Shaolin Temple India

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Everybody is kung fu fighting!

An orphanage in Malavli near Lonavla will be where the country’s first Shaolin Temple will come up, and two Shaolin Masters from the 5th-century Shaolin Monastery in China are here to get things going

Ashwin Khan
Posted On Tuesday, May 08, 2012 at 03:07:19 AM

It’s a long, tiring journey, even as the crow flies, from the Shaolin Monastery in China’s Henan province to the hills of Malavli in Lonavla, but Shaolin grandmaster Shi Heng Jun could well have been back home in the Songshan mountains as he talks about the Death Touch.

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“The Death Touch technique is extremely dangerous, and is only taught to disciples who have won the trust of their masters,” Heng Jun says in Chinese, as a translator helps out.

Without a smile, the middle-aged kung fu instructor from the legendary Shaolin Temple extends the knuckle on his index finger as the primary weapon of the Death Touch, even as he uses a felt-tipped pen to draw the pressure points on the body where the technique can be used to kill.

But the purpose of Heng Jun and his younger compatriot Shifu Shi Yan Fang’s — Shifu in Chinese means Master — trip to Malavli is as far from death-dealing as Pune is from Henan.

Surrounded by construction in progress, machinery, cement dust and partly finished Buddha statues, Heng Jun and Yan Fang are busy overseeing the establishment of India’s first dedicated Shaolin Temple, where the famed martial arts techniques would be imparted to interested students.

Both monks say the structure they are building here will replicate the original fifth-century Shaolin Monastery and its Pagoda Forest — both UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

From May 11-17, the Chinese monks in tandem with Delhi-based Shaolin Master Kanishka Sharma, will conduct an introductory summer camp for 1,000 kids. This will include 500 orphans from all over the country, Sharma said.

The site where the Shaolin Temple is coming up is attached to Shikshan Gram Shelter for Homeless Children, run by Yogita and Satish Moon. “I wanted the children here to have a role model they could look up to. I looked around, but couldn’t find any. While surfing the net, I came across Kanishka. I could identify with his ideology and one day, I asked him to become my master. That’s how this journey started,” says Satish.

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(L-R) Kanishka Sharma, Yan Fang and Heng Jun

Although the Shaolin Masters are yet to start teaching the kids at the orphanage, their presence has already worn off on the youngsters. Boys with tonsured heads practise their versions of martial art moves, some looking coyly into the mirror, others throwing punches in the air.

Their enthusiasm is infectious. “Apart from teaching martial arts, we will also teach the Shaolin way of life and religion,” adds Heng Jun. What stands out during the brief chat with these Chinese monks is the serene aura about them. Heng Jun began to learn kung fu from the age of seven, and perfected his art at the Shaolin Temple.

Heng Jun is an expert at Qi Gong, a breathing technique, and Dian Xue, the Death Touch. A Qi Gong expert can align his breath to different parts of the body to generate explosive power and defend vital points against lethal attacks. “It’s possible to bring down an enemy in three seconds flat, but it’s important to learn about the different pressure points in the body first. Only then can you use this art,” Heng Jun pointed out.

Yan Fang belongs to the 34th generation of Shaolin warriors, and is known as an expert at Shaolin Kung Fu-Baji. “To punch very hard using maximum force, you have to practise Qi Gong,” says Yan Fang, whose father was a secular monk who has also practised kung fu at the Shaolin Temple. Both are on their first visit to the Pune region.

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Wacky. Of all the places....I lived in Pune for a month to study yoga under B.K.S. Iyengar.

Wouldn't this bring Shaolin full circle?

Why did Shaolin go to the West?

... I lived in Pune for a month. It's not like I lived anywhere else in India. I spent the following month traveling there, but that was as a tourist. We rented an apartment in Pune for a month. It's a fascinating place.

It trips me out how Shaolin follows me sometimes. What is this Shaolin and why does it follow me? :rolleyes:

Here's some more.

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Kung Fu Chronicles
Reshma M A : Sun May 13 2012, 04:01 hrs

At the age of six, Kanishka Sharma happened to watch the movie, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin . He did not know then that this would be the first source of inspiration for what is today his life's passion. “That film gave a new direction to my life. Later on, willpower and personal interest motivated me to pursue martial arts,” he recalls.

Shifu Kanishka, as he is popularly known, is the first Indian to have trained at the famed Shaolin Temple Secular Discipline Union, Shaolin Temple in China. He is now a part of Martial Arts Training Centre and Temple at Malavali, Pune. This is the first and the biggest such residential centre of the country.

The 35-year-old's remarkable journey began when he decided to give up his cushy corporate job in favour of martial arts. Since his training at the Shaolin Temple that began in 2001 , he has travelled across the world promoting the cause of the Shaolin Culture of Chan, Wu and Yi (Chan Buddhism, Martial Arts and Shaolin medicine).

