About 200 Hastings school children were entertained by a performance by a troupe of fighting monks from Shaolin Temple.
The performance and workshop took place at Heretaunga Intermediate School, and was watched by all its pupils, plus some from contributing Camberley School, and foreign-language students from Napier's Tamatea High Shool.
Heretaunga principal Michael Sisam said pupils watched in awe of the troupe, but had to be warned the performers had trained for "years and years" and their antics were not of the type to be tackled by the unprepared.
A performance of about 30 minutes was followed by instruction in which pupils tried the more restrained moves.