{"id":776,"date":"2012-08-04T10:50:44","date_gmt":"2012-08-04T10:50:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.shaolin-world.net\/?p=776"},"modified":"2012-08-04T10:50:44","modified_gmt":"2012-08-04T10:50:44","slug":"shaolin-institute-emphasizes-self-confidence-discipline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shaolin-world.net\/nola\/2012\/08\/04\/shaolin-institute-emphasizes-self-confidence-discipline\/","title":{"rendered":"Shaolin Institute emphasizes self-confidence, discipline"},"content":{"rendered":"

MOBILE, Alabama \u2014 For the last 24 years, the Shaolin Institute Summer Training Camp, under the direction of Grand Master Shi DeRu, has helped its students improve self-confidence, focus and discipline with training methods through Shaolin Kung Fu traditions.<\/p>\n

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In 1988, the Summer Training Camp started at the University of Mobile before moving to locations at the University of South Alabama and Spring Hill College as well as the Shaolin Institutes in New Orleans and Atlanta.<\/p>\n

Mobile\u2019s Shaolin Institute, which opened in 1992, offers programs in kung fu, including tai chi and wushu, a traditional Chinese combat sport; fitness kickboxing, which emphasizes cardio; sanshou kickboxing, which focuses more on fighting or combat; and nutrition. Basic self-defense training and situational awareness is also incorporated in the training.<\/p>\n

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Grand Master Shi DeRu, known as \u201cShifu\u201d to his students and also known as Grand Master Shawn Liu, started training in Shaolin traditional medicine and Qigong in Shaolin Temple, China, as a child. As a martial artist and fighter, he has won numerous professional fights in Chinese bare-hand fighting and traditional and modern Sanshou kickboxing. He has coached national and international champions in China and the U.S.<\/p>\n

\u201cShifu\u201d means a \u201cteaching father\u201d who helps people build character and live with respect, said Shifu, who works a minimum of 12 hours and sometimes up to 18 hours per day during the summer camps.<\/p>\n

Shifu says the Shaolin Institute teaches people how to use natural resources to help and heal themselves without chemical dependency.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving self-control of our body builds confidence, and we help each other empower good health with a healthy mind and body to find the greatest potential within them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe freedom to train the mind and body without burdens allow people to be free rather than stuck with restrictions and boundaries that limit themselves.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe Shaolin spirit is to train with integrity, character and be respectful to people,\u201d he said. \u201cWe must be professional and carry that dignity as a human being and the tradition of Shaolin.\u201d<\/p>\n

Susan Goucher Chan, 69, a regular at the Shaolin Institute, said she is healthier now than she was when she was in her forties. After she suffered injuries as a weightlifter, Chan said, Shifu\u2019s treatments changed her life in 1992.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe used acupressure to heal my neck and shoulder problems, so I did not have surgery,\u201d Chan said. \u201cHe taught me how to breathe so my body could get the oxygen and blood it needed to be healthy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Student Keith Bivens, 48, of Whistler, is a graphic designer\/animator for Fox 10 News in Mobile. A graduate of Vigor High School and the University of South Alabama, he has been training in adult kung fu wushu for three years.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was a kid, I had dreams of learning kung fu and could not afford to go to a martial arts school, so I tried to teach myself,\u201d Bivens said. \u201cThe movie \u2018The Karate Kid\u2019 inspired me to start taking classes.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was difficult at first, but I kept coming and the physical conditioning part of it has gradually got me in to the best shape I have been in years,\u201d he said. \u201cWushu is a good stress reliever that keeps me more relaxed and in tune with myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Student Randy Sheets, 57, director of music and organist at Spring Hill Presbyterian Church, has been practicing tai chi for five years.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a Chinese practice that is a gentle exercise for people of all ages and stages of health,\u201d he said. \u201cIt exercises deep breathing and the slow movement and relaxation are very beneficial for stress relief.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Sheets, the Shaolin Institute is a real \u201cmelting pot\u201d for people from ages 14 to 80, describing a sense of community and supportive group of kind people.<\/p>\n

The nature of tai chi is an awareness of people and their personalities, Sheets noted. \u201cAs a classical church musician, I find that I can apply the principles of tai chi to balance the relaxation to help me perform music fluently and expressively.\u201d<\/p>\n

Diana Geli, 29, a second-year resident in the Department of Pathology at University of South Alabama Hospital, moved to Mobile from California last year. She trains in sanshou kickboxing, and says the institute offers a friendly atmosphere and a place to meet people in a relaxed environment.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the beginning, the training was hard because it is a cardio exercise,\u201d Geli said. \u201cEvery week I started to gain strength and endurance, and I have lost weight. I feel more fit and my body is more relaxed and at peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shaolin Institute and its teachings is directly derived from the ancient Shaolin Temple family in Henan Province, China, Shifu said.<\/p>\n

The Shaolin Institute is located at 704 Lakeside Drive in Mobile. For more information, visit www.shaolin-world.net<\/a> or call 251-662-3225.<\/p>\n

—–<\/p>\n

This story was written by Joey Warner, Press-Register Correspondent.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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