I, Thomas Roelant, started in 1997 with Master Walter Toch, where I took lessons until 2007. In 2004 I went to China for the first time, where I trained for 4 months in the Sonyang Shaolin Wushuguan under the watchful eye of Wang Zhi Qiang / Shi Deqiang and his brother Wang Wei Qiang. In 2006 I returned for 6 months this time to Songshan Shaolin Wushuguan under the watchful eye of Master Jiao Hongbo / Shi Deding, where I was taught by Master Bai Zhong Di and Master Wang Leijun. In 2011 I returned to the same place to train for 2 months with Master Chen Junjie / Shi Deqi, and Master Han Xinqiang. In 2018 I returned to train for another 2 months with old friends in Songshan Wushuguan Master Zhang Bin and Master Ti Long for 6 weeks. In 2024 I returned with some students from my school to further strengthen our relationship for the further development of our school and the relationship with Wushuguan. By setting up a collaboration project to also allow students from Belgium to train in Songshan Wushuguan on a regular basis.
Master Walter Toch / Shaolin Academy Belgium
Master Walter Toch was Thomas' first teacher in Shaolin Quan. Walter Toch himself was of the first generation Shaolin Gongfu and Taiji Chen style in Europe and maintains the traditional basis of the Shaolin Temple in Songshan Henan, China, where 'sifu' Walter Toch was the first westerner in 1990 to obtain a graduate degree and was taught by the TOP such as: Shi Yong Shou 33rd generation and Shi Deding (Jiao Hongbo) 31st generation and 'technical director' of the Shaolin Wushuguan. In Chenjiagou Walter was admitted as a direct student of Chen Shitong 18th generation of the Chen family. Shaolin monks, Chen Shitong, but also many others have been guests at international festivals and stages organized by Walter Toch and train with him privately to maintain and pass on the tradition.
Master Jiao Hongbo / Shi Deding
Jiao Hongbo has been the technical director of Shaolin Wushuguan since the 1980s. He was a student of grandmaster and monk Shi Yong Shou, 33rd generation Shaolin quan. Thomas and master Jiao Hongbo met in 2004, and Thomas was invited by Jiao Hong Bo to follow a period of Shaolin Quan for 5 months in 2006, after which Thomas kept returning to master Jiao Hongbo and through him he had the opportunity to meet even more masters in Shaolin quan. Thomas was taught by Wang Leijun (bottom right of the photo), monk and student of master Jiao Hongbo, but also received private lessons from master Jiao Hongbo himself. During this period the focus was mainly on the stick, the broadsword and the straight sword. But also on Shaolin Qi-gong, such as Ba Duan Jin and other internal techniques.
Chen Junjie
Chen Junjie is also known since the 80's as an ambassador of the Shaolin Wushuguan and is 31st generation Shaolin quan. Thomas was assigned a room next to Chen Junjie's during his first stay, in this way they get to know each other better. In 2011 Thomas even goes back to the Wushuguan especially to receive lessons from Chen Junjie and his personal student Han Xinqiang , bottom right photo. They perfect Thomas' '7 Star boxing' or 'Qi Qing quan' and teach him 'Tai Zhu Chang quan'.
Visit
Master Jiao Hongbo / Shi Deding
'Health Brings Happiness'
(Sep 2019)
Report
On Sunday 29 September we had the privilege of receiving Master Jiao Hongbo or Shi Deding in our school for Chinese martial arts 'Health Brings Happiness'. Master Jiao is the former technical director of the Mt.Song Shaolin Temple School for martial arts in Henan (province) in China. And has a long history with Belgium.
So he came to Belgium for the first time in 1989 in collaboration with grandmaster Walter Toch of the Shaolin Academy Belgium. Workshops were organized for the first time and the relationship between Mr. Jiao and Mr. Toch also became better and better.
In the years that followed, both visited each other more and more often and in 1990 Master Jiao came to Belgium with a delegation of 4 monks including Zhang Lipeng, Han Xinqiang, Yan Zhijun and Jiao Hongbo himself. To strengthen their relationship with Master Toch and to promote the Shaolin way of life in Europe. For example, they were guests together with Master Toch at the Marlène de Wouters Sportshow in 1990. And that year a memorial stone was placed in Shaolin Martial Arts Training Centre in honor of the relationship that had been built up with Master Toch.
from left to right Yan Zhijun, Jiao Hongbo, Zhang Lipeng and Han Xinqiang
Marlene de Wouters Sports show VTM 1990
But these monks were also guests at many galas and workshops, and thus a huge success throughout Belgium. It was during this visit, during their presentation on television, that they also inspired me to follow this way of life.
In 1994, a last major delegation touring Europe...
And then it went quiet for a while, I started with Walter Toch in '97 and trained Shaolin there on a weekly basis until 2004. In 2004 I went to China for the first time to train Shaolin.
To my great surprise I was then fortunate enough to meet Master Jiao Hongbo for the first time. I did not stay at the school where he was active. But I attended one of the hundreds of schools in Dengfeng. When visiting Mount Song and the Shaolin Temple, I ended up in the modern school of Shaolin where, before I knew it, I was standing in Master Jiao's office. A very euphoric moment, Master Jiao Hongbo himself was also very enthusiastic to receive me as the first student of his student. He invited me to come back to China and continue my studies in Shaolin at their school.
Thus a beautiful friendship grew between Master Jiao Hongbo and myself.
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Thomas Roelant and Jiao Hongbo 2004
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Jiao Hongbo, Thomas Roelant and Wang Ping 2006
I returned to China several times for long periods of time, which deepened my relationship with this school and all its loyal members, leading to our collaboration today.
Last year, on October 22, 2018, Jiao Hongbo and a delegation of monks came to sign this agreement in Brussels with 'Health Brings Happiness'.
A moment and agreement that in turn led to the celebration of our collaboration on September 29, 2019 in Kemzeke.
On September 29th, the Mt. Song Shaolin Temple School of Martial Arts, Henan, China, was officially opened in Belgium. This as a symbol of the relationship between 'Health Brent Happiness' and 'Shaolin Wushuguan' and the further spreading of this way of life.
To mark this moment, Jiao Hongbo gave a promotional lesson on 'Health Brings Happiness'.
In the afternoon, the school was honored by Mr. Jiao Hongbo together with Liu Shanshan, pr. of the school, Mr. Walter Toch and students. Let this be the beginning of one beautiful new chapter!!!
Jiao Hongbo and Thomas Roelant 2018
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