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The Shaolin Monastery is a Buddhist temple located in the Chinese province of Henan and famous for its relationship with Zen Buddhism and the connection with the martial arts of China, in which a fighting system with the concept of non-violence and vegetarianism prevails, to achieve inner balance.
Over the centuries, two Shaolin schools of martial arts developed. The first, the northern school, gave more importance to the use of the feet, while the other, the southern one, concentrated on the movement of the hands.
The term Kung Fu means training and skill, which is acquired over time, and has its main exponents in the Shaolin temple, where monks learn the art of self-defense. Training in the temple is very hard and demanding.
In the Shaolin temple, its legendary warrior monks practiced Shaolin Kung Fu which is one of China's cultural treasures; Today its tradition continues to be zealously preserved, which means that today discipline, suffering, self-control and the rejection of violence have not been lowered. Shaolin monks are considered the most committed warriors, since they profess a spirituality linked to Buddhism, which requires a dedication of body and soul.
After more than a decade of study, the apprentices have to demonstrate their skill before a panel of elders, both in Buddhist knowledge and in meditative practice and Kung Fu. If they pass, they dedicate their lives to learning the art of fighting, calm and self-control. They spend the rest of their lives training, studying and meditating on their path to enlightenment.
