“I live in a Shaolin temple in China, and it’s one of the craziest experiences of my life. I’m learning from Chinese masters who’ve dedicated their entire lives to Shaolin teachings, and they’re giving me and students from around the world the chance to learn it too. The training is tough, but I’ve never felt so strong,” says Amit Elkayam, a 22-year-old from Oranit.
Elkayam was on a typical post-army trip with friends when a TikTok video changed all her plans. She decided to move into a monastery dedicated to martial arts training.
“I’ve been here for about a month,” she said. “I stumbled across a TikTok video by chance and thought it looked insanely cool. I’ve always loved adventure and doing unique, challenging things, and this felt like it would be a great experience. I started researching, looked into a few temples that accept foreigners, and chose the one I’m in now. It turned out to be an amazing decision — I absolutely love it here.”
Elkayam is living at the Shaolin Temple in Yunnan Province, near the city of Xingtai — a center that attracts martial arts trainees and visitors from around the world who come to study and experience Shaolin martial arts. The site is inspired by the original Shaolin Temple on Mount Song in Henan Province — a Buddhist monastery founded in the 5th century and considered the birthplace of Chinese kung fu. Several centers across China now operate in the Shaolin tradition, and the temple where Elkayam is staying is one of them.
One of her TikTok videos documenting her experience at the monastery garnered over 317,000 views and drew plenty of comments. “I filmed it just for fun, and suddenly it really took off. It was cool to see that happen,” said Elkayam, who plans to continue posting videos from the temple.
Are there any admission requirements? How does it work?
“The temple I’m at has a website. You register there, fill in your details, and they get back to you. There aren’t any special requirements — they accept anyone who wants to come, train, and take it seriously.”
What does the training involve?
“The day includes lots of different types of training, including weapons practice — with swords and staffs. We start the day in a more relaxed way with tai chi at 5:50 a.m., then move into more intense sessions: running, strength training, kicks, Shaolin kung fu exercises, and more.”
What did your family think?
“My family loved the idea and are really supportive. They even suggested I stay longer than I originally planned.”
What do you eat there? Is it a strict or comfortable lifestyle?
“Something in between. Personally, I keep kosher, so I eat only vegan food. There’s always rice, vegetables, vegetable soup — that’s what we usually eat. For those who aren’t vegetarian, there’s sometimes meat, sometimes not — it depends on the day. But overall, the food here is pretty decent.”
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Elkayam added that life at the monastery reminds her a bit of the army. “As someone who served and did reserve duty, I have to say there are a lot of similarities,” she said. “There’s a strict training schedule, we wake up early, and if you’re late you get punished. Your room has to be neat, and they check it — so yeah, it’s a lot like basic training.”
How are people responding to your videos?
“I’ve gotten tons of questions in private messages, and I haven’t had time to answer everyone yet because most of my day is training. But I’m planning to make a video soon to explain everything — how to sign up, how to get here, what to expect — to help people out.”
What’s next for you?
“I don’t know. I decide things on the spot, just going with my intuition.”