This page provides important information on matters of enrollment, visaˇŻs, pre departure guidance, food, accommodation, academy facilities, weather and certificates etc.

1. Object of Enrollment on kung fu training

The academy provides instruction to beginner as well as more advanced students who are already proficient in martial arts and seeking additional or higher-level training.

a.                      Students who are healthy in both mentality and physical situation and love martial arts, regardless of your gender, age, religion, country, are all welcomed to come here to learn the Shaolin martial arts.

b.                    Students who have never studied martial arts before should not expect to perform intermediate or advanced kung fu in one or two months. However, they will be introduced to Shaolin (the basics of Shaolin traditional Chi Kung, two short Shaolin fist forms, one weapon routine, elementary combat and one or two Tai Chi forms). Alternatively, students can choose Wingchun,BaJi, Xingyi, Bagua or Preying Mantis and will learn basics, a routine, one weapon form and Qi Kung. They should be able to grasp Wingchun,BaJi,Shaolin, Xingyi, Bagua or Mantis boxing basic gong fu and decide whether what they have learnt is the right path for them to follow in the future, training for longer periods of time.

c.                     Students who have already seriously trained in martial arts for several years or more can expect to learn and perform some of the more difficult kung fu movements, combat skills, higher internal kung fu as well as developing the underlying morality of the martial arts. We also welcome advanced students wishing to learn through challenging the masters.

d.                    Don't worry about age holding you back if you are middle aged or elderly. Many Chinese martial arts are suitable for middle age and old age people, such as Ancient Qi Gong (Ba duan jin, yi jin jing, Five animal style and meditation that is not only good for health, but also helpful for your level of Kung Fu and for healing illnesses), Tai Chi fist / straight sword / fan, Xingyi fist, Bagua palm, Ba Chi fist and mantis boxing.  Training schedules and exercises are customized to fit to you, according to your needs and abilities. There is no maximum of age to come, but there is minimum of it. You have to get an escort if you are not able to travel alone.

e.                      Longer training periods (after you have learnt for 5 years here) are available for those who find they want to advance their skills to higher levels in martial arts. However, the decision is made by the masters as to whether they will extend training periods, according to the student's apparent skills, trustworthiness, potential and interest shown. 

2. Preparation before You Come to the Academy:

a.                    Please fill the application form and pay the application fee according to the website 1-6 months before you come to the academy. We will confirm your information after we get your application and application fee and will make some preparations for your arrival. 

b.                    on Visa: You can apply for a tourist visa before you come to China. If you need any help extending it, we can help you extend it to more than 10 months when you get to the academy. We can also help you change your visa to a student one if necessary, year by year. However, please be aware that the maximum duration for a stay in this Academy is five years.

Many students want to get a student visa when they come here, and it is a requirement that you obtain an invitation letter and the JW202 form (when pplying for the student visa). Once you apply for your student visa the cademy would help send out both of these two forms to you. However, it can be very difficult for us to get the JW202 and is an extremely lengthy process. In the past we have also had some problems with people who in the end for what ever reason didnˇŻt turn up. Unfortunately we had already spent a lot of time and money applying for their JW202 forms. Therefore, we strongly suggest that you apply for a tourist visa instead which really is the easiest way. If you need any help applying for your tourist visa, such as with the invitation letter, please let us know and we will fax it to you or send it to you through the post office.

Here are some helpful links:

              China Embassy in the U.S. - FAQ

              China Embassy in the U.S. - Consulate Locations in the U.S.

