The renowned Zen Master Suzuki Roshi said, "In the beginner's mind, there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind, there are few." This attitude gives us an open mind and keeps our training fresh. I have decades of experience, but I’m still a beginner. I’m still learning. This gives me limitless potential.  As long as we have an internet connection, we are no longer geographically limited and can access more classes and information than ever before. But our minds are often limited. We think too much and put constraints on what we think we can or can’t do. I entered the Shaolin ..read more

  The Buddha likened restlessness and anxiety to a state of slavery because we allow these feelings to be our boss and are pushed around by them. There is nothing to gain from being anxious and worried. But knowing this, doesn’t make stress and worry go away.  The Buddha said: Abandoning worry, with an inwardly calmed mind, her heart is purified of worry. This is good news. What the Buddha is telling us is calm can not come from an external source. Calm is in the palm of our hands. How do Shaolin monks practice this teaching at the temple? Train  - Next time you ..read more

When I first came to the UK, I read about Thomas Edison. It took him over 10,000 attempts before he succeeded in creating the lightbulb, and he said: I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work. I hope you will take his quote to heart. We can never win unless we lose. Keep going.  Moment by moment. Day by day. Here are four simple Shaolin Warrior tips you can start by doing today:  Switch off to switch on - When you eat, sleep and workout, turn off your phone Drink Tea – Don’t drink your plans, thoughts or worries. Take small steps – 10 minutes of switching off ..read more

I entered the Shaolin Temple 38 years ago when I was 14. It’s important to me that I continue to have a beginner’s mind and feel inspired to train. I do a martial arts challenge at least once a year. It allows me to push myself beyond my limits and see how much further I can go. With my Ultimate Stretching program, I got more flexible. With my Transformation 1 and 2, I got fitter and stronger. Whatever the focus or challenge, the lesson is the same. Focusing for a specific number of days where we strongly emphasise our practice creates a significant change in our mind and body. Transformatio ..read more

Shaolin Qigong is a powerful way to unlock the body’s healing potential (you can read more about that here).  Rou Quan ( Soft Fist) is a series of gentle flowing movements that profoundly affect our nervous system. When we enter this state of flow, our brain releases dopamine, serotonin and endorphins, which promote feelings of relaxation and reduce stress. Rou Quan is a great tool to use alongside Qigong or after a strenuous Kung Fu workout.  In China, many people will go to the park in the morning to practice this form. The smooth continuous movements and deep breathing are&n ..read more

Whatever Shaolin Qigong that you do you must always activate your muscles. This is different to the term used in Western workouts, but there are some similarities as it means ‘waking up the muscle’. This automatically means an increase in blood flow and oxygen. There’s a lot of misinformation about Qigong. And one of the main ones is that it’s a gentle exercise like Tai Qi.  Suppose you do the movements without activating your muscles. Then you're doing nothing but gentle exercise. It won’t harm you, but neither will it give you the powerful benefits that Qigong does. This is why in my c ..read more

Symptoms of ageing are not inevitable.  Shaolin Qigong prevents depletion by oxygenating the internal organs, opening the meridian lines and harmonising the mind and body.  Shaolin Qigong uses dynamic movement to activate the body's inherent healing potential. It’s calming and powerful and gives us a Zen-like focus. Shaolin Monks use the energy harnessed from Qigong in their Kung Fu. You can use it in your life, your workout or whatever’s important to you.  3 Ways To Learn: Live Masterclass Online Beginners Online Advanced   ..read more

Kick off 2023 with these actionable training tips that will reset your martial art’s focus and help you live your best year ever! Just Do It -  Forget willpower, it runs out. Train at least 4 times a week and  at the same time. Training like this makes training a habit rather than something you have to make yourself do. I get a lot of emails when my Live Zoom classes have finished from students fired up to continue their training. This is because it's now a habit. Think about it, do you need to make yourself brush your teeth in the morning? Get Concerned - Most of the time I f ..read more

    Shaolin Martial Arts teaches us how to live properly. We take movements from nature to get in touch with our true nature. We empty our heart so that we can expand our body. If we’re too full of doubts and  restrictions then those doubts and restrictions become real, and we never discover who we really are.   Shaolin Martial Arts teaches us that freedom is a state of mind. It’s not getting caught by – you fill in the blank. What hooks you in?   The secret of Shaolin Martial Arts is to never stop training. Whatever level you are, whatever age you are, whatever your ..read more

The movements from the Shaolin Temple orginate from nature and are thousands of years old. Although we’ve come along way since then, our bodies remain more or less the same. We’re animals. We’re born to move.  Often, our lifestyle can cause dysfunction in our body and that can lead to injury or pain.  An example of this is when we work at the computer for too long  and get backache or headaches.  But there are simple tools to prevent or treat injury and pain. And that is a system of movement to improve mobility to the joints and tissues. The goal at the Shaolin T ..read more