"Director: Micha Bergese"

• Shaolin Kung - Fu Masters Live | DVD | (22/11/2004) from £5.99   |  Saving you £10.00 (166.94%)   |  RRP £15.99

  The Shaolin Monks brilliant new show 'Kung Fu Masters - Live' was filmed at London's Peacock Theatre.20 monks and five young trainees amaze us with their hypnotic and pain defying feats. Monks are lifted aloft sharpened spears sandwiched between beds of nails break marble slabs with their heads swallow swords perform handstands on two finger tips and do endless back flips using heads not hands. The mind over matter skills draw gasps of disbelief from the audience.T

• Shaolin - Wheel Of Life | DVD | (01/01/1900) from £6.36   |  Saving you £9.63 (151.42%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Captured at the Hammersmith Apollo in London, Shaolin--Wheel of Life is the complete stage event featuring the undoubtedly unique touring group of oriental monks who present a show that mixes a martial arts display with theatre and music. Rather than simply providing a glorified circus, however, the show itself is based on the monks' own history, focusing on the less-than-obvious story of how a religious order evolved into a group of combatants who look as though they could eat Jackie Chan for breakfast. The monks' abilities are truly astounding, ranging from impossibly graceful acrobatics to don't-try-this-at home feats of strength and endurance involving the breaking of wooden poles and concrete slabs and balancing upon disturbingly sharp objects (the narrator, appropriately, is John Hurt). While it's hard to contain the true atmosphere of such an event on video (although anyone who's seen the show will certainly want a copy), the story-line holds the attention and the charming antics of the boy novices will make your mum go "Aaah!". --Roger Thomas