CHINA 2026 — WHY I CHOSE SHAOLIN

From Curiosity to a Real Journey

My story with Shaolin did not begin with a decision to train, or even with knowing what Shaolin really was. The first trace of it appeared back in 2019 during one of my trips to China. In Zhangjiajie, I noticed a small group of people wearing clothes that I associated with martial arts. I did not know who they were, what exactly they were practising, or what it was called. I tried to find information at the time, but I never discovered the name “Shaolin.” After September 2019, that memory slowly disappeared into the background. Years passed and eventually I almost completely forgot about it.

Everything unexpectedly returned in April 2026. Through social media, I came across Sachka’s content, and that was when the word “Shaolin” properly entered my mind. I did not immediately decide to go. I watched and observed. From Sachka, I found other people and content connected with this world, including Paul from the school, Evira and others. I watched martial arts training, physical conditioning and the mental side of what people were experiencing. I also saw the difficult side. Evira’s content, for example, showed bruises, dark marks on the body and the physical effects of demanding training. It made me realise that what I was watching was not simply an attractive martial-arts video. Behind it were pain, repetition, physical effort and discipline.

At the same time, I kept wondering whether what I saw online really represented everyday life. Social media can show powerful moments, but a video cannot tell me what it feels like to wake up there, train there, communicate with people, struggle, recover and then repeat everything the next day. I could watch other people for months, but their experiences would still belong to them. I wanted to know what would happen if I stopped watching from a distance and actually became the beginner standing there myself.

Under one of the posts, I wrote a simple comment: “How can I join Shaolin?” After roughly a week and a half, the comment had reached around 300 likes. That already surprised me because my comments had never received anything close to that level of attention before. Even then, however, I did not immediately decide to go. I kept watching the number rise and created an unusual personal challenge for myself: if it reached 500 likes, I would stop treating Shaolin as something I only watched online and start taking real action.

The number was not a public vote deciding my future. Nobody on Instagram was choosing my life for me. It was simply a line I created for myself at a time when I was still hesitating. I also told a small private group of Deaf friends I knew from work about the 500-like target. They knew I was watching the number and were curious about whether I would really follow through with what I had said.

After around three weeks, the comment passed 500 and eventually reached approximately 542 likes. It was the first time one of my comments had ever reached a number like that. I showed it to my mother too, and she was surprised. For me, however, the important thing was no longer the number itself. I had made a promise to myself before it happened. Once that line had been crossed, I did not want to create another excuse and move the goal again. That was the moment when observing started turning into action.

Some people asked a reasonable question: why travel all the way to China and spend much more money when I could simply train at a gym in Poland? The answer matters because I had already tried a more ordinary path. In 2025, I joined a gym and genuinely tried to improve myself. At the beginning, I went more regularly, sometimes around three times a week. I paid for the gym for around two to three months and hoped that regular training would help me build better habits.

For a while, I tried. Then my motivation gradually became weaker. I often felt alone there. Sometimes I could communicate with an instructor, but generally people were focused on their own routines and I did not feel much connection with the environment. Eventually, I started going less often and then stopped. Looking back, I was disappointed in myself because I wanted change, but simply paying for access to a gym did not create the discipline I wanted.

Strangely, I felt very different when I challenged myself outside. During long walks, I had changing surroundings, trees, streets, nature, people and a destination in front of me. I completed walks of more than 31 kilometres and around 34 kilometres. They were physically difficult, especially with a heavier body, but mentally they felt completely different from staying inside a gym. Outside, I felt that I was actually moving towards somewhere.

That experience taught me something about myself. Exercise alone is probably not enough to keep me interested. I seem to respond more strongly when physical effort is connected with exploration, challenge, purpose and an environment that makes me curious. That is one reason Shaolin attracted me differently from another gym membership. It combines physical training with an unfamiliar environment, martial arts, culture, discipline and the challenge of living somewhere completely outside my normal routine.

Before accepting the idea of travelling alone, I asked several Deaf people whether they might be interested in coming with me. I imagined that perhaps two or three of us could go together. It seemed easier, especially because communication and entering an unfamiliar environment were already major concerns for me. Most were not interested. Some looked at the bruises and physical training and thought it was unnecessarily dangerous. I heard different opinions about the risks and whether this kind of training made any sense. Similar arguments appeared in comments from hearing people online as well.

