Shaolin Kung Fu/Tai Chi/Sanda Training in China, Learning Chinese in China

[frankgo]

Shaolin Kung Fu/Tai Chi/Sanda Training in China, Learning Chinese in China, Martial Arts Online Shop, detailed informations of shaolin kung fu training, shaolin temple, many pictures and videos, traveller reports, tips and more

We offer real Shaolin Kung Fu/Tai Chi/Sanda training in one of the best wushu schools in zhengzhou/china. The teachers speak English, so communication is no problem.

Additionally you can learn chinese language in small classes and teachers have great experiences in teaching chinese to foreigners.

You can combine your stay learning shaolin kung fu/tai chi/sanda training and chinese language.

The costs are 375 US$ each month including Shaolin Kung Fu/Tai Chi/Sanda training and/or chinese learning, accomodation (!!!) and food.

For more information please take a look at http://www.shaolin-wushu.de or http://www.trip-to-china.com.

China Kung Fu

www.shaolin-wushu.de - Shaolin Kung Fu Training in China, more than 1000 pictures and videos, traveller reports, Forum and more

www.trip-to-china.com - Learning Chinese language in china, Shaolin Kung Fu/Tai Chi/Sanda Training in China

[frankgo]

Shaolin Kung Fu Training in China

Morning

At the morning training from 05:45 o'clock to 07:30 o'clock mainly condition and high-speed strength are trained. First the musculature is warmed up by running. It is already an overwhelming picture if 15,000 pupils run in military formations through Shaolin. With a lot of middle sprints the high-speed strength is trained. While the foreigners run as fast as they can (and I can ensure you that we ran (like hell) on 100 m under 12 s!), but the coach runs with a long stick at your side smiling and spurs you on running much more faster and hitting your back too, if ones moves are too slowy (according to his opinion). A popular goal are the stairs to the Bodhidharma Cave consisting of 1000 stairs!!

The Shaolin monks run this distance each morning and their condition is gigantic. But only few stages are necessary to get the pupils sweating. Short sprints over 10 m stairs, limping on the left, right and both legs absolutely hard. Downwards every pupil must make press-ups, so the arms are trained too. After 1 3/4 h the training is over. The musculature is tired, arms and legs very heavy.

Breakfast

Now it is breakfast time and a lot of restaurants invite you for eating breakfast. This consists usually of Dou Fu Noir (Soybean), Ba Bao Jou (8 precious objects soup) and Yao Tiao (deep-fry paste). Also noodles and rice are eaten at breakfast. It is likely that the Chinese sip their soup and noodles and you have to do the same.

After breakfast: training

After short recovery the next training begins at 09:00 o'clock with a loose jogging, warming up and the high-speed strength training. But now primarily the stretching is being trained.

In contrast to German training the stretch is being trained not until pain arises, but far beyond pain. A popular exercise is the doing the split. The pupil is lying on his back and 2 other students hold his arms and legs and the coaches pushes with his whole body, in order to press the student doing the split (I could hardly move the next several days). According to this, there are a lot of such exercises. Another exercise consists of a student sitting down, pressing his sole in front of him together. A lot of people have some problems therefore another person stands on his knees and presses those down to the ground by his body weight. Everyone of us had to makeo the crab. This is very painful for untrained persons but in Shaolin the coach lifts you up and shakes your body... every pupil will have to cry out louldy and some days later you will have enormous back pain (but it seems to work). Arms, legs and all other muscles (which you did not know before) are stretched. Afterwards the basic elements of the Shaolin Kung Fu are taught: Leg movements, blocking, striking, stands. This part differs not too much from our well-known training, however the repetition rate is much higher. Because the students repeat the same techniques again and again and again and so highest perfection is obtained. Training ends at 11:30 o'clock.

Lunch

In one of the numerous restaurants or in the school it is possible to eat. There are numerous dishes but no menu. Thus you go into the kitchen, show something you like and the cook prepares a tasty, warm meal. Rice and noodles are the most important (and most inexpensive) food. Meat is expensive and you can one only dream of a steak. Rather the meat is cut into small pieces and mixed to the vegetables. Preferably tomatoes, potatoes and different vegetables are used. By the way there is no chance to order coffee or chocolate.

After noon we have some time to recover the maltreated body. On one of the numerous stone banks we can watch a lot of Chinese, but there is no time for relaxing. You are mostly surrounded by a cluster of Chinese and they want to talk to you or take some pcitures. If you want to rest this is not the place. In the school, on the road, even in the mountains there are Chinese looking for contact with foreigners.

