I first got involved with Shaolin Wugulun kung fu a few years ago when a very good friend of mine, Naomi Lee, introduced me to this style of kung fu. I had met her in 2002 in the Shaolin village in Dengfeng, Henan Province, where I had gone to study. A few years later she showed me some video clips on YouTube and also the website of the kung fu school, the Shaolin Wugulun Kungfu Academy, where she worked.

 

Looking at the clips and the website, the first thing I noticed was the different stances and way of defending. I have been practicing Shaolin kung fu for about 12 years but this was really different from what I knew. I told Naomi that if I went to China, I would go to this school because of the traditional style taught there. I prefer the traditional style to the wushu look-a-like Shaolin kung fu that you see in most kung fu schools in and around Dengfeng. I wanted to learn the true essence of Shaolin kung fu in its more original state.

 

It was very odd to start all over again after twelve years of experience doing another form. During my stay in Dengfeng in 2002 we used to wake up early in the morning and go running up the mountain for half an hour and then start stretching and doing basics movements for about two hours. At the Wugulun Academy they start with standing in different stances and breathing exercises for at least one hour. I have been told that the reason for this is that, according to the Wugulun teaching, the morning is the best time to receive and store chi energy. Heavy running in the morning is a waste of the energy we have got from the whole night’s sleep and people can feel exhausted for this reason. Some light jogging is, however, acceptable.

 

It was pretty strange for us to train like this because usually we run around a lot, do a lot of stretching, push ups, fast movements -- hard training that makes you tired. This was completely different! There were more slow movements, no focus on stretching or muscle training and no endurance training. The way they moved was hard to follow -- it took almost a week for us to get the same feeling. Also they walked very lightly but firmly on their feet and were able to move around very quickly. Some forms (taolu) are not fast but very powerful. You can notice it by the way they breathe while doing a form.

 

Although I knew all the stances, I had to learn them in this style. It is possible that some people, if they have been training for a long time in the more usual kung fu forms, will find this form strange and maybe uncomfortable. I didn’t mind because I didn’t have any expectation of what would happen so I emptied my mind and let it all come to me.

 

To be honest… in the beginning it did take a few days for me to feel comfortable with the Wugulun kung fu movements. Now it feels almost second nature. For the short period that I stayed, I learned a lot -- but that doesn’t mean I know a lot!

 

I had a great time while I was there. The lessons were great and the people were all very kind and fun to hang out with even after the training.

 

Remco’s website: http://www.shaolinmartialarts.nl/

 

Raju, an English gongfu student who became Master Dejian’s disciple in 2005, writes:

 

Gongfu is my passion. I have not spared time and effort trying to find real Gongfu. I have trained in many modern martial schools but, time and time again, I was disappointed. I came to discover that most martial arts training were little different to ordinary sports. They were missing something: the essence of Gongfu!

 

What is the essence of Gongfu? It is the awareness of the way the body and its internal organs work together. It is knowing how to build, develop and understand one's internal energy, Qi. All these steps are essential for one to attain real skill and power in Gongfu movements and, no less important, to achieve physical and spiritual well-being.

 

Many people think that the real Shaolin Gongfu is what they see in the performances. I, too, thought so before! However, many monks living at Shaolin temple today just have partial knowledge of traditional Shaolin Gongfu. We mostly see modern Wushu with most of the Gongfu forms altered to look nice, fast and spectacular. Wushu is not about fighting, it is all about show.

 

Fortunately, through persistent efforts for many years and personal research carried out at Shaolin Temple, I have found a real master who teaches the true meaning of Gongfu. It is a real honour and formidable experience to learn from the great Master Dejian and his disciples. They teach their unique brand of authentic Shaolin Gongfu, Cha'n Buddhism and Chinese Traditional Medicine. I now want to help those fellow martial art enthusiasts looking for the all too rare real Shaolin Gongfu.