ShaoLin Center

Have been going there just over a year and a half. Had never taken any type or martial classes before, so I was a little nervous being over 50. Everyone there has been great, like a second family. I have taken the regular adult and youth scholar classes with my grand children, and found both to be excellent. I would highly recommend the Shaolin Center to anyone, young or old.

I've often said, "Kung Fu saved my life." Usually spoken somewhat lighthearted and a bit tongue-in-cheek, the statement is very, very true. While not an uncommon story, I joined Shaolin Center (Shaolin Boxing Methods at the time) for a variety of reasons, the least of which was my lifelong love affair with martial arts. What I didn't realize at the time was how profound of an impact this would have on my life. As many of us know and experience, life can be dark. I was going through some very difficult trials and issues, and at times, I felt as though I was losing my mind. Going to Kung Fu became a respite from my problems... a sanctuary of sorts. Every time I walked through the doors of the Kwoon, I was able to leave the darkness behind. I lost myself in the training. I became obsessed with practice and I began to learn just what it meant to practice Kung Fu. What I didn't realize was that my training began changing me, not just physically but mentally. The more I trained, the thinner the fog surrounding my world became. As the years progressed, I overcame the issues that had been haunting me and found myself just as passionate about Kung Fu as in the beginning. In fact, it was even more intense of a feeling than before. The relationships and friendships that I have formed with my brothers and sisters have been more important than wheather I learned how to use a spear or broadsword. My relationship with our Sifu, Steve Kleppe, has been so profound, so important and so enriching, that the course of my life is forever changed. A few years ago, I had graduated college and felt lost. I dreamed of a life that I wanted but had no direction... no idea how to get there. Sifu took me under his wing and directed me. I literally deconstructed my life, deconstructed my image of self and began to rebuild everything under his tutelage. My training changed from simply practicing martial arts. It evolved into becoming a better person. As an aspiring storyteller, I find great pleasure in the use of metaphors. I liken Kung Fu training to this: Your training is akin to the forging of a sword. You, at the beginning of your martial journey, are like the unrefined stone ore which must be smelted in order to extract the stronger metal trapped within. Your basic training is the smelting process; there is no rushing it. There are no shortcuts. You must continually refine your form, posture and technique until it is strong like metal. Once you have extracted the metal from the stone ore, the blacksmith begins the long process of creating the sword. Your training is like the continual, steady pounding of the metal, and slowly, over time, the sword emerges. Eventually, the process of creating the sword allows anyone upon witnessing it, an insight into the blacksmith's creative spirit. The craftsman infuses a part of him/her self into the work. You infuse yourself into your Kung Fu. And finally, once the sword is completed, the next part of the journey begins: learning to wield the sword. This takes a lifetime. This is your life. You are the sword. You are the craftsman. Your training is a process of refining you. Your body, mind and spirit. Shaolin Center has come to mean so many things to me. I was able to pursue a childhood dream. I learned and continue to learn how to defend myself and others, as well as how to wield weapons of all sorts. But the most important thing about Shaolin Center is the relationships with my family members. It is not about what Shaolin Center does for me any longer; it's about what I can give back to the school. I can never thank Shaolin Center and Sifu Kleppe enough for all that has been done for me and for all the wonderful people I proudly call Family.

Shaolin place is a garbage kung fu school like many other I found in the Milwaukee area. The head SiFu and his instructors don't know much about real kung fu training. The place is expensive with hidden fees and it is also asked to starting students to sign up under one year contracts. Not recommended!!

Authentic and traditional Shaolin martial arts. You won't find this almost anywhere else.