Hello my friend, I am Michelle, 22 years old coming from Germany and I stayed at the school for 6 months.

I arrived here in the beginning of February of 2024, right before the Chinese New Year.
I remember the immediate culture shock and contemplating if coming here was a good decision. It was super cold outside and inside, there was no warm water in the sink area, the bed was very hard and to top it off, my bedding was still the summer blanket. The first night was rough. I was shivering and couldn't sleep because of that. I also didn't want to open my suitcase and put some more clothes on, because my roommate was sleeping. I told myself: "Luckily I am only staying 6 months."
Little did I know how quickly I wished I could stay longer than that.

The next day I had my first classes, Applications and Jumps and Rolls. I didn't know what to expect, but I knew for sure I would be scared of doing Jumps and Rolls. So I had two options. Letting the fear grow and stop me before even trying or just going through whatever might be ahead of me.
I told myself: "I came here to get out of my comfort zone. Of course I feel uncomfortable right now. I want to become physically and mentally stronger, so I have to go through this!"
And with each passing day I got more and more accustomed to the life in the school.  I created a new comfort zone for myself and pushed myself out of it bit by bit.
Even though it was hard sometimes and my mind told me to stop, I kept on training.
Running faster, jumping higher, going lower in the stances. In the end it's all about endurance and tricking your mind.

Aside from training I experienced many unexpected situations during my time at the school, from being invited to a Chinese wedding, to visiting the Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng and participating in a Tai Chi and Shaolin competition. I made awesome friends and had a lot of fun.
The community in the school feels like a big family. There is always laughter and whenever a student leaves you can't help, but feel sad.
Living, eating and training together builds bonds and strengthens the relationships between the people here.

In the beginning I felt very welcomed by the masters and the other students. During classes I was taken aside and each Master showed me the basics of their class. And if I forgot something there was always an older student willing to help me and I am very grateful for that.

As a student you can choose between Shaolin, Wing Chun and Sanda.
I focused on Shaolin. After progressing in the class you can choose what else you would like to learn, like learning a form with a specific weapon, for example. Master Wei then picks a form for you that challenges you and is still doable at the same time. He manages his classes very well and makes sure to pay attention to every student during the class.
Some forms and classes are also taught by Master Nie, the Shaolin Master of the Chinese kids. Even with the language barrier he manages to teach us very well and makes it easy to follow him.

I particularly enjoyed the Tai Chi classes taught by Master Liu. Never would I have thought that I would grow so fond of Tai Chi. At first it was difficult for me to remember the forms, because they are longer than the Shaolin forms and the movements flow into eachother. However Master Liu is very patient with his students and let's you take your time with learning and memorizing the movements.

Like many other students I fell in love with this place and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who make this environment possible. Thanks to all the Kitchen Ladies, who cook the delicious meals and clean the school building daily, and to Shushu who keeps the school ground in check. Thank you to all the Masters and the amazing people I have met here to let me have the best time of my life.
Until we meet again!