March 10th, 2024, our headmaster, master Wei (Shi Yan Jia) led 20 students of our School went to visit the Shaolin Temple, experiencing the Shaolin way of life.
 
Our students experienced traditional Shaolin Temple practices such as shaolin basics, tried monk’s lunch, and did the Shaolin Band test. Our students get the chance to interacted with Shaolin warrior monks, showed around the temple by master Shi Yan Zhao.


 
During our visit, we also met with the abbot of Shaolin Temple, Master Shi Yong Xin. Our students were praised by our master’smaster. And encouraged our students to diligently cultivate our skills, improve Kung Fu levels, and responsibly carry forward the inheritance of Shaolin culture, ensuring that the benefits of this outstanding cultural heritage reach more people.



Our students were thrilled by their pilgrimage experience to Shaolin Temple, expressing their excitement at being able to visit the Zen and Kung Fu holy land.

The Shaolin Temple also published our visiting on their official website:
曲阜少林功夫学校率13国海外学员朝拜少林寺-少林僧团-少林寺,少林文化,少林寺官方网站 (shaolin.org.cn)



Our studentsAleks who did the Shaolin Band test in the Templesaid
Our Trip to the Shaolin Temple



"Shaolin"...this word alone is so famous around the world yet still so mysterious to me. Even after reading and watching documentaries about it, I never really could break through this wall of mystery. In the world outside of China, we connect Shaolin with Kung Fu and humans doing the most unbelievable things with their bodies. Therefore, I developed a fascination for it. Later, I should find out that there is more behind that.

By coming to this school, I just wanted to get a glimpse of the Shaolin experience, mainly to get back in shape and healthy again. Having the opportunity to train under the guidance of a real Shaolin Monk from the temple and learn from him was a dream come true. And with Master Wei, as the 34th generation Warrior Monk of the Shaolin Temple and disciple of the Abbot Shi Yangxin, I could not find a better Master for that. So, by coming here, I already fulfilled my dream, but it got even better when we got the proposal from Master Wei to do the grading for the first Duanpin directly at the Shaolin Temple.

From what I know, usually those gradings were recorded and then sent to the temple to be reviewed. At least in our modern times, this is the case. Well, needless to say, I did not hesitate a second to accept and immediately started with the training. Some of my school sisters and brothers decided the same, so we started organizing the trip to the Shaolin Temple a few weeks later.

We organized everything and almost the whole school joined for this four-day trip to the Shaolin Temple. Approximately six hours later, we arrived in Dengfeng, the city next to the Shaolin Temple. A city which holds the largest concentration of Kung Fu schools I have ever witnessed. Each one containing talents who aspire to become the next Jet Li or Jackie Chan.

The day after was the day I did not even dream of - entering the Shaolin Temple. Not only as a tourist, but also as an aspiring student who has the chance to "become part of the Shaolin family", to quote the words of Master Wei's brother and Shaolin Monk Shi Yan Chen. However, before that, on the way to the temple, Master Wei surprised us with the news that we would meet his Master and the current Abbot of the Shaolin Temple, Shi Yangxin. To maybe put this into perspective: It is like going to the Vatican and meeting the pope. A truly once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The presence of this personality cannot be put into words. He told us about his experiences outside of China and how he has been to our countries spreading Shaolin to the world, meeting high representatives up to private meetings with the president of China. Being the personification of Buddha, a spiritual leader, and yet he was sitting in front of us and talking with us so kindly and so humbly that it felt like meeting a relative.

Shortly after that, it was time to do the grading. Luckily, this went so quickly that I did not even have the chance to be nervous. The three masters for the grading entered, and I just started my performance. In that moment, I calmed myself and trusted in the training I had gone through for this moment. And it went great. After the first steps, which were shaky, I regained my confidence and managed to perform well and pass to become a part of the Shaolin family.

All of us who participated passed, so we earned ourselves a good lunch. During our grading, Master Wei arranged for us to eat with the monks in their dining room. Another insight into a pillar of Shaolin tradition. Praying and eating in silence; honoring and valuing the food that gives us the strength throughout the training and day. Solely vegetarian. And all in all, very tasty.

The rest of the day was packed with learning about the history and traditions of the Shaolin Temple. Starting with a tour by a Shaolin brother of Master Wei who explained the story of Bodhidharma, the transmitter of Chan Buddhism to China and the "inventor" of Shaolin Kung Fu. It is said that upon his arrival, he lived in a cave in the mountains near the Shaolin monastery for nine years, which is now called the Damo cave. After those nine years, he entered the Shaolin monastery and started teaching what we now call Shaolin Kung Fu.

Many more legends and stories were told to us, which can be found in several books, but based on this particular story, we set foot to the Damo cave, a pilgrimage site for many Buddhists. After almost 1100 steps, we arrived at the cave and the top of the mountain. Again, humbling ourselves and putting our modern problems and material luxuries into perspective just by imagining how it is to sit in this cave for such a period of time meditating and finding spiritual heights. Of course, these are legends and stories - for which I leave every individual to decide for themselves to believe and delve into or not.

After the food and the physical exercise in the form of walking 1100 steps up and down, we went back to the temple to visit the pagoda forest. A so-called graveyard for previous Abbots of the Shaolin temple with its unique architecture where we collected more stories, memories, and pictures of our trip and brought this day to an end.

Before returning to Qufu, we allowed ourselves a free day to celebrate our achievements, picking up our certificate for the first Duanpin, some sightseeing, and some weapon-shopping for our training back at the school.

While sitting in the bus back, I only felt relaxation, fulfillment, and gratitude for what I was able to experience thanks to my Master Shi Yan Jia, or as we call him: Master Wei, and thanks to the opportunities this school gave me.

Finally, the walls of mystery behind the word Shaolin started to crack. And I will continue to train and learn more so that this wall will become no more.