LIU Shaolin Institute

I went to the seminar hosted by Shaolin Institute last week. It was great and Mr. Wu Bin is the real master of Kungfu!

This is a wonderful and interesting school. If you want to learn China kung fu, I recommend that you choose this school. Nice teachers and good study environment are waiting for you. Enjoy it!

My 7 y/​o wanted to join martial arts so we had him tried out Shaolin Kung-​fu and Tae Kwon Do. After two weeks try-​out at each place, he wanted to go with Shaolin Kung-​fu because he felt that he learned more here.
My son been in the program now for 7 months and I’ve notice that he has greater self discipline/​control and respect for others. I am glad he made the right choice.

I had never done martial arts before, but two of my friends joined it and convinced me to come in for a trial. What surprised me is how such a great school is hidden away in an obscure building. The Shaolin Institute is led by Shi Deru, who trained at the Shaolin Temple from the age of 3. He’s one of the closest disciples of the late abbot of the Shaolin Temple, Shi Suxi. Master Deru has been one of the top instructors working to spread Shaolin kung fu in the U.S. for over 20 years, and he’s worked with many national and international martial arts organizations.
Which is all to say, this is not a «belt mill». There’s no rock music playing while you do repetitive exercises with no supervision or unclear instructions. The classes emphasize practical applications for defense and offense, so in addition to learning forms to practice movements, you also learn how to use each of those movements in real-​world situations by drilling and sparring with partners.
They teach not just a martial art but a way of life. Every class starts by reading the student creed, which says how you strive to improve yourself, help others, and develop positive attributes like self-​discipline and respect.
There are several classes available: kung fu, tai chi, sanshou/​sanda fighting, and fitness kickboxing. They have separate classes for kids and adults, and within each class they group people by skill level so everyone gets to work on something at their skill level. (Kids can start as early as 4 years old, and learn exactly the same things as adults.) After you’ve been a student for about 6 months, you have the option of committing to the advanced class, which gives you more class time, and also lets you learn weapons like staff or broadsword.
When you first come in, they’ll give you a tour and ask some questions about what you’re looking for. You’ll also go through a short evaluation, to see what your physical abilities are: just simple tests of stretching, balance, and flexibility. Then you’ll usually get a 2 week trial period where you can go to various classes before committing to becoming a paying student.