The monks are here in San Francisco under the auspices of the China Songshan Shaolin Temple (San Francisco, USA) Inc. This group has been here since 2004. They live in San Francisco, and the five younger monks are attending Woodside International School full-time. They follow a rigorous schedule of kung fu training while pursuing their academic studies, and adjusting to the new culture and language. They have performed at numerous venues in the San Francisco Bay Area, including the Asian Art Museum, the new De Young Museum, the Masonic Auditorium, and San Francisco City Hall. They performed at numerous schools, delighting their young audiences. They hope to have the opportunity to help establish a Shaolin Cultural Center, both to help preserve the 1500-year-old tradition of Shaolin and to provide services and enrichment to the community.

Shaolin Bios

Master Shi GuoSong

Master Shi GuoSong

GuoSong is a Shaolin monk and teacher of kung 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. In 1993 he founded the Shaolin Temple Boxing Arts Institute and in 1998 he won a gold medal in the World Wushu Tournament in China. He has traveled and competed in many countries, exchanging kung fu skills and ideas. He has been performing and teaching in the U.S. since 2004.

Master Shi YongYao

Master Shi YongYao
with Shi Bao Hu

YongYao is a Shaolin monk and teacher of kung 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 kung fu and qigong.

Shi ChangQiang

Shi ChangQiang
with Shi BaoHu

Shi ChangQiang has studied kung fu at the Shaolin temple for over 10 years. He has won first place in many kung fu tournaments. His most accomplished kung fu technique is Seven Star Boxing, as well as mastery in the Nine Jointed Whip. He has performed many times alongside master Shi GuoSong, and is currently studying English and other subjects at Woodside International School and also teaching kung fu to the students.

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 now also studying at Woodside International School and teaching kung fu.

The Triplets
Shi LongHu, Shi HuHu, and Shi BaoHu

The Triplets
(l - r)
Shi LongHu
Shi HuHu
Shi BaoHu

Now ten years old, the triplets were born in Shandong. At the age of five, the three brothers were accepted into the Shaolin Temple, and are the youngest monks at the Temple. They have studied kung fu ever since, and came to the U.S. in 2004. They train in Tongzi kung fu. They study full-time at Woodside International School in San Francisco, enjoy learning English, watching kung fu movies, and going to the park. They help teach kung fu at their school, and perform regularly in the Bay Area.