His received initial training in Delhi, where he was born and raised. He joined Karate classes at the age of seven and followed this up with training in Kalaripayattu, and Kung Fu Tao. In XXXX, he cleared the Gong Fu Preparation (Or Foundation) Examination, WHATS ITS SIGNIFANCE . ADD Shaolin Temple details.

When asked if it was a challenge to live in China, he says, “My dream came true when I got the opportunity to learn Kung Fu in China. Overcoming the language barrier was a challenge, but it was done with patience and dedication. I have trained nearly 10 lakh students so far and they have all been relatively successful.”

Drawing inspiration has not been the only form of association he has had with movies. Shifu Kanishka has trained actors Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Zayed Khan, Boman Irani and Abhishek Bachchan in martial arts for their various roles. Though age is not a major concern when it comes to training in martial arts, Shifu Kanishka says, “Youngsters learn faster than adults, as their abilities are developed using traditional and modern conditioning techniques, from which they improve reaction time, gain confidence and self-defence abilities.”

Understandably, Shifu Kanishka emphasises on the overall physical and emotional benefits of learning marital arts. “Meditation improves concentration and calms the mind, while Qi Gong improves the blood circulation, strengthens the immunity system , increases mobility and flexibility. Together, they greatly improve the general physical condition and heighten the senses,” he says.

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Here's some more on Kanishka on our Bollywood thread.

Just for reference, Sharma is also mentioned in two other Shaolin threads:
Shaolin Journeys
Brand Shaolin

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TEDXBITS Goa Conference Be You- Speakers (2)
By Shiladitya Ghose
From BITS Pilani , Goa
Posted Feb 9th 2013 12:00AM
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This article is in continuation of TEDXBITS Goa Conference Be You-Speakers (1).

Kanishka Sharma
Kanishka Sharma is the first Indian to be trained at the Shaolin Temple Secular Disciple Union, Shaolin Temple, China. His love for Martial Arts drove him to quit his job at Reliance Industries and take the uncertain path of Shaolin. Despite difficulties that would have forced many to quit, he carried on to learn seven forms of Martial Art: Kung Fu, Jeet Kune Do, Muay Thai, Police Kung Fu, Kung Fu To'a, Okinawa Karate and Pekiti Tirsia Kali. He went on to train several Bollywood stars like Shahrukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, Priyanka Chopra and Abhishek Bachchan in Martial Arts. He also acted in the e Bollywood movie, Goal. He now trains a lot of people in Shaolin Kung Fu at his academy

Harit Soni
Harit Soni is the founder of Ecolibrium Energy, a company devoted to reducing energy wastage and efficiently using energy generated. He was named as one of the Top 35 innovators of the year 2012 by the prestigious MIT Technology Review. At Ecolibrium, Harit has led the development of indigenous smart grid technologies which enable us to monitor power generation and consumption in real time. Harit has overseen the installation of a smart grid in Gandhinagar, Gujarat and the real-time generation monitor*ing results have shown nearly 90 percent increase in the power harnessed.

Narendra Nayak
Narendra Nayak is an eminent rationalist, sceptic and writer from Karnataka. He founded Dakshina Kannada Rationalist Association and has been working as its Secretary since 1976. He organized a body of more than 65 atheists, rationalists and humanists and formed a society called Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations and is currently serving as the national president of this association. An adversary of astrology and superstitions, he conducted about 2000 demonstrations to expose such beliefs reasoning them pure scientific facts. Featured in a myriad of television programs including the e one on physical feats by the Discovery Channel, the show Is It Real? by National Geographic and The Secret Swami by the BBC, he is a close associate of the late Basava Premanand and carries his legacy forward.

Sourabh Kaushal
Sourabh Kaushal is researching space debris mitigation and the development of a space elevator system (The transportation system from Earth into Deep Space). He also proposed new methods to mitigate space debris. His research was selected in many international conferences organized by NASA, ISRO etc. Sourabh has also worked with Google Lunar X prize team-Team Indus as a Research Associate. He received "Dr. Kalpana Chawla Young Scientist Award", Runner Up "Jerome Pearson Award 2010" by ISEC,USA and nominated for "Jerome Lederer Space Safety Award 2013" by IAASS. He also works to spread awareness about science and technology among youth in villages by teaching them how to conduct research, sort out their problems, and link them with international and national experts.

Yatheesh Vadakkeyakath
Yatheesh Vadakkeyakath is a scientist from National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, India. He spends days together in the ocean onboard research vessels for marine geophysical and geological surveying and sampling to unravel secrets imprinted in the floor and subsurface of the ocean basins. He has visited the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific oceans for such expeditions under several national and international scientific programmes. His main interest is to understand plate tectonic evolution of the Indian Ocean and paleogeographic reconstruction of the Gondwanaland, a continental assemblage whose fragmentation and dispersal created the Indian Ocean, based on magnetic field measurements from the ocean basins.

