What is New for the 2024 T1 Winter Term

Winter Term Begins Tuesday, January 2nd, 2024. Register online at www.stqitoronto.com.

The Winter is a popular time for new students to register and we expect to continue to meet our base student target of 200.

New Instructors This Term!

We are very thankful for the following students joining our Instructor Team this term:

Candice Brodeur
Chris Ni
Elizabeth Riding
Hossein Saeidi (tentative)
Katherine Applebaum
Saul O'Gorman

Please welcome and encourage them as they start their journey as teachers and helping to foster the Shaolin arts!

New Classes for the 2024 T1 Winter Term

We excited to announce that have several new classes for the upcoming 2024 T1 Winter Term (see below for more information):

Shaolin Tai Chi Taolu Forms II - Saturdays at 4pm
Shaolin Kids Kung Fu (Foundation and Forms) - Saturdays from 3pm to 5pm
Shaolin Stretch Therapy - Sundays at 12pm

These classes have now been established and you can expect them to continue each term:

Women's Self Defence - Sundays at 4pm
Shaolin Kids Kung Fu (Foundation and Forms) - Wednesdays at 1pm to 3pm
Sanda Fitness - Sundays at 12pm
Shaolin Stretch Therapy - Saturdays at 12pm

Shaolin Stretch Therapy

*SUNDAYS AT 12PM WITH MASTER DAO*

This class empowers students to apply Shaolin wisdom to Stretch Therapy for healing the body, relieving muscle strain and joint pain, improving posture, and increasing flexibility and range of motion. It includes Shaolin stretching as the foundation for healing along with qigong, massage, and acupressure techniques.

It can be taken to supplement any Shaolin class, such as kung fu, tai chi, and qigong.

This class is especially great for those who spend a lot of time sitting and need some easy movements to improve the hip, back, shoulder, and knees.

No experience is needed and may also be accessed via Zoom.

Students may drop-in as needed or attend classes each week.

Your teacher will guide students through a core set of exercises each week and include different theme and techniques based on audience participation and needs.

Shaolin Tai Chi Taolu Forms II

*SATURDAYS AT 4PM WITH MASTER DAO*

The Shaolin Tai Chi Taolu Forms II class is an extension of the Shaolin Tai Chi Foundation and Forms I class (i.e. you need to attend the Shaolin Tai Chi Foundation and Forms I class each week to attend this class). 

We will work on advanced sparring exercises and taolu forms, with special emphasis on application of Shaolin Tai Chi for self-defense.

A typical class includes advanced training drills, cloud hands sparring, sticky hands sparring, and qinna (art of joint manipulation).

The second half of class include is oriented around advanced taolu hand and weapons forms.

Students not attending the prior class at 3pm are expected to arrive earlier and be ready to warm up and stretch at 4pm on their own for 10 minutes.

Shaolin Kids Kung Fu

*SATURDAYS FROM 3PM to 5PM WITH DISCIPLE LUKA*

Shaolin Kids Kung Fu Foundation class - this class is about training traditional Shaolin fundamentals that builds strength, flexibility, coordination, cardiovascular endurance, and power.

A typical class includes warm up drills, stretching, stance training, foundation kicks, self-defence kicks and punches, conditioning exercises.

This class is designed to be challenging regardless of level. Expect to be pushed a beyond your limits each time!

Shaolin Kids Kung Fu Taolu Forms class - This class is about application. This includes safe sparring exercises, advanced training techniques unique to Shaolin, and taolu forms.

For those unfamiliar with Taolu Forms, these are a set of self-defence techniques and movements put together for convenience of practice and improvement.

You will start off with a foundation form, which will take around 3 months to achieve an intermediate level.

You will then progress to more advanced levels of the form, and learn the secrets of how to use the techniques and movements for self defence.

As you develop your self-defence capability, you will learn even more difficult hand forms as well as weaponry.

Key Events for the Winter Term

March Break Kung Fu Camp for Kids from 5 to 16 years of age

Event Date: March 11 to 15, 2024

Your child will experience all-day kung fu training with special emphasis on having fun!

Master Dao will once again be conducting a LARPG (Live Action RPG) where the children must demonstrate their understanding of the Shaolin Virtues and use their kung fu to defeat the Vexspawn monsters in an engaging and exciting story. 

Register early to ensure your child gets in! This popular event is limited to 20 children and fills up every year.

