Authentic, Traditional, Shaolin Training in Chicago

The Chicago Shaolin Temple is a subsidiary organization of the Songshan Shaolin Temple in Henan, China. It was founded as a 501(c)3 charitable organization by the 34th Generation Master, Shi Yan Ju. The goal of the Chicago Shaolin Temple is to preserve the 1,500 year history of the Chan (Zen) Buddhism Sect of the Songshan Shaolin Temple, and to introduce and promote the Shaolin culture to the world.

The Shaolin way of life is a unique blend of spirituality, wisdom, and courage. The Chicago Shaolin Temple strives to serve the community through training and charity services and hopes many Chicago residents will be exposed to the great Shaolin culture.

The foundations of Shaolin culture are chan, martial arts, and medicine. The Chicago Shaolin Temple offers classes in traditional Shaolin Kung Fu, Qin-Na (grappling), San Da (Chinese kickboxing), and Qigong (Ba Duan Jin, Yi Jin Jing). Enthusiasts of all ages and abilities are encouraged to join.

The Shaolin Temple advocates the Shaolin way of life in order to improve the physical and spiritual well being of humanity. Its ultimate intention is to promote, put into practice, and spread the Shaolin Chan Sect spirit to the world.

While we offer Buddhist services and believe that Shaolin martial arts are connected to our spirituality, we accept all faiths and currently instruct individuals with diverse backgrounds. We do not try to persuade students to change their belief systems but merely make available our teachings to those seeking them.