Do join in. The TEDXBITS team promises a never before experience.

Venue:
Auditorium
Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani
K.K. Birla Goa Campus
Opposite Zuarinagar, NH-17 B
Goa 403726

Date: 24 February 2013

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Originally Posted by GeneChing

Wacky. Of all the places....I lived in Pune for a month to study yoga under B.K.S. Iyengar.

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Cool you studied directly with him?
I always liked his character and demeanor and have looked at a lot of his work in lit form and video but have never met him in person.

Did you enjoy this experience? Was it useful to you?
:)

I cross-trained in Iyengar yoga for many years as my wife is a certified Iyengar instructor (retired now, like me). It was summer of '97 that we spent traveling Asia, with a two month stint in India; one month of which was spent in Pune studying at the Iyengar Institute. Back then, you study with his children: Geeta for women and Prashant for men. Mr. Iyengar prowls about the classes, barking orders, corrections and generally shredding egos. He was terrifying, the most terrifying master that I've ever studied under, and considering all the martial masters I've followed over the years, that's saying a lot. His presence is commanding and intimidating. I enjoyed having survived every session when he was around. And it was incredibly useful - Mr. Iyengar is a true inspiration.

I did write an article based on an interview I did with Mr. Iyengar: The Kung Fu of Yoga (1999 May) but it wasn't one of my better articles in retrospect.

Pune is also the home of Osho.

Nevertheless, this is very intriguing. Yanlin has been a lead emissary for Shaolin for years now.

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Bodhidharman to get memorial in Kanchi
Hussain Kodinhi, TNN Dec 25, 2013, 12.51AM IST

CHENNAI: More than 1,500 years after he left home, Bodhidharman, the great master of Zen Buddhism, is set to get a memorial in the city of birth, Kancheepuram. Institute of Asian Studies in Chennai, in collaboration with scholars from China and Japan, will set up the Bodhidharma Centre for Indian Philosophy near the Kailasanathar temple. A team led by Shi Yan Lin, a monk who is executive director of the Shaolin Temple in China, visited the place a few days ago to finalise modalities of the tie-up with IAS.

"It is a very ambitious project. Once completed, it will be a world class centre for Buddhist philosophy and a meeting point of Indian and Eastern cultures," said G John Samuel, director of IAS. The institute has purchased two acres of land for the project.

According to a Chinese tradition, Da' mo (Bodhidharman) is considered the first patriarch of Ch'an Buddhism and the 28th patriarch of Mahayana Buddhism. According to documents written by Chinese monk and traveller Yi- Jing, who visited India during the reign of Tang dynasty in China in the 6th century, Da'mo came from Kang-Zhi, a southern city in India. Generations have venerated Bodhidharman as the great master, who popularized Mahayana Buddhism in China and practised Kung-Fu at the famous Shaolin Temple in Henan province of China.

"The teaching of this great saint from the Tamil soil transformed the life and culture of people in China, Japan and many other south-east Asian countries. A memorial at his birth place will be a fitting tribute to the great son of India," Samuel said. Kancheepuram was a major centre of Buddhist learning in the first few centuries of Christian era, but lost its importance under the onslaught of Shaivism and Vaishnavism," he added.

Shi Yan Lin told TOI that they wish to develop the centre on the lines of Bodh Gaya in Bihar. "The centre will have facilities for cultural interaction between China and India, especially related to the contribution of Bodhidharman and Buddhism," he said. "We plan to install a statue of Bodhidharman carved from Songshan mountain in China, where he meditated for nine years," Shi Yan Lin said.

The centre will also offer facilities to learn the Chinese martial art, Kung Fu, and meditation which Bodhidharman practiced in the Shaolin Temple in China. A team of researchers under former Tokyo University professor Tsutomu Kambe has been working on the project and a memorial pillar designed in Japan will soon be installed at the place.

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Still planning to open a Cult Center.

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Indian teacher takes Shaolin culture and kung fu back home
2014-08-13 16:20 chinadaily.com.cn Web Editor: Qian Ruisha

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Indian Kanishka Sharma practices Shaolin kung fu at the Shaolin temple in Henan province in July. He is planning to open a Shaolin cultural center in India. Hou Liqiang / China Daily

For the past decade, Kanishka Sharma has been dividing his time regularly between India and China.

The 37-year-old spends two months at a stretch taking care of his martial arts schools in India before staying two months in Shaolin Temple, learning its kung fu techniques.

