Kung Fu·
Qi Gong·
Tai Chi·
Self Defence
The mind, like the body, must be conditioned. The practice trains you to remain present under pressure — to think clearly when stress would have you react. Not motivation, which fades. Mental endurance that holds.
Modern life keeps the body in fight-or-flight — the physiology behind chronic anxiety, poor sleep, and burnout. Through Qi Gong and Tai Chi, the breath slows, cortisol drops, and the parasympathetic nervous system re-engages. The shift is measurable.
A scattered mind cannot lead, fight, or rest. The practice trains attention as a discipline — mindfulness in modern language, meditation in ours. What returns is a quieter, steadier mind, free of decision fatigue and distraction.
A body that can stand, strike, fall, and rise without breaking. Stances held, basics repeated, conditioning earned. Not a look. A body you can rely on.
True strength is structural, not muscular. The work rebuilds tendons, ligaments, and the deep connective tissue most training ignores. This is why traditional Shaolin practitioners remain capable long past the point where most athletes have stopped.
Shaolin began as a practice for survival. Students learn to read intent, to move before being read, and to protect themselves and those around them. No theatrics, no sport application — only what holds up in real-life self-defence.
Instruction in Sydney is led personally by Shifu Yong Jian. Having trained under Grand Master Brett Russell for 23 years—and continuing to do so—his focus remains strictly on the work itself. He has taught privately and full-time since 2008 — a commitment that allows the practice to be his sole focus.
"It is understood that modern life presents a unique set of pressures. It is my belief that the Shaolin practice offers profound benefit to any individual, regardless of background, provided they approach the work with sincerity."— Shifu Yong Jian
"Shaolin is Chan, not Quan."
Grandmaster Shi Suxi famously reminded the world that Shaolin is rooted in Chan (Zen philosophy), not merely Quan (the fist). True martial art is the mastery of the mind through the vessel of the body.
Chan is the first treasure of Shaolin. The martial art is one beautiful jewel within it — but only a part of the whole. Traditional WuShu is a branch of the tree that is Chan: breathing, meditation, and moving stillness, grown from a single root. Practised alone, the branch is a limited and limiting pursuit. Practised as part of the whole, it becomes a path toward knowing one's own body, mind, and spirit — and only by knowing can we master, and only by mastering can we let go.
Seated meditation stills the mind at rest. Shaolin trains the mind to remain still amidst physical demand — under fatigue, pressure, and discomfort. This is Chan Wu He Yi: the unity of Chan and martial arts. The form is the meditation. The stance is the practice. There is no separation.
Chan cannot be learned from a text. True understanding passes directly from master to student — mind to mind, generation to generation — an unbroken line of direct realisation rather than inherited knowledge. This is why the lineage is not merely history. It is the living practice itself.
"A victory over yourself is worth a thousand victories over a thousand enemies."
Respect toward oneself, one's master, and all beings.
Literally “modest” and “inferior.”
Of virtuous character in harmony with moral principles.
To have full confidence in one's master and one's own capacity.
Devotion to one's master and self-dedication.
The intention and ambition to take action.
The power to bear hardship.
Steady persistence in a course of action.
Self-control, the ability and willingness to calmly withstand.
Bravery, the confidence of a resolute mind able to face fear or danger.
All instruction is private — one-to-one with Shifu Yong Jian, or by placement into a small group of no more than five students. Programmes are structured around the individual, and tuition is set in private correspondence following an initial enquiry.
Phone: (02) 7506 8533
Email: jian.admissions@proton.me
