“Experience a martial arts training adjusted to your needs.”
1 Year Shaolin Kung Fu, Tai Chi & Baji Training in Jiangsu, China
Maling Shaolin Kung Fu Academy, Chenggang, Xinyi City, Jiangsu Province, China
Study Kung Fu in China
Maling Shaolin Kung Fu Academy is an institute for learning traditional Shaolin martial arts and Chinese Kung Fu. All of our students are trained by the authentic Shaolin Masters from the original Shaolin Temple, or other highly qualified martial artists with excellent teaching ability, personality, and experience. Maling Shaolin Kung Fu Academy teaches both external Kung Fu styles as the famous Shaolin Kung Fu, Sanda (Chinese kickboxing), and Wing Chun, as well as internal styles like Tai Ji, Qi Gong, Baji, Liangyi, Bagua, and Xingyi.
Meet the instructors
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Highlights
- Daily Kung Fu training Monday to Friday
- Traditional training optimized for foreigners
- Train under 32nd Generation Shaolin masters
- Mandarin, Buddhism theory, and Calligraphy lessons
- Get a school certificate after completing your training
- Daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Healthy and nutritious meals
- 1 year accommodation
Skill level
- Beginner
- Intermediate
265 days with instruction in English
The organizer also speaks: Chinese (mandarin)
Group size: Maximum of 10 participants
Airport transfer available:
Xuzhou Guanyin Airport (US$ 60 per person)
Xuzhou Guanyin Airport (US$ 60 per person)
Accommodation
Facilities
- Dining area
- Garden
- Lounge
- Internet access
- Laundry
- Meeting room
Students will stay in rooms with 1-2 persons pr. room with the same gender, it is possible for couples to live together as well. The rooms are equipped with beds, including bed sheets and pillow a small desk and a closet for clothes. The rooms are equipped with a fan in the summer and heating in winter so students can be comfortable all year.
Each floor of our academy’s accommodation building is facilitated with western toilets and common washing rooms. Hot showers and free washing machines for students to do their laundry are also provided. Standing bars are placed outside and on the roof of the building for students to dry their clothes.
Program
Chinese Kung Fu (martial arts or Gongfu or Wushu) is a series of fighting styles which has developed over the centuries in China. Although being fighting styles, Kung Fu advocates virtue and peace, not aggression or violence. This has been the common value upheld by martial artists from generation to generation.
With a number of movement sets, boxing styles, weapon skills, and some fighting stunts, Kung Fu keeps its original function of self-defense. Now its value in body-building and fitness is also highly appreciated. A strong will and persistence is the precondition for learning Kung Fu. The basic skills of legs, waist, shoulders, and stance training need to be practiced daily.
Employing the solid foundation of the basic skills, one can choose from the various sects to learn specific routines of boxing, kicking, and weapon skills, to improve the combat ability. The following styles of Chinese Kung Fu are part of our weekly training schedule. However, some of them are offered in optional classes, but all of them can be trained full-time if you wish to.
1 Year Kung Fu Training Plan
You will know all Shaolin Kung Fu customs and ideas. Authentic Shaolin health care Qi Gong, Ba Duan Jin and Yi Jin Jing. High achievements in flexibility, stability and endurance training. You will learn advanced traditional Shaolin forms from the 18 types of weapons and 72 secret skills of Shaolin. In hard Qi Gong you can for example learn to break an iron bar or steel board or learn your throat to withstand a spear.