Kanishka saw the movie The 36th Chamber of Shaolin when he was 6. He liked it so much he saw it 200 times.

It also marked the start of the Indian national's lifelong fascination with Shaolin kung fu.

"I told my father I wanted to go to China. He said I was too young," Kanishka said.

When he first arrived at the gates of Shaolin in 2001, he burst into tears.

"I cried because it was just as I dreamed. ... I just wanted to be like a Shaolin monk," he said.

Kanishka said he was trembling when he called his mother to share his joy.

"My parents said I was crazy."

Kanishka trained in the temple the following two years and continued his studies at the Fawang temple and Shaolin Epo Kung Fu School.

In 2007, he established his first kung fu school in India. He has set up four kung fu schools since, with 15 trainers.

"I don't like modern martial arts. I like traditional kung fu. My trainers teach traditional Shaolin kung fu," he said.

Kanishka said he has trained more than 20,000 people in India. He has also trained up to 4,000 policemen and soldiers in the past six years.

"Now I am training female commanders who are in charge of metro stations. I teach them Shaolin qinna, or hand-to-hand combat," he said.

"If they face a guy who misbehaves, they can arrest him without handcuffs."

Kanishka also opened a security company with his Shaolin experience.

He plans to build a Shaolin cultural center in India and has acquired about 2 acres of land. Construction will start soon.

"Once it is done, I will invite monks from Shaolin to train the students," he said.

"Next year, I will invite (Shaolin abbot) Shi Yongxin to India. All the students can come to listen to him and receive his blessing.

"I will devote my life to spreading Shaolin culture. I'm so happy because Bodhidharma came from India to spread his teachings in China and here I am taking the culture back to India."

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slightly ot actually. wish there was a pic.

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Darbhanga Barwari pandal in Shaolin Temple style this year
Rajeev Mani,TNN | Sep 23, 2014, 11.12 PM IST

Durga Puja pandal by Darbhanga Barwari will be unique in many ways. The main structure of this pandal will follow the palatial architecture as found in temples of Nepal, China and Japan, the interiors are being decorated on Rajasthani folk decorations by using lakhs of ice-cream sticks.

This is the 57th year of Darbhanga Colony Durga Puja Committee which has engaged experts from Kolkata and its neighbouring districts. The huge pandal, which would be using over 2500 bamboos (each around 30 feet high), will have a 65 ft high main gate. The entire structure will be based on Rajput architecture and the exterior of the pandal will follow the palatial look which is inspired by the temples built in countries like Nepal, China and Japan.

The pandal, being constructed under the head architect Noni Gopal Madal and assisted by head designer Jagannath of Nadia district, will have 30 ft high under which the artists will be showing the ethnic art form of Rajasthani folk. "This will be perhaps the first attempt in the country, where artists will be making all the interior decorations by using ice-cream sticks, be it decorative art forms of walls or various animals that will be shown inside the pandal," Debobrato Basu, general secretary of the committee, said.

This pandal has always won the appreciation of onlookers as the interior designs are unique. Last year, all the decorations were made of buttons, be it the designs on the walls or the portrait of various episodes of the life of Sai Baba.

This year too, people have already started flocking the pandal, even though it has not reached its final stages. Young girls and boys are eagerly watching and learning how to make paintings, designs and even birds like pea****, swans etc by using ice-cream sticks. The pillars, inside the pandal, are covered by canvas frames on which the artists have made beautiful designs based on Rajasthani art form.

"Long back, our craft teacher taught us low to make pea**** on cardboard by using ice-cream sticks. Here, we were astonished to see how the craftsmen are making these birds by carefully adjusting the sticks which eventually forms the shape of a bird," young Sunanda said.

"We are quite optimistic for overwhelming response as the idea of having palatial architecture in our pandal clicked us when we thought of crossing the country's border and search for temples which were influenced by Indian architecture and thus we found Janki temple of Nepal being the ideal," Basu explained. The main gate of the pandal will resemble the architect of this temple, he added.

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Lots of Chinese/Indian news lately...lol @ Kungu & BITE :p

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Kalaripayatu and Shaolin Kungu exponents perform together at Beijing
Friday, Jun 26, 2015,20:11 ISTBY METRO VAARTHA

