Having been fascinated by martial arts for my whole life, I took the decision to embark on the ultimate physical and mental test of the arts by visiting the Shaolin kungfu school in Qufu..... where I trained and ate together with the monks in 2007 and 2008 at the Henan Shaolin temple. As I am already 56 years of age I had to prepare myself throughout an entire year in Switzerland with Kung Fu, Tai Ji and condition training. 

I was aware that the training would be extremely demanding and interesting.I was not disappointed, to the contrary,the training was very hard,diverse and I was very impressed with the patience of the master.They have vast experience and are able to pass on their knowledge very well.The atmosphere in the school with the other 30 students (mostly between 20 and 30 years old )was extremely pleasant.The training began outside at 6.00am and finished at 17.30.The weekend trip to the city of Qufu was a further highlight. Here we were able to observe everday China and to buy cheap and interesting things at the market. Mount Taishan (Tai Shan), the leader of the Five Sacred Mountains, epitomizes splendid Chinese culture. 6'000 steps lead up to the top where you can experience an unbelievable dawn and sunset vista.The descent on Sunday was a test for my leg muscles and still remains in my memory.

Everything I experienced was a test of my inner strength and my physical limits.The tremendous knowledge of the masters which they imparted to me will stay with me forever and I can truly say this was a life changing experience. The training will push you to your limit but on completion of the school you will come away with experiences that will help you in your career and private life. I would like to thank all the masters, and these three visits will remain in my memory for as long as I live. 

In Switzerland I will continue with Kungfu /Gigonng and Taj Ji in my freetime.