Master Chen Shiyu resides deep in the Wudang Mountains with his humble establishment. Home-made food and the Daoist philosophy of life, as well as the Wudang arts, are the main themes here. Back to the origin and back to nature.
Wudang Mountains Scenery
Tai Chi teaches us the harmony between man, heaven and earth.
Master Chen Shiyu lives in a secluded village at the Returning Dragon Temple. There he founded the Wudang Daoist Martial Arts Academy. As the Headmaster and chief instructor of this academy, Chen Shiyu strives to spread the Internal Wudang Arts.
The Returning Dragon Village is right in the heart of the Wudang mountains, because of this the place is tranquil and isolated from the rest of the civilization. People who prefer internal studies and the quietness to focus, you may look no further and visit Master Chen Shiyu!
The Wudang academy of Master Chen Shiyu includes all Gong Fu and Tai Chi styles in the San Feng Pai lineage and is highly regarded as a traditional Wudang school in China! The location of the school itself makes it easy to go sightseeing in the Wudang mountain region; you may visit many temples and shrines nearby. There is no need to supply yourself with provisions; Master Chen Shiyu can provide you necessities you would normally only find in the supermarket at the Wudang entry gate, which is forty-five minutes mountain hiking away. At the Wudang Daoist Martial Arts Academy you can focus on your study without interference. Another unique feature of this school is that Master Chen Shiyu is highly proficient in Daoist music (Xiao and Guqin) and calligraphy.
Living in the Wudang Mountains
The location of the Returning Dragon Village is right near the temple, the picture on the left provides you with a view from the temple top. The local farmers plant vegetables which are later used for the school kitchen. The farming process is entirely organic and is all you need for healthy nutrition. There is also livestock with ducks, chickens, sheep, and pigs nearby. The kitchen can include meat, but only in specific dishes, vegetarians have enough variety.
On the opposite side of the school, the other side of the farming fields, there is a path along the farming fields soon leading up to a mountain path (opposite direction of the temple), follow this path and you will find a secluded spot with an almost 360° panorama of the Wudang mountain range. It is a remarkable spot only accessible through the Returning Dragon Village.
The school itself is at the end of the farming valley and directly behind the Returning Dragon Temple. The school only uses traditional training equipment and Daoist training methods. In the mornings there is often a Daoist ritual or ceremony to honor the immortals. Master Chen Shiyu owns a little truck that he uses to transport supplies from the town to his school. During the night the gates are closed and leaving or entering the school grounds or your room is only possible by contacting the Keymaster beforehand.
Details about our trip
Our Wudang Academy (Vienna) is taking a trip lead by Master Ziji. It is a unique experience under the guidance of Master Ziji to get to know the Wudang mountains and to visit his kungfu uncle Master Chen Shiyu.
Departure from Vienna is on the 3rd of July evening.
And on July 31st we will be back home.
Everyone is welcome to join us on this trip
If you want to come from the USA, Canada, Australia or Asia – please coordinate with us by mail (the form below). We will provide direct flight details and we can meet at the airport.
Flight Route: Vienna – Beijing – Wudangshan
From the airport, in Wudangshan it is another short trip to Master Chen Shiyu and after an hour we are at the gates of Wudangshan. From there, master Ziji will go up the mountain with us and show us the hidden village of the returning dragon.
What do you need on this trip?
Compact travel gear! Due to the steep rise, we recommend a backpack.
Mosquito net – one that can be mounted on the ceiling from above.
Summer rain jacket with hood – because it can rain frequently.
What do we learn?
The training program is taught individually – so everyone can choose what they want to learn. Chen Shiyu also teaches personally and monitors training progress. We are happy to advise you if you are unsure about what you should learn or what would be best for you.
Please mail us:
Please register fast -we only can allow 15 people for this travel group! And the rooms in the small village are limited!
Send us an introduction about yourself, ask us what you want and coordinate with us.
How much is the price?
The price includes eating, sleeping, accommodation, and training. You have to bear the travel expenses yourself.
Total cost: 950 Euros
Send the Payment
Master Chen Shiyu – Individual Training Program
This amount must be transferred to us in advance – as soon as the amount has been credited to our account, your space is reserved for the trip.
Master Chen Shiyu is well known in Wudangshan, Huilongguan (Returning Dragon Valley) for his unmatched Taiji skills. He often uses a very special design of Daoist uniform which is not common but still very traditional and very functional. The blue design with white pants uses open legs which should be closed with one frog button placed near the Achilles tendon. Please make sure you measure carefully for this design since there is not much room for mistakes.