At first, all of these opinions made me think even more. Eventually, however, I realised that there was nothing wrong with somebody looking at Shaolin and saying, “This is not for me.” Nobody should be forced to do something like this. But the same principle also applies to me. Someone else saying no does not automatically mean that my answer also has to be no.

I became tired of waiting to see whether somebody might change their mind. At some point, the question changed from “Who will come with me?” to something much harder: “If nobody comes, will I still go?” Eventually, my answer became yes.

In May 2026, curiosity became something more concrete. I sent my first serious message asking about training in China. I introduced myself as a Deaf person from Poland and explained that I was looking for something that could help me become stronger physically and mentally. I was interested in discipline, self-control and inner strength. I also asked one question that mattered enormously to me: could a Deaf person actually participate in this kind of training?

My first attempt did not immediately reach the right person. Someone connected with the Shaolin environment explained that he was a student and directed me towards the school’s official contact. Instead of stopping there, I followed the direction and contacted the school.

Correspondence note 1: My first email: introducing myself and asking about participation as a Deaf student.

The replies gradually transformed an uncertain idea into a real possibility. I learned that international students could participate, beginners were accepted and accommodation and meals were available. More importantly, I received reassurance that being Deaf did not automatically prevent me from joining. That mattered because communication was one of my biggest fears from the beginning.

Correspondence note 2: The school’s reply about participation.

When I completed the application, I accidentally selected “Advanced” as my Kung Fu level. When I noticed the mistake, I contacted the school and corrected it to “Novice.” It is a very small part of the story, but I like what it represents. I am not going to China pretending that I am an experienced martial artist. I am not going there to present myself as stronger than I really am. I am going precisely because I am a beginner.

Correspondence note 3: My application and correction of my training level to Novice.

I am also not arriving as an athlete. At one point, my weight reached around 120 kilograms. I have been working on myself, but changing my body is not easy. Some basic exercises are genuinely difficult for me. Push-ups are one example. Admitting that publicly is uncomfortable, but it is true. I do not want to create a false “before” version of myself just to make the future story look better.

At the same time, my long walks showed me that my body has endurance in other ways. Shaolin will test something different: strength, conditioning, recovery, repetition, coordination and discipline. I have watched demanding training on long stairways, and right now some of those exercises look extremely difficult to me. Maybe stairs will be harder than squats. Maybe running will be one of the hardest parts. Maybe push-ups will remain my biggest weakness. Maybe martial-arts conditioning will leave me covered in bruises. I simply do not know yet, and that uncertainty is part of the story.

During our correspondence, the school asked me to tell them more about myself. I decided not to send a few empty sentences. I wrote a much more personal message explaining why I was interested in Shaolin. I told them that I was not coming because I believed I was already strong or talented in martial arts. I wrote about wanting to become stronger physically, mentally and personally. I described my interest in travel and other cultures, some of my long-distance walking experiences, my previous experience of China and some of the larger challenges I hope to attempt in my life.

Most importantly, I explained that I was not searching for an easy path. I wanted to understand myself better through difficulty, discipline and experience.

Correspondence note 4: My personal email explaining why I wanted to train at Shaolin.

The response was short, but important to me. After reading my story, the school said that the discipline and challenge of Shaolin training appeared to fit what I was looking for and welcomed me to train with them. That felt different from receiving a price list or information about accommodation. Someone had actually read why I wanted to come.

Correspondence note 5: The school’s reply after reading my story.

I did not want to arrive in China pretending communication would somehow take care of itself. I asked directly how training could work for a Deaf student. The school explained that much of the training communication happens through demonstration and following movements. They also told me that if there were specific things they could do to help, they would try.

That did not magically remove every concern, but it changed something important in my thinking. The question was no longer simply, “Can a Deaf person do this?” It became: “How will I personally adapt when I am actually there?”

Later, I explained more about communication and even offered to teach a few basic signs if anyone at the school was interested. Then I received an answer I had not expected: according to the school, I would be their first Deaf student. My idea of showing people a few basic signs was welcomed, and I was told that I should meet open-minded people there.

That changed the meaning of the journey again. Until then, I had mainly thought about what Shaolin might give me. For the first time, I also started thinking about what I might bring there. It might be something very small — perhaps showing someone a few signs or demonstrating another way people can communicate — but even something small can create an exchange between people who would otherwise never meet.