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Thiruvananthapuram | In a rare fusion of two traditional art forms, exponents of Kalaripayatu, the classical martial art form of Kerala and Shaolin Kung Fu, performed at the Chinese capital of Beijing today as part of a programme organised by Kerala Tourism. Six performers of ‘Kalaripayattu’ joined hands with Shaolin exponents at ‘Kerala Evening’, a programme organised at the Indian Embassy in Beijing, Kerala Tourism Minister A P Anilkumar, presently leading a high-level state delegation to China, said in a release here.
Kerala Tourism is making its foray into China, a vast market with 107 million Chinese tourists traveling worldwide, according to figures available for 2014. A shared cultural heritage was the theme as Shaolin exponents effortlessly mingled with Kalaripayattu performers in a scintillating display of martial arts. Two Kathakali artists from Kerala then went on to enthrall the audience, which had the whos who of Chinese travel and tourism industry.
The breathtaking fusion of Kalaripayattu and Shaolin showed that Kerala and China have a lot in common, said Anilkumar. Like Kerala, China has a rich tradition of classical art forms such as the famous Dragon dance, making it easy for us to understand the country and its culture and also for the people of China to understand our culture, a press release quoting the minister said.
Relations between the people of China and Kerala go back to centuries when traders from China and Kerala exchanged commodities like spices and silk, the minister said, adding that China and Kerala shared several cultural traditions like martial arts, ancient medicinal systems and even kitchen utensils. Kerala is a tiny state of India, but it is blessed with a rich geographical and cultural diversity, said Kerala Chief Secretary, Jiji Thomson, who is part of the state delegation.
With an easy connectivity and ideal proximity, Kerala is a natural destination for visitors from China. The first thing that tourists from worldwide see on our famous backwaters is the Chinese fishing net along its coast. The most important thing in a kitchen in Kerala is the Chinese frying pan, Thomson said.
Indian Ambassador to China Ashok K Kantha was among those present along with the Kerala Chief Secretary and Tourism Secretary G Kamala Vardhana Rao. A highlight of the occasion was a presentation on Kerala’s destinations by Rao. Buoyed by the enthusiastic response to the martial arts fusion and Kathakali performance, Kerala Tourism will organise a repeat show of the two performances for the general public at the Indian Embassy tomorrow.
A similar show will also be organised tomorrow at the venue of the Beijing International Tourism Expo (BITE) 2015, which began today. ‘Kalaripayattu and backwaters’ is the theme of the Kerala Tourism pavilion at BITE 2015. It is for the first time that Kerala Tourism is participating in the three-day BITE, the premier travel and tourism fair in Asia, officials said. Kerala Tourism and its industry partners from the state will also participate in a road show in Shanghai on June 30. It will be the first road show ever by the state tourism in China, they said.
The visit by the Kerala Tourism delegation comes close on the heels of the three-day state visit to China by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May, during which he announced Visa on Arrival for tourists from China. As many as nine private trade partners of Kerala Tourism are taking part in BITE 2015.

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Meet the First Indian to Train at Shaolin Temple; Now Trains Martial Arts to Bollywood Celebs
Onkar Kulkarni | Jun 08, 2016, 11:14AM IST

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Having a background in Martial Arts for more than 25 years, in combat systems like Shaolin Wu gong, Kungfu Toa, Muay Chaiya, Muay Thai, Sanshou among others, Shifu Kanishka Sharma is highly specialized in Commando Close Quarter Combat which teaches a practitioner to knock out opponent in 3 seconds.
But what makes Shifu Kanishka special is the fact that he is the first Indian to study at the famed Shaolin Temple Secular Discipline Union in China.
Kanishka who got inspired by the martial art form after watching the film The 36th Chamber of Shaolin at the age of six is the first Indian to have brought the deadly combat system of Pekiti Tirsia Kali to India and also the first Indian to introduce Kali Tactical Combat System to the Law Enforcement, Military and Special Forces.
Back in India, Sharma imparts the knowledge of the martial arts at various camps, schools and his headquarters in the North of India. That apart, he is a famous name in the B-Town, as he has been training celebrities ranging from Shah Rukh Khan to Madhuri Dixit Nene for their respective movies.
Currently, Sharma is busy training Sanjay Dutt for his action film directed by Sidharth Anand. “I am teaching Sanjay 3E Combatives. It is a blend of five different martial arts – Shaolin kungfu, Pekiti tirsia kali, tai chi, jeetkunedo and muay thai,” he says.
Sanjay has been undertaking this program designed by Sharma since a month and has been practicing with the trainer in his building at Pali Hill for three-four hours, per day.
Till date the Shaolin Temple returned has trained numerous Bollywood actors like SRK, Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, John Abraham, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Arjun Rampal among others.
Ask Sharma, how he got a break through in Bollywood and he recollects, “It was a show on National Geographic for which the channel had contacted me. The show had Akshay Kumar and I was supposed to train him.” After a shoot with one actor, word spread in the industry and soon Sharma became a popular name in the B-Town when it came to training actors some martial arts.
He taught SRK, Bruce Lee martial arts for the film Don, where as Madhuri learnt hand-to-hand combat for Gulab Gang. Talking about his current training session with Dutt, Sharma says, “Sanjay is extremely dedicated. We do the training in the morning between 9 to 11 am and in the evening from 4 to 6 pm. He’s a beast and doesn’t get tired! He’s also following a diet and thus has slimmed down and looking all toned up.”

