Accommodation

Facilities

Dining area
Garden
Lounge
Internet access
Laundry
Meeting room

Students will stay in rooms with 1-2 persons per 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.

6 Months Kung Fu training plan

During this time you can learn about four weapons, six fist and three Tai Chi forms as well as all the applications of the forms. You will also be more skilled in Sanda combat and takedown techniques. In hard Qi Gong you will able to break a brick by hand or head. Other things to train on can be flying needle or Two-Finger Zen.

Forms

Da Hong Fist
Da Luo Han Fist
Canon Fist
Liu He Fist (Two-Person Form)
Four Weapons: Qi Mei Staff & Mei Hua Broadsword
Shaolin Straightsword or Shaolin Spear

Maling Shaolin Kung Fu Academy schedule

Daily schedule Monday to Friday

06.10 - 07.10 Tai Chi & 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 which is 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, combination of spirit and movement, aggressive attack together with violent strikes and proceed or retreat with parts of the body. Generally speaking, Shaolin forms are short and the routine of the movements are mostly linear.

The requirements of Shaolin actions and stances are as follows: straight head and follow the movements of the body (with extremities), eyes focused on a point, use great awareness, open chest and straighten back, and for the knees, hips and toes they are all pointed slightly inside to protect the groin. The shoulders should be relaxed and the arms slightly curved when attacking.

Make sure that when you are attacking you don't forget to defend yourself and use decisive, strong, swift defense in event of another's attack. Keep your balance at all times, be flexible when moving and stable when stationary. The footwork should be low when proceeding with attack, and high when retreating to coordinate the entire body. All movements should be fast.

Shaolin boxing

Shaolin boxing is hard, strong, fast and according to the Chinese is "filled with softness inside." It also is 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. The shaolin style embodies a word -- hard. It is practiced with both attack and defense, but mostly attack. The form is not only beautiful, but also practical. The steps are flexible. 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, 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. "The action is as fast as a flash, a spin - like a turning wheel, a stance like pine and jump like a fly." Shaolin boxing is divided into two schools, Southern, which emphasizes fists, and Northern, which emphasizes legs. There are many styles also within both Southern and Northern Shaolin.

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 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.

Based on the Chinese worldview, Tai Chi divides qi into two equal, opposite and complementary parts, Yin and Yang. Tai chi incorporates the Yin-Yang unity of opposites in many ways, for example, during Tai Chi routines, the weight shifts repeatedly from one leg to the other and the arms move in opposite, yet complementary directions.

Taiji training

The main principle of Tai Chi Fist is that with the 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. It is very popular in China. It has been acknowledged that training this fist is very useful for building body strength, curing illnesses, cultivating your moral character, and prolonging your life.

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.

When speaking of Qi Gong, firstly, we should understand what the essence of “Qi” is. There are many kinds of “Qi,” but Chinese traditional culture emphasizes that the most basic one is “Yuan Qi” - the origin of all living things. Yuan Qi is an engine or an anchor for human’s growth, metabolism, and physical development. Yuan Qi also plays an important role in fighting off illnesses. So Chinese medicine teaches that the life all depends on the circulation of Qi.

Qi Gong is founded on a whole life outlook, related to the law of nature. When practicing it, you mainly take the initiative of your own consciousness .The content includes 3 adjustments: to adjust your mind in peace, to adjust your body into the best condition, and to adjust your breath in balance. If you keep training regularly and persisting, gradually the function of many parts of your body will be greatly enhanced and step by step, your health condition will be improved. The practice is able to improve quality of life, and naturally transmute and develop a deeper awareness of subtle energies.

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.

Qi Gong and Zen

There are three aspects in all types of Qi Gong, namely: form (xing), energy (qi), and mind. If you practice only the form, without the energy and mind dimensions, you are merely performing physical exercise; strictly speaking not Qi Gong, for there is no training of energy. For an effective control of energy, you have to enter what is called in modern terms a Zen state of mind. In the past, this was called “entering Zen”(ru chan) or “entering silence”(ru ding).

