Most martial artists are familiar with the extraordinary powers of the Shaolin monks. They train in the use of 36 weapons, and each monk picks two animal movements and styles to specialize in.

Considering their training since childhood, would Shaolin Monks make a worthy opponent against a seasoned champion in UFC? Probably not, since their goals are much different than a UFC fighter.

Stacey Nemour from the Huffington Post, interviewed Sifu Wang Bo, an 11 year old Shaolin monk:

Stacey Nemour: At what age is the student at the Shaolin Temple tested?

Bo: From age three and up. When you first arrive at the temple there will be a test. The test is not determined by age, rather by when the master feels you are ready. The physical test is short. The biggest part of the test is on answering questions about one’s view of life.

Stacey Nemour: The Shaolin Monks don’t eat meat but have boundless energy. What do you they eat for protein?

Bo: Their protein comes from beans, tofu, milk and nuts.

Stacey Nemour: What is the daily schedule for the monks growing up at the temple?

Bo: A typical daily schedule, including the vegetarian diet served at each meal, is up at 5:30 a.m., chanting; 6 a.m. breakfast, which consists of a soup made of beans called eight treasures; then more chanting and a half-hour break, followed by two hours of kung fu training.

During training, the monks switch what form or style they are practicing every 10 minutes. After practice, more chanting until at 11:30 a.m., lunchtime, which consists of five to six different vegetables, tofu and rice.

We do not drink tea or liquids with our meals to aid in easy digestion. Lunch finishes at approximately 12:30. Now it is back to chanting, then comes a two-hour break. During this time the monks may meditate, relax or nap.

At approximately 3:00 p.m., another two-hour kung fu practice session begins. This wraps up at 5 p.m. There is no chanting before dinner out of respect for the dead. At 5:30 p.m., noodles are served for dinner, with bread — the breads we eat are black or yellow wheat; 6:30 p.m., Heart Sutra chanting for one hour — we call the heart the center of the Universe; 8 p.m., quiet time for meditation; 10 p.m., bedtime.

Stacey Nemour: What method is used to teach the children to train properly and focus?

Bo: harsh words can scar a person for life. Physical punishment is usually forgotten within a few days, and is much more effective at getting the student to perform at their best.

Stacey Nemour: There are no illnesses or injuries during practice?

Bo: Yes, all the time. We have our own hospital (Western medicine is not used, just the technology). We go every two weeks to monitor the progress in the brain that meditation produces by using EEG testing.

Stacey Nemour: Are their still great kung fu masters at the temple today, as we have heard about the legends in the history of the temple?

Bo: Masters are not as powerful today due to the electrical signals such as wi-fi, satellite, radio, television etc. As a result masters are 15 percent less powerful than in ancient times.

Stacey Nemour: What can we all do daily to advance on our path?

Bo: Love. Don’t be selfish. Do daily acts of kindness. Be nice. Pray a lot. Practice a lot. With practice comes wisdom. Wisdom brings advancement each day. And pain brings growth — that’s how we learn.

Stacey Nemour: Why do you all seem to never get tired, even with your demanding daily training schedule?

Bo: Because we don’t have a draining and meaningless program of thought running through our heads.

There are many, many people at the Shaolin temple. Most are not monks, or at least not in the sense that you might think. Shaolin monks can be split up into different categories. Those at the Shaolin temple can be categorized in the following way.

1. Abbott
2. Shaolin Monks
3. Shaolin Lay Monks

1. Abbott
The Abbott is the leader of the Shaolin Temple organization. Shaolin is now a corporation, making millions of dollars every year, with a very active interest from the Chinese government. The current Abbott, Shì Yǒngxìn, has been called the CEO monk and this could not be more true. Like many religious organizations around the world, Shaolin, being Buddhist, is cashing in. This has led to a lot of criticism from within the Chinese community and abroad.

2. Shaolin Monks
Shaolin monks can take different forms. Not every monk you see in and around the temple is a brilliant warrior. A Shaolin monk is simply a monk. They follow the life of a Buddhist monk. That is the key thing here. They give their life over to their religion, following strict rules, including celibacy, abstaining from meat and alcohol. Traditionally, monks would be given a bowl would have to beg for food as one of the rules was to only accept what was given.

3. Shaolin Lay Monks
Not everyone at the temple or those who have associations with the temple are cut out for the strict requirements of being a Shaolin monk. Those who decide the life is not for them are not cut off from the temple however. There are many schools in China teaching martial arts who say they have authentic Shaolin monks teaching. When people arrive and see the masters wearing jeans and a shirt, many feel at least slightly confused and even deceived.

[sources : huffingtonpost.com, shaolintraining.com]