Correspondence note 6: Correspondence about communication, demonstration and teaching basic signs.

I do not want this to become a statement that every Deaf person can or should do exactly what I am doing. Deaf people are individuals, just like everyone else. We have different bodies, communication preferences, experiences and limits. I can only test one thing honestly: what I can do.

I did not want to commit immediately to several months of training before experiencing even one day there. My plan became much simpler: start with one month. I wanted those first weeks to answer questions that emails and videos could not answer. How does my body respond? How does communication work in reality? Can I adapt to the routine? How difficult is recovery? How do I feel living there? Do I still want more after the excitement of arriving disappears?

I asked the school whether I could begin with one month and potentially extend my training without returning to Poland first. They confirmed that this was possible and that an extension could be arranged while I was already in China. That was exactly what I needed. The first month would be a genuine test, not a promise about an experience I had never had.

Correspondence note 7: Correspondence about starting with one month and a possible extension.

After roughly twenty days, I want to look at myself carefully and decide what comes next. If I am adapting well and genuinely want to continue, I may extend. If the reality turns out differently, I will have to make another decision based on experience rather than imagination. I do not know that answer today, and I prefer it that way.

Something interesting happened as the weeks passed: my questions changed. At first, I was asking whether I could come at all. Later, I was asking about everyday life: transport, free days, learning some Chinese, local culture, exploring Henan, photography, filming, accommodation, storing valuable belongings and communication.

I also asked whether I could document parts of my experience. The school explained that photography and filming were possible as long as I respected other people’s privacy. That is important to me because I want to document the process honestly. I do not want to manufacture an image of myself as an experienced Shaolin fighter. If I film this journey, I want people to see a beginner learning, struggling, adapting and discovering what the experience actually looks like.

Eventually, the application progressed, my place was accepted and the reservation process moved forward. I paid the deposit and bought my flights. That was probably one of the biggest psychological turning points.

Before buying a flight, Shaolin could still live safely inside the phrase: “Maybe one day.” I could watch videos, send emails, research and talk about it. If I became afraid, the entire idea could remain somewhere in the future. A paid flight changed that.

There was a date. The school knew I was coming. I knew I was coming.

Correspondence note 8: Reservation and arrival confirmation.

And strangely, that was when the fear became stronger. My mind started asking: “Am I really going to do this?” October was no longer an abstract month somewhere in the future. It was getting closer.

During that period, I spoke with two people who are important to me. One calmly told me that this experience could help me discover something new about myself. The second conversation happened during a night-time workout. I admitted openly that I was scared. Exercising together in a familiar place was one thing. Flying alone to China and entering Shaolin was completely different.

My friend came closer, looked directly at me and gave me a very simple message. The meaning was: go to Shaolin, experience it, do not give up, and if you fall, get up and try again.

I remember that. It did not magically remove my fear. Even now, difficult thoughts can return when I imagine the first day. But that conversation helped me understand something: courage does not necessarily mean that fear disappears. Sometimes courage is what happens while the fear is still there.

Another friend also reminded me not to disappear from the people who genuinely care about me simply because I am chasing bigger goals. That mattered too. Going alone does not mean cutting myself off from everybody. I want to keep contact with people who have supported me while still taking responsibility for my own path.

I also discussed China many times with my mother. At first, she was worried and was not convinced by the idea of me leaving earlier. There were other things happening in our lives, and the timing mattered. I returned to the subject and talked about October instead. Eventually, she told me that it was my decision and that I had to decide whether I genuinely wanted to do it.

For me, that mattered. I did not need somebody else to make the decision for me. I needed to accept that if I chose this path, the responsibility would also be mine. Later, when she saw that this was no longer only another idea — that I had contacted the school, made arrangements and bought the flights — she congratulated me.

Some other people were shocked when they realised I had actually done it. They had heard me talk about ambitious plans before, but a purchased flight was different. The discussion was over. Now I had to act.

I do not want to write a fake motivational story claiming that I never give up. I have. The gym is one example. There have been other moments when I lost motivation, postponed things or stopped. That is exactly why Shaolin interests me.

