CLASS TIMES & LOCATIONS

San Rafael
Auditorium – San Rafael Community Center
Monday & Wednesday
6:45pm to 8:.30pm

See Session Dates and Registration Info.

Building Heroes for Thousands of Years – One Workout at a Time!

Northern Shaolin embodies the wisdom and skills of over 800 years of testing and evolution. Northern Shaolin can be learned by anyone willing to practice. Famous for its high kicks, bold leaps, low sweeps, long stances, powerful iron palm, and joint locking, Northern Shaolin is dynamic to practice, beautiful, and exciting to watch. Northern Shaolin is known for athleticism, and will greatly build your health and physique.

Start Training Northern Shaolin Now!

Learn the ancient lineage forms of Northern Shaolin, practical self defense, and dynamic weapons.

The Training Map of Northern Shaolin

Physique

Strength

12 different pushups, done with specific body alignments that correspond to striking and grappling movements.  These are combined with numerous front and back of body core exercises which will give you the strength you need for Northern Shaolin.  Breathing is linked to these exercises so that you will have an ingrained sense of breath control even in combat.  The long forms of Northern Shaolin will also provide ample stamina by training your endurance and cardio.

Flexibility

Northern Shaolin experts of known for their flexibility, high kicks, soaring leaps, and low stances.  This flexibility enhances your ability to escape locks, increases your speed, and opens up many moves that simply wouldn’t have been possible without it.

Balance

Keeping your balance both mentally and physically keeps you light on your feet, grounded, and ready.  Practicing complex movements while one one leg is an integral part of Northern Shaolin.  This training gives you the ability to easily move your feet where you need them, to find and exploit your opponent’s center of balance, and to have power while transitioning from one movement to another.

Coordination

Northern Shaolin begins with simpler easier movements and gradually builds to more complex sequences.  Beginning forms focus on the fundamentals and basic body mechanics, while advanced forms string sequences of complex movements together in unexpected ways.

Power

Every strike is powered by the strength of the legs and torso, not just by the muscles of the arm or leg.  By training to use the connection from your striking limb through your body and into the ground, you can maximise both the effective mass and the acceleration of your strikes.  Since force is equal to mass times acceleration, you can greatly increase your striking power through technique.

Will

Training the long and difficult forms of Northern Shaolin requires discipline and focus.  The forms start less rigorously, and build in physical intensity, and complexity such that a later form will require vastly more mental fortitude than a beginning one.  Building your willpower by enduring tough workouts and challenging yourself to excel will help you to succeed in other parts of life, as well as martial arts.

Art

Tan Teui – Spring Steel Legs

Begins the training of your legs building intense leg strength and flexibility to power the most basic and most important techniques. (Ton-toy)

Lian Bu – Linking Steps

Builds essential attacking stances powering direct and deadly strikes. (lee-an boo)

Xiao Yuan – Small Circles

Build coordination and connections with circular arm movements and new techniques. (Sh-ow You-an)

Open the Gate – Northern Shaolin #1

Northern Shaolin begins with simpler easier movements and gradually builds to more complex sequences.  Beginning forms focus on the fundamentals and basic body mechanics, while advanced forms string sequences of complex movements together in unexpected ways.

Leading Steps – Northern Shaolin #2

Learn to dissolve the opponent’s strength by leading them into emptiness with your stepping and stances.

Horse Riding – Northern Shaolin #3

Eleven flying kicks and over 100 strikes and throws make this an intense endurance form full of unique moves and skills.

Penetrating Heart – Northern Shaolin #4

This form focuses on punches and kicks to the opponent’s chest.

The Martial Way – Northern Shaolin #5

A kicking form that focuses on specialized high kicks.

Short Striking – Northern Shaolin #6

Learn the short-range tactics of Northern Shaolin.

Plum Blossom- Northern Shaolin #7

This form focuses on gracefully connecting different moves in new ways, and using fluid movement to power your strikes.

Uprooting Steps- Northern Shaolin #8

Learn to overcome your opponents stances with sweeps, pushes, and throws and knock them down with flying kicks.

Connecting Links – Northern Shaolin #9

Advanced footwork, hand movements, and acrobatics are core to this intense form.

