The Shaolin Monks
Abbot Shi Yunxin, Head of the Delegation.
Master Shi Yanlu, Chief Instructor the Shaolin Monastery.
For over fifteen centuries the Shaolin Monastery has been known for its exquisite and breathtaking martial arts. According to the ancient legend it was Bodhidharma who first brought the martial arts to the Shaolin Temple teaching his disciples special gymnastic practices that are now known as the Shaolin Qigong.
The Shaolin monks are credited as authors of about fifteen hundred Wushu styles and variations, as well as great number of works on medicine and philosophy. Besides, they have developed an entire set of martial practices involving traditional weapons. The Shaolin Temple and its monks have always been known all over China. They used to fight side by side with the Chinese armies always opposing the evil and acting in the name of the good.
Nowadays about 30 schools of martial arts known all over the world are open near the Shaolin Monastery while Shaolin Wushu foreign centers in France, Germany, USA and other countries are being extensively supported.
