Not All Martial Arts are Created Equal!

Shaolin Do is the original blend of hard and soft arts, developing internal and external strength simultaneously. It doesn't rely on body rigidity to develop power like Karate, but instead generates forces from natural body mechanics and circular movements.

Do You Think About Fighting?

Shaolin Do is more than just a fighting art, it is a way of perfecting oneself. By studying the efficiency and balance that exists within nature, we gain understanding and respect for all life. The ancient Chinese observed the diverse fighting strategies of the animal kingdom, and realized that like animals, people also required fighting techniques suited to their unique physical statures.

Masters of Life

Thus was born the animal fighting systems. These techniques had already been tested in nature and since have been orally passed within the Shaolin tradition. Throughout history, the Shaolin monks have been the most feared fighters in Asia, but even more famous is their long standing love of peace, virtue and honor. The long standing history of the Shaolin temple and their famous reputation can be attributed to an ability to train not only deadly fighters, but masters of life.

What Will You Learn?

Shaolin-Do students practice open hand forms, self-defense, weapons, sparring, meditation, strength training, and aerobic conditioning. This dynamic approach allows for rapid advancement in fighting skill, balance, dexterity, and endurance. In the final analysis one must look at the fighting effectiveness of a martial art. Shaolin Do stays true to its temple roots as an art of survival, not of sport. If one is to determine the lethality of an art, one should look at the techniques being practiced. All Shaolin Do forms have neck, knee, and elbow breaks. They utilize strikes to vital areas (pressure points) and teach multiple attacker strategies. In order to survive a multiple attacker situation, every blow must be capable of completely disabling a person. That ability only comes from iron bone (palm, shin, forearm, etc.) training, great strength (internal and external), and a complete knowledge of the human anatomical weak points. Compare this to many of the competition and sport oriented martial arts so popular today.

Before attaining black belt the student will learn 21 long forms covering 7 different open hand systems and 6 weapons. This provides a rich background of techniques and styles to call upon.

What is a Form?

Don't worry if none of this makes sense. You will love learning this art more with each passing month and year. It will never grow dull, only more exciting and challenging. If you are looking for a path that will last a lifetime, Shaolin-Do is the one. When you're eighty years old, you will still have more brand new material to learn and challenge you. As a added bonus, you will learn an effective method of self-defense, get in the best shape of your life and maintain flexibility throughout your life.

A Fighting Art

The adult Kung Fu program is the curriculum derived from the last Shaolin Temple in Fukien province. It is the perfect combination of form and application, strength and flexibility, liner and circular movement, power and grace. Beginners start with a simple warm-up exercise, self-defense practice, non-contact sparring (not the first week) and Northern Shaolin Temple empty hand forms. Each class will keep you aerobic for 20-30 minutes and then allow time to learn and practice the fascinating and beautiful forms that have made Shaolin the most famous martial art in the world. As you advance in rank you learn a new animal form and weapon for each belt. Prior to black belt level, each student will learn how to defend themselves at long-range, short-range, from the ground, with weapons and against multiple attackers.

In the first year you will learn...

• 1-30 Tan Leg Techniques (Short Kata)
• Tiger
• White Crane
• Short Stick
• 20 Sparring Techniques
• Giant Eagle
• Staff
• Broadsword
• 60 Self-Defense Techniques
• Praying Mantis
• Nunchaku
• 2 on 1 Sparring

A Higher Purpose

There are hundreds of traditional Shaolin Temple empty-hand and weapon forms taught out to the students of Shaolin-Do. This insures that each student will remain excited, challenged, and involved for a lifetime. Shaolin-Do is about more than just fighting, it is about adopting the best of what Chinese martial art tradition has to offer and mixing it into our hectic "Western" lives to create a powerful combination. Because when all is said and done, once you've learned to fight, you'd better have another reason to study martial arts if you want it to continue to be a part of your life-long path of health, fitness, and success training.

• Mental Energy
• Endless Motivation
• A Powerful "can-do" attitude
• Self-Confidence
• Security from physical harm

Curriculum

In the Shaolin temple there were only four recognized levels; student, disciple, master, and grandmaster. Our Great Grandmaster, Ie Chang Ming, introduced the use of colored belts to divide the material between student and disciple into five levels (White, yellow, blue, green, and brown) One form from a new animal and weapon system is taught at each level above white. Keep in mind that for a student to pass into the next rank, he/she must perform all the material for their present and all previous levels.

