American Shaolin Page #12

He walks into the waterfall, and the umbrella works for a moment. Drew is holding it with both hands, and he gets into a deep horse stance.

He turns to smile at the D.S., and then waves at the others. As soon as he takes a hand off the handle of the umbrella, the water slams him and off he goes into the pool.

He lands with a huge splash, doing a painful bellow flop. Drew comes to the surface, still clutching the now- destroyed umbrella. He smiles at the other disciples, who are still swimming, sheepishly.

DREW:

Thought I'd join you guys.

INT. TEMPLE TRAINING HALL – DAY

ESTABLISHING SHOT OF GROUPS WORKING OUT.

Drew is in with the group. Gao and Drew are chosen to do a training exercise together.

D.S.

In this exercise, you try to touch your partner's chest lightly, and your partner tries to block.

The group gets started doing the drill, and Gao is almost caving Drew's chest in with his blows. He is so close to Drew that Drew doesn't have a chance to block it. On the last strike, Drew falls back to the ground.

The D.S. is there immediately.

D.S.

Something wrong?

Drew shakes his head and gets back up.

D.S.

Switch!

Now it's Drew's turn to strike, and he tries to hit Gao with the same amount of force as he did, but Gao avoids his attack, throwing him off balance. He throws another punch out, and Gao grabs it and pulls.

Drew falls to the floor again. A monk who was watching walks over.

MONK:

The goal of this drill is not to hurt your partner. Just try to tap his chest.

DREW:

I know, but...

MONK:

Then do it that way...

The Monk walks away, shaking his head.

EXT. SHAOLIN TEMPLE – EVENING

ESTABLISHING SHOT OF TEMPLE COURTYARD, EMPTY EXCEPT FOR DREW AND LI PLAYING CATCH WITH A FRISBEE.

Drew is flipping it in a bunch of different ways, and Li is enjoying watching him.

To the side of the courtyard are two brooms leaning against the wall.

DREW:

This sure beats sweeping...

ANGLE ON FRISBEE

Floating past temple statues and ancient Chinese decorations, barely missing them.

Drew makes an acrobatic catch and then flicks it back to Li, harder than he should have. It heads for an ancient statue and smacks it dead center, right in the face.

The statue starts to tip!

Drew and Li rush for the statue and catch it, just before it tips over and smashes on the ground.

They look at each other, thanking their lucky stars the statue didn't fall. They start to throw the frisbee again, when Drew spots the D.S. coming towards them.

Drew stashes the frisbee in his shirt and grabs the brooms.

He tosses one to Li and they just begin sweeping again when the D.S. rounds the corner.

The D.S. knows something is going on, but they look so innocent.

D.S.

Sweep the main chamber, Drew.

DREW (CONT'D)

Yes, master.

He bows and smiles goodbye to Li. He walks into the main training chamber.

INT. CHAMBER – SAME EVENING

ESTABLISHING SHOT OF DREW WALKING INTO THE CHAMBER.

This is the chamber where they had their first workout, and Drew just stands there for a moment, soaking up the tradition of it.

He walks to an area of the chamber under the famous painting and stands staring at it.

QUICK CUTS to different ANGLES of the painting.

ANGLE ON DREW:

Who begins to sweep.

His broom is going over the depressions where the monks train, and soon he loses his desire to sweep. He takes the broom in his hand as a weapon and starts to spin it, going through a martial arts form, his feet moving naturally into the depressions in the floor.

He finishes with a flourish, having moved into a shadowy area in a corner, and then bows to an imaginary crowd, using the broom as a microphone.

DREW:

(imitating an announcer)

Presenting, the greatest fighter in the history of the Shaolin temple... Drew Carson!

Drew holds his broom over his head, nodding his head to the imaginary crowd.

DREW:

The crowd is going wild.

Just then, out of the shadows comes an attacking staff, SLAMMING into Drew's unprotected stomach!

Drew, ready to double over in pain, hears the staff hit the frisbee, and stands up straight, adjusting the frisbee that saved his stomach.

Before he can react, the staff SMACKS him in the back of the head and sends him pitching to the floor.

ANGLE ON DREW:

As he lands face down in the pile of dust and dirt he already swept up.

EXT. SHAOLIN TEMPLE – EVENING

ESTABLISHING SHOT OF TEMPLE COURTYARD, THE SUN SETTING IN THE DISTANCE.

Drew is standing in front of a painting-statue of Bodhidharma, one in which he is made to look extremely fierce.

San De walks up behind Drew and stands there for a moment.

SAN DE:

He was an amazing monk...

DREW:

Yeah, what's up with him?

SAN DE:

Come with me...

San De walks away, and Drew follows him.

INT. SAN DE'S CHAMBERS – SAME NIGHT

ESTABLISHING SHOT OF SAN DE BREWING TEA.

The room is filled with paintings and scrolls. A Golden Sash hangs in a place of honor.

San De puts the tea leaves into the pot, then soaks them with boiling water. He pours the water out, then repeats the process several times. His movements are all very precise and careful – it almost looks like a martial art kata.

SAN DE:

Legend states that Bodhidharma gave us tea. Once, while meditating, Bodhidharma fell asleep, a natural reaction we all have to fight against.

San De looks pointedly at Drew, who doesn't meet his eyes.

SAN DE (CONT'D)

When he awoke, he was so enraged at his eyelids for betraying him, he tore them off and threw them to the ground.

(beat)

From those eyelids grew the first tea bush. You see, even the leaves look like eyelids.

San De shows Drew a tea leaf.

DREW:

Impossible.

SAN DE:

Nothing is impossible if your spirit is pure, and your will is strong.

The tea is ready, and San De begins to pour for Drew.

SAN DE (CONT'D)

I understand you've been questioning some of the teachings of the temple...

DREW:

It's just not the way I was taught...

San De keeps pouring into Drew's cup. It is getting to the rim. San De is not stopping.

DREW (CONT'D)

Master! Stop! No more will go in!

San De continues pouring until the tea runs all over the table.

SAN DE:

Exactly! You are like this cup, full of what you have learned. How can we show you Shaolin unless you first empty your cup?

He picks up the cup and tosses the tea through an open window. He now pours into the empty cup.

SAN DE (CONT'D)

The rules and disciplines of the temple exist to free you, not restrict you. They keep your mind from harmful thoughts.

(beat)

Drink your tea.

Drew nods and sips at his tea.

EXT. TRAINING AREA – DAY

ESTABLISHING SHOT OF ONE OF THE INSTRUCTORS TEACHING A SOFT STYLE OF SHAOLIN WU SHU.

His body moves with the wind, bending and swaying. Another monk is attacking him with a hard style, and the soft style is very effective.

Drew and Li try it, and Drew is having a lot of trouble. He is used to training hard style, and the soft style seems too weak for him. D.S. comes over.

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