As I began my voyage into the abyss of a far away land. My nerves shot from the anticipation of what was yet to come. Here I stand over weight, smoker, and mentally incompetent to hold a conversation. Yet I was still not willing to give up my childhood dream. After countless emails over a years time, with Lisa the head masters wife. I finally convinced my family to stop freaking out and let me be on my way. At first the training was strenuous. For the first two weeks I was unable to walk. I was in luck, here you are bound to meet people (yes boys and girls are allowed here too train together) who share common goals, and interest. They will be your crutches in the time of need. I know they were when I literally could not walk.

When I first told people that I was going to a Shaolin Kungfu academy in China for a month, I got either one of two responses: 1. "But... Why??" (imagine highly bewildered raised eyebrows with this) or 2. "That sounds awesome, I wish I could go too!'. If you are reading this, you probably fall into the second category, and let me tell you: if you do, it will be the BEST experience of your life. ^_^ I originally planned to stay for a month, thinking this would be a really long time. But after 2 weeks, I knew I wanted to stay longer. Life at the Maling academy was so easy to fall in love with... :) The thrill of overcoming your own challenges, fears and failures is addictive!

If you're reading this section, that means you've already found your next potential destination but still want to dig deeper. I myself have read many of those testimonials and have found them to be extremely helpful. I hope my experience detailed below can do the same for you. First of all, a quick summary for those readers who are intimidated by long endless paragraphs. Maling Shaolin Kung Fu Academy is the real deal; it is an enchanting place that will both inspire, challenge and ultimately transform you in every way.The Masters, Shaolin Warrior Monks, are extremely talented and experienced and they never cease to amaze while they go out of their way to teach diligently.