USA Shaolin Temple Visits Baltimore

On April 3, 2004, Shifu Shi Yan Ming traveled to Baltimore with twenty of his disciples and students. Shifu presented a seminar at the school of Tae Kwon Do Master Apollo Ladra, who is one of the most highly respected martial arts instructors in the area. At the seminar, Shifu taught Shaolin basics and the traditional form Xiao Luohanquan (Small Lohan Fist) to a combined group of forty of Master Ladra’s students and fifteen of Shifu’s students. After this three-hour training session, the two schools joined for a feast at a nearby Korean restaurant. The next day, Shifu appeared as a special guest at an open tournament hosted by Master Ladra. The tournament included thousands of practitioners of many different styles of martial arts, from traditional Kung Fu to modern Karate and Tae Kwon Do. All in attendance were thrilled at the appearance of the legendary Shaolin Temple Fighting Monk. The relationship between the U.S.A. Shaolin Temple and Master Ladra’s school dates back to the spring of 2002, when the demonstration teams from both schools participated in a stage production entitled “The Art of War.” After the rehearsals and performances were complete, Master Ladra’s team remained in New York and trained at the Temple for several days. Since that time, the two schools have enjoyed a continuing exchange of ideas.