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I've seen Don. It was funny. I couldn't make it through Gulab Gang. It was dull and disappointing.

I love the way Indian writers phrase things.

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A Slice of Shaolin
By Vyas Sivanand | Express News Service | Published: 25th June 2017 07:42 AM |
Last Updated: 25th June 2017 07:42 AM

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Students meditating at Shaolin Wushu Cultural Centre India, Bengaluru

BENGALURU: Within a quaint interior of J P Nagar is an unusual space where unsure, diffident and insecure souls, young and old, transform into self-confident personalities with robust character. The rented premises of Shaolin Wushu Cultural Center India seems unpretentious, but is packed with ounces of unvanquishable strength. It is here where about 120 students, from age 4 to 60-plus learn the traditional art of Wushu, a compound of all Chinese traditional martial arts.

A result of a daring adventure and unstifled belief of its founder, Keerthi Prasad B S, the centre is the only one in South India that can boast of an authentic certification from the cradle of Chinese Kung Fu, the Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng county, China.

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The passion for the martial arts began when Keerthi saw a documentary on the history of Shaolin Temple. Further research in an era when the internet was at its nascent stages, he realised the Indian connection. “Shaolin Temple was built by an Emperor to accommodate the Indian master Buddhabhadra or Batuo’s preachings, who was the first abbot of Shaolin. Later, another Indian monk, Bodhidharma arrived at Shaolin Temple, initiating the Chinese Chan tradition,” he says, clearly reflecting his pride in the India connection, and the desire to bring a bit of it to the country.

By 1999, when Keerthi passed out of II PU, he was sure about his future. Having convinced his father about his passion, he began his pursuit in Bengaluru but was disappointed by the lack of authenticity in the teachings. To avoid his passion from atrophying, and to save money, he started freelance photography and took up a job of medical transcription. He managed a student visa for six months to the Shaolin Cultural Centre, Dengfeng, which is an international hostel for aspirants wanting to learn martial arts.

“The language barrier, the food, the strenuous training, and being away from family for the first time took its toll in the beginning and I wanted to quit. But then I would remind myself of the very reason I had decided to be there; to learn something which is valuable and could be shared to another part of the world,” he recalls.

Today, Keerthi is a Shifu (teacher), qualified to teach the art of Wushu. He is a direct 34th generation disciple of Shaolin Temple abbot Shi Yong Xin and was named Shi Yan Ban.
He also trained under the Shaolin Monks Reserve Force and has obtained 7th Duan Wei Certification, making him the only person in South India to achieve the distinction.

Keerthi founded the Shaolin Wushu Cultural Center India in 2011, after getting married and eager to begin a stable life with his wife’s support. What makes his fidelity towards the belief in traditional martial arts more profound is the efforts he has taken to bring a tradition from East Asia to India and propagate it with his minimal resources.

“Our system is taught through a structured syllabus of traditional and modern elements, including sparring, traditional forms, weapons, chi kung - a form of gentle exercise, and a series of combat and self defense sequences,” Keerthi says.

The Centre actively participates and organises many social cause events such as blood donation camps, street self-defense for public as well as specific classes for ladies, and training for under privileged kids. It also has a cultural exchange program where students in India get a chance to train at the Shaolin Temple.
The ambition now is to spread the art across South India. “The traditional art of Wushu makes you feel alive and responsible. It makes you feel that you can make a difference, you feel complete. And I want this feeling to be spread across, at least in the southern part of India,” he says.

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Someone is on the promotion bus...;)

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Shining Star from Shaolin
By Vyas Sivanand | Published: 08th July 2017 10:00 PM |
Last Updated: 08th July 2017 04:28 PM

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Students meditating at Shaolin Wushu Cultural Centre India, Bengaluru

In a world where success is measured by one’s pay package or the profession one is involved in, Keerthi Prasad B S has redefined triumph in his own way. His success comes from the inexorable slide he chose towards contentment and artistic relevance that would have been treated with reluctance by many of us. But listening to his heart, he unflinchingly kept following his goal of mastering Wushu—a compound of all Chinese traditional martial arts. And he did not take the easy route. He went to the cradle of Chinese Kung Fu, the Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng County, China, to learn it.

Today, he runs the Shaolin Wushu Cultural Centre in Bengaluru, where 120 students between the age of four and 60-plus learn the martial art form. The only individual in South India to earn an authentic certification from Shaolin, Keerthi’s achievement is rare not only because he shunned a probable sybaritic future, but he also opted to learn a complex art in an alien country. “The language barrier, food, strenuous training, and being away from family were quite difficult and I wanted to quit. But then I would remind myself of the very reason I had decided to be there,” recalls the 34-year-old.