Afternoon training

At 2:00 pm in the afternoon training begins again. This training is the most interesting one because new forms and weapons will be taught now. But also this training begins with a warming up training, with stretching and with basic techniques. These basic techniques are absolute necessary. The first form (every student has to learn this) in Shaolin is the Wu Bu Quan. This form consists of five different basic stands and is relatively simple to learn. With each form new stands, techniques and also acrobatic elements are inserted. The advanced Shaolin student learns the somersault forwards and backwards, the flic flac, the jumped cartwheel and a lot of other jumped techniques. The jump strength of the Chinese is gigantic and somersault appears for the audience as very simple (but I tell you, it isn't acutally!).

Due to their bodies foreigners have bigger problems learning these techniques.

Usually weapon training starts with long stick (gun) and followed by sword (dao). The mobile weapons are more difficult to learn and therefore they are taught to the older students. Mobile weapons are the 9-section whip (jiu jie bian), the three-section-stick (san jie gun), the two-section-stick (liang jie gun) and the whip (bian). Those weapons combined with fantastic acrobatic elements constitute the fascination of the Shaolin Kung Fu. Training ends at 6:00 pm.

End of training

After a arduous day it is worth to wash oneself for the first time.

Most schools do not have their own showers and so once a week they visit an external wash and shower room. It sounds awful but after a short time it doesn't matter. The dinner is the same like lunch. At 9:30 pm most of the students fall tired into bed because next morning the siren will sound again at 05:30 am.

If you are interested in shaolin kung fu/tai chi/sanda training in china (or learning chinese language in china), please take a look at our websites http://www.shaolin-wushu.de or http://ww.trip-to-china.com .

China Kung Fu

www.shaolin-wushu.de - Shaolin Kung Fu Training in China, more than 1000 pictures and videos, traveller reports, Forum and more

www.trip-to-china.com - Learning Chinese language in china, Shaolin Kung Fu/Tai Chi/Sanda Training in China

http://www.shaolin-wushu.de/video/qigong_speer.jpg

http://www.shaolin-wushu.de/video/qigong_luftballon.jpg

[frankgo]

Hi,

we trained one year Shaolin Kung Fu in the second largest Kung Fu school of China in Shaolin and would like to give our experiences, impressions and many tips to you.

As a child we watched all Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan movies and after many years of martial arts training in German, we thought of starting training at the origin of all kinds of martial arts - Shaolin. After various chinese contacts (with a translator - no one speaks German and it is hardly to find a chinese who speaks English) we started our journey to Beijing and with an inland flight to Zhengzhou, the capital of the Henan province.

The head master picked us up at the airport, unfortunately he couldn't speak one word English. He only had a large handpainted sign of the translator: "Please follow this person, he will bring you to the school". After 2 1/2 h we are arrived at shaolin. Thousands of students train in numerous schools (Meanwhile all schools in shaolin were destroyed and moved to the nearby city Dengfeng).

At the next morning we bought training equipment like shoes and clothes with the coach and after breakfast we started our training. The first day was OK - however the next 4 weeks were only pain.

05:30 - 07:00: Running, condition training in the mountains, i.e. climbing up stairs, hoping up stairs with left or right leg, moving down stairs with pushups, 1 1/2 h training.

Afterwards we strengthened our body with breakfast consisting of rice, noodles or deep-fried dough.

09:00 - 11:30: Morning training: Warming up with running, sprints in order to improve your speed, extreme stretching, splits and more, basic techniques such as Kicks, punches, stands.

12:00: Lunch consisting of rice, noodles (what else?) and vegetables, the legs are tired due to extreme stretching, the muscles are stone-hard. Unfortunately the room is on 4th floor but due to muscles pain each step is a hard fight. The toilets are in the ground floor so we had to use the stairs frequently. NOw it is time to relax.

14:30 - 18:00: Afternoon training: Warming up exercises and sprints. The emphasis in the afternoon training are acrobatic exercises (e.g. summer sault) and learning new forms. At the beginning we learnt Wu Bu Quan and Xiao Hong Quan, some simple fist forms. After that the movements become more complex and you will learn various acrobatics. At advanced level weapons are taught such as stick and sword, in addition three-stick, 9-section whip, spear, Shaolin meteor hammer and more.

18:30: Dinner as previously mentioned consisting of rice and noodles.

The first 4 weeks are very very extreme, your body doesn't know this kind of heavy training for 8 - 10 hours a day.

