Hi!

Thanks for reading this through! I’ve been longing to train at a Shaolin Temple in China since I first heard of it’s existence, 6 years ago. I’m looking to spend three months there, learning as much as I can about kung-fu, meditation, moving with the natural flow of energy energy and about Chinese culture.

I cannot tell whether it is wisest to go to the original Shaolin Temple in Henan, or the different Shaolin Temple in Yennan, which I’ve been looking at for years now too. Perhaps there are better alternatives to both of these?

I am also a type 1 diabetic. It’s well managed, but is it possible to go through the rigorous full days of training, or even get accepted to a temple? I’d also need to be somewhere not too far from a hospital, just to be safe in a worst case scenario.

Any advice is much appreciated, as I’m trying to see if I am able to go for the second quarter of next year!

Best, Jacob

Hi I did some training while in China and have been looking for another traditional teach that goes slow and really makes sure you know the material and are physically conditioned. However, I am also looking for a teacher who implements some light sparring into their teaching like my last teacher did. I studied 八卦掌，醉拳，and 长拳. Would love to continue these, bu am looking for the right teacher for me. If you have any suggestions on where to look that would be amazing! Thanks!

Anyone knows something about the kung fu mao chuen style?

Does anyone know where you could get a custom ordered Broadsword? I am pretty tall and have really long arms and find that most swords are made for folk shorter than me. Im looking for something with a blade length with around a 85 cm length blade. Most premade swords I see are less than a 70 cm blade and haven't found a single one over 80cm. Anyone got a hook out there?

The style of Kenpo I practice has historical connections to Hung Gar Kuen and I'd like to research this further. Are there any schools currently open near me? I live in Central Indiana, but am willing to travel.

https://preview.redd.it/e8jmfb5lmhxd1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0ad0f852829d0a2481a9bbb54e4d18198ffd317b

I've seen an increasing number of people asking about this on social media so I spoke extensively with Master Shi Xing Jian (aka Master Bao), a wúsēng (martial monk) of the Shaolin Temple, and wrote a blog about the subject. In this article, we explore the process of becoming a Shaolin monk, explain the differences between the kinds of Shaolin monks, clarify misconceptions, and explain how foreigners might pursue this path.

Key Take-Away: it is very uncommon, but not impossible, for foreigners to become 'monks' of the Shaolin Temple.

https://shaolin-kungfu.com/how-to-become-a-shaolin-monk/

I just started training in kung fu and I have decided to make some dietary changes. I used to eat too much sugar and starch (white bread, white rice). I am now trying to eat more: roasted nuts , fruits, vegetables, bone broth soups and plain Greek yogurt as well as whole grains and beans.

I’d love to hear about your dietary changes and how it’s affected you because I am struggling with the changes. Frosted Flakes to fennel and leeks.

I’m a 45 year old man and studied kung fu when I was younger. I stopped because life took me in some other directions. Now I have the old guy problems (high blood pressure, diabetes and bad knees) and want to get them in check, exercise is a way to do this and my initial thought was start doing kung fu again but the closest kwoon is like an hour and some change away (and I don’t think my knees can handle it anymore) so I thought chi kung would be an option since it is generally low impact but again: nowhere to go to learn. I’ve found some things (eight broadcades) on YouTube but I’m not sure if it’s a good idea or not (learning kung fu from the internet is generally a bad idea). I remember some breathing exercises that my sifu taught me years ago but I’d like to expand on it and maybe/hopefully be able to at least practice my forms again…and (more importantly) get my blood pressure under control.

Looking for some online Kung Fu training, as there are none in my area. I was looking at Shaolin Online. Not too worried about price as long as it’s good. Any suggestions or guidance? Thanks guys!

Just started kung fu for the first time. The class kicked my ass. I’m an overweight 35 year old female. I haven’t heard of the style “choy lee fut” before. I put my kids in Fang Shen Do kung fu and he has a few belts but this system seems different (no belt and more fast paced). Any feedback is welcome.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCZCr4xJA9c

Ido Portal does this whipping technique with his arms at 1:15 in the video. I've seen him do variations of this a couple of times now and cannot find out where it comes from. Anyone familiar with this? I'm curious if it comes from a traditional Jung fu practice and if there is anymore information on this particular movement.

Hi! Anyone know a place to learn kung fu in Nashville (I’m actually looking for hung gar or choy Lee fut) but at school who sparred? I’m asked a few kung fu places around here and they get offended when I asked if they sparred (some ones said “anyone from here can kill you in a sparring 🙄) I used to training sanshou and kyokushin but a long time ago, in trying to get in martial arts again but don’t want a go to a mc dojo and can’t found nothing around this area.

If are another styles of wushu with sparring here, please send me the info!

I just wanted to poke around and see if anyone had interest in getting together to do some Kung Fu together in the Dallas Texas area. Sort of like an Exchange, bring ideas or techniques together and maybe share different drills.

I've noticed in their various forms and how they are practiced in both martial arts that how they both move and transition between stances shares quite a lot - Although they are both very VERY different and rather quite unique styles.

And you would use them in very different ways in the same hypothetical fight. No matter what you were doing(exclusive striking, counter grappling, blocking or even just pushing some one away from you...).

The weird horizontal body mechanics aliens of Kung Fu to me - seems to be strange kindred.

Anyone else notice this?

I don't know much about jing and I'm interested to learn more about it.

In Avatar the Last Airbender, Aang thinks there are only two jing: positive when you're attacking and negative when you're retreating. But King Bumi tells him that there are technically 85, and then proceeds to teach him about neutral jing -- when you don't do anything.

My understanding is that jing is how energy is used in combat (at least in the context of martial arts). Is this true? And is there a comprehensive list somewhere that explains each jing?

Thank you for any help you can offer!

How could I learn Kung fu on my own? Like, what Kung fu Youtuber/videos are good to learn from.

Since my school closed years ago and there are no other Shaolin schools nearby, I am trying to progress as much as I can on my own. An essential part of that progress for me has been consistency. I don't want to increase my load with different stances, forms, kicks, punches, types of qi gong unless I know I can keep it up for years and years.

I feel like I've finally reached a point with all my current exercises over a long period of time where I can now say I can begin to expand and diversify a bit. Even if I were to say, have a surgery and had to recover, by this point I've done all my movements so often and so well (I hope) that I can just continue where I've left off. That means that some things I now do every single day, I can now start to alternate with other types of movements every other day.

I do forms 6 days a week, I have 3 types of form training and always start off with Wu Bu Quan. 2 days a week I do it with sharpness and precision, with a lot of mental focus and an emphasis on technique. 2 days a week I do it slowly and controlled, almost like a strength exercise or a "horse stance" in motion. The other 2 days I do it quickly and fluidly, almost like cardio. Depending on which day it is I continue with different variants of Xiao Hong Quan and occasionally some of the more powerful Da Hong Quan forms, but nothing seems to really stimulate my development beyond the Wu Bu Quan.

I'd love to build a solid foundation upon which I can build and further explore on my own. I'd like to make a selection of 5 additional forms that cover the most "bases" between flexibility, technique, power, focus, endurance, tension, relaxation, spirituality, fluidity, explosiveness, etc. Apart from Wu Bu Quan, which "package" of forms would you suggest that with regular practice will allow me to exercise, maintain and develop the greatest variety of mental and physical aspects of Shaolin kung fu?

Thanks for any input anyone might have.

where can I get kungfu manuals for shaolin kungfu and chin na? any other style also works. if you know of any free resources online let me know.