Kung football: Shaolin monk students show Holland's Nigel de Jong how it's really done



By Mail Foreign Service
Last updated at 1:57 PM on 13th July 2010
[COLOR=#000000]High kicks and brightly coloured outfits, these Shaolin students at a Chinese monastery have a lot in common with Holland’s footballers.
But unlike the fiery World Cup finalists, these yellow-robed youngsters know their martial arts from their two-footed tackles.


$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/07/13/article-1294343-0A68B7BD000005DC-415_634x426.jpg') Kung flew: A Shaolin student delivers a flying football kick while practising at Tagou Wushu School in China



Their soccer efforts certainly outshine Dutch midfielder Nigel de Jong’s astonishing challenge on Spain’s Xabi Alonso in Sunday’s tempestuous tie.
And unlike Holland’s hotheads, students at Tagou Wushu School in Dengfeng, central China, prefer to keep cool - and achieve this by meditating while balancing the ball.
They even laughed it off when an overly enthusiastic ‘tackle’ burst the ball, bringing an end to the team’s training session in the tranquil foothills of Mount Song.




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Meditation's what you need: A youngster balances the ball while praying (left) while another plays keepy-uppy





$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/07/13/article-1294343-0A68CE56000005DC-744_634x438.jpg') Air we go: A yellow robed martial arts expert soars up to take an amazing cartwheel kick

The school is linked to the Shaolin Monastery in the Henan province, which was founded in the fifth century.
The students have just formed their football team and will be looking to take on fellow martial arts experts.
Let’s just hope messrs de Jong and co don’t get any new ideas.

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/07/13/article-1294343-0A688777000005DC-133_634x448.jpg') How not to do it: Dutch midfielder Nigel de Jong (right) fouls Spain's Xabi Alonso (with a kick to his chest



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worl...ally-done.html

Shaolin soccer 2 in making with Stephen Chow return ?
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