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Reminiscing the time when he got hooked on to the martial arts, he says that a documentary on the history of Shaolin Temple sparked the desire in him. Trying to understand the tradition of the temple, Keerthi realised the strong Indian connection. “The temple was built by an emperor to accommodate Indian master Buddhabhadra’s preachings, who was the first abbot of Shaolin. Later, another Indian monk, Bodhidharma arrived at the temple and initiated the Chinese Chan tradition,” says Keerthi, who is the 34th generation disciple of Shaolin Temple abbot Shi Yong Xin and was named Shi Yan Ban.

After completing his pre-university education in 1999, he convinced his father about his passion and began preparing for his mission. To save money, he started freelance photography and also worked as a medical transcriptionist. Finally, he managed a student visa for six months to the Shaolin Cultural Centre, Dengfeng, an international hostel for global aspirants wanting to learn martial arts.

“We used to get up by 4:30 am. All students had to make their beds and get ready for the training, which was climbing a mountain behind the temple, where Bodhidharma meditated for nine years. An average person takes about three to four hours to climb up and down this mountain, but we had to do it in less than 90 minutes. Sometimes, our teachers would tell us to crawl down the mountain instead of jogging back, which would be challenging.”

Today, Keerthi is a Shifu (teacher). “We teach through a syllabus of traditional and modern elements, including sparring, traditional forms, weapons, chi kung—a form of gentle exercise, and a series of combat and self-defence sequences,” says Keerthi, who trained under the Shaolin Monks Reserve Force and has obtained 7th Duan Wei Certification.

The Centre has a cultural exchange programme in which Indian students can get a chance to visit and train at the Shaolin Temple. “The traditional art of Wushu makes you feel alive and responsible. It makes you feel that you can make a difference,” says Keerthi, who won two gold medals at the 2015 Hong Kong International Wushu Festival. The centre has a specially designed self-defence programme for women.

“For me, martial art has never been a business. I don’t want to claim that I am the best, but I feel bad when I see fakes cheating students with grandiose claims. The whole art is being let down by such people,” he says.

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Shaolin Temple warrior monk from India makes Guinness world record with his knee strikes
Shifu Jin, one of only three Shaolin Temple warrior monks from India, recently made a Guinness world record for 'the most full-contact knee strikes achieved in one minute with one leg'. He claims to have trained more than 60,000 people from around the world.
Mona Ramavat
July 7, 2017 | UPDATED 17:01 IST

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Shifu (master) Shi Miao Jin (pictured in orange)Shifu (master) Shi Miao Jin (pictured in orange)

Making and breaking records is an everyday affair for shifu (master) Shi Miao Jin (pictured below, in orange). Having already set 16 world records, shifu Jin recently set a new bar-and a Guinness world record-for 'the most full-contact knee strikes achieved in one minute with one leg': 97. However, what's even more surprising than his list of achievements is his birth name: Prabhakar Reddy.
One of only three Shaolin Temple warrior monks from India, the 36-year-old Reddy, who claims to have trained more than 60,000 people from around the world at his Nellore, Andhra Pradesh-based kung fu academy, starts his work day at 3.30 am. His students range from a 65-year-old martial arts enthusiast to his five-year-old son, and include women looking to learn basic self-defence as well as advanced practitioners from Thailand. As for his own inspiration, he says he grew up admiring the skills of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, and had already earned a kung fu black belt at 16. "My endeavour now is to propel India ahead on the global martial arts map," he says.

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Shaolin Temple India meets Martial Arts World Records and Stunts

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Meet Subbu Dharna, Shaolin spiritual seeker
The 16-time grand champion of Indian Kung Fu accelerated his quest to master Shaolin tenets after a transformative journey to China.

Published: 17th September 2023 10:57 AM | Last Updated: 17th September 2023 10:57 AM | A+A A-

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Subbu Dharna, disciple of Shifu Kanishka Sharma Subbu Dharna, disciple of Shifu Kanishka Sharma, enjoys the exclusive authority to impart the sacred teachings of Shaolin.
By Manvi VyasExpress News Service
HYDERABAD: The term soldier typically conjures an image of an individual proudly adorned in the sacred uniform of the Indian Army, resolutely stationed along the nation’s borders, safeguarding its citizens with unwavering dedication. However, have you ever encountered a soldier who, dressed in the revered Shaolin Arhat Robe, serves the nation by imparting not only his profound knowledge and martial expertise in Kung Fu but also a rich tapestry of values and discipline?

Meet Subbu Dharna, whose dreams of joining the Indian Army remained unfulfilled due to his height falling short of the required standards. However, he chose to make an everlasting mark by boldly redirecting his path, transforming himself from an aspiring Army soldier into an indomitable Shaolin Kung Fu warrior.

