FORMER Championship coach Johan Mjallby has swapped defensive arts for martial arts… by training as a Shaolin monk.
The Celtic legend won three SPL titles, two Scottish Cups and two League Cups in his six-year Hoops playing career.
Johan Mjallby had a decorated career with CelticCredit: Willie Vass – The Sun
But now he’s traded in defending goals for defending himselfCredit: Willie Vass – The Sun
He later spent the 2014-15 season at second-tier Bolton Wanderers as assistant to boss Neil Lennon.
Swedish ex-defender Mjallby previously worked for four years at Celtic under Northern Irishman Lennon.
The 54-year-old has now taken part in a reality show for Swedish TV station SVT named Shaolin Heroes.
He spent 12 days in a temple in the South Korean forest, learning Kung Fu as well as meditation rituals, alongside six other Swedish celebrities.
And the former Parkhead favourite said the tough training left him “broken” at times.
SVT said: “Through rock-hard kung fu, meditation and ancient rituals, their bodies, willpower and self-images are tested to the breaking point.
“One is a narcissist, another is jealous, controlling or constantly angry. They all carry inner demons that cannot be escaped from when the body aches and silence takes over.”
Mjallby said: “I went as it felt like something that could benefit me a lot. Life is very much about personal development, and here I saw a chance to do that.
“I’m certainly not a narcissist or jealous. On the other hand I get stressed when I have to wait, so my concern is a lack of patience.
“I hoped to learn things, to make an inner journey. It wasn’t a competition, but rather about picking things up and developing.
“I didn’t go into it because I had wounds to heal. I don’t think I am a bad person.
“But I’m aware I have had a bit of a lack of empathy. Maybe that’s how you are when you are an elite athlete.
“Sometimes you focus very much on yourself – you have the blinkers on and don’t see those around you.
“I thought maybe we would train twice a day, but after many days of hard work you were actually broken.
“I thought I had trained hard in my life, but this was damn hard both physically and mentally. It was a pretty tough mental journey.
Mjallby (right) during his playing days with Scott Brown (left)Credit: PA
“It was tough to spend quite a few days in a fantastic, but isolated place. We were totally isolated from the outside world, without computers or phones.
“It was a bit ascetic and quite cool, but of course mentally it was a test.
“I had never met the others before. Now I think that, for the rest of my life, I will try to help if someone else asks me for help.
“It was an incredibly cool experience, a privilege to be part of – and a memory for life.”
Shaolin Heroes will debut on SVT on January 2.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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