For me, “do not give up” cannot mean destroying my body to prove something. I want to learn the difference between discomfort, exhaustion, recovery and a genuine physical limit. If I cannot complete an exercise, I want to learn how to return and try again. If my body genuinely needs recovery, I also want to understand that rest is not automatically failure. I want to learn my own body instead of fighting blindly against it.

After the first month, I do not expect to suddenly become a martial artist. I would rather look for simple evidence of progress. Can I perform more push-ups? Can I run longer? Can I handle stairs better? Is my recovery improving? Can I repeat difficult exercises without immediately wanting to stop? Has my weight changed? Do I move differently? Most importantly, what happens mentally when I am tired and something is not working?

There is another reason I do not want to postpone this. The years 2024 and 2025 contained mistakes, difficult experiences and periods when I felt that I had lost control of parts of my life. I also learned difficult lessons about money, trust, people and my own decisions.

I want 2026 to represent something different: taking greater responsibility for what I choose to do next. I do not know exactly what 2027 will bring. Perhaps business, another challenge or something I have not decided yet. But I also have a much larger long-term ambition for 2028 and beyond: travelling around the world by bicycle.

If I keep moving every important challenge into “next year,” eventually all of those plans begin competing for the same future. So I asked myself a simple question: if Shaolin matters to me now, why am I constantly searching for a later year?

I would rather give this challenge its place in 2026, learn from it and then continue building the next chapter. Shaolin is not the final destination of my life. It is one chapter.

By August, my questions had moved beyond joining the training to a possible extension, luggage and independent travel after the school period. Some answers were still pending then; the later correspondence and changes to my plans are described below.

Correspondence note 9: August correspondence about an extension and practical travel questions.

Being Deaf is an important part of this experience, but I do not want to use it either as an excuse or as a slogan. I know communication may be harder. I know there may be moments when a hearing person understands an instruction immediately while I have to watch again, ask, read something or find another way.

But communication is not limited to one method. If I cannot hear an instruction, I can watch a demonstration. If I do not understand, I can ask. If someone does not know sign language, we can use gestures, written text, a phone, translation or perhaps learn a few basic signs from each other.

I also do not want to say: “Deaf people can do everything.” Reality is more complicated than a motivational slogan. I would rather say: being Deaf can create additional barriers. A barrier, however, does not automatically mean the end of the road. Sometimes it means finding another way through.

If my experience later helps another Deaf person think, “Maybe I can ask too,” that would mean something to me. They do not have to choose Shaolin. They do not have to copy my journey. Maybe their challenge will be completely different. The important part is asking the question instead of automatically assuming that the answer must be no.

The emails show something that a simple photo of an airline ticket cannot show. The decision did not happen in one dramatic second. It developed through curiosity, doubt, questions, answers, research, conversations, fear, planning and finally commitment.

Correspondence note 10: Correspondence recording the progression from application to a confirmed place.

That is probably the most important thing I want people to understand about this article. I am publishing it before the test. I am not standing at the finish line telling everyone how I transformed my life. I am standing before the starting line.

Later, I want to return to this article and compare the person who wrote it before Shaolin with the person who actually experienced Shaolin. Then I will be able to answer the questions I cannot answer today. Did my fitness improve? Did my body change? Did I become more disciplined? How did communication actually work? What was the hardest moment? Did I want to give up? Did I stay for longer? What did I learn from the people there? And finally: was Shaolin worth the decision?

In 2019, I saw something in China that I could not even properly name. In 2026, that forgotten curiosity returned and step by step became a real plan. At that point, I thought the most important part left was simply to go. But before I even reached China, September brought another challenge that changed the way I looked at the whole plan.

Visa problems, chaos in my plans and a change of plan

My previous experience with a Chinese visa went back to my 2019 journey. Even then, the process felt difficult to me because it was something completely new, but the situation was different from 2026. At that time, some Deaf friends helped me understand parts of the process, showed me what I needed to do and supported me with some of the steps. In the end, I received the visa, travelled to Hong Kong and was able to continue into China. I remember it as something complicated, but successful. Later, I also had experience connected with a United States visa, although that journey eventually did not happen and that chapter ended after a long period of time.

