American Shaolin: Flying Kicks, Buddhist Monks, and the Legend of Iron Crotch: An Odyssey in theNew China | 
 enlarge | Author: Matthew Polly
Publisher: Gotham
Category: Book
List Price: $15.00
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Rating:  49 reviews
Sales Rank: 11471
Media: Paperback
Pages: 384
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.9
ISBN: 1592403379
Dewey Decimal Number: 796
EAN: 9781592403370
ASIN: 1592403379
Publication Date: December 27, 2007
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Product Description
The raucously funny story of one young Americans quest to become the baddest dude on the planet (and possibly find inner peace along the way)
Growing up a ninety-eight-pound weakling tormented by bullies in the schoolyards of Kansas, Matthew Polly dreamed of one day journeying to the Shaolin Temple in China to become the toughest fighter in the world, like Caine in his favorite 1970s TV series Kung Fu.
American Shaolin is the story of the two years Matthew spent in China living, studying, and performing with the Shaolin monks. The Chinese term for tough training is chi ku (eating bitter), and Matthew quickly learned to appreciate the phrase.
This is both the gripping story of Matthews journey and an intimate portrait of the real lives of the Shaolin monks, who struggle to overcome rampant corruption and the restrictions of an authoritarian government. Laced with humor and illuminated by cultural insight, American Shaolin is an unforgettable coming-of- age story of one mans journey into the ancient art of kungfuand a poignant portrait of a rapidly changing China.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 44 more reviews...
 Fascinating and Funny. July 6, 2008
Chop Socky (Birmingham, AL USA)
A must-read for anyone interested in travel, martial arts, language, or cultural exchange. There were a few times that I raised my eyebrows, wondering whether Polly exaggerated some of his experiences, but who cares? His book is intensely entertaining and interesting.
 Fun read but does lose focus at the end July 2, 2008
Biotech Guy (Baltimore, MD)
I really enjoyed this book. It had me chuckling out loud numerous times. I agree with the Publisher's Weekly review that Polly loses focus in the last 100 pages. Nonetheless, very enjoyable.
 Great travelogue June 6, 2008
Stephanie E. Weiss (NY, MA, Ireland.)
A friend from my karate class recommended this book; Matthew Polly traveled to the Shaolin temple in the early 1990's to learn Kungfu from the Shaolin monks. Seems included in his inadequacies (short list provided) was a self perception as a coward. This "cowardly" young man traveled alone, thousands of miles, against the advice of friends and family, to an alien land and very different culture, to a place with a political and economic system that most americans feared at the time. There he immersed himself into the brutal training of Shaolin kungfu for two years and he writes about it here. His list of inadequacies wisely didn't include limp writing skills because this travelogue is absorbing and witty. A more personal rather than political PJ O'Rourke in his "Holiday's From Hell" period, you really get a feel for the experience Matthew Polly goes through. You get to feel you know the friend's Matthew makes at the Temple, which is particularly charming as the exotic cultures of late 20th century China and the martial Monk is rendered familiar in his writing. Very enjoyable!
funny, insightful...great read March 25, 2008
S. (Honolulu, HI)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Matthew Polly's adventures in China make for a very fascinating book. I couldn't put this book down. He provides great insight on China in the early 90s, while at the same time weaving a humorous tale of a Westerner trying to survive in Asia. Anyone who has spent time in Asia can relate to Polly's observations...however, he does so with great wit and the keen insight only someone fluent in the language could provide.
not really kung fu, buddhism or burger king, but funny funny funny February 19, 2008
Alex G. Lee (Irvine, CA United States)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Although this is a nonfiction memoir, it reads like a very funny novel. Beware of reading this in public, unless you don't mind laughing really hard and having people staring at you. (ie iron crotch monks, coke dealing, midnight mistresses, etc). Interestingly there were moments that were also very touching and could really bring a tear to person.
Despite this, the book gave some very fascinating, presumably accurate, first person account about China in the 90's, kungfu, and the most importantly the people there.
the writing was extraordinary and fluid. The author has a way of making you understand and feel emotions for the characters he describes, monks, vendor, evil administrators and yes the author himself, without boring you with deep analysis.
summary: funny read, sometimes sad, but mostly funny and informative and did I mentioned funny.
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