The Method – Northern Shaolin #10

Contains many specialized and deadly techniques unique to this expert level routine.

Lui He – Six Harmonies

This form is the key bridge between Northern Shaolin and Xing Yi.  It increases the spiraling connections within your body improving power and speed.  (lee-oh huh)

Lohan #1

A short but expert form committed to power punching.  This form lays the groundwork for the other forms in the Lohan system.

Lohan #2

The “leopard Form”, learn to use the leopard fist and stance with returning strikes and attacks from unexpected angles.

Lohan #3

Many unique combinations of familiar techniques combine with excellent returning strikes and unexpected angle surprise attacks.

Lohan #4

The most aggressive form of an already incredibly aggressive system, full of strikes, kicks, sweeps, and leaps.

Northern Shaolin Sparring Form

An expertly choreographed battle “fought” with your friend as your opponent.  This form includes everything, striking locking, throwing, sweeps, flying kicks, ground fighting, and acrobatics!

Reality

Are you standing in the moment of truth?  When you need to defend your family, friends or yourself you find out the measure of yourself as a warrior.  Does your art allow you to be the dominant fighter and win?  That is the moment of truth.  To prepare you we practice nightly sparring and self defense drills.

1.  Empty Body

Builds essential dodging skills so that you can avoid incoming strikes, maintain good positioning, and escape grabs.

2.  Low Kicking

Learn to kick the opponent’s legs both offensively and defensively.  A well placed kick can end a fight before a punch would even be in range.

3.  Hand Sparring

Practice punching, blocking, and parrying in a variety of practical applications.

4.  Sparring with High Kicks

Learn to practically apply the deadly high kicks that Northern Shaolin is known for!

5. Dog Boxing

A multitude of skills around ground fighting, with an emphasis on how to quickly return to a standing fighting stance.

6.  Locks, Sweeps, Trips, and Throws

The most advanced techniques that require the greatest care to practice in a sparring setting.

Armory

Don’t show up to the battle without weapons!  Northern Shaolin is most famous for the Staff, Spear, and Double Sabers.  But we also practice all of the other weapons of Northern Shaolin:  Sword, Saber, Kwan Dao, Hook Swords, Double Swords, Double Daggers, and Three Sectional Staff.

Earth Dragon Staff

88 long staff techniques.  The expert level staff form taught by Grandmaster Wong Jackman.  Massively improve your upper body strength and grappling power.  The staff is the primary weapon of Shaolin and one of only thirteen items permitted to be owned by monks.

Rising Block Spear

The Spear is the “king of weapons”.  The spear’s combination of extreme speed, reach, and power make it difficult to defend against.  Master the rising block and drill through your opponent’s defenses with powerful thrusts that improve your punching power.  A specialty of Grandmaster Gu Yu Jeong.

Eight Diagrams Saber

“Saber Shows Your Energy (Qi)”. The Saber attacks with the ferocity of a tiger and the nimble legs of Northern Shaolin. Specialty of “Big Saber Li” the top saber fighter of the 20th century.

Dragon Phoenix Sword

A pure and elegant sword style directly from Wudang Mountain that develops your Shen (spiritual energy) as well as incredible athleticism and fencing skills.

Kwan Dao

This giant halberd features a huge blade, thick handle, and large spike. Created by General Kwan “the God of War” who teaches Wu De or martial virtue. Takes your power and strength to another level.

Twin Dragons Double Swords

Expert level dual wield form, from the legendary Wudang mountains.  Test your focus, balance, coordination, and flexibility as you build your body method and ambidexterity.

Ground Rolling Double Sabers

Frequently demonstrated by Sifu Jensen this amazing dual wield saber form is a masterpiece. Become the blender and puree your enemies. “Northern Shaolin Ground Rolling” means acrobatics, rolling and plenty of kicks and leaps.

Ground Rolling Twin Tiger Hook Swords

This frightening expert level weapon is dual wielded but can be hooked together and swung as a long weapon. Watch Out!

Plum Blossom Spear

From Northern Shaolin Lohan (Buddha Palm) style.  Strengthen the left side of your body by using the spear on the other side.  This form is longer and more complex than Rising Block Spear.

Double Daggers VS Empty Hands

One person starts with no daggers while the other has both. First disarm one dagger, then the other, retrieve both with a diving roll and then get disarmed yourself before and acrobatic throwing finish.

