Embed

Little Miss Kung Fu

Girl power in a Shaolin martial arts school

Shaolin Epo Wushu College in the Shaolin Mountains is among China’s top martial art schools. Nearby is the famous monastery, where monks have practiced the ancient martial art of wushu (also known as kung fu) for centuries. The school now gives children the chance to learn too. There are around 8,000 students, some as young as three.

Related:Wudang Wushu: Chinese monks perfect the ancient martial art

Although the boarding school only accepted boys at first, it now welcomes girls as well. Shaolin Epo schoolgirls have no time to play with dolls. Instead, they train with fists, knives, swords, and other weapons every day. The girls practice just as hard as the boys and live under the same Spartan conditions. With several people assigned to a room, very modest dinners, and only one day a week for parental visits, the girls have to toughen up and learn to focus on their goal of becoming skilled warriors.

Related: Karachi’s first female boxing club challenges gender stereotypes

Life at the school can be hard. In order to stay, the girls must pass every exam with flying colours, so they try their hardest to meet the required standard. The bar is set high and there are no allowances for those who fall behind. Despite the hurdles along the way and the unrelenting schedule, every girl soldiers on, determined to make her parents, teachers, and country proud.

Follow stories the mainstream media ignores: Follow RTD's Twitter

WATCH TRAILER
Please rate this film

9.88(17 users)

Published: 24 July 2017 00:00

Duration

27:28

Tags
Watch this film in Russian

don't miss

26:33
Health 20 May 2016 00:00

China's Digital Detox. A life reboot for internet gaming addicts

26:33
Professions 21 March 2016 00:00

The 'Makers' of Modern China. A new generation of inventors let their imaginations fly

26:33
Society 21 April 2020 18:13

Square Metre of Hell. Trapped inside Hong Kong’s coffin homes

26:33
Meeting with Nature 04 January 2017 00:00

It's a Pandaful Life! How China is saving the giant panda from extinction

26:33
Sport 23 December 2013 00:00

Homeless fighter

26:33
Personalities 06 December 2017 00:00

Dragon of Afghanistan. Bruce Lee lookalike adored by youth, reviled by Islamic fundamentalists

26:33
Environment 19 January 2015 00:00

The Coral Gardeners. Replanting corals in Thailand

26:33
Professions 18 August 2014 00:00

Battle for the Beret. Russian soldiers take endurance tests to prove they're worthy of joining the Special Forces

26:33
Society 25 May 2016 00:00

Fallen Angels. True cost of sex tourism: Philippine’s fatherless kids

26:33
Human Rights 31 October 2016 00:00

Stitched up in Cambodia. When having a baby means losing your job

26:33
Society 18 November 2016 00:00

Tough Love. Challenging Vietnam’s abortion rate, one baby at a time

26:33
Professions 05 May 2017 00:00

Golden Gamble. Gold mining in the Philippines, a dirty business

26:33
Lifestyle 17 November 2023 12:00

Torn From The Tundra. Children of reindeer herders leave the Tundra to start school in the city

26:33
Personalities 07 April 2017 00:00

Cambodia’s Hollywood Dad. Scott Neeson: From Hollywood highs to Cambodia’s slum kids

26:33
Military and War 07 December 2016 00:00

The Coming War on China

26:33
Environment 30 July 2018 00:00

Palawan Lost . The dark side of a tropical idyll that tourists don't see

26:33
Human Rights 04 July 2018 00:00

Rohingya: Unpeopled . Genocide survivours are invited back to their homeland

26:33
Society 25 November 2019 11:29

Gangnam Stress. South Korea’s extreme measures against extreme pressure

26:33
Society 13 March 2019 00:21

Dying Alone . Kodokushi, Japan's epidemic of isolation through the eyes of a 'lonely death' cleaner

26:33
Human Rights 23 January 2017 00:00

Project Duterte. Law enforcement or mass terror? The Philippines’ war on drugs. With episodes in 360

VIEWER’S CHOICE: 1,000,000 VIEWS AND MORE

VIEW ALL