The Shaolin Temple Overseas Headquarters is one of the few centers in the United States that offers the authentic teachings of the Shaolin culture.  It was founded in 1995 in Flushing, New York by Venerable Grandmaster Shi Guolin under the directive of the Venerable Abbot Shi YongXin of the Shaolin Temple in China.  

The original Shaolin Monastery in China was the cradle of the legendary Shaolin warrior monks.  It is the main temple of the Shaolin school of Buddhism to this day.  The original temple was built in 495AD and was named after one of the smaller peaks of the Song Mountains northwest of Dengfeng City in Henan Province, China.  What’s unique about the Shaolin culture is its integration of the philosophies of Buddhism, Daoism, and Traditional Chinese Medicine.  It embodies the understanding of the YinYang (duality) of life.  The monks practice Chan Buddhism using various forms of Qigong and KungFu.  Qigong is a set of exercises that trains the mind to focus and the body to cultivate energy by combining breath work with slow movements or sitting meditations.  KungFu is a set of exercises that helps the practitioner to use his body with speed and power in the most efficient and effective manner.   The unique Shaolin system of exercises applies the understanding of biomechanics with the understanding of the bioenergetics system (meridian/energy channels in the body).  By practicing both types of exercises, the monks were able to achieve the optimal Body, Mind, and Spirit integration that allows them to demonstrate strength and power and at the same time induce a high level of health and harmony with Nature.

Today, the Shaolin Temple Overseas Headquarters is located in East Northport, New York.  Although Shifu Guolin no longer performs monk duties of Buddhism, he still embodies the philosophy and spirit of the Shaolin culture and continues to share that with his students