Shaolin kung fu taught in Stanford University

(Ecns.cn)--Even in China, you may not get the chance to learn real kung fu from real Shaolin monks, but as of the 2011 winter semester at Stanford University, students and faculty have been able to register for classes and get an understanding of this oriental art, according to the Stanford Report Tuesday.

Shi Yanran is the master. He was named martial artist of the year at the 12th World Congress on Qigong and Traditional Chinese Medicine held in San Francisco in 2010.

Typically Master Yanran is accompanied to class by six monks, ranging in age from 18 to 27, who wear light blue belted robes trimmed in black with the embroidered logo of the Shaolin Temple USA, headquartered in San Francisco.

Class begins with monks in a line facing students in rows, and warm-ups follow. "The monks are surprisingly good teachers," said Kathleen Guan, an administrative associate in the Department of Structural Biology.

The class is weekly and one hour long, held in a courtyard behind the Medical School Office Building on Welch Road. The regular cost of US$100 is discounted by 20% for Stanford faculty and staff who have completed the Stanford Health and Lifestyle Assessment (SHALA), an online questionnaire that is part of the BeWell@Stanford Employee Incentive Program.

About 17 students enrolled in the class during the winter semester in 2011, and 22 students enrolled this spring.