All the different posts about monks and buddhism as well as the christianity thread has inspired me to start a new thread.

What is/should Shaolin Temple Kung Fu training be like in the US?

Do people really train at the US Shaolin schools because they are taught by monks or because they are taught by instructors that were put through the rigorous training that makes up modern day Shaolin Kung Fu? No other TCMA has the virtuous monikor held over them (though some try to imply it).

In China, it is clear that only a select few at Shaolin are monks and that many of the monks don't do kung fu. Why is it so different here?

OK, I understand the early marketing of the first wave. Let's leave them aside for the moment. My kids are training with what Gene calls the third wave from Shaolin. They are very clear that they are not monks. Just trained at Shaolin. In fact some have tried to get them to have more buddhism in their school but they keep that seperate. As a practicing Christian, I feel no conflict here and not pushing the monk aspect hasn't seem to hurt "the business"

How do other Shaolin schools (Texas, Houston, etc) treat the monk issue?
How does the community feel about learning from a "non-monk"

Just curious