foreigners at the shaolin temple

[yan23]

hi,Gene.
i read in one of your posts,that there are foreigners studying kung fu and buddhism at the shaolin temple,is this posible right now???

[norther practitioner]

Right this second might be a little harder than others given its Chinese New Years... but yes, there are plenty of schools around Shaolin that one can study at, some affiliated with monks, etc.

[yan23]

i mean inside the temple

[GeneChing]

There are also schools who 'sublet' in the temple now too. Well sort of. Sometimes they'll let you use a courtyard to train. In fact, that is how I trained "in the temple." But realistically, you want to train somewhere else. While it sounds all romantic and such to train in the temple, there are all these tourists that are always around and it's very distracting. Once, when I was training in the temple, some Chinese lady tourist jumped right into the middle of our lesson and starting doing all this silly MA poses while her husband shot pictures.

To me, the best place to train is actually outdoors, on the mountain itself. You have to jog up to some clearing, and train in the dirt. But that's the best, really. Many masters are happy to take you up there to their favorite spot.

As for Buddhism programs, those are few, but growing. If you don't speak Chinese, don't expect anything here.

[yan23]

and where i can start learn some chinese in the internet?

[norther practitioner]

Use google to do a search.
You want to learn the Mandrine dialect.

[richard sloan]

Originally posted by yan23
and where i can start learn some chinese in the internet?

I will teach you right here, Oh Son of the Light...

[David Jamieson]

Once, when I was training in the temple, some Chinese lady tourist jumped right into the middle of our lesson and starting doing all this silly MA poses while her husband shot pictures.

Gene-

That is likely one of the funniest things I could imagine happening during a training period in the Shaolin temple.

I am giggling right now at the imagery of it. hee hee hee.

Did she say Hiiiiiiyahhh!!! ? :D

cheers

[GeneChing]

Yep. She did. :rolleyes:

[Shaolinlueb]

the instructor didnt tell her to get the hell out of their? man that would **** me off. i guess people dont have respect all over the world. how far is dengfeng from the temple?

[GeneChing]

Oh, you have no idea, especially when it comes to Chinese tourism. When you have that many people, there are no lines, just masses. Anyone who's been to a major tourist site in China will tell you about getting elbowed by some little old lady who was cutting in front for a better view.

My master Shi Decheng did ask the lady to leave, politely though. She did. It was pretty amusing in retrospect. When the temple is open to tourists is often the optimal training time, and you really don't want to be there training, when you can be somewhere else in the area.

Shaolinlueb: Dengfeng is about 15 km to the temple. You'll find a map in our last Shaolin Special (http://store.yahoo.com/martialartsmart/kf200119.html). Check it out.

[Ironwind]

How much does it cost to study at these temples?

[GeneChing]

... but lots of private schools. And like I mentioned earlier, some privates rent time to train in the actual temple.

To be honest, I have no idea anymore. Given my position, my payment is a little different, so I'm not in touch with that so much now. Maybe ask John Greenhow - he's there now, I think. There's a definate range, and sliding scales. You pay as much as you can negotiate. Part of the 'game' as John puts it.