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1. question
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Why should I train Shaolin Kung Fu?
Shaolin Kung Fu is the largest and best-known martial art in China. All kinds of martial art, e.g. Taekwondo or Karate, are derived from the Chinese Kung Fu. Who would like to train at the origin of all kinds of martial arts, should train Shaolin Wushu.
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2. question
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Which conditions are necessary to start a training in Shaolin?
At first you should have a good physical condition. You must consider that training takes place 8 hours a day and 6 days a week. It is a good advice, if you start condition training and stretching some months before you go to China.
Martial arts knowledge is of advantage but not absolutely necessary. There are many Chinese without martial arts experiences, finally they want to learn this in Shaolin. We trained some years Taekwondo and Karate before going to Shaolin. You should consider that the learning progress is clearly better, if you know at least the basic techniques, like stands, kicks and boxing. If you train for 4 weeks in Shaolin, don't expect any miracles. It is hard work and after this short time you are not Jackie Chan or Jet Li.
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3. question
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How old do I have to be, in order to be allowed to train in Shaolin?
The age act a subordinated part in Shaolin (for foreigners). Most foreigners, who participate Wushu training, are approx. 20 - 25 years old. This results from the fact that most foreigners end their education and afterwards they travel to Shaolin. The youngest student in Shaolin well-known by the television is David Schneider (a german boy) who lived 1 year in Shaolin. There was a documentation at television with the name "With 11 years alone in China". During our stay we made the acquaintance of ladies, who participated the training being 45 years old. At that time were 18 and 30 years old.
The Chinese begin training usually at the age of 6 years. The youngest Chinese student was 4 years old and the school couldn't give him any suitable training clothes: -) .
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4. question
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I fulfill all qualifications. What now?
You are sure to take the adventure in Shaolin and your parents are indeed not inspired.
It depends on your courage and your organizational ability, as you continue to proceed now. Either you decide to go with organized group or you try to organize everything by yourself.
If you choose the group, a more or less competent guide takes care of you during the whole stay. Your accommodation and training are fixed (no option of the school) and you don't care of eating, sleeping and so on. The large disadvantage are the high costs!!!
If you organize everything by yourself, you must have an organizational ability. You can forget your English knowledge and communication with hands and feet displays everything. You must choose your accommodation (perhaps directly in the school) and training, however you can select between the numerous schools.
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5. question
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Which languages should I know?
Only a few Chinese understand the basics of the English language, most of them only know a friendly "Hello". That means that in any case you should acquire some Chinese words. On the one hand the entire training takes place in Chinese language but that's no problem, because you only copy the exercises of the Chinese), on the other hand you need Chinese knowledge everywhere outside of the school, e.g. in the restaurants, in bus and for telephoning. Of course you can use your hands and feet but nevertheless it is easier if you can cope with the Chinese language.
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6. question
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What do I have to consider before starting travelling?
For a journey to China a visa is necessary. Usually only tourist visas for a unique entry are granted and with a duration of 3 months. This visa can be extended in Zhengzhou in the PSB (Public Security Bureau) for a small fee for 1 month. If you want to stay for a longer than 4 months, you must travel to Hong Kong in order to receive for some hundred HK$ a new visa. NOTE!!! NEVER stay in China without a visa. The Chinese government requires a punishment of 500 Yuan per day without visa!
In Hong Kong you can receive a new visa (also for 6 months with maximally 3 months extension) in almost any travel agency within a few days. A new passport photo is necessary in each case.
This travel agency office lies central in Kowloon and is only 5 minutes far from the inexpensive Guest Houses in the Nathan Road 30.
CTS Central Kowloon Branch
Alpha House
1st Floor
27-33 Nathan Road
Tsimhatsui
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7. question
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How do I get to Shaolin?
The fastest trip to Shaolin is to book a flight to Beijing and from there to Zhengzhou. Zhengzhou is the capital of the province Henan and approx. 80 km from Shaolin. At the airport there are numerous of helpful taxi drivers, who will drive you gladly (of course too expensive) within approx. 2.5 hours to Shaolin.