Forms
- Mantis palm
- Blossom Ffst
- Drunken fist
- Tiger fist
- Monkey fist
- Spear or chain whip or 3 section staff
- Double hooks
Maling Shaolin Kung Fu Academy schedule
Daily schedule Monday to Friday
- 06.10 - 07.10 Tai chi and Qi Gong
- 07.10 - 08.30 Breakfast
- 08.30 - 10.00 Shaolin basics (Monday and Wednesday), Acrobatics (Tuesday), Shaolin dynamic Qi Gong (Thursday), Power stretching (Friday)
- 10.20 - 11.30 Traditional forms (Monday, Wednesday, Friday), Applications (Tuesday), Conditioning applications (Thursday)
- 12.00 - 14.20 Lunch
- 14.30 - 16.00 Sanda counter-acting (Monday, Wednesday), Shaolin takedowns (Tuesday), Shaolin power training (Thursday), Shaolin stamina (Friday)
- 16.30 - 17.30 Wing Chun (Monday, Wednesday), Baji (Tuesday), Cleaning training area (Thursday), Changing classes (Friday)
- 18.00 - 19.00 Dinner
- 19.00 - 20.00 Chinese Mandarin (Monday, Wednesday), Free (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday)
Kung Fu training styles
Shaolin Kung Fu 少林功夫
Shaolin Kung Fu is not a creation of one person, but an accumulation of works by millions of people. Shaolin Kung Fu is the pearl of Chinese wisdom, which was handed down by numerous generations of China’s top martial artists. Shaolin Kung Fu has a vast content and numerous forms.
Here are some important aspects of Kung Fu: internal, external, hard, light Kung Fu, and Qi Gong. The internal Kung Fu mainly focuses on practicing the strength of one’s body; the light Kung Fu focuses on agility; Qi Gong includes the practice and maintenance of Qi. Shaolin Kung Fu includes hand-to-hand defense as well as the use of weapons (e.g. staff, spear, broadsword, straight sword, and various other weapons), combat, equipment, performance sparring, sparring with weapons, etc.
All Kung Fu and weapons forms that have been created by monks or lay-man monks from the temple and all Kung Fu that came to the temple from outside is referred to as Shaolin Kung Fu.
Shaolin combat technique
Shaolin combat technique is divided into ancient techniques, which means traditional combat, and modern techniques, which are divided into San Da and actual combat. The ancient techniques include Shan Zhen Yi Shen Ba, Hu Bu Ba, You Long Fei Bu, Dan Feng Chao Yang, Shi Zhi Luan Ba, Ye Di Tou Tao, Hei Hu Tao Xin, Lao Hou Ban Zhi, Jin Si Cha Fa, Ying Men Tie Shan Zi, Bo Bu Pao, and so on.
Shaolin boxing nowadays features these kinds of movements: boxing and Buddhism as a system, a combination of spirit and movement, aggressive attack together with violent strikes, and proceeding or retreating with parts of the body. Generally speaking, Shaolin forms are short, and the routine of the movements is mostly linear.
Shaolin boxing
Shaolin boxing is hard, strong, fast and according to the Chinese is "filled with softness inside." It is also plain and practical with every action, both attack and defense, as well as in pose. As the old saying goes: practice in a place where only a cow can lie; such is Shaolin boxing, you're not limited by the place and its size.
Shaolin teaches you actions forward, actions of retreat, reaction and to punch directly in front of you. On body and fist, it is required that the arm is not too straight and to keep all the forward and backward motion natural. The foot technique must be stable and flexible, and the eye technique requires staring at the opponent's eyes, and for the breathing, the qi should be "down to your dan tian" before the qi is released.
Tai Ji (Tai Chi) 太极
Taiji is based on fluidity and circular movements. Translated into English, Tai Chi roughly translates as: "supreme boxing," "the root of all motion," and "optimal fist fighting." It is considered a martial art, but unlike the most combative styles, Tai Chi is based on fluidity and circular movements.
Tai Chi masters say that this gentle dance develops the flexibility of a child, the strength of a lumberjack, and, eventually, the wisdom of a sage. Tai Chi embodies the Chinese idea that all life is based on life energy, or qi. Many Tai Chi forms incorporate movement of the arms as though one is gently holding a big beach ball of chi.