Master Chen Shiyu is well known in Wudangshan, Huilongguan (Returning Dragon Valley) for his unmatched Taiji skills. He often uses a very special design of Daoist uniform which is not common but still very traditional and very functional. The design uses open legs which should be closed with one frog button placed near the Achilles tendon. Please make sure you measure carefully for this design since there is not much room for mistakes.
The Wudang Daoist Martial Arts Academy is located at the Temple of the Returning Dragon (Huilong Guan 回龙观), high up in Wudang Mountains. It was founded by Master Chen Shiyu in 2007. Master Chen Shiyu has been training in Wudang Shan for over 20 years and is a 15th Generation Master of Zhang San Feng Wudang Kung Fu. We are a small school and have a peaceful environment here. Here we live a Daoist way of life and strive to be close to nature. Our school is somewhat hidden, and no tourists come here.
We accept students that are coming short term, and those looking for rigorous traditional programs that last several years. Our school typically has less than 30 students in total. We welcome people of all ages and ability, only we wish that they strive to work hard to discover the true Wudang Kung Fu. Our method of training is traditional, which can be difficult but very effective for hardworking students. We hope that students who come here can strengthen their body, learn techniques for inner cultivation, and come to a deeper understanding of traditional Daoist culture.
Master Chen Shiyu
Master Chen Shiyu is the Headmaster of the Wudang Daoist Martial Arts Academy, and it’s the main instructor. He was born in Central China’s Hubei Province and now is a 15th generation Master of Wudang Daoist Kung Fu.
Master Chen Shiyu showed great interest in Wudang Kung Fu. In 1993, he left his hometown and came to Mt Wudang. He learned martial arts from different teachers for some time and then he was honored to have Grand Master Zhong Yunlong as his teacher. The Daoist Master Zhong is the 14th generation successor of Wudang Wushu of Sanfeng branch. He saw that Shiyu was very hard working and has an honest and simple mind, so he chose him as one of the closest disciples in 1996. Since then, with the strenuous cultivation from Master Zhong, Chen Shiyu has attained Internal Wudang Kung Fu which was in the past not easily spread out. All his Gongfu styles include Wudang Tai Chi, Eight Immortal, Taiyi, Bagua, Xuangong, andXingyi and many methods of Daoist health-preservation.
Master Chen Shiyu became martial arts instructor in 1998, and that year he was also entered the famous Wudang Daoist Kungfu Troupe.
Master Chen Shiyu won the championship in the Wudangshan Wushu competition in March 2000. In the same year, he went to Wuhan and participated in the Yellow Crane Tower Wushu Performance. He has participated in performances in some foreign countries such as Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. Together with his teacher Zhong Yunlong, he has offered Wudang kungfu show for many principal leaders from China’s central government. In 1999, the late Chinese general secretary Jiang Zemin paid a visit to Mt. Wudang. After watching Wudang Wushu show, he gladly wrote: “Wudang Quan is wonderful, and everyone can practice it!”
In May 2005, Master Chen Shiyu took the troupe to Xinghai Concert in South China’s Guangzhou city for Wushu show in the 5th session of Taoist concert. Shortly after, he again took the troupe, together with the mainland Taoism Association, to Taiwan for an Across-Taiwan-Strait Taoism concert.
In September 2006, Master Chen Shiyu attained the championship of the nationwide Wudangshan-Wushu-Tournament in Wudang Tai Chi (Taijiquan).
In January 2007, he was invited to Pengyingxianguan in Hong Kong for lecturing of Daoist knowledge and demonstration of Sanfeng Taijiquan.
In September 2008, he participated in the Wudang area tryouts for the 3rd World Traditional Martial Arts Championships and attained the first race in both Taijiquan and staff forms.
In August 2010, he was invited for the documentary of Wudang Martial arts introduction that is shot by Chinese Nationwide Central Television.
In December 2010, he was given a Chinese national honor allowance for Martial Arts heritage.
In June 2012, he was invited to Norway, to teach Taichi.
In October 2012, he won the champion in the Fourth World Taichi & Health Competition.
In November 2012, he won a Traditional Boxing Champion and a very important Sword Champion in the Fifth World Traditional Martial Arts Championship Competition.
Master Chen Shiyu vows to bring Wudang Kung Fu to high development, let more people understand it and wishes every lover of Wudang Kung Fu to be healthy in body and heart; succeed the Tradition and bring it to the world.
If you would like to explore Wudang Daoist Kung Fu, you are invited to come to Huilong Temple to study with Master Chen Shiyu!
Wudang Kung Fu
Wudang Kungfu is one of the two major families of Traditional Chinese Martial Arts, the other being Shaolin. It is an internal style, meaning that not only does it require great physical strength and fighting ability, but it also has a strong focus on using the mind, and one’s “Qi”, to cultivate and control the body. Its purpose is threefold: it is an effective combat technique, it is a form of body and mind cultivation, and it is an art – containing thousands of years of traditional Chinese culture.