Black belt degrees one through four are considered beginners, while fifth degree is called associate master. Once a person reaches sixth degree they are considered full masters. The rank of ninth degree is considered a Grandmaster, but the position of tenth degree is held by only one person; the highest of the Grandmasters. While there can be many 9th degrees (there were often ten in a temple), there can be only one 10th degree. This person is given the awesome responsibility of assuring the continuation of Shaolin, in its purest form.

Benefits:

1. Calmly energize your mind and body
2. Lower Your Blood Pressure
3. You'll Feel More Relaxed
4. Gently Increase Strength & Balance
5. You strengthen your immune system

The name Tai Chi Chuan actually means "Grand Ultimate Fist" in Chinese. It was the ultimate fighting art for one reason. It held the keys to the only sure-fire door to personal mastery; body awareness and self-knowledge. No wonder it is one of the fastest growing health crazes in the world. Breathe deep from your center, empty your thoughts, sink your Chi energy to the navel and move slowly from the spine. This is the essence of Tai Chi and can take a lifetime to learn. Please be my guest to sample this ancient path toward personal mastery.

1. Completely relax the musculature.
2. Clear your mind and become acutely aware of your internal and external environment.
3. Achieve a stress and tension free posture.
4. Increase the unhindered flow of energy throughout the body, with a systemic increase of blood flow.
5. Defend oneself with minimal use of effort by applying the concept of accommodation. (yin/yang)

Tai Chi trains students in what is known as a yielding or soft style of martial arts. The internal art of Pa Kua Chang teaches to evade attacks through a fluid, circling pattern of movements including steps designed to throw an opponent simply by coiling and uncoiling the body. At a higher level, the entire art of Shing Yi Ch'uan (Fist of Will) teaches the student to explode their internal power into every strike.

Meditation exercises help students control their breathing, develop a greater awareness of their body and encourage a calm and controlled mental attitude. The internal arts require decades to master and the constant addition of new material at the Shaolin-Do school ensures that each student remains interested and challenged for a lifetime. Like the famous yin/yang symbol, the balance of these two unique strategies, SHAOLIN & TAI CHIi, creates a powerful force and well-rounded martial artist.

Chinese martial arts can be divided into two different divisions; internal and external. Each one tries to arrive at the same destination, but they get there by different routes. External Kung Fu uses physical strength and speed. Internal Kung Fu (Tai Chi) uses balance, awareness, sensitivity, and an opponent's force against them.

Like Yin and Yang

The theory of yin and yang states that one force gradually becomes it's opposite. It's the same with internal and external kung fu. At its highest levels internal kung looks like external and vice versa.

So which one should you take?

The Tai Chi Class is for You
If you are looking for:

• relaxation
• gradual increases in body awareness, balance and health
• calm and peaceful class atmosphere
• lower body strength and flexibility

The Kung Fu Class is For You
If you are looking for:

• weight loss
• endurance
• stress relief
• self-defense
• an exciting and fun class atmosphere

How many Tai Chi forms do I need?

A person could perfect motion an spend their entire life benefiting from just one individual Tai Chi movement. You could rise every morning and practice that one movement for 30-60 minutes and gain every positive benefit Tai Chi people usually talk about. However, the average person would quickly become bored by a single movement practiced over and over again for all the years of your life.

Are You in it for the Long Haul?

So if your goal is to use Tai Chi in your daily healthful rituals you should pick a program where you can learn many things in the years to come.

Each day you can say,
" I am little tired of the Yang Family forms, I think I'll practice Chen style today."
Or
"I'm little tired of empty hand forms, this week I'll practice the slow and graceful weapon forms that I have learned."

Since all the forms apply the principles of Tai Chi, you benefit the same from them all. So take a quick look at the incredible list of forms you can learn in the Shaolin-Do internal curriculum. Each of them uses relaxation, awareness, deep breathing and movements from the spine. So do you want to learn in a Tai Chi school that goes from kindergarten through 8th grade, or in a school that goes from Kindergarten to Ph.D.?

If both of these descriptions sound great then you are interested in our Masters Program. With the Master Program, you will experience a dramatic increase in your skill and ability. You will learn more material in one year than most Kung Fu students learn in many years. You will feel relaxed and confident. You will be fit, energetic and balanced.

The best part is that you can take both complete programs (internal and external) and still pay less that the average cost of martial art tuition in Brandon or Tampa.

Consumers Guide to Choosing a Martial Arts School