If you are looking for a martial arts school in China, you have come to the right place. Our academy offers high quality training, with Masters who are real Shaolin Monks from the original Shaolin Temple in Henan Province.
While there are many places to study martial arts in China, we specialize in teaching non-Chinese speaking people from all over the world. Our facilities are modern, our Masters speak (at least basic) English and we have an in-house translator who lives at the academy.
Martial Arts in China
Martial arts in China has developed over several thousands of years, and were born out of the necessity for people to defend themselves. Archaeological research reveals that the Chinese people from the Stone Age already knew martial arts and had large collections of weapons such as axes, spears and swords made from stone or bones.
The earliest documentation of Chinese martial arts were found in the Spring and Autumn Annals, which date back to the 5th century BCE. The Annals describe the upper class engaging in wrestling, archery and fencing, among others. During this time, soldiers honored the rules of Confucian chivalry, which means the rank of the opponent was respected, each opponent only attacked when it was their turn, and if an enemy was hungry they were supplied with food. This ended during the Warring States period, when war became more commonplace and less chivalrous. At this time, every man was expected to have general fighting skills (jiji) and combative skills (xiangpo). In case you have heard of the classic piece ‘The Military Strategies of Sun Tzu’, this was also written during this time period.
Over time, the martial arts skills continued to be further developed. The legendary Yellow Emperor (2698 BCE) wrote long and detailed texts about martial arts. The roots of the modern Chinese Wrestling can also be traced to this time period, as its forerunner (jiao di) was created by one of the Yellow Emperor’s most important rivals, Chi You. Chinese boxing is slightly less ancient, but its origin still dates back to the Zhou dynasty (1122 -255B BCE).
The development of martial arts in China continued like this until the year 495 AD, when the Shaolin Temple was built. The History of Shaolin Kungfu shows that the Shaolin Temple became a gathering place for martial artists to study, promote and exchange martial arts knowledge. Chinese emperors and great generals frequently visited the Shaolin Temple. Different styles were given names and new styles were developed. It was the first time martial arts in China were institutionalized in an organized, professional manner.
Study Martial Arts in China
Studying martial arts in China is a great way to tap into the wealth of knowledge from thousands of years of martial arts. Historical artefacts suggest that prehistoric warriors used to perform dances during peacetime which resembled martial arts movements. The forms you learn from martial arts training nowadays may very well have their roots in those prehistoric dances.
Traditionally, the practice of Kungfu in China starts at a very young age. Students enter the Shaolin Temple or surrounding kungfu schools at the age of 5-7 years old. At this age, their bodies are still very flexible and they learn fast.
Our martial arts academy understands that this is different for students from other countries, or for anyone that didn’t start at such a young age. Our Masters will adjust the level of training to your condition and abilities, so that each student that is training martial arts at our academy will be challenged, but not faced with the impossible. You can rest assured that our training program will teach you the original kungfu at a high level, and will make you physically stronger, fitter and more agile.
In addition to learning traditional Chinese martial arts, studying martial arts in China will also allow you to experience the Chinese culture from a unique angle. The Maling academy is located in a peaceful rural area, where ancient Chinese traditions are often still upheld. Students have had the opportunity to experience Chinese holiday festivals, traditional weddings, funerals and other traditions. Since not many people in the villages speak English, you will have plenty of opportunity to practice and improve your Chinese language skills. (Free Mandarin Chinese classes are provided.)
Martial Arts Training
Learning martial arts full-time, rather than a few hours a week, will allow you to progress much faster. Depending on the speed with which you learn, one month of fulltime training is roughly equivalent to a year of training 2 hours per week. This is because the fulltime training allows you to spend time dedicated to each aspect of the physical skills that you require as a martial artist: coordination, speed, agility, strength and stamina.
Kungfu requires all of these even more than other martial arts styles do. It is an ancient art which is not only rich in complexity, but also demanding of its practitioners.
Our training plan is optimized so that each class helps you improve at the next class – and helps you become a better all-round martial artist. We teach different kungfu styles, but also include classes for shaolin acrobatics (which helps you learn the more complicated moves needed for advanced forms), power training (which helps you build more muscle) and power stretching (which helps you to become much more flexible in a relatively short amount of time).
The most important aspect of training, however, is not in the classes. It is in the student. Although we train 6 hours a day, there is still a lot of time for personal practice. The more diligently you practice, the more you will be able to learn and improve during your time at our martial arts academy.