Another way to get there is to book a flight to Beijing and take the train to Zhengzhou. The airport in Beijing is far outside the city and often there isn't a direct connection to Zhengzhou, so that a further overnight stay is necessary in Beijing. The railway station in Zhengzhou is opposite the bus station, where regularly buses drive directly to Shaolin. The trip is definitely longer (approx. 8 hours by train from Beijing to Zhengzhou, 1 1/2 hours by airplane). Besides you must prove your organizational ability with the purchase of the tickets (usually in Chinese).
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8. question
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I would like to train with the Shaolin monks directly in the famous Shaolin temple. What do I have to do?
We receive many inquiries from martial arts fans who would like to train directly in the Shaolin temple. For a little while it is possible to train directly in the Shaolin temple i.e. however you don't train with the original Shaolin monks! A few monks, who are interested in their own profit, pay for some coaches, who teach the foreigners in a distant area of the Shaolin Temple in front of the living ranges of the monks. There are no training aids, e.g. mats for the acrobatic elements, so that training is kept very simple.
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9. question
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How do I find a suitable school?
This question is very difficult to answer, since everyone prefers other things, e.g. hard or soft training, training with or without Chinese, weapons or not and so on. On the one hand you should decide whether you want to stay in Shaolin or you would like to train in approx. 1/2 hour distant place Dengfeng or the capital Zhengzhou.
In Shaolin there are only few schools left, but Shan Jian Zhang (arena) is preferred by foreigners. The Wushu Guan prevails more comfort, but must accept higher prices with a worse training (only 4 hours on the day). Also the Tagou school isn't recommended due to the superelevated prices.
Dengfeng is an alive place with over 600.000 inhabitants and offers some fun in the evening. After the destruction of the schools in Shaolin many schools moved to Dengfeng. The schools are surface-moderately larger and in general cleaner and offer usually a compromise between comfort and outstanding training.
Many of the good coaches left Shaolin and some settled down in the capital Zhengzhou. Zhengzhou is scarcely 2 - 2 1/2 hours from Shaolin, but you escape the crowds of tourists and the training conditions are outstanding.
You should visit some schools (both training and the accomodations), before you decide for staying at a school. If you have paid the money once, you will never get it back!!!
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10. question
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What will I learn in Shaolin/Dengfeng/Zhengzhou?
What you will learn in Shaolin, depends on the one hand on the duration of your stay in Shaolin and on the other hand on your personal ambition.
At the beginning much importance is attached in condition and mobility, i.e. before starting each training (3 times on a day), Sprints and force exercises are accomplished. Stretching follows, e.g. do the split. During the following weeks you will learn the basic techniques like stands, kicks, boxing. If you control basic techniques you will learn your first simple from. Sometimes the coaches also teach acrobatics, like Flic Flac and somersault. With progress you will learn handling weapons. Stick and sword rank among the simple weapons, the mobile weapons (9-section whip and three-section-stick) are clearly more difficult to learn and the injury risk - for yourself - are much more higher.
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11. question
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How long should I train in Shaolin/Dengfeng/Zhengzhou?
The question should be formulated more exactly: What would I like to learn in Shaolin and which perfection would I like to accomplish? This depends on your previous knowledge and how fast you will learn new techniques. Without appropriate previous knowledge you must train harder and longer. The "normal" Chinese Shaolin student trains at least 3 years daily 8 hours and 6 days the week. The Shaolin monks in the monastery train their whole life and achieve this high level of perfection but they would never say, they are perfect!
As a Lao Wei (foreigner) you should train at least 3 months. The first 2 weeks will demand everything. Usually follows 1 week of extreme pain for your body due to the unusual meal and the missing hygiene. Afterwards at least 2 weeks you will have sore muscles so that each step means only pain. After this time training will be effective and bearable.
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12. question
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Sightseeing in Shaolin?
Te main attraction is the Shaolin temple. The "guards" want money, but if you stay in Shaolin and train wushu you have free entrance to ALL sightseeings! Opposite the Shaolin temple is the Shaolin Monastery, where you can visit some statues. Behind the Shaolin temple is a narrow way with endless seeming stairs. After 45 min you will see the famous cave, where Bodhidharma meditated for 9 years. Above the cave there is a large white Bodhidharma statue in the midst of the beautiful Songshan mountains far visible. The view is breath-taking.
