Shaolin Temple Quanfa Institute (STQI) Toronto

Expérience fantastique: Very good

Expérience fantastique: Good

Expérience fantastique: I joined Shaolin Temple Kung-Fu in downtown Toronto a couple of years ago, and the progress I've made is beyond what I ever imagined. When I first started, I could barely walk for five minutes without feeling out of breath. But since then, my stamina and strength have dramatically increased. I've become more flexible and disciplined, and I've even learned how to defend myself to some degree. What I love most is the holistic approach that Shifu Dao takes. He's not only knowledgeable in Kung-Fu but also helps with so many other things—stress management, allergies, meditation, pain management, and understanding how to improve your body's functions. Training here has helped me focus better and become more oriented in every aspect of my life. I used to struggle with staying calm and centered, but now, I feel much more in control. Physically, the results are visible—I'm more toned, muscular, and my body feels stronger and more grounded. I've built endurance, strength, and stamina that show both in training and in other activities, like rollerblading, where my stronger legs have really improved my performance. I still have a long way to go, and I am nowhere near perfect, but I am definitely on the right track and have improved drastically, and the change has also been visible to everyone else. What makes this school stand out even more is the community-like atmosphere. It’s not just a gym where you train and go home—everyone knows each other and we are all friends. Some people have practically grown up here, and if you excel, there’s even the potential to become an assistant or instructor. There’s always room for growth and success. Outside of class, we often meet up for personal get-togethers, and the school itself organizes events like game nights and trips both within and outside the country. It feels more like a family than just a place to train. It’s also very gender-balanced and family-friendly. There are many couples, families, and siblings training together, and the ratio of men to women is nearly equal, which isn’t always common in other martial arts classes. It creates a welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone. If you're looking for a place that not only teaches traditional Kung-Fu but also helps you grow in many areas of your life, in a safe and welcoming setting, I highly recommend Shaolin Temple Kung-Fu. It's been a life-changing experience for me.

Expérience fantastique: Amazing school, inclusive/welcoming community and fun learning environment. I’ve been taking Kung Fu classes here on and off for over year, and they are the perfect combination of depth and simplicity, guaranteed to provide a challenge regardless of your level. Master Dao and the instructors are patient, thoughtful and invested in helping students grow and embrace Shaolin principles. If you put in the time and effort, it’s also amazing to see how quickly you can develop in areas like strength (mental and physical), speed, flexibility and coordination.

Expérience fantastique: I have been taking the Kung Fu Foundations and Taolu Forms classes at STQI and I am greatly enjoying them. It is a fantastic workout for those who find better motivation in group settings. The instructors also take the time to track your individual progress and make sure you are setting the correct goals for what you are trying to work towards. Highly recommend!

Expérience fantastique: I practiced Qi Gong here, and have continued my practice on my own. Master Dao's teaching is excellent. Highly recommend this school!

Expérience fantastique: I’ve always wanted to learn kung fu, and this is the place to do it! Supportive, friendly, and very disciplined. I loved it so much my 3 children are doing it too! Good for my daughters who are learning self defense. And my son started when he was 4. He is now 7! Shaolin Philosophy also helps me cope with the stress of life.

Expérience fantastique: I started my kung fu journey here a half a year ago and I fall in love with Master’s Dao school! Master Dao and all his disciples and instructors are super friendly, knowledgeable and lots of fun to be around! I feel that I’m steadily building my strengths, physical as well as mental. The school is a real gem as it teaches you traditional and authentic Shaolin martial arts! I highly recommend this school for people of any age and gender.

Expérience fantastique: IMO, the kung fu class at STQI is the most complete form of workout you can get -- one that improves your strength, explosive power, speed, coordination, and flexibility. Master Dao teaches traditional Shaolin martial arts in a way that caters to a multicultural audience while preserving the authenticity of the warrior monk lineage at the Shaolin Temple. It's inspiring to see my fellow students grow in their training week after week, particularly those who are over 50 years old. This serves as an example to help me push through my personal challenges and be the best version of myself I can be.

