33rd Generation Venirible Abbot Shi Yong Xin  释永信

The world renowned Abbot Shi Yong Xin, who is the Abbot of the famous Shaolin Temple in China, is a 33rd Generation Disciple of Shaolin Temple. In 1981, he moved to Songshan Shaolin Temple at age 17. There he received the Dharma name Yong Xin under the discipleship of Former Abbot Xing Zheng (32nd Generation Disciple). 

 

Master Yong Xin took over the Shaolin Temple Management Committee and started to run the monastery in 1987 when the former Abbot Xing Zheng passed away. 



In March 1993, he was elected as the Henan Provincial Political Consultative Committee and appointed as Director of Buddhist Association of China. Four years later he was then re-appointed as the director of Shaolin Temple Management Committee and was the head of Shaolin Temple.

 

Abbot Shi Yong Xin is greatly involved in promoting, protecting and reviving the tangible and intangible heritage of Shaolin Temple. In 2002, he was elected as Vice Chairman of the Buddhist Association of China and in 2010 he was elected as Director of Overseas Communication Committee of Buddhist Association of China.

 

Abbot Shi Yong Xin promoted Shaolin by renovating the ancient architectures to compiling and classifying classic books of Shaolin Temple, such as The Secret Book of Shaolin Kung Fu and Medicine, Shaolin Kung Fu and Works of Shaolin Kung Fu, Chan Dew Collections, Selected Papers on Shaolin Study, Shaolin in My Heart and many more. 

 

The Abbot is greatly involved in many Buddhist projects worldwide. He donates his time and effort in developing Shaolin culture and brings awareness to people of Buddhism and Shaolin history and culture.

 

He has passed on his knowledge and theories onto his disciples who are the 34th Generation of Shaolin.  He proudly made Shi Yan Kun his 34th Generation disciple and selected the name 'Kun' for him.  The Abbot entrusts Shi Yan Kun to promote and continue his work by positively passing on Shaolin culture, spirit and knowledge worldwide. 

 

Shifu Shi Yan Kun  釋延昆

Shifu Shi Yan Kun has been practising martial arts for over 21 years and he was selected as a 34th Generation Disciple of the Shaolin Temple China by Abbot Shi Yong Xin.  The Abbot chose the name 'Kun' after a famous mountain from Shandong Province..  This mountain represents endurance, strength, courage, unfailing loyalty and determination.  The Abbot selected this name as  he believed this represented Shi Yan Kun.

 

Shi Yan Kun has trained internationally from the UK to the Shaolin Temple in China (training in China just over three years).  He discovered his talent for martial arts at the young age of six and he is now the Head Master of Shaolin Temple Academy. 

 

"Teachers open the door but you must enter by yourself"

 

 In June 2009, he was proudly awarded by the Shaolin Wushu Association of Henan (China) to be the highest ranked non-Chinese in the world to achieve the Shaolin Wushu Duan Wei Level 6 (Dan 6).  Shi Yan Kun has won many competition titles in the UK and in China. He has had the pleasure by being awarded many ‘Certificate of Excellence’ by Government Officials and also being featured in many newspaper articles and televised on national and international TV. 

 

Shi Yan Kun is on the BCCMA (British Council for Chinese Martial Arts) Executive San Da Committee and has an important role in standardising this future Olympic sport.  The Committee will be selecting top fighters to compete and represent Great Britain in the Olympics.  It is Shi Yan Kun's aim to raise the standards in the UK and to ensure Great Britain has a winning team as he will be coaching them for the Olympics.

 

Shi Yan Kun has trained his students to high competition standards and has cultivated National Champions in Traditional Shaolin forms (Northern style), Long Weapon Shaolin forms (Northern style) and in San Da.  His student was selected for the World Championships for San Da 2011 in Turkey to compete for Great Britain.  Shi Yan Kun will continue to train more Champions in the making from children to adults in Shaolin Gong Fu and San Da. 

 

Shi Yan Kun has selected 35th Generation Disciples; Shi Heng Shan (Sam Roberts) , Shi Heng Li (Danny Ta) and Shi Heng Long (Ryan Ta).  His Disciples represent him and Abbot Shi Yong Xin greatly, the disciples are passionate about Shaolin culture and heritage and they aim to continue to train and teach the high standards of Shaolin just as their Master Shi Yan Kun has done.