The Shaolin Si (Shaolin Temple), is a Buddhist temple located in Henan Province founded by Indian Buddhist Priest 'Bodhidharma' or 'Damo' over 4000 years ago.

In the early years immediately following the founding of the Shaolin Temple in 495AD, the first soldier monks created a set of eighteen different actions (the original kung fu), which utilised all parts of their bodies. These were combined with the use of various weapons made from simple farming tools and were initially a means of providing daily exercise and as a form of meditation, later they were used as a means of self-defence.

Northern Shaolin Kung Fu is known as an external martial art and emphasises long range techniques, quick advances/retreats, wide deep stances, high kicks, leaping/ jumping, whirling circular blocks, quickness, agility and aggressive attacks, it is considered to be the oldest martial art in the world therefore the root of all martial arts.

Shaolin is also famous for its amazing hard Qigong performances such as bending a spear on the throat, breaking wooden poles over the body, smashing stones and bricks to pieces with the bare hands and standing on 1 finger.

There is also a Southern Shaolin temple (Nan Shaolin Si) located in Fujian Province, which is approximately 5 hours drive from Rising Dragon School.

Modern day Shaolin training is mainly geared towards performance/competition form training with little to no application or conditioning but at Rising Dragon our Shaolin masters try to keep the training as traditional as possible with iron palm/body training, applications to the forms/basics you learn and hard/soft Qigong.

The Shaolin training at Rising Dragon is physically demanding and very tiring with many students opting to join another style but if you can stick with the training you will be rewarded at the end of your time here with a very fit, healthy and strong body.

Rising Dragon School is now officially connected to The Shaolin Temple and the Song Shan Shaolin Warrior Monk training base. During 2010 Scott Bird had several meetings with Shaolin warrior monk general 'Shi Yan Lu' and it was down to Yan Lu's support that Scott and the Rising Dragon students got to meet and perform with Jackie Chan.

Due to the constant promotion of Chinese martial arts including Shaolin Quan at Rising Dragon School, on behalf of the Shaolin Temple and Warrior Monk training base Shi Yan Lu supports and offers their best Warrior Monks to teach at Rising Dragon School.