History & Lineage

The story of the Lung Ying Dragon Sign: A 2,000-year journey from the Shaolin Temples to the heart of Slane.

A Legacy of the Dragon

The teachings we give to any who wish to learn are over 2000 years old and have been passed down unchanged through generations of monks, and students, through family trees and now to anyone who wishes to learn.
Originally, these ancient teachings were developed and practiced by Shaolin Monks. These Monks were both Buddhist and Taoist practitioners. They recognised that all movement needed to be studied; both earthly and celestial; and the relationship between them. They practiced these movements for health of body, mind and acceptance of the heart.

Lam Yiu Quai

A student of the Yellow Dragon Temple in Quangzhou, China called Lam Yiu Quai (Tiger Lam), faced the same fate as his fellow monks.
He was imprisoned. By pure chance, two of the communist soldiers who occupied the temple, recognised Lam Yiu Quai, and helped him escape. They brought him to Tai-Po in Hong Kong which was under British rule at the time.
Lam Yiu Quai set about teaching straight away, but had to do so in secret.
Nevertheless, he sought to teach the pure forms of Buddhism, Healing and Meditation.
One of Lam Yiu Quai’s earliest students was his son Lam Chan Kwong who taught Chiu Chung.

Sifu Costello

first began teaching in Ireland in 1980 and in 1983 he was officially certified as a Sifu (Teacher) of Lung Ying Kung Fu. He travelled to Hong Kong in 1987 and began learning from Chiu Chung, travelling between Dublin and Hong Kong several times each year.  In 1998, he established the Shaolin Temple in Slane, Co. Meath, and has taught thousands of individuals the true essence and purity of chi, and how it can empower humanity. (*link to sifu biography)

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Our aim is to continue teaching the Shaolin principles, unchanged, so that all may benefit.