Instructors

 

 

Master Kwong

Master Chao Hai

Master Chaogang

Master Heng Cheng

Master Heng Zhi

Master Melanie Lo

Master Mesan Williams

Master Kwong's extensive experience in traditional Chinese Martial Arts began when he was 6 years old in Burma. Three years later, he moved with his family to China where he continued learning Kung Fu from a retired member of the Special Forces for the following nine years. At the age of 19, Master Kwong, while living in Hong Kong, studied Yang Tai Chi and Southern Praying Mantis.

In 1994 Master Kwong expanded his practice in New York city when he began learning Shaolin Kung Fu and Qi Gong from Master Goulin. One year later, he also added Chen style Tai Chi under Master Ren Guang Yi to his training schedule.

Master Kwong has been teaching Qi Gong since 1997 and is dedicated to the practice of the internal Kung Fu arts of Qi Gong and Tai Chi. In addition to teaching in Flushing, Master Kwong is the head instructor of the Shaolin Temple branch in White Plains, The Shaolin Kung-Fu Tai Chi Zen Center

Master Chao Hai (Buddhist name Yen Shen) was born in Kaifong, Henan and is a secular disciple of Henan's Songshan Shaolin temple. Since his early years, Master Chao learned traditional Shaolin kung fu from his grandfather. As he grew older, his enthusiasm and passion for kung fu began to intensify. Through the referral and introduction by his grandfather and older brother, who had already taken vows as a Shaolin monk, Master Chao enrolled in the Shaolin temple to further his study of kung fu. Under the venerable master and Abbott Shi Yong Xin, he was named Yen Shen and became a 34th generation secular Shaolin disciple.

During his time at the Shaolin temple, Master Chao learned under several master monks to complete his extremely difficult training, specializing in Tie Tou Gong (iron head), Tie Bi Gong (iron arm), and Qi Gong (internal forms). With these skills, he represented Shaolin in a number of martial arts performances throughout China. He also went on to become a coach in several martial arts schools for many years.

In 2004, Master Chao came to the United States to further pursue his career as a martial arts instructor and to spread Shaolin kung fu. Some of his notable performances in the United States include a demonstration on June 29, 2005 at the Lincoln Center in celebration of the United Nations' 60th anniversary, which was one of the first Chinese martial arts performances in an international arena, and a demonstration in 2006 at Harvard University, where he invited skeptical students on stage to test his iron-like Qi Gong by attacking him at will. Master Chao currently teaches at the Manhattan Shaolin Kung Fu Chan Center and hopes to continue spreading Shaolin Chan kung fu throughout America. He wants the Shaolin spirit to grow in this land so that more people can benefit from this thousand year old art.

Master Chaogang's (Buddhist name - Yan Yu) practice in Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism began in his youth under the influence of his father and grandfather. After much heartfelt deliberation, his father found it necessary to bring his son to Shaolin Temple to fulfill his growing curiosity and place him in the care of his great friend, the Venerable abbot, Shi Yongxin.

Upon arrival at the temple, Master Chaogang was immediately impressed by the richness and vast expanse of Shaolin Temple, comparing it to the image of a quenching rain soothing a long drought. He dove into his training with hard work and focused spirit, earning the liking and praise of his master by quickly grasping the essence of various Shaolin Kung Fu systems. He went on to participate in various competitions and often placed first in the youth division, adult division, fist form, staff form and sword form.

In 2002, at the suggestion of his shifu, Master Chaogang began practicing at the renowned Wu Dang Mountain, one of the founding enclaves of internal kung fu. There he studied Wu Dang Tai Chi in the discipleship of Zhong Yun Long.

Now in New York City, Master Chaogang is eager to share his profound experience in Shaolin Kung Fu and Wu Dang Tai Chi, the two major Chinese kung fu systems. He hopes to bring great health, happiness and vitality to each and to all. For more information, vist Master chaogang"s website at: http://www.wudangtaichinyc.com

Jiu Cheng Song, monastic name Heng Cheng, is a long time disciple of the Shaolin Temple. He was born in 1989, in the martial arts village at Liang Shan in Shan Dong Province. He learned and practiced martial arts with his father since he was a child. When he was 10 years old, he joined the "Shaolin Temple Martial Monks Delegation" of Shaolin Temple at Song Shan. He rapidly learned various boxing styles and mastered a variety of weapons and had the honor of being selected to participate in many martial arts competitions on behalf of the Shaolin Temple. In Sept. 2001, he was the winner of China's national martial arts competition in the Children's and Short weapons categories. In 2002, he was the staff champion in Zheng Zhou's 10th martial arts competition. Thus, he was selected to be the lead performer by the Shaolin Temple performing Shaolin twin double-headed spears, Drunken fist, and several others.

Later, he was part of the opening ceremony of the K-Star reality competition, which was held by the Shaolin Temple. He has performed for the soldiers of the military base in Hong Kong, the first Lady of Peru, the Zen music festival of Shaolin Temple, and the International Traditional Martial Arts Festival.