The difference in 2026 was that I was trying to understand much more of the process by myself. I started looking at how I could prepare a Chinese visa through London and also thinking about how the process would compare with applying from Poland. The purpose was similar — I needed the correct documents and permission to enter and stay in China legally — but for me the experience felt very different from 2019. In London, I was dealing with application forms, questions about accommodation, travel dates, my passport, documents from the school and the problem of fitting all of this around several other journeys. I could see some similarities with my first Chinese visa, but there was one important difference: in 2019 I had more direct help from Deaf friends, while this time I was trying to understand most of the process myself.

I also began wondering whether dealing with the visa in London or Poland would be easier for me. In reality, both options still meant that I had to understand formal language, prepare the correct documents and organise enough time for the process. The biggest difficulty was therefore not simply the city or country where I would apply. The hardest part for me was understanding the whole procedure, knowing exactly what information was required and putting all of the steps into the correct order. That was something I had underestimated.

By the end of August, my plan for China was still much bigger. I wanted to begin with one month of Shaolin training and, if the experience suited me, I was considering staying for another two months until the school closed in December. After that, I wanted to spend around another month travelling independently around China. At that time, I looked at everything as one large project: the first month as a test, then the possibility of continuing the training, and finally a longer period of travel.

On 29 August, I wrote to Paul from the school and tried to understand whether that plan was realistic. I sent him my flight details to Zhengzhou, asked about airport pickup, the cost of additional training and what I would need to do to keep a longer stay in China legal. My idea at that time was still to remain at the school until approximately 20 December and then continue travelling independently around China for several more weeks. Paul confirmed that the additional six weeks of training would cost 12,000 CNY and explained that with a longer plan I should prepare the correct tourist visa in advance rather than assuming that I could simply extend everything after arriving in China. That was the moment when the visa stopped feeling like a small administrative detail and became something I realised I needed to take very seriously.

Around 1 September, I started working through the Chinese visa application much more carefully. I filled in sections with my name, surname, passport information, travel dates, information about my planned stay and the other required details. Some parts were easy for me, but other questions made me stop for a long time. I am Deaf, and written communication is usually one of the easiest ways for me to communicate, but official language is very different from normal everyday writing. Some of the words and expressions were things I almost never used before, so sometimes I had to translate one question, read it again, simplify the meaning in my head and then check whether I had really understood what was being asked.

I also used ChatGPT to help translate and explain some of the more difficult wording. It helped me understand new words and put some of the formal language into simpler terms, but the decisions were still mine. I still had to check my documents, decide which information was correct and take responsibility for what I submitted. For me, that became another kind of learning process. I was not only preparing for China; I was also learning how much patience and attention official procedures can require.

The biggest problem appeared when I reached the accommodation section. During my training, I was not supposed to live in a normal hotel because my accommodation and food were included at the Shaolin school. At first, it seemed completely logical to me that the school could simply provide a confirmation showing that I would be staying there. I contacted Paul and asked for documentation confirming my reservation, the first month of training, my accommodation at the school and the possibility of extending the training later.

Then I received an answer I had not expected. Paul explained that the school did not provide the type of accommodation certificate used for a tourism visa application. He said that if the visa authorities required hotel information, I could book a hotel in Zhengzhou or Dengfeng and use the hotel details in the application. He also mentioned another possible route involving an official study-visa invitation document for up to 90 days. That option would cost around €400 and would take longer to arrange.

That was when the real confusion started in my head. I kept asking myself: if I am actually going to sleep and eat at the school, why do I need to show a hotel? If I need a hotel only for the application, what dates should I use? Does it need to cover the whole stay or only part of it? Could there be a problem later if I am actually staying at the school? Do I need another document? Is the tourism visa still the best route for me? Should I consider the €400 option instead? Every answer seemed to create another question, and instead of feeling that the process was becoming clearer, I felt that it was becoming more complicated.

I wrote to Paul again because I wanted to make sure that I had understood everything correctly. I asked whether the hotel booking would only be needed for the tourism visa application while my real accommodation and food during training would still be included at the school. I also wanted to confirm that the €400 was connected with the alternative visa document and was not another accommodation charge. I did not want to change my entire plan simply because I had misunderstood one part of the process.

By 3 September, I started to feel serious pressure because of time. I already knew that on 8 September I would leave the United Kingdom and travel to France. Several more journeys were ahead of me before China; I describe the route I eventually took in the October update below. Near the end of September, I was also considering returning to London again, probably around 27–30 September, because I still had other things to organise before China. At the same time, the visa process required time and my original passport, while I needed that same passport for my international travel. That was when I began to realise that the amount of time I had thought was enough was actually becoming very small.