Taiji training
The main principle of Tai Chi Fist is that with soft strength, you restrain the opponent's strong power, and with the skill of this fist, you shrewdly take your adversary's strength and use it against them. Tai Chi Fist is therefore very effective in actual combat. Tai Chi Fist is also remarkably beneficial for improving the learner's health. In Chinese modern society, it is suitable for everyone, from kids to the elderly.
Qi Gong (Chi Kung) 气功
Qi Gong is an ancient Chinese energy (Qi) practice. Qi means energy, Gong means work. It is based on the concept of Qi energy which flows through the body. It is used for both medical and health purposes and to improve one's martial arts practice. Most Qi Gong is now a mixture between Taoist and Buddhist energy cultivation practices. Qi Gong is a self-healing art that combines movement and meditation.
Qi Gong and Kung Fu
All great Kung Fu makes use of energy training (Chi Kung) to develop internal force, without which it remains at the external, mechanical level, considered by Chinese martial artists as rather rough and inferior. Kung Fu training with Qi Gong enhances harmonious chi flow, thus promoting health, vitality, and longevity.
Sanda 散打
Sanda, "Chinese kickboxing," is also called Sanshou, which roughly translates as "actual combat." The four attacking methods are kicking, hitting, wrestling, and controlling. Sanda combines using skill in pose and technique. The Sanda pose is normally called a "ready" stance, where the fighter is prepared for combat.
Bagua 卦
Bagua Zhang is one of the most popular styles of martial arts in China. It is one of three Neijia Fists (Neijia Fist means fists that mainly focus on the training and refinement of your spirit, internal energy and potential). The two main elements in Bagua are the interaction between the palm and feet movements.
Xingyi 形意
Xingyi boxing emphasizes not only training the body but crucially also the mind. Xingyi is a unity between the external forms and internal energy. It focuses on Mind dominating Qi, the physical movements and mind join together and Qi cooperating with strength.
Wing Chun 咏春
Wing Chun trains the awareness of one's own body movement derived from muscular, tendon, and articular sources. A correct Wing Chun stance is like a piece of bamboo, firm but flexible, rooted but yielding. This structure is used to either deflect external forces or redirect them.
Liangyi Quan 两仪拳
Liang Yi Quan is also known as Tai Yi Quan. The term ‘Liang Yi,’ when literally translated, means ‘chaos.’ Liang Yi is thus based on the notion of that which existed in the universe before the Yin-Yang balance of complementary forces came into being.
Instructors
Shi Xing Jian
Master Shi Xing Jian is a 32nd generation Shaolin warrior monk from the original Shaolin Temple in Henan province. He is an outstanding martial artist, a national first level coach, and successor of Yi Jin Jing. He has many years of experience in teaching foreign students from around the world. He started to train traditional Chinese martial arts when he was seven years old. At the age of 12 years, he went to the Shaolin Temple and stayed there until 19. He has participated in national and international martial arts championships and got many awards and high praises.
Shi Xing Peng
1 Certificate
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Shi Xing Peng is a secular disciple of the Shaolin Temple, the national first-level sportsman, and warrior. He was born in the birthplace of Yang-style Tai Chi, Yong Nian County, Handan City in Hebei Province. Influenced by the family when he was young, he learned the traditional folk martial arts under his grandfather who used to be a protection monk in Shaolin Temple and a Kung Fu brother of one-figure Zen Master Hai Deng. He is skilled at traditional Shaolin fist forms, regulated fist forms, broadsword, straight sword, staff, and spear. He is an outstanding master in terms of his skills.
Shi Xing Bo
1 Certificate
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Master Shi Xing Bo is a 32-generation Shaolin warrior monk. He is a traditional martial artist with high morality and a gentle personality who has been teaching traditional Chinese martial arts for over five years. Master Li started to learn traditional Chinese Kung Fu in his hometown when he was ten. He mainly learned Chang Fist, Dacheng Fist, and Liangyi Fist from his uncle who is also a respectable martial artist. He went to a Shaolin temple to learn Shaolin Kung Fu when he turned 14. Traditional Shaolin Fist, Qigong, and Sanda were what he mainly learned in the temple.
