Preparation

This is a centre offering mainly physical activities & as such you will be expected to be in good health & reasonably fit.  Students will be graded & taught according to their level & capabilities but will learn less if unable to cope with basic physical training and as such it is recommended that you undertake a physical fitness regime & check ups before you arrive.

Shaolin:       An external art, largely based on physical/muscular fitness, strength, stamina & flexibility but with elements of internal training.  The training will involve a lot of running, stretching and strength/stamina based exercise to maximise your physical abilities. 

Recommended training to prepare is running, weight training (medium/ light weights with medium/high reps), body weight floor exercises, stretching programs, circuits and reflex training for speed.  A good preparation will save you time in camp.

Tai Ji; Ba Gua; Xing Yi; Tong Bei:           These are part of the family of arts known often as ‘internal’ which focus on relaxed intrinsic power, but which still require fitness and well being as the core.  Some running, floor exercises and reflex training are all useful with an emphasis on relaxation in mind and movement the focus.  By training in these arts you will find your health is improved greatly as a ‘side effect’ of the practise.

To arrive here with a basic level of readiness gives the teachers the foundation to teach you the deeper aspects of the arts more quickly.

Diet:      Diet is an important part of an athletes diet and needs to be considered in detail by you as part of your preparation.  Obviously alcohol, drugs & cigarettes are a drain on your health and the effects can be seen on any ‘normal’ person anywhere in the world.  But other things to consider are your sugar, meat & fast food intake.

Shaolin monks live off a vegetarian diet and there is good reason for this; large meat intake is not only linked to major health problems in later life but the body uses a lot of energy to break down & process it.  Unlike the common conception in the West, meat/dairy products are not the only source of proteins and a diet high in fresh vegetables, fruit, nuts & pulses will provide more than enough protein even for a full time athlete.  The diet in the centre is not meat free but balanced towards vegetable based proteins.  Plenty of carbohydrates are required for the bodies fuel, sugar & starch based carbohydrates as discussed previously are not recommended in large quantities.