On 3 September, I sent Paul another email and explained that the situation had become urgent. I asked for clear information about accommodation, the correct hotel dates, the possibility of using a refundable hotel, confirmation from the school and which visa route would be the fastest and most practical for my situation. I had become so confused about the order of everything that I even asked him to explain what I should do first, second and third. I also wrote clearly that I am Deaf and that email communication is the easiest way for me. At that point, I was not looking for another big plan or more complicated possibilities. I needed a simple order because I could feel that I was starting to lose control of the sequence of the steps.

That same day, the stress also became visible at home. I was not sitting calmly with a finished solution. I was moving around near my bedroom, returning to my phone, sometimes talking to myself out loud and trying to understand why the accommodation problem had become so complicated. The kitchen is next to that part of the home, and my mother noticed my behaviour from there. She could see that I was stressed and that something was constantly occupying my mind. She did not come into my room with a ready answer because she did not know how to solve a Chinese visa either. She simply noticed that something was affecting me strongly.

When she started asking what was happening with my plans, the conversation became stronger. I told her that it was my problem and that I had to find the solution myself. I did not mean that I did not want to listen to her. At that moment, I felt responsible for the situation, and at the same time I did not know how she could help me with something that I still could not organise clearly in my own head. I knew that I had made mistakes in my preparation. I had mixed up the order of some steps and focused too much on the larger four-month plan instead of thinking earlier about how much time the visa process itself might require.

Money was also beginning to become part of the pressure. The longer I analysed the stay, the more I understood that several months of training followed by independent travel would require a much larger budget and much more organisation than I had originally imagined. What had looked exciting as a long plan also started to look much heavier once I tried to connect the training costs, travel, accommodation, visa process and all of my other journeys together.

For most of that day, the problem stayed very strongly in my head. I kept searching for a solution, returning to documents and trying to understand the information while becoming more and more exhausted. At some point, instead of finding an answer, I was simply moving around the same questions again and again. I stopped everything for a while because continuing to push myself was no longer helping me find a solution.

Later, when I was lying down with my phone, I still could not completely let the subject go. I searched online again, checked different possibilities and tried to find something I might have missed. I still did not have a clear decision. I was tired, emotional and sad because something I had expected to be only one part of the preparation had started to affect the entire plan. The more I tried to solve everything at once, the more difficult it became to see which problem I should actually solve first.

On 4 September, the situation began to look different. After going through everything again, I started to understand that trying to save the original several-month plan at any cost might only create more problems. My mother asked me again what I was going to do. This time, the conversation went in another direction. She did not try to explain the visa form to me and she did not tell me which visa I should choose. Instead, she asked a much simpler question: if I already had the opportunity to go to Shaolin for one month, why not do that month first, experience the place with my own eyes and only then decide what should happen next?

She explained it in her own way. I could complete the first month of Shaolin, then come back or visit another country for a few days, and if the situation later allowed it, I could still return to China and travel. I did not need to force three months of training and another month of travel into one complicated plan immediately. That was the moment when something changed in my thinking. It was not because my mother made the decision for me, and she did not solve the visa for me. She simply showed me a much simpler possibility at a moment when stress had made it difficult for me to see one myself.

I thanked her for that idea. I started organising the plan again, but this time I did not begin from the end. I started with what I actually had in front of me: one month of Shaolin training. I still do not know what the daily discipline will really feel like. I do not know whether I will handle the physical demands in the way I imagine, how communication will work every day or how I will feel after several weeks. That was when I realised that extending my stay before completing even one real day of Shaolin training was not something I needed to promise.

If, after that first month, I discover that I genuinely want much more Shaolin training, I do not have to force everything into 2026. I can prepare another stage for the following year and approach it with experience that I do not have today. Several months of training, possibly even around half a year, would then mean something completely different. I would already know what life at the school looks like, how my body responds, what kind of discipline is expected, how communication works and whether I really want to dedicate such a long period of my life to that experience.

After the first month in 2026, I no longer want to give myself one fixed answer about what must happen next. I may visit another country for a few days. I may later return to China and spend several weeks travelling independently through different cities if it is legally possible, financially sensible and if I still want to continue. I also know people in China who have told me that they are waiting for my arrival and would like to meet me. That is genuinely meaningful to me because China is no longer only a list of places I want to see. There are also real people there, conversations and friendships that I may finally be able to return to in person.