Wudang Kung Fu contains profound Chinese philosophical theories, combining the traditional concepts of Taiji (Tai Chi), Yin and Yang, Wu Xing (Five Elements), and the Ba Gua (Eight Trigrams) into boxing theories, boxing skills, exercises and attack strategies, all derived by studying the laws of life and nature. Wudang Kungfu (neijia quan internal boxing) is featured by overcoming motion with stillness. The opponent will be laid down the moment he attacks. In contrast, Shaolin is classified as external type boxing. Internal Gongfu was created by Zhang Sanfeng, a famous Daoist in the Song Dynasty. Wudang Kung Fu contains many skills and training methods designed for staying healthy and prolonging one’s life while at the same time comprising many effective fighting methods. It is not only one particular school of martial arts, but also a complete system for both self-defense and health preservation.
Wudang Taiji
Tai Ji is originated from Infinity. It is the basis for all movement and stillness. It is the originator of the Two Extremes (Yin and Yang). Tai Ji was formed from Infinity by separating Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang are the equal and opposite pair. Sometimes Yin stands for female and Yang stands for the male. In Tai Ji, Yin represents stillness and Yang represent the movement. The workings of the universe are based upon Yin and Yang.
In Tai Ji, there is stillness in movement and movement in stillness. The two are interconnected and should not be separated. Internal power is through control of the mind. The concentration of mind moves the internal energy before any external movement.
Taijiquan is not simply the exercise for elderly, which is perhaps what is known to Westerners. It is, in fact, a combination of Yin and Yang, Tai Ji and Infinity. It is an art requiring perfect control of the mind. It integrates stillness and movement, from external to internal, from movement to stillness, from elementary to advanced, and merging stillness with movement. Taijiquan not only directs internal power to external movements, but it also combines the mind with breathing, resulting in good health and an art of combat applications.
There are 13 postures (8 hand/arm movements and 5 body movements) in Tai Ji. The 8 hand/arm movements: Beng, Lu, Ji, An, Zai, Lie, Zhou, and Gao. In simplified terms, they mean: ward off, pull back, push, press, oblique turning, twist, elbow strike, and shoulder strike. The 5 body movements are directional. They are: advance, retreat, shift to the left, shift to the right and stable equilibrium. The 13 postures are based on the 8 trigrams and 5 elements. Requirements include relaxing, body coordination, the concentration of mind, and stillness in movement.
Taijiquan is a stepping-stone to Daoism. In Daoism, one has to train one’s behavior and mind. It is important to keep a peaceful mind. Through meditation, combining Yin and Yang, and stillness in movement, the internal power will flow through the whole body achieving the ultimate aim.
Qigong
Qigong is an ancient Chinese practice for cultivating the body energy, for the benefit of the physical body, mind, and spirituality. Qigong practices are varied. They include hard and soft qigong, healing qigong, and general conditioning qigong. Wudang Qigong is an “earlier heaven” method based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) principles and teachings. Qigong is a good practice for everyone, at any age to keep healthy in both body and mind.
People’s Life and Death, Connection to Life, Dao of Life, Dao of Cultivation, Beginning of Life, Stairs of Immortality.
The character sits in the heart. The initial spirit within the heart is sent out through the eyes. The character in the heart is moving like an ape.
The life lies in the kidneys. The initial energy within the kidneys is sent out by the root of excess and the character of heart. The thoughts are running like a horse.
This is called “xinyuan, yima”.
Take back xinyuan, yima will follow.
The ancient practitioners took back the heart and will, and stabilized the jing and nurtured the qi; made the qi of the breath like the wind and the qi of real yang like the fire. In practicing and heating, they transformed jing to qi, and qi to shen; let energy concentrate, and united with the nature of Dao.
The methods of practice are immeasurable, there are methods of movement, stillness, sitting and lying, but never stick rigidly to given patterns – you can hardly understand the everything.
Location
We are proud to be located in the heart of the Wudang Mountains, at Huilongguan (Returning Dragon) Temple. Huilongguan is the first temple after passing the entrance to the National Park of Wudangshan. Our school is easily accessible by a frequent bus service that starts from the entrance of Wudang Mountains. This makes sight seeing of the many famous temples easy and shopping in the town center convenient.
Getting Here
You can take a train to Wudangshan train station (武当山火车站), and take public bus no. 202 to the end of the line, Wudangshan scenic area entrance. The school offers free pick up only from the entrance of the Wudangshan scenic area, at the foot hill.
Alternatively, you can fly to Shiyan airport, or take a train to Shiyan. There are more transport options to Shiyan. Note that Shiyan is located around 55 kilometers from Wudangshan, and transport cost upwards of RMB 250 to the school. Please call or email to confirm your time of arrival and the cost of transport.