You can find more information and register here:

[Camp Information and Registration Link]

Worldwide Meditation Workshop

Learn how Shaolin Meditation and philosophy can help bring you peace. The next worldwide meditation workshop will be held on Monday, January 22nd, 2024, at 7pm EST. The topic will be 'Developing Awareness of Our Perceptual Layers'. This is a major topic that introduces one of the fundamentals of Self-Wisdom.

In the last session, Master Dao spoke about 'Wisdom' and taught students that teachings you read and watch on wisdom is not wisdom, but guidance. Wisdom must be earned through practice of 'Self-Wisdom'. A blog has been written about it and you can view it here: Wisdom.

[Meditation Workshop Registration Link]

Social Events and Sports Events

Our social committee will continue to organize free events to help foster our community, such as movie and game nights, as well as social sports such as basketball, soccer, and volleyball.

We are reorganizing Social Sports this term in hopes to have more participation. We will be sending a sign-up sheet in January, and those interested can vote for the dates and activity.

Sanda Fight Night

Entertaining exhibition Shaolin Sanda matches will be held during the last week of classes. These exciting matches showcase our students' ability to demonstrate control, accuracy, speed, technique, and strength. All students are welcome to come watch the matches for free and cheer for all of our participants.

Grading Exams on Saturday, April 27, 2024

All students are encouraged to participate at least once a year. This is an especially useful tool for parents to see how their kids are progressing.

The Grading Exams are usually held twice a year. Students are tested in their knowledge and skills. The judge(s) provide an objective rating with feedback. 

There are 5 grading levels for qigong, tai chi, and kung fu (adults and kids). The exams will take place at the end of April (after the Winter Term is over), on April 27th, 2024. 

[Grading Exams Event Information and Registration Link]

Shaolin Classes This Term

Shaolin Kung Fu

Shaolin Kung Fu emphasizes core training and developing powerful muscles. Strengthening the core improves the circulation of your vital organs, and increases available energy in the body. Developing your physical prowess also means more white blood cells, muscle mass, bone density, and greatly increases your body's pathogenic defense systems.

In the Shaolin Kung Fu Foundation class, we will emphasize the Shaolin Virtues and ramp up the term each week with themed and progressive content.  

In the Shaolin Kung Fu Forms class, we will emphasize 'play sparring' exercises. These will be safe exercises involving control drills and techniques to develop decision making in simulated encounter situations.

In the Shaolin Sanda Fitness class, we will continue to challenge our cardio and footwork ability.

In the Shaolin Sanda Sparring class, we will continue to work our offensive and defensive toolkits, while developing strategies through visualization techniques.

In the Womens Self Defence class, we will continue emphasizing scenario-based self-defence training.

Note: We've added Shaolin Kung Fu for Kids on Saturdays from 3pm to 5pm (Foundation followed by Forms class).

Shaolin Tai Chi

Shaolin Tai Chi emphasizes breath with gentle movements to invigorate the body for health and vitality. Breathing better means having more energy in the body and gentle movements improve deeper circulation for the vital organs. 

For the Shaolin Tai Chi Foundation and Forms I class, we'll be emphasizing Silk Reeling in our classes and, explore how it can double and even triple the power of self defence techniques. 

For the new Shaolin Tai Chi Taolu Forms II class, we will be exploring self-defence techniques with special emphasis on qinna (the art of seizing and grappling). Students are required to attend the Shaolin Tai Chi Foundation and Forms I class at least once a week to participate in this class. It is recommended as well that students have finished the Baburouquan form to ensure they have the necessary fundamentals to understand this class.

Note: We've added Shaolin Tai Chi Taolu Forms II class 2 on Saturdays at 4pm this term!

Shaolin Qigong

Shaolin Qigong is foremast about awareness of one's energy, and learning how to cultivate it, and move it around the body. Qigong will improve your understanding and awareness of your energy (Qi), as it relates to your mind and body, and the environment around you. You will be able to make better lifestyle choices based on what you want in life.

In the Shaolin Stretch Therapy class, we will continue to explore how to optimize all the joints in our body.

In the Qigong Foundation class, we will emphasize the Breath Qi along with specific qigong exercises.

In the Qigong Forms class, we will investigate the Lung Vital Organ and Meridian, and learn to manage and diagnose  infection and other disorders through palpation, tongue reading, pulse reading, tuina, and qi flow exercises. We will also work on advanced qi-flow techniques and practice advanced qigong forms for health and wellness.

Note: We've added Shaolin Stretch Therapy on Sundays at 12pm this term!