Yanmin Chen born in 1979, is a 34th Generation Shaolin Temple Monk. Shi Yan Ming is Yanmin's 'Shaolin Temple' name. 'The Shaolin Temple' give a temple name to anyone who becomes a Shaolin monk.
Yanmin started training in Gong fu (Kung fu) when he was 10 years old, in a local Gong fu (Kung fu) school. He went to the Shaolin Temple in China in 1994. He trained hard and became very disciplined whilst studying there. He spent lots of time training in Shaolin Gong fu (Kung fu) and studying Ch'an Buddhist culture and Philosophy. Specialising in San Shou, forms, weapons and Qi Gong.
Yanmin came to the UK in 1998 while on the first-ever Shaolin Temple Monks tour of the United Kingdom. He came to the United Kingdom for a Shaolin Gong fu (Kung fu) show called "The Wheel of Life," a show in London. He was with the show from 1998 to 2001, during which time he travelled to lots of countries and cities around the world. In 2001, on the last date of the tour he decided he would like to remain in London and bring Gong fu (Kung fu) to this new world.
Yanmin's friends tried to help him with his English and with his Kung fu business. In the end he decided to come to the beautiful town of Bournemouth in the South of England.
In Bournemouth, Yanmin founded the 'UK Shaolin Temple' and currently teaches authentic Shaolin Gong fu (Kung fu).
Yanmin Chen with Shifu Shi Yong Xin in Australia 1999