All visitors to Wudangshan scenic area will need to pay the entrance ticket costing RMB 240with validity of 3 days. When you study at our school, we will arrange for a special permit to extend the validity of the ticket to 3 months, for an additional RMB 50.
Visa
Should you be training here for a longer period of time, the school will provide the necessary supporting documents and help you to extend your visa. Visa for martial arts training is valid for 3 months and extensible for up to 12 months. For multi-year stay, you will need to exit and re-enter the country every 12 months.
Traditional Kung Fu and Daoist culture
Being a small school, the school is able to offer traditional Wudang Kung Fu instead of commercial Wushu. Foreign students get the opportunity to beguided by Master Chen Shiyu,as well as other instructors. Learning directly from a highly-knowledged master, you will gain an in-depth understanding of Wudang Kung Fu and Daoist culture.
Training Environment
The Feng Shui of the school and training ground has been carefully planned. The training ground is encircled by the mountains and a beautiful bamboo forest. Surrounded by nature, the atmosphere is peaceful and quiet, benefiting Daoist Gongfu (Taoist Kungfu)
The school also makes use of traditional training equipment such as wooden post training, traditional weight training, and conditioning equipment.
Accommodation and Meals
Accommodation is comfortable with hot water facilities, a small shop and three meals a day prepared by the school cook. In keeping with Daoist philosophies, the food is primarily vegetarian, with some meat to balance your diet for the training.
Wifi Internet is available, so you can carry on with your existing work or communicate with those back home in your spare time. Note that some international websites are not accessible in China (Facebook, Google/Gmail, your bank’s website), so you are advised to have VPN connection before arriving in China.
The following items are provided by the school
a clean room
electricity and hot water in the bathroom
mattress
blanket
pillows
You will need to bring your own toiletries and household items. The following are not provided by the school, but available for purchase at the school’s grocery store
martial arts uniform, socks, and shoes
shampoo
soap
towel toothbrush and toothpaste
pail and basin
mineral water, instant noodles, and snacks
calligraphy and musical equipment
The following are optional paid services
laundry services
room cleaning services
special cooking requests
School Environment
Support our traditional school and feel free to pin and share our pictures with your friends.
We are surrounded by mountains, and the school is located in a small village. The vegetables we eat come from the fields around the school. The school is an hour’s walk from town, with some steep sections. Alternatively, you can pay for the tourist bus.
Huilongguan is also called the “Returning Dragon Temple” and is an ancient temple with a long history. Here you can experience calligraphy, traditional Daoist music, Taiji (Tai Chi), Kung Fu, Liangyi Qigong.
There are green tea farms and ancient Daoist temples located near to the school.
Content
Basic Skills
1.36 kicking skills
2.Basic hand and foot skills
3.Basic fist
Qigong
1.Wudang Hard Qigong (also Tietong Gong)
2.Wudang Tongzi Gong
3.Wudang Daoyin Qigong
4.Wudang 5 animals Qigong
Quan ( Fist Forms )
1.Tai Ji 13 forms
2.Tai Ji 28 forms
4.Tai Ji 108 forms
5.Tai Yi Five element Fist
6.Tai He Fist
7.Ba Ji Fist
8.Xuan Gong Fist
9.Xuan Zhen Fist
10.Fu Hu Fist
11.Long Hua Fist
12.Xuan Wu Fist
13.Xing Yi Fist
14.Twelve Forms
15.Ba Gua Zhang
Weapons
1.Taiji sword
2.Taiyi Xuan Men sword
3.Ba Xian sword
4.Long Hua sword
5.Ba Xian cudgel
6.Ziwu spear
7.Xuan Gong Dao (broadsword)
8.Chun Qiu Dao
9.Fang Bian chan
10.Fuchen (Taoist horse tail whip)
11.Taiyi Fu Chen
12.Dingpa
Health-keeping Qigong
1.Crane-shaped Standing
2.Taiji Hun Yuan Standing
3.Standing Ba Duan Jin
4.Wudang Tongzi Gong
5.Taiji Stepping
6.Xiao Yao Stepping
Traditional Gong
1.Tie Sha Gong (practice with herbal medicine)
2.Tie Bi Gong (practice with herbal medicine)
3.Finger Gong
Soon we are on our way to Wudangshan to visit Master Chen Shiyu at the Returning Dragon Temple. Our travel group consists of nine people who are mentally prepared for the best and worst.
We start our little adventure at 5th August till 30th August, and we plan on documenting the whole trip. We plan to blog post daily during this trip and provide you with exceptional videos and photographs at #wudang travel group 2017.