Shi Yan Can
1 Certificate
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Master Shi Yan Can was born and raised in Dengfeng (birthplace of Chinese Kung Fu). He's a 34th generation warrior monk of the Shaolin Temple. He has been practicing Kung Fu since 1999. After many years of trials and competitions, he achieved the title of National Master Sportsman. Like many other people who were influenced by this art, Master Can began to develop a deeper love for Kung Fu. After many years of training and hardship, he decided to pass on his knowledge.
Shi Yan Jian
1 Certificate
Show
Master Shi Yan Jian is a 34th generation Shaolin warrior monk. He started to learn martial art at a young age. He graduated from Tianjin University of Sport, Martial Arts School. He learned from the famous Shaolin Grandmaster Shi De Gen and also trained many years by the renowned martial artist Li Decheng and Zhang Shijie. As the first and last disciple of Grandmaster Shi Yong Jie, he is proficient in Shaolin fist and weapons. With rich teaching experience and self-encouragement, he’s never stopped perfecting himself. He is determined to carry forward the great spirit of martial arts.
Location
Maling Shaolin Kung Fu Academy is an institute for learning traditional Shaolin Martial Arts and Chinese Kung Fu. It is located in the suburb of Xinyi City, which has very convenient transportation in the north of Jiangsu, preceded only by Xuzhou and Lianyungang. The city is 50 km away from either Lianyungang Baitabi Airport or Xuzhou Guanyin Airport. Xinyi has a physical land mass of 1,571 square kilometers and its population is close one million.
Situated in a transit belt from the north subtropical region, Xinyi has a maritime monsoon climate, a mild and humid climate with distinct four seasons. The annual average temperature is about 14ºC around. More than two dozens of historical sceneries are recommended to visit. The best tourist sites include the Maling Mountain, or the Horse Tomb Mountain, and the well-known Huating Prehistoric Relics is located in the region.
The Lake Luoma is one more tourist destination. An ancient town, the Yaowan Town, is 45 km away from the urban area of Xinyi, presenting you its ancient houses, streets, relics, etc. left from the Ming or the Qing dynasties. The academy is within Maling Mountain Scenic Zone, which is ranked one of the 4-AAAA tourist attractions in China. Maling Mountain is honored by the Emperor Qianlong of Qing Dynasty as "The First Scenery”.
From unearthed archaeological evidences, this land was once a habitat for early human being, tracking back to the Paleolithic period, about 100,000 years ago, who made tools and hunted on the land. Later, the land started to attract military attentions to eventually become a historical battle field, where enemies fought each other, left unforgettable legends behind.
Food
There will be 3 meals per day, 7 days a week though many students eat out in the weekends. The dishes vary every day and there are 3-4 different dishes a day, a general rule though is that there is limited meat and protein in the dishes. Students wishing to have more protein in their diet can buy eggs or fried meat/jerky in the city to supplement and/or get help from the school to order protein powder and other nutritional supplements.
Allergies and other dietary requirements will be considered as well. Just inform the academy before you arrive. It is possible to buy snacks and fruit in the city but remember that some food categories can be hard to find here since the eating habits are different e.g. dairy products are expensive and hard to come by and most likely not in the quality you are used to from home.
It is not recommended to drink the water from the tap in China. The academy helps the students to buy big bottles of drinkable water.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
The following drinks are included:
- Water
- Tea
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
- Other dietary requirements on request
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
Things to do (optional)
Training at the academy is from Mondays to Fridays. The weekends are given as the students’ free time. The students can use their free time to train more. Some students use this time to take a rest. Moreover, some uses this time to visit the nearby attractions for a sightseeing adventure or to buy supplies and tokens or mementos at the nearby towns.