I do not always do everything perfectly. Sometimes I misunderstand something. Sometimes I need official language explained in a simpler way. Sometimes I spend too long trying to solve everything at once and only later realise that I should have divided the problem into smaller steps. I also felt embarrassed about some of my mistakes during the visa preparation, especially because I had already talked about much bigger plans. But I am beginning to look at that differently. If I make a mistake, understanding where I made it and what I can do differently next time is more useful than pretending that the mistake never happened.

The biggest lesson for me is time. Next time, visa preparation needs to appear at the beginning of the planning process, before I build an entire schedule of flights, training and other journeys around it. I need to know earlier what accommodation documents are required, how long the process may take, when my passport will be needed and how much extra time I should leave for unexpected questions or corrections. I also learned that formalities are not simply a small obstacle between me and the journey. They are part of the journey itself and they need to be treated as seriously as the flight, the budget and the place where I will stay.

I did not handle every part of these preparations perfectly. There were moments of chaos, stress, panic, embarrassment and exhaustion, and that is exactly why I want this part to remain in my story. I do not want to show only the moment when I am already sitting on the plane to China or standing in front of the Shaolin school. The real journey started earlier — with forms, documents, unfamiliar words, messages to Paul, questions I did not immediately understand, conversations with my mother and the moment when I had to admit to myself that the plan needed to change.

9–10 SEPTEMBER 2026 — TWO DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS AND SHAOLIN GETTING CLOSER

On 9 September, I heard something from one person that irritated me more than it helped me. The conversation returned to my trip to China and my Shaolin training. That person said that it might be very hard for me, that maybe I would not manage it and that it was possible I could return to Poland after only one week because I would not be able to continue. It was not the first time I had heard something like that. The same negative scenario had already been repeated several times, and when I heard it again, it started to annoy me.

It was not because I expect everyone to tell me only positive things or give me empty motivation. I already know that Shaolin may be very difficult. I know my condition is not perfect and I know I cannot predict how I will react to daily training. The problem was that hearing the same worst-case scenario again and again was not giving me anything useful. I already had enough questions in my own head.

I did not want to turn it into an argument. I did not need to prove to that person that I would definitely succeed, because I do not know that yet myself. I also did not want to waste energy trying to convince someone before I had even started. I simply smiled, moved away from the conversation and left it there. I thought that not every opinion has to become part of my own thinking. Someone can believe that I will return after a week. I cannot prove today that it will be different. The real answer will only come when I am actually there and the training begins.

The next day, on 10 September, I had a completely different conversation. This time I spoke with another Deaf person from the group. We had known each other before, roughly since 2023–2024, but our conversations had usually been short and neutral. We simply recognised each other and sometimes spoke for a little while. When I saw him again after some time, I actually needed a moment to remember where I knew his face from because he looked different from before. After a moment, I recognised him properly and we started talking more.

The subject appeared naturally. He had already heard from other people that I was really going to China in October for Shaolin training. At the same time, I heard him talking about discipline, sport and changing his body, and instead of immediately returning to my own projects, I started listening. I had other things I was supposed to work on that day, including my own projects and plans for the future, but this conversation suddenly became more interesting to me. The projects could wait for a while because what he was talking about connected strongly with what I was about to face myself.

He told me about his own experience with body weight, regular training and discipline. At one point, he had weighed around 95 kilograms and had not felt good about himself. There were periods when he did not feel like exercising, when he had little energy and when being consistent was difficult. Over time, however, he started moving much more, training regularly and playing basketball.

What mattered to me most was that he did not only talk about it. He showed me different photos and other material from his earlier period. I could see what he looked like before and what he looked like now. That made a much stronger impression on me than words alone. I had known him before when he was heavier, and now I saw someone much slimmer, more well-groomed and with much more energy. He told me that once he started training regularly, the first changes appeared quite quickly, and over time his weight went down to around 75 kilograms.

I really respected what I saw. Not because I wanted to copy his life or reach exactly the same number on the scale. His story was his story. He had his own sport, his own reasons and his own way of changing himself. I have a different path and a different reason for going to Shaolin. But one thing connected strongly with me: he did not start in perfect condition either. He also had to begin from a place where he was not fully satisfied with himself.