When you are in Zen or a meditative state of mind, you can, among other things, tap energy from the cosmos and direct that energy to flow into wherever you want in your body. It is this mind aspect of qi gong, even more than its energy aspect, that enables qi gong masters to perform what lay people would think of as miraculous, or, depending on their attitude, fakery.

Qi Gong styles

Dynamic Qi gong, static Qi gong, dynamic and static Qi gong.

Dynamic Qigong means to combine the body’s moves with mind and to breath to achieve a peaceful mind through a moving body. The usually practiced forms in the Shaolin Temple are Ba Duan Jin, Yi Jin Jing and Xi Sui Jing. Static Qigong uses standing, sitting and posing postures to combine the practicing mind, and high speed breath. The mind practices to gain, calculate, and control qi. This form of qi gong can be practiced through meditating standing still, in the sitting lotus position or through a meditation in pose. Dynamic and static Qigong is based on static Qi gong, to use qi and blood to drive the body to move or even jump high and fly.

The practice of Qi Gong has three requirements.

1. Regulating your breathing (breath naturally)
2. Controlling your mind (get rid of your distracting thoughts)
3. Regulate your body (keep your body coordinated naturally)

Benefits of Qi Gong

According to Chinese medicine, practicing chi kung can cure as well as prevent all kinds of illness, including diseases like asthma, diabetes, hypertension and cancer which are generally considered “incurable” by conventional medicine. Practicing chi kung is also very effective for overcoming psychological problems.

There are many wonderful benefits derived from practising Shaolin Cosmos Qi Gong:

Curing illness and promoting health.
Enhancing vitality and developing internal force.
Promoting youth and longevity.
Expanding the mind and the intellect. Spiritual cultivation.

In a word, practicing Qi Gong can strengthen your body and mind, which can help you in combat or competition. The longer you practice, the more Qi you will obtain.

Sanda 散打

Sanda's simple concept is of two people fighting each other weaponless.
Sanda, 'Chinese kickboxing', is also called Sanshou ,which roughly translates as "actual combat". In the past, *Chinese called it "technique fighting" or "striking". 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. Training in Sanda can help you keep your body in powerful condition, and develops the quickest of reflexes. Making use of fast movements to attack or defend, the fighter leaves a little of their body exposed, very effective in protecting the key parts of your body.

Sanda training

There are two poses in Sanda: left and right poses. For the left pose, one of your feet stands out, the other, behind. The distance between the heel of the forward foot and the tiptoe of backward foot is the same width as the shoulders. The sole of your left foot completely touches the ground, while the heel of your right foot rises up a little. Your knees naturally bend a little. The center of gravity of your body moves to the right, the chest moves up and your stomach folds inwards.

The left arm twists inside about 90 degrees, while the center of the left fist moves parallel to the tip of your nose. Your right arm twists inwards about 45 degrees, and your two fists come in front of your neck. The elbows keep naturally vertical or a little inwards, and your chin stays is a little lower. All the time, your eyes focus on the upper body of your adversary. The movements of Sanshou are that of a fighting art, however it is distinct from fighting martial arts that cause injury and disabilities. Sanshou has strict rules to ensure the safety of the two fighters. Rules state that attacking the back of the head, neck and crotch of the opponent is prohibited.

In Sanshou, you are allowed to exercise the skills of different Wushu schools. After long-term training, having mastered Sanda skills a Sanda practitioner will have very fast defensive and offensive reflexes if suddenly attacked. In comparison to an ordinary person, a Sanda athlete has a much higher resisting ability.

Sanda not only improves physical qualities such as strength, endurance, flexibility, and sensitivity but also develops people’s health both physically and mentally. Sticking to the training makes the body strong and strengthens bones and muscles. The skill of Sanda is in combining movements of step, fist, leg, knee, wrestling, defending, and constant attacking.