              China Embassy in UK -  www.chinese-embassy.org.uk

              China Embassy in Canada - www.chinaembassycanada.org/eng/lsfw/

              China Embassy in Australia -http://au.china-embassy.org/eng/ 

              China Embassy in Mexico - http://www.embajadachina.org.mx/esp/

              China Embassy in Germany - http://de.chineseembassy.org/det/ 

              China Embassy in France-http://fr.chineseembassy.org/fra/ 

              China Embassy in New Zealand - http://www.chinaembassy.org.nz/eng/ 

              China Embassy in India - http://www.chinaembassy.org.in/eng/ 

              China Embassy in Switzerland - http://www.china-embassy.ch/eng/ 

              China Embassies - Locations around the world

c.                     New students who are saving to come to the academy have asked if there is anything they should do to prepare themselves. The best thing is to prepare yourself physically: proper diet, sprinting and long distance running (2 km a day or so), swimming, cycling, skipping , ping pong, push-ups, sit-ups, etcˇ­ stamina training will help new students learn martial arts faster and easier. Any sport or hobby that breaks down muscle tissue so you can rebuild it, stretches and strengthens your muscles, improves your breathing and enjoyable to perform, is good to do.

d.                      You can bring with you to the school your sports-like clothes, loose trousers and things you need from home. In classes, the translator will attend and masters here can speak simple English. If you want to go out and do something in your spare time, the translator can also help you with that.   

             The weather here:
Yantai is a coastal city, and own four distinctive seasons. March, April and May are spring season, which the temperature is from 10ˇăC to 25ˇăC , June, July and August are summer season , that is from 19ˇăC to 35ˇăC .September ,October and November are autumn, the weather is getting cool, from 10ˇăC to 28ˇăC .December, January and February are winter, it is from -5ˇăC below zero to 7ˇăC above zero, and there are the heating system in each room during the winter.

e.                    Insurance: We recommend you purchase a major medical insurance policy to pay for major illness or injury that may be incurred while you are in China if you decide to attend the academy. You should check the details and cover of your insurance plan in your country.

f.                    Traveling to the Aademy: Travel to China shaolin kung fu school,there are no direct international flights to Yantai CityˇŻs Lai Shan airport (Yantai is the city that the martial arts academy is nearest to) except those from Japan and South Korea. Therefore, you need to first fly to Beijing (the Capital of China) or Shanghai, and then from Beijing you can take a domestic flight (55 minutes; around $100 for economic seats) or take train (15 hours; around $30) to Yantai. From Shanghai to Yantai, flight will be one hour and 20 minutes and around $130 for economic seats. The airport is about 80 km from the academy; we can provide an all-terrain vehicle, driver, and translator as a free pick-up service from Yantai Laishan airport or Yantai train station to the academy.

After the translator picked you up from the airport and arrived the academy, the key of your dormitory will be given to you, there are bed, sheets, the bedding, desk, wardrobe, washbasin, thermos bottle for free,meanwhile we will charge 15 dollars deposit for it, that will be refunded when leaving academy.  

                    The flight timetable from Beijing to Yantai

There is only one train from Beijing to Yantai (K285) leaves Beijing at 16:30pm and arrives at 6:28 am next day. 

There is one train from Shanghai to Yantai (train No.2582\2583) leaves Shanghai at 23:00pm and arrives at 17:56 next day. 

g.                    Payment: All of the payment except the application fee can be paid in the 7 days since you arrive at the academy. We accept American Dollars. You can pay in cash, traveler check (here only can be changed to cash by yourself) or transfer money through bank or west union. Other methods for payment are not available.

h.                     Every student should take 6 two inch pictures with you when you are coming for your file in the academy and visa extension.

  3.Food & Accommodation in Shaolin kung fu school:

a.                    Most of the cooking is Chinese style. In the morning, we have milk, soybean milk, porridge, oats, bread and eggs. For lunch and dinner, we serve Chinese dishes including three dishes with meat, one egg dish, one vegetable dish, fried chips, rice and soup; either egg, seafood or sweet. We also have Chinese dumplings and noodles once a week, and seafood, fried fish and bacon (Chinese style) several times a week. The cook will provide chilies for those who would like some. There are big feasts at festivals when students and masters eat together. (dinning room)

*                     The water at the academy is natural mineral water drawn from the protected area of the national park within the nearby Kunyu Mountain. The water is clean and safe for human consumption.

Note: Vegetarians will be catered for.