Plum Blossom Spear

From Northern Shaolin Lohan (Buddha Palm) style.  Strengthen the left side of your body by using the spear on the other side.  This form is longer and more complex than Rising Block Spear.

Staff VS Staff

The easiest of the weapons sparring forms the staff versus staff builds courage and power as you clack staffs and the smell of burnt rattan fills the air.

Three Sectional Staff VS Spear

Now the spear is on the defensive – or is it?  The spearman must be skilled to perform the necessary defenses in this form.

Spear VS Spear

This dual of Kings is both dangerous and exiting to learn. Shines a spotlight on the techniques found in all spear forms.

Spear VS Saber

The swordsman must be nimble and quick to survive! The spearman cannot let the saber person get in close!

Sword VS Sword

A rare sword sparring form from Wudang Mountain.

Lore

Wu De and Philosophy

The most important aspect of the Northern Shaolin philosophy is Wu De (woo-duh), or “martial ethics”.  Wu De is the difference between honor and ignominy, the difference between being a hero or a villain.  It is one of the essential aspects that makes a person a martial artist instead of a thug.

At 10,000 victories we train to be prepared for underhanded tactics, but we also discuss when it is appropriate to use what techniques.  Knowing to avoid a fight is an essential skill of a martial artist.

History of the Shaolin Temple and Origin of 10,000 Victories

477CE

Shaolin Temple is founded for the monk Tamo by Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty in order to translate Buddhist texts from sanskrit into Chinese.

525CE

Bodhidharma, the 28th patriarch of buddhism directly from Buddha, arrives from india and meditates for nine years straight facing a wall.  Then he teaches the monks the Chan, or Zen, method of medititation and the Yijijing (Qigong Method) proprelling the Shaolin Temple into a new era.

625CE

Emperor Li Shimin – founder of the Tang Dynasty grants the Shaolin Temple land, orchards, income.  By this time the Shaolin Temple is a key temple in Buddhism producing many wise and famous monks, while maintaining strong martial traditions for centuries.  

14th Century

Shaolin Temple survives the Red Turban rebellion and rises again.

1641

Shaolin Temple is burnt to the ground by rebels for remaining loyal to the emperor.  The Shaolin Temple’s fighting force was destroyed, and few monks survived.  

1928

Chiang Kai Shek’s warlord Shi Yousan burns the temple and its library after killing and dispersing the monks.

1928

Grandmaster Gu Yu Jeong shows the Northern Shaolin style he inherited from the descendants of the survivors from the 1641 overrun of the temple.  Becoming immediately famous as a dominant fighter, the greatest iron palm master of all time, and a true hero.  He teaches the pure Shaolin Style publically for the first time at the Central Guoshu Institute.

Hardship continues at the Shaolin Temple, but the Northern style grows in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia.

As Communism rises in power and the cultural revolution begins Northern Shaolin reaches the USA as Grandmaster Wong Jackman arrives in San Francisco.

1964

Grandmaster Wong Jackman answers Bruce Lee’s open challenge in a historic and controversial private match, the outcome of which is hotly debated.  After the match Bruce Lee abruptly leaves town and begins to incorporate kicking into his fighting style.  Wong Jackman continues teaching and working in San Francisco, including the day after the match.  

1966

The 5 remaining monks are arrested by the Communist government, beaten, and humiliated.  The temple was stripped empty and abandoned.

1980

Scott Jensen begins training under Grandmaster Wong Jackman in San Francisco and Oakland.  

1988-2002

Sifu Scott Jensen opens and runs Bending Willow martial arts school.

2005

Grandmaster Wong Jackman retires.

2006 – Present

Sifu Scott Jensen founds and runs 10,000 Victories School of Kung Fu and Tai Chi.

1999

A new Abbot, Shi Yongxin, is instated and marks the beginning of the current era of the Shaolin Temple.  Monks currently train and live at the Shaolin Temple, and it serves as a popular tourist attraction and national icon.

STUDY NORTHERN SHAOLIN WITH SIFU JENSEN

  • Private Lessons with Sifu Scott Jensen

  • 10,000 Victories Northern Shaolin Special Report

    $24.00