Bagua 卦

Bagua Zhang is one of the most popular styles of martial arts in China. Bagua Zhang or the eight-diagram palm is a popular style of martial arts in China. Other names for Bagua include Youshen Bagua (roving eight-diagram), Longxing Bagua (dragon-shaped eight-diagram), Xingyi Bagua (Xingyi eight-diagram boxing), Yinyang Bapan Zhang (positive negative eight-plate palm).

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. It combines the internal and concentration of breath with the external form of movements.

There are different stories about the origin of Bagua. Some say it originated among the anti-Qing Dynasty cliques while others believe that it was created by the two Taoist priests Bi Yun and Jing Yun on Mount Emei, Sichuan Province, during the late Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty and then passed down through its nine generations of practitioners.

The eight-diagram palm is based on the old Chinese philosophy of eight combinations of three whole and broken lines used in divination. While practicing, the practitioner moves according to the eight diagrams. There are eight basic palm plays. A total of 64 palm tricks and moves have come from the original eight basic palm plays.

Apart from solo practices, there is also sparring: Sanshou (free sparring) and fighting with weapons, such as Bagua sword play, Bagua sabre play and Bagua cudgel play, and Bagua play of 7 star decorated-shaft etc. While practicing these routines, practitioners rove around like a dragon moving amidst clouds.

Bagua training

Bagua Zhang features dexterity and agility. When moving around it is like walking in a muddy place, with footsteps changing all the time like running water. Palm tricks and body movements follow one after another. The roving around looks like endless circles overlapping each another. The body turns around from the waist during walking, roving, turning, rising, and falling.

Palm tricks change with the movements of the body. When the upper body protrudes, the lower part of the body squats back to keep balance. When the arms are sent out, the feet draw back. When moving, like a dragon roaming; when squatting, like a tiger sitting; when looking around, like a monkey on the lookout and when roving, like an eagle circling.

Most of Bagua Zhang boxers are found in Hebei Province. Some of them learned Bagua Zhang from scratch from their tutors, while other martial art practitioners asked Bagua masters for advice to improve their skills. Over the years, various routines of exercises have been cultivated in different styles.

Xingyi 形意

Xingyi is one of the excellent Chinese traditional internal styles. Xingyi boxing emphasizes not only on 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.

Through incorporating the physical forms, the concentration of mind with the combination of the internal and external practice, Xingyi is a very effective combat technique. However, it can also improve the learner's health, cultivate the soul, and prolong one's life. Xingyi boxing originated from the Xinyi Liuhe boxing style and formed a unique character of its own.

Xingyi boxing came to be well-known as a martial art style after its creation by Li Luoneng in 1856. Xingyi means to imitate the shape (Xing in Chinese) while fully understand the meaning (Yi in Chinese). It pays much attention to the combination of both inner and outer exercise.

Xingyi training

Xingyi boxing uses the Yin and Yang and the five elements theory (Wuxing in Chinese) of Chinese traditional culture to describe the movement regulations. The technique and theory can be summed up by the 5 elements) metal: wood, water, fire, and earth. The content and theory of the 5 elements, based on traditional Chinese philosophy, inspired the Xingyi Fist and weapon forms. The 5 elements correspond to the 5 forms of Xingyi Fist: Chopping Fist, Beng Fist, Zuan Fist, Pao Fist, and Heng Fist.

In addition, these are 12 shapes of technique: dragon, tiger, monkey, horse, crocodile, bear, sparrowhawk, swallow, eagle, snake, cat, and crane. The movements emphasize 6 combinations, which includes 3 internal combinations and 3 external combinations.

The "3 Internals" are namely the combination between "right effort" and consciousness (mind), between the consciousness and the "Internal qi" and between the "Internal qi" and Internal strength. The "3 Externals" are the combinations between the hands and the feet, between the elbows and knees and between the shoulders and arms.

