SHAOLIN WUSHU

The origins of the Shaolin Temple go back almost two thousand years. The Temple is on Songshan Mountain near the city of Dengfeng in the Henan province of China.

Around the fifth or sixth century, a 28th Buddhist Patriarch monk from India named Ta'mo came to the Shaolin Temple. Ta'mo infused many changes into the Temples core curriculum, making it world-famous for its spiritual teachings of Chan meditation and its incredible martial art feats of 'Shaolin Wushu,' or what most people know as 'Shaolin Kung Fu. 'Wushu' is martial arts, and 'Kung Fu' is great skill, hard work or difficult task.

Ta'mo noticed that the monks were out of shape and undisciplined while performing their daily tasks, so he developed a training system that would integrate the entire body, mind, and spirit. The system included yoga and martial art exercise routines that he brought with him from his homeland in India. This was the beginning of what is now referred to as Shaolin Temple Kung Fu.

Ta'mo was later named Bodhidharma, which translates to 'All-pervading enlightened mind.' This was the main focus of the Temple's core teachings.

Anyone who studies Shaolin Wushu, no matter what age, size, or physical shape, will enhance their health, longevity, vitality, balance, discipline, mental focus, control, esteem, confidence, and yes, even self-defense.

Shaolin Kung Fu or mainly Wushu is designed to make each person healthier, physically and mentally fit, humble and compassionate. It is used as a form of fitness and exercise that strengthens the body, spirit, and mind for overall health and longevity of life.

Shaolin Wushu, Tai Chi, Qigong, and Chan Fa are fundamentally about aligning the character of each individual who studies it with morality, compassion and great respect for humanity, with the addition of physical fitness and self-defense!

Shaolin Wushu is so much more than that. "It's a way of life!"