Kung Fu classes in Castleknock

For anyone who has ever had an interest in trying out a martial art but never quite got around to it an opportunity is just around the corner. Shi Xing Jun, a 32nd Generation SongShan Shaolin Temple Martial Monk, and the Only Shaolin Monk in Ireland, will be holding classes in the area in the near future.
This is a discipline which this teacher has mastered only after massive physical and psychological investment over the years and has been involved in quite brutal training over the years. While one expects that the classes will stop some way short of the physical excesses he describes it may be assumed that like all martial arts, a strong element of self-discipline will be part of the learning process.

Shi Xing Jun 32nd generation Shaolin Martial Monk

Under his original name, Wang Rui Jun was born in Hebei and began training not long after learning how to walk. A 'hard skill' master, Hu Sun Xin, would come to his home to train him and his two other brothers. He trained in 'ying qi gong'(hard skill qi gong) and 'chuan tong gong fu' (old Chinese gong fu).

''At first I found training quite easy and thought I would make easy progress and that my Kung Fu would be perfect in a short time. Unfortunately the reality of training in the long-run is a lot different. Every time when I was trained by my first master my mother would cry when she would see the pain involved in our training''

In 1996 Wang Rui Jun became a disciple of Shi De Yang's at Song Shan North Shaolin Temple stand-by martial arts crew. Only after impressing Shi De Yang with his already excellent gong fu was he accepted for training with Martial Monks Team. He was given the 32 generation monk name, Shi Xing Jun.

''When I knew I could go to North Shaolin temple I was so happy. But when I did go to North Shaolin Temple I realized that my life would be hard there.

Every day we would get up at 4:30 am, and would begin training at 4:50 am. We would run a circuit behind the temple that led up the mountain. This run had to finish in 20 minutes otherwise you have to run it again and again until you finished in 20 minutes. Then we would have to run the steps that lead up the mountain. We would have to hop on one leg up the steps and then crawl down on our hands, only after this would we eat breakfast.''

At the end of 2000 Master Shi De yang and Master Shi Su xi accompanied 20 Shaolin Wuseng (Shaolin Martial Monks) to Putian South Shaolin to help in the regeneration of the South Temple. Shi Xing Jun became the head coach of the South Temple Martial Monks Troupe. Shi Xing Jun has spent 11 years in Shaolin Temple.

Shi Yong Xiu 33rd generation Shaolin Secular Disciple

''In 2005 I entered Putian South Shaolin Temple to train in traditional Shaolin Temple Gong Fu. I had had some martial arts training, but nothing that could compare with the training in Shaolin. Expectations for students are high, no excuses, no matter how imaginative, are accepted. Laziness and not giving 100% in your training are punished. If they thought you were not sweating enough you would also get punished.

We would get up at 6am and do the chores. After the chores were finished we would have breakfast and start training at about 7:30. We would do a 40 minute run counting off in rhythm the whole time. Then we would stretch.

This is the most difficult part at first, and my first week I tore both my hamstrings. This meant that I had to do a longer run, to heat the muscles before stretching. Tearing both hamstrings was still not enough of an excuse to get out of training. My muscles took three months to heal. After the stretch the exercises would begin.

All the basic Shaolin exercises and kicks were drilled up and down a 200m stretch. So by the end of morning training you would have kicked every possible way hundreds of times. An average day of training lasted from 6 to 8 hours.

I was very fortunate because I was the only foreigner to train there. This meant that I got a lot of personal attention from Shi Xing Jun. I lived in South Shaolin for over a year''

For those still interested after reading all that, classes for adults and children will be held at the
Castleknock Community Centre, Laurel Lodge, Thursdays 8-9pm.

On Tuesdays between 5-6pm classes will take place in Dunshaughlin Community Centre while in Ratoath Community Centre they will be on Wednesdays between 8-9pm.

Precise details of start dates can be got by calling 085 7735953.

 

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