Shaolin Gurukul is a safe haven for martial artists and students from all over the world – a place to hone your passion, learn self-defense, mental toughness and explore the very extremes of training the body can endure. It is a labour of love for our Master, Shifu Kanishka and a golden chance for students to experience a slice of life of a Shaolin warrior monk right here in India.
The experience starts even before you reach Gurukul, as there is an uphill hike from the last point the car can go ( Mehrora’s Hanuman Temple) to Shaolin Gurukul. The Shaolin Gurukul ( Residential martial arts training center is beautifully located at the foothills of the Himalayas, surrounded by the jungle in the Jim Corbett area of Uttarakhand and it is extremely picturesque. It is recommended that you reach Gurukul campus
Martial Arts Courses
At Shaolin Gurukul in Pangot, Uttarakhand, we offer up to 2 months of residential training of martial arts.
Gurukul training camps are organized once almost every month except for the extreme winter in January. All training camp details including the Syllabus is announced at least a month in advance, so that students can decide and plan their travel.
India’s First Residential Martial Arts School
It was Shifu Kanishka’s dream to create a place for martial artists in India to get the highest level of training possible, something he didn’t have as a student. After years of impossibly difficult training at the Shaolin Temple in China, and gaining the title of “Shifu” from the Abbott of the Shaolin Temple China, Shifu Kanishka was the first Indian to be authorized to teach Shaolin Kung fu in India. Shifu opened the Shaolin Gurukul for students in 2016.
Shaolin Gurukul Training Camps have been graced by the presence of Shifu Kanishka’s Masters such as Shifu Shi Heng Jun of the renowned FawangTemple China, Shifu Sitta Wang, Thailand, Shifu Yang Fang Shaolin Temple China, and Grandmaster of Pekiti Tirsia Kali Leo Gaje from Phillipines, who have conducted training camps for beginners as well as advanced students.
Students come from all over India and the world to undergo training at the Shaolin Gurukul Residential Training school. Not only it is a great place of learning from each other’s martial arts background and experience, students have friendly sparring as part of training, where one can see the strength and uniqueness of different martial art forms. Take for example, a boxer with a JKD specialist, a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu specialist with a Kung fu practitioner, a Taekwondo student with a Wing chun specialist.
The training here is driven by the unique syllabus, specially designed by Shifu. As a result, It is far different than the way one trains in regular classes at our dojos in India. We offer Instructor level certification courses as well as participation certificates. These are awarded on the basis of tests conducted at the end of the course. Students train for a duration of five hours daily during camp, with breaks in between for food and rest. The dojo is open in the breaks and it is common to find students train all over and around the campus of Gurukul. It’s also easy to spot Shifu making training videos with his core team, during break time, while the students sit and gaze in awe. For any martial arts lover, this is the place.
Gurukul campus is spacious and bordered by a lovely mountain stream, whose gushing sounds is a relaxing constant. We have a large training area (open and shaded), Students Dormitory and VIP Tents, Cafeteria and cafeteria grounds and an outside sitting area. We also have Mabu sticks where you could be asked to stay in Mabu till the incense sticks burn out. Just kidding. But, no, really. That is true in some measure on some days.
Student life at Gurukul
Life at Gurukul is full of learning and a lot of fun in break time. Students are allowed to go on short hikes during break time and return before sunset. The Gurukul Cafeteria serves fresh meals thrice a day and tea with snacks twice daily. Sometimes, we serve local dishes from the fresh produce grown within campus. Students are allotted some duties like keeping their living spaces clean, to not keep food in the Dorm and wash their own plates and cutlery. Students are seen flocking to the Cafeteria a lot as Shifu spends some time before and after the main meals here. He eats with the students and is extremely approachable. Some nights we have a bonfire and Shifu even sings. The best is when he narrates stories from his training days and adventures from his travels as a martial arts student.
If you want to experience training with a real Shaolin warrior monk and challenge yourself to an experience meticulously designed and refined by him and his team, register for our next camp here.