In 2003, venerable Guolin, abbot of the U.S. Shaolin Temple and President of the Shaolin Temple Overseas Headquarters, saw Song's performance. Thereafter, venerable Guolin was determined to accept him as a disciple due to his special talents, and Guolin even wanted JiuCheng to become an instructor of the Shaolin Temple Overseas Headquarters. After a few more years of dedicated training, he became an instructor of the Shaolin Temple at New York in 2007.

He is currently the head instructor of the Shaolin Temple Overseas Headquarters in New York for boxing, forms and weapons styles and the coach of the Shaolin Kung Fu performance group. He has been invited to perform for many events such as the annual Dragon Boat festival and the Chinese new year celebration in Atlantic City. As an elite in the field, he hopes to promote Shaolin Kung Fu even further.

Lan Kun (Buddhist name Heng Zhi) is the 35th generation disciple of the Songshan Shaolin Temple in Henan, China. He is the current president of the Shaolin Temple Overseas Headquaters, and is also the head coach of the children kung fu classes in New York Shaolin Temple.

Since childhood, Heng Zhi loved to learn Shaolin Kung fu. When he was young, he lived at the Songshan Shaolin Temple and practiced Shaolin Kung fu with the young monks. He was well known for training hard in kung fu and therefore gained fondness from the elder Shaolin monks. They would personally teach and guide him through Shaolin Kung fu, enabling Heng Zhi to improve rapidly. He specializes in Shaolin Temple traditional Shaolin Kung fu, weapons and kung fu for health. Aside from teaching kung fu to improve student's health, Heng Zhi also took part in public Shaolin kung fu performances. He helped schedule the Shaolin kung fu classes and his contributions have been highly praised from many people. During the time he lived in the Songshan Shaolin Temple, the Abbot and Great Grandmaster Yongxin gave him special lessons in Zen meditation and the unity of Zen and kung fu.

In 2004, the Shaolin Temple Overseas Headquarters invited Heng Zhi to the United States to teach Shaolin Kung Fu and became a disciple of Master Guolin Shi. In the period of year 2004 to 2007, Heng Zhi was taught kung Fu while studying business management. He joined the board of directors in Shaolin Temple Overseas Headquarters in 2007 and has been the active President since 2008.

Master Mesan Williams (Buddhist name Heng Sheng) was born in Chicago, IL. He is a 35th generation Shaolin Disciple of 34th generation Shaolin Monk Shi Guolin. Master Williams has been taught Qigong (deep breathing exercises) and various Traditional Shaolin Kung Fu empty hand and weapons forms. He began his martial arts experience with his father as a young boy as both his parents were martial artists. His father introduced him to Tai Chi, Hsing I, and Bagua Zhang. At age fourteen he studied gymnastics to compliment his martial arts training.

At age 20, Master Williams enlisted in the United States Navy where he became a Hospital Corpsman. During his tenure, he taught martial arts privately to United States Marines in his battalion. After being honorably discharged from the military he went on to receive his B.S. in Technology Management from Herzing University. In 1999, Master Williams began studying Chen Style Tai Chi. His enthusiasm for this discipline was so great, that he was able to accomplish in 14 days what takes most practitioners one year to learn.

In 2004, Master Williams moved to New York City and began teaching Shaolin Kung Fu at Hostos Community College and Ross Global Academy Charter School. He went on to teach school-wide Martial Arts classes at Achievement First Bushwick Charter School to over 400 students from 2007 – 2011. Shifu Williams taught Martial Arts for four years at the Bedford-Stuyvesant YMCA in Brooklyn, NY.

Shifu Williams is now teaching the Shaolin arts in Southfield, Michigan (just outside of Detroit) at the Power House Fitness gym.

Henlee began his training at the age of 15 when he enrolled at the Shaolin Temple Overseas Headquarters to fulfill his interest in studying martial arts. Under the tutelage of Shi Guolin and other instructors, he studied traditional forms and self-defense techniques. Discovering the benefits that Kung Fu had on his mind, body, and spirit, his passion for the art grew. He went on to practice more advanced movements, including weapon forms, acrobatics, and sparring.

Henlee is part of the Temple's Performance Team, and has performed for a variety of cultural shows and charitable functions. Notable places include Madison Square Garden, Citi Field, Lincoln Center, Columbia University, Queen's College, Queen's Botanical Garden, the casinos in Atlantic City, and others. Henlee has organized shows and led the Performance Team for various festivals, parades, and holiday-related events.

Henlee enjoys teaching and helping new students discover all that Kung Fu and its traditions has to offer. He taught Kung Fu forms and exercises to children at the Tzu Chi Academy in Long Island for three years. Currently, he assists Masters Heng Zhi and Melanie Lo teaching the Children Fundamentals class at the Temple. When needed, Henlee also instructs the Adult Fundamentals and Adult Apprentice classes while continuing to further his own training..