs to do and I had to rewrite it in my

30:34own handwriting in order to do it so that I didn't feel like I was being controlled.

30:39And I think that says a lot about me, but I understand that this is something that I have chosen

30:45to do.

30:45I'm not being forced to do this in any way.

30:48This is out of my own volition.

30:51I'm here to learn and not only do I choose to do it, I love the fact that I'm doing

30:56it.

30:56Therefore, I have to keep reminding myself of that.

31:07I'm tired.

31:08I'm going to pick this up tomorrow.

31:11I'm going to pick this up tomorrow, if that's all right.

31:13OK.

31:15I'm tired.

31:17OK.

31:41I'm going to unpack this.

31:42I'm going to try and unpack it.

31:46I think it's to do with adoption.

31:48I think it's to do with the very beginning of my life.

31:52I think it's one of the reasons that I haven't really grown up.

31:57It's because there's developmental issues that go back a long way.

32:05There's a concept, and I believe it's exactly how I coped as a child, that when an adopted baby gets

32:12given up,

32:14they lose sight of themselves, of who they are, and their own wants and needs,

32:20because they're trying to please everyone around them to not be abandoned again.

32:25So you'll become a people pleaser.

32:29But in doing that, you become resentful of the people around you,

32:33because essentially, they're running your life, not you.

32:36You've given up your sense of self because the only thing that's important is pleasing the people around you so

32:43that they love you as a child with huge insecurity issues.

32:50There's a hurt little boy inside of me who vowed never to lose sight of himself again,

32:58never to lose sight of his own wants and needs.

33:01And when he gets pushed around, it triggers him, and he wants to smash the place down.

33:09And it's understandable, and I guess at this stage, all I need to do is be aware of that.

33:37It's my last day before I'll be put to the test to gain my certification as a Shaolin disciple.

33:44But to move on from yesterday, I feel I need to make things right with Yen-Chan Shaifu.

33:51Shaifu, can I just say sorry for yesterday?

33:54It was very disrespectful of me to walk out of the lesson like that,

33:58and I just wanted to say I'm very sorry.

34:31Okay, thank you.

34:36As Bruce Lee said, mistakes are always forgivable if one has the courage to admit them.

34:42And I'm glad that Yen-Chan Shaifu was able to forgive and forget.

34:48Taking on Yen-Chan Shaifu's advice, I will use what little time I have left to reflect and improve,

34:54as I know my journey to the finish line is one that is just as mentally challenging as it is

34:59physically.

35:11And just like Confucius said, it doesn't matter how slowly you go as long as you don't stop.

35:19I want to end my time here on a high, and luckily, Yen-Chan Shaifu and the boys have always

35:24been kind enough

35:25to help give me the best possible run-up to complete my rite of passage,

35:29giving me one final lesson in both sections of the 13-fist routine.

35:38Fingers crossed that resulting higher level of inner peace will then help me calm myself

35:44in order to smash this final test, prove to Shaifu that I haven't wasted his time,

35:51and do justice to my time here with the Shaolin Moors.

36:14Today's test day, exam day.

36:18I think if you were to bring all of the experiences that I've had this week together,

36:23it's all been about accepting what is and finding my inner peace.

36:29With the meditation and with the Kung Fu, it's required me to step outside of the frustrations

36:35that result from resisting and accepting it for what it is.

36:40And I think in that respect, it has been beneficial.

36:47This is finally it.

36:49It's showtime.

36:55First up, my solo 13-fist routine.

36:59First up, my solo 13-fist routine.

37:36It's so deceptively difficult, but this time, I think I nailed it.

37:42Although I can't let my excitement get the better of me,

37:45I still need to demonstrate that I can do the combat portion

37:48to complete my rite of passage.

37:49Stop! Stop! Stop!

37:57Sorry, don't we start again?

38:00Stop! Stop!

38:07Stop! Stop!

38:11Stop! Stop!

38:16Stop! Stop!

38:18Stop!

38:19Stop! Stop!

38:26Stop!

38:28Stop!

38:29Stop! Stop!

38:32Stop! Stop!

38:35Stop!

38:36Stop!

38:37Stop!

38:43So I messed up the second one, the fighting one, twice,

38:48and had to start it again two times.

38:50But I don't know what the rules are, so I don't know whether that's allowed.

38:55I did get it right when I finally did it, but I don't know what the rules are.

39:02Do you get a chance to do it again if you fail?

39:03Stop!

39:12Hmm...

39:13...

39:32You should be able

39:33I hope you will be able to practice in a while later.

39:36I'm very surprised that I passed. Thank you.

39:41I wasn't expecting to pass, I was expecting to be failed

39:44and then maybe given another opportunity.

39:47That final exam, you know, that did flutter me.

39:50Therefore, I haven't really found my inner piece yet, have I?

39:53I've still got some way to go.

40:00I hope you can practice in a while later.

40:03And I hope you will be able to practice in a while later.

40:09Edward Stafford, I need my mom to call me.

40:15Oh, wow.

40:16I'm glad to meet you.

40:18I hope you will be able to practice in a while later.

40:20Thank you so much for your time.

40:24I hope you will practice in a while later.

40:25I hope you will practice in a while later.

40:28So do I.

40:29Thanks, mate.

40:30Appreciate it.

40:32Can I just say thank you to all of you for giving up your time for the last week?

40:35It's been hard for you guys to adapt, but I just wanted to say thank you so much.

40:40Please.

40:41Okay.

40:42Cheers, guys.

40:46Personally, I think this challenged me more than I thought it would.

40:50At a physical level, I'm not as young and sprightly as the guys who I've been training alongside.

40:54And it's been a wake-up call.

40:56You know, I am turning 50 this year.

40:58And when you realize that there's quite a gap now between me and a 20-something-year-old,

41:04it stings a little bit, if I'm honest.

41:07And I think, therefore, a combination of that going into a teaching environment where you've got a pretty forthright man

41:16barking orders at you,

41:18sometimes trying to get your attention by just clapping, definitely triggered me.

41:22But in a way that I'm really pleased now, looking back on it, that's happened, because it dug up some

41:29deep-seated behavioral sort of traits that I'd learned along the way.

41:35And, you know, it's given me an ability to step outside of that and recognize a behavior that might not

41:42have been conscious before.

41:44And for that, I'm grateful.

41:45Because the friendship of the people is a pereca.

41:47Thank you very much.

41:48Not many people get to experience as many rites passages as I have.

41:52I don't think anyone in particular has given me all the answers.

41:57But in studying them in their entirety, I have learned a huge amount about how we evolve our young people

42:05into responsible adults.

42:06And I do think you need mentorship.

42:09I do think you need discipline.

42:11I do think you need an element of fear, you know, an element of going away from your normal, experiencing

42:17something different,

42:18and then coming back as a mature version of yourself.

42:21But I think there are a lot of elements to rite of passage that are so crucial to maturing our

42:26young people.

42:26And if we can draw upon different parts of each one of these ceremonies that I've experienced in order to

42:34give our young people a helping hand in this very complicated world that we live in,

42:39to mature into people that will be able to cope with the world that they live in,

42:44then I think we'll have gone a small way to really helping to grow a stronger and more mature generation.

42:54I was lying in bed and I was just getting hotter and hotter and I was like,

42:57what is going on?

42:59The air conditioner is on 16.

43:02You can see it's on 16 behind me.

43:04I went into the bathroom and I realised,

43:05with the heater on the bathroom ceiling, it's not fair to be able to breathe.

43:10And it's been pumping out, boiling, boiling hot.

43:15Yeah.

43:16Ah.

43:18Off.

43:19Off.

43:21Off.

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