Muscles are everywhere hardened and each step means pain. There is one day off a week, so your body will be recovered. Temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius and the unusual food stresses the body too. Like all foreigners we got extreme diarrhea after the first week (5 days long). Immodium and other medicin didn't heal, only Chinese medicine got an improvement. After 4 weeks pain decreases to a "normal measure". Every day you will have pain but it is OK. After 4 weeks you will learn new forms, acrobatics and more so we recommend to stay at least 4 weeks. We never repented to live one year in shaolin training every day. We got many chinese friends. If we will get the opportunity we would like to to do this adventure again, even if the living conditions are extremely simple and primitive.

We wrote down our experiences, training conditions, the training, tips, many pictures and videos on our homepage, so please take a look at http://www.shaolin-wushu.de or http://www.trip-to-china.com.

China Kung Fu

www.shaolin-wushu.de - Shaolin Kung Fu Training in China, more than 1000 pictures and videos, traveller reports, Forum and more

www.trip-to-china.com - Learning Chinese language in china, Shaolin Kung Fu/Tai Chi/Sanda Training in China

http://www.shaolin-wushu.de/video/qigong_luftballon.jpg

http://www.shaolin-wushu.de/video/taiqi_all.jpg

[roddy]

Not clear if these posts are from the people running the school or the students, but I'm letting them through as there isn't much info about Kung Fu schools out there it seems.

[4Fisher4]

Does anyone know of a great kung fu school in China? I have been searching everywhere and found a few places. But they either have a bad rep or are very expensive, I would appreciate it if someone e-mailed me at perfectsneaky@hotmail.com to tell me of any schools or academies that are very suitable,

Thankyou!!

[CheukMo]

I believe you can study at the Shaolin Temple for a certain fee and visa. I will check to see if this is (completely) true.

卓武

[4Fisher4]

I appreciate you checking about studying at the Shaolin Temple. I was looking at the Beijing Sports University but on the website it stated that it was $7,000 USD for a year. I am wanting to go to a good Kung fu or Wushu academy where I can stay for three years, with about $14,000 where the sports college will be $21,000 for three years. I was also interested in learning some acrobatic skills, such as flips and tricks. So after I would study martial arts for three years maybe I will go and study at the Beijing International Arts School to learn these abilities.

I would like to get into movies, be the next action hero like Jet Li, Bruce Lee, or Jackie Chan. I would like to know what the best way to study martial arts, learn acrobatics, and study in stunts would be. If anyone could assist me in great places to go, maybe jobs in China, that would help me in acomplishing my dream I would be very appreciative:). And I won't forget you once I am famous:)jk

Thank you so much!!

Adam

[simonlaing]

I've had two friends go for short training in Shaolin.

The flexibility is the most intense they said, Forced splits might be par. One was a one week tour course, he found he lagged behind in the flexibility issues and had groin and back issues.

Another Friend Stu tried to go for 4 weeks of training in the summer. After 3 weeks he had had enough. Although he had trained before in Australia, he said the flexibility training was too intense. Also they were 7 foriegners out of 5000 students, so no allowances were made for them.

have fun,

Simon:)

[4Fisher4]

I was wondering if there were any costs that you could provide me with? Is it expensive to study at the Shaolin Temple? Or would it be better to study somewhere else like a school? Whatever would provide me with the best training possible, I would be very appreciative.

Thankyou

Adam

[CheukMo]

I can find nothing in my old notes about studying at Shaolin. Perhaps Simon could be of more assistance to you.

[simonlaing]

7, 000 USD is quite expensive.

Most univeristies are 1000 -1,500 for the Chinese language . Shaolin si is also in a poor province. (most of the good Kung fu school are for some reason). (less distractions perhaps. )

I would say the tution for the Kungfu academy (Shaolin has 4 big ones I think and several other small schools.) Should be about the same as the Chinese language schools. Perhaps more if you have to pay for insurance, maximum 2000 USD I'd say. with About 1200 yuan ($150) a month shared accomondation and food. If you take frequent trips to big cities, or spend a lot of money on foreign food or alcohol You should be fine.

I can ask my friend when he gets back from traveling in a week more details about it .

But it seems really intense, like painful, tiring for a complete year without respite. You may want to try a week before you commit to the year of training.

It is more acrobatic and aerobic than other martial arts.

Also you should know that many masters were critcized during the cultural revolution . So many left through HK, to go to Australia and the US. In addition the Chinese government say the teaching of combat wu shu could be a danger. So there are some people who say the best wushu is taught in the States.

Good luck,

Have fun,

Simon:)

[4Fisher4]

I was wondering if this place that frankgo is talking about would be any good. I looked up the websites that he offered and it seems to be alright, but I would like another opinion before I head off and do it. I also found a couple of places at these websites http://www.fohanquan.com/school.html and http://www.shaolins.com/ and if anyone has been there or knows of any information I would appreciate it.

Thanks so much!

Adam