It is possible to take a weekend trip with one overnight stay for trips further away but it is not recommended to do often, your body will need rest in the weekends after a hard week of training. Overnight trips has to be approved by The academy and organized in good time.
There are a lot more must see historical sceneries that surround Maling Shaolin Kung Fu Academy China. The best and most visited tourist sites include Huating Prehistoric Relics and Lake Luoma, one of the biggest fresh water lakes in China.
The ancient town of Yaowan can be visited at about 45 km away from the urban area of Xinyi. The ancient Yaowan town is known for its ancient houses, streets, relics, etc. that is said to be the remaining remembrances of the Ming or the Qing dynasties.
Maling Shaolin Kung Fu Academy itself is located within historical scenery, which is the Maling Mountain scenic zone. It is also known for its unforgettable legends of military battles, which led to it becoming one of the historical battlefields in China. It is also known to some tourists as the Horse Tom Mountain. Maling Shaolin Kung Fu Academy also offers optional Chinese Mandarin classes from Monday to Wednesday.
Xinyi City
Xinyi City is where students go most Saturdays to relax and stock up on necessities. The bus leaves a 15-20 minutes walk from the school every 1.5 hour and costs 5 yuan (less than a dollar/euro). For the home trip with groceries a taxi is recommended, most students split the 50 yuan bill for that. In the city students spend their time eating food, also western food can be found, getting a massage, playing pool, shopping and going to the supermarket, everything within walking distance from each other.
The city is also the nearest place with an ATM for taking out cash. The city has 1 mill inhabitants but is considered a very small town in Chinese standards. The city also contains a train station with connection to Xuzhou and is located about 50km away from both Lianyungang Baitabi Airport and Xuzhou Guanyin Airport.
Xuzhou City
Xuzhou is the nearest bigger city to the school. It is situated in the northwest of Jiangsu and is one of the most well-known Chinese transportation hubs. Two of China’s most important rail lines, Beijing-Shanghai that runs north-south direction, and Lianyungang-Urumqi that goes from east to west, meet in Xuzhou. This means that it is very easy to get to the city and thereby the school. The students some time take a day trip to Xuzhou to explorer the city and see something else than Xinyi. The trip to the city from the school takes approximately 3 hours, an overnight trip is also possible. From Xuzhou it takes 2,5 hours to get to Shanghai and 3 hours to get to Beijing on the fast trains.
With a history of 2,600 years, Xuzhou is a historical city with critical strategic importance from military views. It is known as a notable battlefield in China’s history, from ancient dynasties to modern republics. More than two hundred famous battles have been fought on this land and total forces engaged in both military sides in each battle reached between 10,000 to one million in order to control the area.
The natural beauty of Xuzhou mixes the character from both the North and South of China. The old Yellow River flows through the city by which the Grand Canal passes. Surrounding the city are the green hills and bodies of water connecting the whole city and forming the special sceneries. The enriched cultural soil and natural scenery makes Xuzhou an apparent spot for tourists.
Maling mountain
The mountain, or hill park is about 20 minutes away from the academy by tuck-tuck, a small 3-wheeled taxi and is a must see for all students coming here to train Kungfu. In ancient times, Maling Mountain was known as Siwu Mountain, which is composed of Fengshan Hill, Doushan Hill, Tiger Hill, Nanna Hill and Daylily Range. That’s why local people also call it the Five-Sister Mountain.
Although the mountain is not very high, rows of hills cover each other and present a kind of mysterious beauty. People regard this area as the best scenery of northern Jiangsu and the mountain’s elegance and grandeur are well-known in the whole region. Qianlong Emperor of Qing Dynasty made six tours to south China and paid a visit to this mountain three times. He wrote down several lines of poetry to praise the magnificent beauty of Maling Mountain.
