Shaolin Kung Fu & Culture Foundation, Inc.
About Us
About Us
The purpose of the teachings of Buddhism is to enable all people, regardless of their current life condition, to fuse our lives with the life of the Buddha and experience the Buddha nature that exists within our own lives to achieve true happiness. This process employs three different steps: First, we purify our lives, second, we erase our negative karma, and third, we experience enlightment. In short, the ultimate goal is to create a truly peaceful society. At the Shaolin Temple, the theories and philosophies of Chan Buddhism are introduced to practioners of Shaolin martial arts to employ a more disciplined mind and body.
Buddhist Statue at temple
2008 Police Salute Performance in Central Park
Parade in Chinatown (2005)
Shaolin Temple in Henan, China
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion that has been in existence for over 2500 years. It came from India, founded by Buddha (Shakyamuni) in the sixth century B.C. People, who are Buddhist, practice and follow the teachings of Buddha.
Buddhism is a religion of self-help. It teaches that it is through one's own efforts, not from mere wishful thinking or blind faith, that one can achieve one's goals.
Buddhism teaches free thought. It urges every individual to think freely and clearly. Everybody has the potential and capability to attain the highest level of spirituality. It teaches people that everyone is born equally and is free to choose the path that is best for themselves.
Buddhists are peace-loving people and have never, in history, made war in the name of Buddha. It teaches to be kind and gentle, to show compassion for all of mankind and all living things.
There are Three Gems in Buddhism. They receive the highest veneration in the Buddhist religion. They are the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. Buddhists hold these three gems in the utmost love and respect. The three gems are closely interrelated to one another. One cannot exist without the other.
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| The Dharma is the teaching of Buddhism. It is the universal law of our religion. It is the "truth" that Buddha discovered and taught to the world. The Dharma should be studied and practiced; it is essential to world peace. The Dharma can be practiced by anyone, whether they are Buddhist or not. |
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Through history and to this very day, there were and are many practitioners of Buddhism. Many scholars, scientists, and highly intellectual people have validated the beliefs of Buddhism. It is based on many facts and is undeniably the closest religion to the truth, the truth of human kind. We hope that Buddhism will grow and flourish, so that all human beings can learn to love one another, have respect for one another, and to not make war towards one another. The Dharma is open to all those who wish to learn it and hold it dearest to their hearts, as many of us do today.
Shaolin Kung Fu
Plum-Blossom Stake Exercise
Shaolin Kung Fu is the very first martial arts ever created. If you try to trace the roots of all martial arts in existence, you will eventually reach Shaolin, as all martial arts are either a direct or indirect descendent of Shaolin Kung Fu. Shaolin Monks have been practicing Kung Fu for over 1500 years. The system was first developed by Bodhidharma (Tamo) who taught the monks of Shaolin basic routines to improve their health and eventually to defend themselves. Throughout the years the art form has been developed and has grown to the most complete martial arts system in the world. It truly covers all aspects of martial arts, from empty-hand techniques, to weapons, self-defense, chin na (grappling), external, and internal. Shaolin Kung Fu is most famous for its animal forms, although these are very good styles of Kung Fu, it doesn't even scratch the surface of how deep this system is. Shaolin Kung Fu has much more to offer, and we keep that tradition and art form alive today, as we pass it on to Students of all ages, and from all ethnical background.
Benefits of training Shaolin Kung Fu are endless. The most obvious benefit you will gain is that your health will improve and you will become stronger and more flexible. But training in Shaolin kung fu will help you gain much more, as through the Shaolin philosophy of The Unity of Chan and Kung Fu, students’ livelihood will be improved, their wisdom will expand, and their ethical standard will be elevated. As a result the students will feel more at peace and confident in themselves.
External training is the most popular aspect of Shaolin Kung Fu. We teach the external exercises of Shaolin through forms and drills. Each individual basic movement is essential for more advanced training. One’s fundamentals need to be strong and sharp as it will lead to a higher understanding in the forms and more advanced movements. As a result, all students who wish to learn Shaolin Kung Fu must first start with the basics whether they have experience in other martial arts or not. We base our trainings on the training of the Shaolin Temple in China.
Internal training is equally as important as the external. The internal exercises help you achieve the fluidness, power, and spirit of the external. It is the essence of all movement in Shaolin Kung Fu. Since the beginning of Shaolin, students have learned what is called Qi Gong. Which is the development of one’s qi (pronounce “chee”). Every human being possesses qi, there is qi everywhere. It is the energy of all living things in the world. Shaolin Monks have unlocked the secrets of qi through exercises and forms. We teach a form of Qi Gong called Yi Jin Jing. Yi Jin Jing was practiced and taught by Bodhidharma himself. This is the first time that the complete Yi Jin Jing form has been offered outside of China.