Residents of Hyderabad can now fulfil their aspirations of mastering the art of Shaolin Kung Fu without the need to travel to China. They have the privilege of learning from the disciple of the renowned Shifu Kanishka Sharma, who holds the distinction of being the first Indian to introduce the formidable combat art of ‘Pekiti Tirisa Kali’ to India.

Subbu Dharna, disciple of Shifu Kanishka Sharma, enjoys the exclusive authority to impart the sacred teachings of Shaolin, making it a unique and invaluable opportunity for martial arts enthusiasts in the city.

The 16-time grand champion of Indian Kung Fu accelerated his quest of mastering and embodying the sacred tenets of Shaolin Kung Fu in the year 2016, following a transformative journey to China.

Shaolin Kung Fu, also known as Shaolin Wushu, is recognised as one of the oldest and most popular styles of Kung Fu of Chan Buddhism. This school of Buddhism stands as a major Chinese Buddhist school, tracing its roots to the revered figure Bodhidharma, who is believed to have gone there from India.

It places importance on the pursuit of Buddhahood, the ultimate spiritual aspiration within Buddhism, achieved through the enlightenment of one’s own consciousness. This profound tradition later found its way to Japan, where it became known as Zen Buddhism.

With Chan philosophy and martial arts at its core, this art form evolved within the historic Shaolin Temple located in the Henan province of Greater China during its illustrious 1,500-year history.

When asked about the exclusivity of Shaolin Kung Fu, Subbu Dharna eloquently explained, “Learning Shaolin Kung Fu is a gradual journey. Shaolin Kung Fu comprises the intricate synergy of the six vital joints in the human body - the wrists, ankles, elbows, knees, waist, and shoulders. In my teachings, I impart the authentic principle of ‘six batteries equal one battery,’ signifying the amalgamation of the energy derived from these six joints, coupled with the practice of Qigong, a harmonious blend of mental and spiritual cultivation, all of which harmoniously appears in every single movement you execute.”

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Shifu Kanishka Sharma (R) is seen with his disciple
Subbu Dharna (L)

‘Profound sense of spirituality’
Shaolin Kung Fu encompasses three profound pillars. The first pillar, “chán,” embodies the spiritual teachings of Chan Buddhism, instilling not only physical strength but also inner harmony and enlightenment. The second pillar, “wu,” represents martial prowess and combat techniques that are honed through rigorous training. The third pillar, “yi,” encompasses the holistic aspects of Shaolin Kung Fu, including Buddhist artistry and the intricate knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine. This pillar underscores the importance of nurturing both body and mind, promoting healing and balance.

In the journey of mastering Shaolin Kung Fu, it’s not solely about acquiring the power to fight but, more importantly, about cultivating the wisdom to apply that power judiciously, harmonising the mind, body, and spirit in a profound quest for martial excellence and spiritual growth.

The Shaolin temple in Chintal, Hyderabad, serves as an exceptional haven, not only for remarkable Kung Fu martial artists but also for individuals with disabilities. “I don’t believe in any such thing called disability. If any one of your body parts is dysfunctional, the other can be strengthened.”

“Shaolin has helped me achieve a profound sense of spirituality, a transformation that extends far beyond the practice mat and pervades every facet of my daily existence,” says Vajraksh Bharadwaj, a disciple of Subbu Dharna, who is presently working in Amazon. Subbu Dharna’s Shaolin Kung Fu quest could lead him to becoming a monk, where he intends to abandon worldly possessions and share his wisdom with future generations.



Anyone interested in learning the art of Shaolin Kung Fu can contact +91 98660 64272.

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‘six batteries equal one battery’ is the weirdest translation for liuhe, but I get it.;)

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Exploring Chinese Civilization: more than just martial arts in Chinese kung fu

World
12:05, 02-Jan-2024
Global Stringer
03:02
Shaolin martial arts is one of the most famous traditional martial arts in China. It has a time-honored history and far-reaching influence. The most prominent feature of this type of kung fu is that it fuses Zen concepts into martial arts, advocating meditation as part of the practice.

Kanishka Sharma, an Indian martial arts expert, has been nurturing his Shaolin kung fu dream since he saw a kung fu movie as a child. At the age of 21, he came to China to study this art, an experience he describes as a dream come true. Kanishka believes that Chinese martial arts are different from modern boxing or mixed martial arts (MMA) as they are defensive in nature. Referring to the Chan, Wu and Yi (Zen, martial arts and medicine) concepts in the Shaolin culture, Kanishka says Chinese martial arts have immense cultural value. Kanishka has taken what he learned back to India and hopes he can continue to help teach and promote Shaolin kung fu.

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the vid is embedded behind the link above