Expérience fantastique: KungFu at STQI is THE BEST workout you can get in Toronto. I love being able to exercise at the same time as my kids while also learning to defend myself and work on mental strength as well. The community built by the amazing instructors and students is unmatched.

Expérience fantastique: We have been coming here for over 5 years now and have to say it’s the perfect blend of family orientation, positive inclusive community and personal striving (virtue driven). Please keep up the good work!

Expérience positive: I attended a 3-month term of tai chi and qigong classes at STQI. Each hour-long class follows a general routine, where the newer students try to keep up, while the older students look for more subtle aspects in each movement. Every week there are small variations of this routine, where in tai chi we might do sticky hands instead of push hands, or in qigong we might pay more attention to a specific sequence. The teacher makes an effort to relate the moves to self-defense applications, and is highly interested in how they benefit one’s health. Since we are paying by lesson, there is an incentive to drag things on. There was no assistant in most of my classes, despite saying on the website that there was. I never would have been able to learn the baburouquan (八步柔拳) routine without following videos on STQI’s youtube channel. The teacher won’t let us take videos either, while in various other types of lessons I am taking elsewhere, this is actively encouraged so that we can learn better. The lessons also create a sense of dependency by neglecting fundamentals. Much of tai chi consists of chaining together certain basic steps, but even some long-time students did not know what these were called. The end result is that students can do certain routines very well, but their knowledge stops there. I supplemented my lessons with some The Great Courses lectures by David-Dorian Ross, which I found far more didactic and accessible. I still have a strong desire to learn tai chi, but plan to shop around elsewhere. These classes were fine as a first exposure to tai chi, and I certainly feel more comfortable with the forms than before, but based on my experience and from observing more advanced students, I don’t think I can get where I want to be by continuing here. My main suggestion for people who want to try this out is that even though they offer a discount to buy a whole term’s worth of tokens at the beginning, it is not actually a deal if you dislike it and then feel trapped the entire time.

Expérience fantastique: This place is amazing. I went to Shaolin Temple with a pre-existing injury on my wrist and after a few weeks I already see improvements. I mostly engaged in Tai Chi and Qi Cong along with a few sessions of Kung Fu under the instruction of Master Dao who is extremely knowledgeable about every aspect of body and Shaolin art. I strongly recommend this amazing space to anyone who is looking to learn traditional Shaolin art and virtues.Learning from Master Dao is an honor. He is very professional, understanding and always motivtes you to be a better version of yourself. This comment comes from a person who has spent 4 years previously in a different discipline of martial art but now, I am totally hooked to Kung fu and Tai Chi at Shaolin Temple Quanfa Institute. Highly recommended!

Expérience fantastique: Worth driving all the way from Niagara Falls when I can, and highly recommend the Shaolin retreat!! Life changing. I've been 4 times, and it would be 7 by now if it weren't for the pandemic... Their online platform is also amazing for qigong and meditation (and kung fu) practice. Everything Dao does comes from the heart!

Expérience fantastique: Great place. My daughter loves the hard work and discipline being taught there. She is becoming more confident which is one of the reason I signed her up. I am quite happy with her progress so far. I definitely will continue to send her there. Great staff as well. Welcoming place and would recommend this school to anyone who is looking to instill discipline, perseverance, leadership, and respect for themselves or their children then this is the place to go.

Expérience fantastique: If you want to go to a great school with awesome people this is definitly the right place for you :)

Expérience fantastique: Love the Qi Gong classes here. I am a dance / fitness instructor and I was looking for a meditative / restorative class for myself and after searching across the city at yoga studios, and being disappointed (I am very fussy), I found what I was looking for here. I've been taking classes here for a few months now. The instructor is awesome - nice energy and superb quality of instruction.

Expérience fantastique: This school is a special place, inclusive and family-friendly. If you have kids, you will love how values are balanced with fun. As an adult taking lessons simultaneously alongside with my children (different class), I have gone from couch potato with aches and pains to running up the stairs and planking only in one term! It has been a low impact way of gaining flexibility, strength and cardio.

Expérience fantastique: The best place to learn Kung Fu!