In the course of his life, he has been poisoned, stabbed, and paralyzed. Attempts have been made to drown him. A poisonous snake was placed in his room. He is, however, very much alive today! Am I talking about 007? Who is he? He is the Historical Venerable Monk Shi Yan Fan, the first Western monk to be ordained in China and assigned to bring Kung Fu to the West. Born Franco Testini, he grew…
Read
On October 9, 2021, the Historical Venerable Abbot Shi Yan Fan of the Shaolin Temple of Los Angeles hosted what proved to be a momentous cultural event, gloriously meshing traditional Chinese entertainments with a martial arts exhibition, a special ceremony of discipleship, a heart-felt and brilliant speech, and a birthday celebration to synthesize a rousing and spiritually uplifting occasion. Upon arriving at the temple, I was greeted with the soothing and emotionally uplifting tones of…
Read