500 US Martial Arts Students Make a Pilgrimage to the Birthplace of Kungfu

Closely following the visit of the 87 World Miss Tourism finalists to Shaolin Temple the day before, five hundred martial arts students from the United States arrived at Shaolin Temple in Henan Province of Central China on a pilgrimage to the shrine of Buddhism and Chinese Kungfu on July 4, 2006.

Standing in 4 dragon lines in the rain, 500 American disciples, whose ages ranged from 5 to 62, put their palms together to pay respects to the Shaolin Temple and Abbot Shi Yongxin. It is the first time Shaolin Temple has recieved so many disciples to pilgrimage at one time and it is also the biggest foreign delegation to pay a visit to Shaolin Temple in history.

Headed by Yangdeng and Yandi, the two masters of U.S. kungfu who received their monastic names when they converted to Buddhism in 2002, the delegation is made up of the students and members of the United Studios of Self Defense, a franchised kungfu Center with 200,000 registered members through 46 U.S. States. It is reported to have more than a million learners who practice its Shaolin-derived kungfu in the U.S..

The American kungfu students performed demonstrations of their kungfu for Abbot Shi Yongxin in front of the Shaolin Temple gate with different styles, and the Shaolin kungfu masters gave them instructions by practicing with them together. They will stay at the temple to receive three days training.
Yandeng noted that the delegation arrived at Shaolin Temple on the day of July 4, the American Independence Day, for the purpose of celebrating the founding of the United States 230 years ago in a special way, hoping that martial arts will bring the two nations together and keep people in the world living in peace together.
Abbot Shi Yongxin highly praised the contributions they have made to the friendship between the two countries and what they have done in promoting the Shaolin traditions and spirits in the U.S. He said Shaolin culture is the essential combination of Zen Buddhism and Martial Arts to purify the mind. To bring peace and happy life to the people all over the world by expanding Shaolin traditional culture is the great wish of all Shaolin disciples. He hopes that the American Shaolin disciples can practice Shaolin Kungfu hard, as well as learn the doctrines of Zen Buddhism well to make a contribution to all of mankind.