More recently, our ancestors called this mountain Ling Mountain or Maling Mountain. It is a low upland located on the northern Jiangsu Province, to the south of Shandong Province. The mountain originates from Cao Village in Linshu County, wanders hundreds kilometers through Tancheng County, Donghai County, and Xinyi City and reaches Luoma Lake in Suqian City as its final destination. This spot enjoys picturesque scenery with birds singing and flowers radiating their fragrance.
There is ample natural and cultural scenery here and countless scenic spots of historical significance. Examples are the Sanxian Cave, Sanzhen Grotto, Dragon Stage, Quanchaolv Yard, Buddhist Hall, clear dawning in Siwu Mountain, Dragon spring rainfall, Imperial Academy Tomb, Qianlong Emperor Xanadu and the site of ancient Siwu State.
What's included
- 364 nights accommodation
- 3 meals per day, 7 days per week
- Access to training facilities
- Certificate of achievement and weapon certificate
- On site English translator
- Optional cultural classes
- Training daily
What's not included
- Airfare tickets
- Airport transfer
- Miscellaneous expenses
- Internet access
- Travel insurance
How to get there
Recommended Airports
XUZ
Xuzhou Guanyin Airport
248 km
Transfer available for additional US$ 60 per person
Arrival by air
There are two airports close to the academy. The first one is Xuzhou Guanyin Airport which is the further from the Academy, pickup service costs 60 USD; the second one Lianyungang Baitabu Airport which is closer to the Academy, pickup service costs 50 USD.
You need to purchase the flight tickets on your own. Cheaper flight tickets and hotels than from your home country can often be found on this travelling website. From your home country, the academy recommends you to travel either over Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou. From there, there are 3 ways to get to the academy.
Arrival by train
There are some direct trains from Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing to Xinyi, where we will pick you up for free. There are more fast bullet trains travel from Beijing and Shanghai to Xuzhou east station, pickup service costs 60$. It is also possible to take a train from Xuzhou to Xinyi.
From 7 in the morning to 10 in the evening there are trains leaving from both Shanghai and Beijing to Xuzhou every 15 minutes. From there you can easily get to Xinyi either by train, bus or taxi. We can also pick you up there if you wish. There are two types of trains with two different sets of prices. There are the slow regular trains with beds and a traveling time of 8-10 hours from both Beijing and Shanghai for approximately 170yuan (26$) for hard sleeper and 260yuan(40$) for soft sleeper.
The other option is the fast bullet trains that will take you the same distance but in only 2,5/3 hours and with 300km an hour. The prices for those trains are a bit higher but the time is reduced and the comfort is increased. 300 for second class and 519 for first class.
Second class in the fast bullet trains are recommended. Bullet-train-Kungfu-Beijing-train-station
There are 2 ways to buy a train ticket. You can just show up at the train station when you arrive and buy the ticket straight at the station, most likely you will just have to wait a few hours and then you will be on your way. NB this method will not work during Chinese national holidays where train tickets are completely sold out several weeks in advance.
The other option is to book a ticket in advance either via the academy (free service) or get a Chinese friend to help you book the train tickets at the official website, since it is only in Chinese.travel-china-station-kungfu If you book a ticket in advance make sure you have at least 4 hours from your plane lands until your train departs. It takes time to get from the airport to the stations, and at the stations you need to collect your ticket at a ticket office where the line very often is long and you need to check in for your train up to 40 minutes before your departure.
You can contact the academy for help if you have trouble purchasing a ticket or you meet any problems in your traveling.
Arrival by bus
There are also buses available from Shanghai and Beijing to Xinyi (8 hours), or from Xuzhou to Xinyi (2 hours), but bus stations and information can be more difficult to understand if you do not speak Chinese, so going by train might be easier for you.
Airport: Xuzhou Guanyin Airport
Airport transfer available:
Xuzhou Guanyin Airport (US$ 60 per person)
Additional charges may apply. You can request this in the next step.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 15% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through Tripaneer.com. All major credit cards supported.
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