The Shaolin Monastery (Chinese: 少林寺; pinyin: Shàolínsì; is a Chán Buddhist temple at Song Shan in the Henan province of what is now the Peoples Republic of China. The monastery was built by the Emporer Hsiao-Wen in 496 CE, and the first abbot of Shaolin was Batuo, also known as Bhadra, an Indian dhyana master who came to China in CE 464 to spread Buddhist teachings. Long famous for its association with Chinese martial arts, it is the Buddhist monastery perhaps best known to the Western world.
Bodhidharma (fl. 526/527 CE) was the Buddhist monk traditionally credited as the transmitter of Zen to China. Very little contemporary biographical information on Bodhidharma is extant, and subsequent accounts became layered with legend, but most accounts agree that he was a South Indian monk who journeyed to southern China and subsequently relocated northwards. The accounts differ on the date of his arrival, with one early account claiming that he arrived during the Liú Sòng Dynasty (420–479) and later accounts dating his arrival to the Liáng Dynasty (502–557). The accounts are, however, generally agreed that he was primarily active in the lands of the Northern Wèi Dynasty (386–534).
Although the introduction of fighting skills at the Shaolin Monastery has been attributed to the Indian monk Bodhidharma, or Ta-Mo, who came to the monastery in 527, this is, in fact, not the case. The martial disciplines that have become a signature of the Temple were not introduced until some 700 years after Bodhidharma's tenure. While Bodhidharma, as a member of the Brahmin class in India would likely be versed in both Yoga and the East Indian martial art of Kalarippayattu, he did not "invent" kung fu, as legend has it. What he did find upon his arrival at the temple was that most of the monks were suffering from poor health, and in devoting themselves exclusively to their academic work, were unable to maintain the physical rigors of contemplative practice.
They once asked Bruce Lee, the famous martial arts movie star, his opinion on negative thoughts. He said, ?Negative thoughts are like weeds in your garden. You must pull them out by the roots and destroy them.?

Very interesting. I've always been attracted to the eastern cultures. Specifically China and Japan. I remember watching the Olympics and how we were alway impressed that it was yet possible to improve on skills we couldn't imagine could be done.

I used to wonder, if some of those greats had been trained in the environmnet of such a temple, what would their limits be?

Think of antiquity and how well preserved their heritage remains. I guess we forget, just how costly it is to live in a throw-away society.

I have always been a big fan of Shaolin from the "Kung Fu" series with David Carradine. Monks and temples have always been a fascination, too. Really impressed with meditation. My son made it to brown belt and the discipline I found to be good. Something else that I find good is the concept of not looking for a fight but not backing away from a fight as well. There are times when has to protect ones' self and one's family. I thought this was interesting:

100 Action Principles of the Shaolin Monks

1 Set Goals
2 Develop Winning Strategies
3 Be Decisive
4 Maintain a Positive Attitude
5 Relax Your Body
6 Look in the Mirror
7 Enjoy Your Own Company
8 Share the Credit
9 Make Everyone Feel Important
10 Build Networks
11 Think About Selling
12 Understand Courage
13 Stay Fit and Healthy
14 Write a Personal Mission Statement
15 Be the Warrior
16 Build Your Team
17 Have Faith
18 Ask Yourself
19 Seize the Moment
20 Set the Example
21 Act As If
22 Act Independently
23 Seek Change
24 Give Freely
25 Communicate With Ease
26 Invest in Your Future
27 Appreciate Your Students
28 Ask a Lot of Questions
29 Run the Short Road
30 March the Long Road
31 Don`t Always Apologize
32 Find Beauty Everywhere
33 Accept Differences
34 Blame No One
35 Be Outwardly Focused
36 Face Fear
37 Challenge Yourself
38 Follow Through
39 Choose Your Master First
40 Do What You Love Doing
41 How to Wear a Green Belt
42 How to Wear a Brown Belt
43 How to Wear a Black Belt
44 Allow Your Opponent to Save Face
45 Don t be a Perfectionist
46 Applaud the Courage of the White Belt
47 Read Bibliographys
48 Give Yourself the Gift of Self Reliance
49 Focus on Your Priorities
50 Don t Complicate Matters
51 Assume Leadership
52 Listen to Your Instincts
53 Accept Hard Work
54 Remain Flexible
55 Play to the Winners
56 Be Open to New Ideas
57 Heed the Warnings
58 Set the Bar High
59 Practice Your Katas
60 Define Integrity
61 Follow Your Code of Honor
62 Stay Centered
63 Commit to Self Dicipline
64 Accept Your Limitations
65 Be Grateful to Your Sensei
66 Retire Early
67 Observe and Be Aware
68 Go Ahead
69 Love Many Things
70 Live Simply
71 Make Today Special
72 Record Your Thoughts
73 Be of No Mind
74 Forget Everybody
75 Maintain Your Sai
76 Count the Time
77 Imagine
78 Walk Away
79 Work at Work
80 Inch Forward
81 Stop Talking
82 Look Forward to Tommorow
83 Pass Along the Secret
84 Give Generously
85 Build a Business
86 Develop Your Special Talent
87 Appreciate Your Appeal
88 Remember these Words
89 Teach Yourself
90 Form Your Day
91 Do What Others Can t
92 Build Upon Your Basics
93 Avoid Thinking That ...
94 Be the Monk
95 Use the Power of Patience
96 Develop Your Sense of Humor
97 Control Conflict
98 Take the Punch
99 Become Grateful
100 Rejoice in the Day

Hill, where did you get that list?

It sounds like something from a modern american school, not a traditional temple.

Just got it off the net. Found there were some Shaolin temples in America.

Thanks.