The main points are having the agile waist of a dragon, the strong shoulder of a bear, the nimble way of an eagle and make sound like thunder. The popular fist forms are Wuxing Continuance fist, Xingyi Eight Poses, 12 Hong Chui, Anshen Chui, Xingyi Continuance fist, Wuxing Continuance broadsword, Wuxing Continuance straight sword, Wuxing Continuance staff, Wuxing Continuance staff, complex staff, Xingyi 13 spear, and some rare weapons like horn sword, antler hoe, iron chopsticks, etc.

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. Wing Chun favors a high, narrow stance with the elbows kept close to the body.

Within the stance, arms are positioned across the vitals of the centerline. Shifting or turning within a stance is carried out variantly on the heels, balls, or middle of the foot depending on lineage. All attacks and counter-attacks are initiated from this firm, stable base. Wing Chun features: steady stances, generation of forces, three tricks with six forces, fists playing close to one's own body, usage of explosive power, stressing on real combat, focusing on completion of movements, combination of offence and defense by forcing up or crushing down the fists or feet from the opposing side.

This style of Chuan emphasizes speed of play, keeping fists and feet close to one's body for better protection, as well as to prepare for attacks and fighting the opponent at close range. When fighting, Yongchun boxers contain their chest, arch the back, close their elbows and knees, draw in their ribs, keep their thighs closed to protect the groin.

When they use their feet for attack, they must also use their hands in cooperation. When they kick they do not expose their groin and when they deliver fist blows, their hands do not leave the front of their body. What's commonly seen are six Wing Chun forms: three empty hand forms, one "wooden dummy" form, and two weapons forms.

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. Hence, while the Yin-Yang balance is normally represented by the Taiji, the chaos which existed before this balance came into being is reflected in the Liang Yi symbol, in which Yin and Yang sit part.

As Liang Yi Quan combines fast and slow, soft and hard, and Yin and Yang, it is called the Two Extremes. In appearance and style, Liang Yi Quan has been referred to as a ‘fast Taiji Quan’. It is a decisive, dominating and efficient form of Wushu, which allows a knowledgeable practitioner to disable an opponent quickly and effectively.

Whilst its physical origins are to be found in a combination of Taiji and Bagua zhang, the theoretical and philosophical basis of the Liang Yi pressure point system lies in a combination of traditional Chinese medicine and the ‘Book of Changes’ (an ancient text which forms part of the basis for traditional Chinese beliefs).

Pressure point is one of the most important parts of Liang Yi Quan. Liang Yi Quan is an internal style of Kung Fu originating in ancient China, with roots in traditional Chinese medicine. Pressure point is based on the theories of Yin (negative) and Yang (positive), and of the five external elements, which are metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Besides the Liang Yi Quan pressure point system, all Kung Fu styles based on pressure points have been lost

Itinerary information

You are free to join uanytime. There are no fixed starting dates. You can either arrive during the week or at weekends. The training times may vary depending on the current season.

Course information

The academy accepts both beginners and experienced martial artists, since the masters focus on everybody individually. The training plan can be adjusted to your personal goals, style focus, and body condition. For example, if you like one type of weapon in particular you can learn more forms of that weapon during your stay here. After you've finished a set of movements or a form, masters will teach you all its practical applications in order to make you understand the underlying meaning of it. For more information ask your questions directly to Maling Shaolin Kung Fu Academy who will be happy to assist you.

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.

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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)

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 use 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, as your body will need rest on the weekends after a hard week of training.

Overnight trips have 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 in China. The best and most visited tourist sites include Huating Prehistoric Relics and Lake Luoma, one of the biggest freshwater 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, and relics. These are 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. Some tourists also refer to it as the Horse Tom Mountain.

Maling Shaolin Kung Fu Academy also offers optional Chinese Mandarin classes from Monday to Wednesday. Xinyi City is where students go most Saturdays to relax and stock up on necessities. The bus leaves a 15-20 minute walk from the school every 1.5 hours and costs 5 yuan (less than a $/€).

For the return trip with groceries, a taxi is recommended, and most students split the 50 yuan bill. In the city, students spend their time eating food, including western food, getting a massage, playing pool, shopping, and going to the supermarket. Everything is within walking distance from each other.

