I just wanted to recommend a school at shaolin temple china in case any of you are planning to train there. I have been to this school twice and in that short time learned a wealth of knowledge. At this school there level and skill, is just plain incredible. I have seen some other schools in the area, some quite famous, and was not as impressed as I was with this school.
I hope to go and stay there for 6 months or so, but you will find them to be very friendly, helpful and sincere.
Forget the schools at the Shaolin Temple. I want to know if a white man can enter the ACTUAL Shaoin Temple and train with the real Shaolin monks? I’m willing to give everything up right now and leave. I’m totally serious. I’ve never wanted anything so much. Can someone please tell me if a white man can Join the temple?
Forget the actual Temple. You need to go to one of the schools. It is not like in the movies anymore. There are some very good schools out there. Try also: Shaolin School Zhengzhou
More info about Shaolin: Shaolin Home Page
Good luck
Last year I partipated in a whirlwind tour of China. We studied at one of the schools near Shao Lin Si for two days and learned one form (I use the term ‘learned’ loosely). The school we attended was wonderful. The master who trained us spoke little English but easily communicated what was required. It was an unbelievable experience. Spending an extended amount of time there would be amazing.
As for studying in the temple. I think it’s just a tourist spot now. All training is done in the many schools around the temple.
I’ve taken a few lessons in the temple itself, but beleive me, you’d much rather take a lesson in a school. Better still, if you develop a relationship with one of the monks, they might take you up on the mountain to train. I’ve had some of my best lessons on the mountain.
Ultimately it doesn’t really matter where you train in the Shaolin area. It’s more important who you train with. With literally hundreds, if not thousands, of instructors in the area, there is quite a range of masters to choose from.
ummm personally i read russbo’s site and was unimpressed except for the lesson on how to pick up a hooker at shaolin.
I trained at shaolin, it was one of the kungfu school that resides in dengfeng but the few foreigners trained and lived right by the temple except a lil further into the mountains
LOL! I was with him for his first adventure in Chinese, um, escorts. I declined for that night’s adventure but I know the tale very well, and will never never tell unless plied with lots o’ guiness and maybe a shot o’ jack.
…you have to go down to Dengfeng. It’s pretty ugly though - better in Beijing. And if you’re caught, it’s double jeopardy, since not only is prostitution illegal, chinese and non-chinese relations are illegal.
Well. it might be a good source of information for those who know nothing of shaolin. But I find his site ****y and that he is very full of himself, its just my opinion.
lol Gene how do you happen to know so much on the subject?
j/p
and if you keep tryin the yahoo site you’ll get through it just takes a couple of times.
this is also a site related to the group I trained with but the maker of the site and I are having ummm conflicts at the moment
but if you’re interested in training in shaolin it’ll be a good source for you
kfc: I know about the situation because I was with Russbo (Richard Russell) for his first trip to Shaolin. If you look through his site, he even talked me into writing an intro for him. He’s a good guy, my shidi, but remember, when it comes to websites, size isn’t everything, despite what Russbo might say
BTW, Heming used to post here some. Search the archives and you’ll find his stuff.
sbf: Yahoo is blocked in China? Fascinating. You know, I’ve never engaged the net from China (I work with computers all day, so I really avoid them when travelling.) What else is blocked?
The Forbidden Love of the Gianghu - now there’s an article worth reading. I had a friend who had a Chinese girlfriend at Shaolin. Since he was prominent (he was a big white guy in the early 90’s completely fluent in Mandarin) he became a political hot potato there, and some one set him up to get at one of his allies. It was one of those ‘jump out the window, it’s the cops!’ scenes. Fortunately his allies came to his rescue.
Law enforcement in China is pretty trippy, like any frontier or 3rd world country. Fastest draw wins. Money talks. It’s good to have friends in high places. The more I travel, the more the US looks like the outlier.
No doubt russbo has some idea of what he is talkin about but from my point of view he just seems very *****y, which most people who have trained at shaolin seem to be, I know I have had my jack.ass moments
As for Heming, I hold a great deal of contempt. I was training with about 6-8 other foreigners none of which had ever met him.He brought students into the school just for his cut.
The translator, was a good friend of mine, whom Heming managed to have fired because Heming felt he wasn’t communicating enough, this from a guy who goes for months without keeping in contact.
At just turning 16 I was planning on going to shaolin alone, I bought all my stuff, tickets ect.
He stopped writing me so I had no idea what to do after landing in Hong Kong. I was so scared, a 16 yr old girl alone in Hong Kong, trying to figure out how to get a visa and get to mainland.
Its a true miracle I made it
I think his site is a little text-heavy but the stories are funny as hell. Yeah, I can see where some women might take offense at some of his stories, but he tells it like it is. (I’m female, yeah I was a little offended but then I was laughing at the same time, especially the “special” massage story.)
Russbo sounds like someone who just rampages through China, leaving destruction and stunned natives in his wake.
lol! I’m sure old doc (russbo) would be flattered that you think of him so. In truth, he doesn’t really rampage, but is very respectful of other cultures when travelling. Especially there massages.