There is also a 360 degree cinema, a simulator and a bird forrest. If you have boredom, you can visit these "sightseeings".
In Dengfeng there is the famous Zhongyue temple, a taositic temple in contrast to the buddihistic Shaolin temple, which is at the east of the city. Further there is an old observatory near Dengfeng.
In Zhengzhou there is a hightech science park to visit or the famous Huang He, the yellow river.
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13. question
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Which objects of interest do I have to visit in China?
You must have seen the "Great Wall", of course. Who visits China without climbing this magnificent building??? The most famous wall section, which is approved for tourists, is northwest from Beijing and called Badaling. Also the "forbidden city" is an absolute must, even if only crowds of tourists are pushing . But you can relax at the fantastic "summer palace", which is some kilometers outside of Beijing, the beauty of nature there is absolutely the best. If you still have time, you may have a look at the "Lama and Confucius temples".
An absolute sensation is the discovery of the "Terrakotta army" in Xi'an (from Zhengzhou approx. 8 hours by train). There thousands of life-genuine tone guards were found and restored.
In the south of China Guillin (caution! The prices are EXTREMELY high there!) and Yangshuo are popular destinations. The bold landscape and the meager rock hills invite to explore the environment by bike.
Of course Shanghai and Hong Kong represent an absolute highlight of each China trip. There are many beautiful places in China, which are waiting to be discovered by you.
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14. question
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How much do I have to pay for training in Shaolin ?
The costs are depending primarily on the school. Depending upon school costs are between 150 and 700 US$ each month, inclusive accommodation and training. In some schools eating is inclusive but in our school the food was so awful that we preferred the meal in the surrounding restaurants. If you do not go in the most exclusive restaurants, it costs about 50 - 60 US$ for one month (eating and drinking).
If you want to stay more than 4 months you must travel to Hong Kong, in order to receive a new visa. Since Hong Kong is very expensive, you should calculate at least 300 US$ for a short trip.
A flight to Beijing depending on the duration costs between 500 and 900 US$, the flight from Beijing to Zhenzhou costs approx. 100 US$.
We have spent approx. 5500 US$ for one year's stay in China, inclusive all costs (visa fee, inoculation, dictionaries, flight reservation; in China school fee, eating, extension of the visa, journey to Hong Kong, beverages, trips, telephone charges, journey to Hainan, Yangshuo, Guillin, Xi'an, Shanghai, Beijing, as well as all sightseeings).
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15. question
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How do I get money in China?
In Shaolin are no possibilities of getting money.
In Dengfeng are several branches of the Bank of China. A good choice are traveller cheques, which can be changed problem-free in each Bank of China.
Only in Zhengzhou in the principal establishment of the bank of China the possibility exists of getting money with a credit card.
Dollars and meanwhile Euros can be exchanged problem-free in a bank.
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16. question
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Whatelse should I consider?
Although each Shaolin monk has no hairs, it is not prescribed for the foreigners. Most of the Chinese students aren't bald.
In each school the schoo-lown training clothes with the school colors can be purchased. Particularly for those, who want to train longer in Shaolin, it is apprpriate represent the school colors.
Laundromat or something else aren't available in Shaolin: You can wash your clothes in the nearby river or in the school under the tap. You can also pay a small fee and some Chinese ladies will wash your shirts.
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17. question
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How can I prepare optimally for the training trip in China?
You should by no means take a training trip in China not seriously. 6 - 8 hours training (or more) with very short break will bring You extreme sore muscles. A good preparation back home is strongly recommended. If you are already active in a sport club, you can practice the learned exercises at home to get used to the long training in China. Here you can find some special exercises which you will meet again in Shaolin Kung Fu training in China.
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18. question
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I would like to train in my country in a kung fu school, where will I find a suitable Kung Fu school?
If you like to train in your country in a kung fu school, you should know that the training quality will never be the same as in Shaolin. Who has enough free time to train each day after your school or work at least 8 hours? That is impossible!!!
We do not possess a listing with Kung Fu schools in your country, but can you look at our forum or you post some questions!
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