The city is also the nearest place with an ATM for withdrawing cash. The city has one million inhabitants but is considered a very small town by Chinese standards. It also contains a train station with connections to Xuzhou and is located about 50 km away from both Lianyungang Baitabi Airport and Xuzhou Guanyin Airport.

Xuzhou is the nearest bigger city to the school. It is situated in the northwest of Jiangsu and is one of China’s most well-known transportation hubs. Two of China’s most important rail lines, Beijing-Shanghai (north-south) and Lianyungang-Urumqi (east-west), meet in Xuzhou.

This makes it very easy to travel to the city and thereby to the school. Sometimes, students take a day trip to Xuzhou to explore the city and experience something different from Xinyi. The trip to the city from the school takes approximately 3 hours, and an overnight trip is also possible.

From Xuzhou, it takes 2.5 hours to get to Shanghai and 3 hours to Beijing on the fast trains. With a history of 2,600 years, Xuzhou is a historical city with critical strategic importance from a military perspective. It has been a notable battlefield in China’s history, from ancient dynasties to the modern republic.

More than two hundred famous battles have been fought on this land. The total forces engaged in each battle ranged between 10,000 and one million, as various factions fought for control of the area. The natural beauty of Xuzhou combines elements from both the North and South of China.

The old Yellow River flows through the city, alongside which the Grand Canal passes. Surrounding the city are green hills and bodies of water that connect the landscape, forming unique scenic views. The combination of cultural history and natural beauty makes Xuzhou an important tourist destination.

Maling Mountain, or the hill park, is about 20 minutes away from the academy by tuk-tuk, a small three-wheeled taxi. It is a must-see for all students coming to train in Kung Fu. In ancient times, Maling Mountain was known as Siwu Mountain, composed of Fengshan Hill, Doushan Hill, Tiger Hill, Nanna Hill, and Daylily Range.

That is why local people also call it the Five-Sister Mountain. Although the mountain is not very high, rows of hills overlap and create a mysterious beauty. This area is considered the best scenic spot in northern Jiangsu, and its elegance and grandeur are well-known in the entire region.

Qianlong Emperor of the Qing Dynasty made six tours to southern China. He visited this mountain three times and wrote several lines of poetry to praise its magnificent beauty. More recently, our ancestors called this mountain Ling Mountain or Maling Mountain.

It is a low upland located in northern Jiangsu Province, to the south of Shandong Province. The mountain originates from Cao Village in Linshu County and stretches hundreds of kilometers through Tancheng County, Donghai County, and Xinyi City, finally reaching Luoma Lake in Suqian City. This scenic spot is rich in natural beauty, with birds singing and flowers blooming throughout the area.

There is an abundance of both natural and cultural landmarks, with countless historical sites. Examples include 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 the ancient Siwu State.

What's included

179 nights accommodation
3 meals per day, 7 days per week
Access to training facilities
Training daily
Certificate of achievement and weapon certificate
Weapons for long term student
On site English translator
Optional cultural classes
Performance and competition opportunities
Laundry facilities
24-hour hot showers
Pick-up From Xinyi
Wi-Fi

What's not included

Airfare tickets
Airport transfer
Miscellaneous expenses
Internet access
Travel insurance
Personal trips
Student snacks and personal effects
Document mail- 50 USD, if requiring the original documents (for visa purposes) instead of scanned copy.

How to get there

Recommended Airports

XUZ

Xuzhou Guanyin Airport

248 km

Transfer available for additional US$ 60 per person

Arrival by airplane

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.

Arrival by train

There are some direct trains from Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing to Xinyi, where you will be picked up for free. There are more fast bullet trains travel from Beijing and Shanghai to Xuzhou east station, pickup service costs 60 USD. 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 USD) for hard sleeper and 260yuan(40 USD) 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 send an inquiry 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 hrs), or from Xuzhou to Xinyi (2 hrs), 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 30% of the total price.
The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.

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