A movement is stirring in the Himalayas. As the region faces modernization, a group of young nuns from the Drukpa lineage of Buddhism have adopted kung fu as a way to build strength while championing gender equality. Breaking a centuries-long social order that favors men in leadership, these nuns exemplify kindness in its fiercest form by empowering communities to serve others. The nuns began learning kung fu as a way to promote self-defense to the young girls in their communities, where violence against women is rarely reported. They now regularly host self-defense trainings near their nunneries and on their travels, drawing hundreds of thousands of spectators to their performances. Today, there are more than seven hundred Drukpa nuns, with a long waiting list of women and girls wishing to join their ranks. The Kung Fu Nuns received the 2019 Asia Society’s Asian Game Changers Award. Join us to see a special kung fu demonstration and listen to the nuns describe their personal journeys. |