Who we are

The Shaolin Buddhist Temple and Education Foundation is led by Master Shi Guo Song from Shaolin Monastery (Henan Province, China). The Foundation was founded in 2006. The Shaolin Buddhist Temple and Education Foundation currently provides gungfu (martial arts) and chigong (soft forms) classes to students from all backgrounds, age groups and religious makeup. And it is our ultimate hope to to help establish a Shaolin Cultural and Buddhist Center to help preserve the 1,500-year-old tradition of Shaolin for the larger San Francisco Bay Area community.

We are Buddhist monks following the Chinese C'han Buddhist tradition. We reside in Oakland, East Bay and we follow a rigorous schedule of kung fu training while pursuing our academic studies, and adjusting to the new culture and language. We have performed at numerous venues in the San Francisco Bay Area, including the Asian Art Museum, the new De Young Museum, the Masonic Auditorium, San Francisco City Hall and the Oakland Asian Cultural Center.

While we encourage the teachings of gungfu and qigong to strengthen and revitalize ones body, we also encourage the calming and contemplating of ones mind by seeking stillness within movement. In fact, we do not condone violence against others.

Instructors

Classes are taught under the supervision of Master Shi Guo Song. He began learning martial arts at the age of three and was accepted into the Shaolin Monastery at the age of thirteen. Under his master he studied Buddhism and Shaolin Gong Fu. He became a fully ordained monk at the age of 21. In 1995 he founded the Shaolin Temple Chan Yuan Martial Arts School in association with the Shaolin Monastery. In 1998 he won the gold award in the World Shaolin Boxing Championship.

Master Shi GuoSong
GuoSong is a Shaolin monk and teacher of Gong Fu. He has trained in the martial arts for over 20 years and has mastered many different martial arts styles, including Shaolin Boxing, a non-contact competitive martial art. He has been performing and teaching in the U.S. since 2004.

34th generation Shaolin Wushu (Martial Arts) monk

7th generation Shaolin Fo Han Boxing Master

One of the Ten Famous Arhats (Top Temple Guards) in Shaolin Temple to hold the post of the Chief Coach of the Shaolin martial arts monk group, Guo Song began learning martial arts at the age of six and was accepted into the Shaolin Temple at the age of thirteen.

Under Master Shi Yong Ding, he studied Shaolin Kung Fu and under Master Shi Sheng Ci, he studied Buddhism. Guo Song has been trained in martial arts for over 20 years and has mastered many different martial arts styles, including Shaolin boxing and weaponry. He has been invited to visit over twenty foreign countries such as Malaysia, Japan, Korea, America and Germany to perform martial arts for cultural exchange.

Master Shi YongYao
YongYao is a Shaolin monk and teacher of Gong Fu. Trained in martial arts for over 30 years, he became the Shaolin Temple Qi Gong master. Among the many techniques he has studied, his most accomplished techniques are Fou Han Boxing and the Metal Finger technique. He came to the U.S. in 2004 to perform and teach gong fu and chigong.

Shi ChangJun
Shi ChangJun has studied Shaolin Boxing for many years, and has participated in many traditional Chinese wrestling competitions. He has mastered Shaolin Red Boxing and the Spring-Autumn Sword technique. He has performed alongside Shi GuoSong both in China and the US, and is an instructor for gong fu classes. (photocredit OACC)

Assistant

Scott Dunmyer
Scott’s study of the martial arts begun with the study of Buddhism and meditation. He found undertaking a martial practice and taking care of the body greatly enhanced his development of mindfulness and compassion. Scott has been studying Shaolin Gong Fu for several years.(photocredit OACC)