“When I was a kid, I saw a lot of Shaolin kung fu performances,” O’Neal told Titan Sports, China’s top sports newspaper, as he toured the temple in central Henan province on Monday.
“I always wanted to know if Shaolin kung fu was real or not. Now, at last I know — the Chinese kung fu I saw on television, it was all real,” the four-time NBA champion said in remarks translated into Chinese.
“When I go home I will study this and hopefully even use it when I’m playing basketball.”
Known to the Chinese as the “Big Shark,” the 37-year-old O’Neal has practiced martial arts in the off-season for years.
On Monday, he met with the temple’s top monks and watched a group of warrior monks performing martial arts exercises.
“I am really interested in snake-style kung fu,” Titan quoted O’Neal as saying.
“When I retire, I hope to come back to the Shaolin Temple to study for a year. To come here just this one time is not enough.”
State television showed crowds surrounding O’Neal, as he mimicked the hand movements that give snake-style kung fu its name.
– Source : AFP