I told him honestly that my condition is still not good. I have a higher body weight, some exercises are difficult for me and I am not training regularly in the same way he does. At the same time, I have already had several experiences that showed me that my body can sometimes do more than I expect.

One of those moments happened on 2 March 2026. I had travelled from Dublin to London Luton and, after arriving, I ended up in a situation where I did not have the right money in pounds for the bus. I had euros, but when I asked whether there was any chance I could travel and solve it another way, I was refused. Instead of panicking, I decided to treat the day as a real test. At around 9:15 in the morning, I started walking from London Luton towards Watford. I finished at around 19:10. In total, I walked 31.17 kilometres. It had not been planned as some major sporting challenge in advance. It happened because of the situation, but once I started, I wanted to see how far I could actually go.

Then, on 10 April 2026, I planned another test more deliberately. I left Watford at around 4:01 in the morning with a clear goal of walking towards central London. At 16:51, I reached Tower Bridge. That day, I walked around 34 kilometres. This time it was different because I had chosen the challenge myself from the beginning. I wanted to see whether I could start early, keep moving for many hours and actually reach the place I had set as my goal.

Another example came on 28 April in Ireland. On a free day, I left Kilrush at around 11:15 and walked to Kilkee, arriving at about 14:55. The distance was around 15 kilometres. It was not as extreme as the earlier two walks, but it showed me that longer walking was becoming more natural for me and that I could keep moving without feeling completely destroyed afterwards.

Those walks do not mean that I already had good fitness or that I was training regularly. That is the important difference. I could complete one very long effort on one day, but then I did not always keep the same consistency afterwards. I could walk more than 30 kilometres, but daily discipline is something else. Shaolin still feels completely different to me because it will not be about one strong day or one long walk. It will be about waking up the next day and training again, then doing it again after that, and again after that.

He told me that having poor fitness at the beginning does not mean I should not go. In his view, that is exactly why people start training — to improve over time. You do not need to arrive already looking like an athlete or already being strong on the first day. You start from the condition you have, learn, watch your body and gradually build yourself up.

When he understood how close my trip really was, the conversation became even more concrete. I told him that it was no longer just an idea. I showed him proof that the flights had been paid, the training had been arranged and the accommodation at the school had been prepared. The school knew I was coming. The date was real. October was getting closer.

That was probably the strangest part emotionally. I could show another person proof that the trip was real, while inside I still had doubts and fear. One part of me was excited and another part kept thinking about what would happen when I actually stood there. The martial arts, the discipline, the physical pain, the routine and the whole atmosphere may feel completely different when I am inside that place instead of watching it on a screen.

He looked at it more simply than I did. His message was basically that if the important things were already arranged and I genuinely wanted to experience it, then I should go and see it for myself. He did not tell me that everything would definitely be easy. He did not promise me a certain transformation or a certain amount of weight loss. He was simply telling me not to live through the entire experience in my head before I had even arrived.

That stayed with me.

The day before, one person had repeated the idea that maybe I would return to Poland after one week. The next day, another person did something very different. He did not try to predict whether I would succeed or fail. He showed me his own photos, explained his own experience and showed me what regularity had done for him. One conversation mainly left me irritated. The other gave me something to think about.

The conversation continued very late into the night, somewhere between three and five in the morning. I finally went to sleep at around 6:30 and woke up at around 11:10. I was tired, but my head was still working. Later, while doing normal things like peeling potatoes, I kept returning to Shaolin in my thoughts. Physically I was doing something completely ordinary, but mentally I was already imagining China, the school, the training and that first day that I still do not know.

For now, I only know that the journey is getting closer, and the more real it becomes, the more I understand that there are some answers I cannot get from other people, from videos or from my own imagination. I will only find those answers when I am finally there.

Before departure — 11 October 2026

Earlier in this story, I described my travel plans. Now I can write about what actually happened. I spent some time in France, visited Monaco for a whole day, continued to Italy and then travelled to Austria.

Monaco made a strong impression on me. I spent the day exploring its famous places and seeing the luxury around me. Towards the end of this part of the journey, however, I started feeling unwell. I developed a runny nose, an irritated throat and a cough.

In Italy, we stopped for pizza and travelled to Austria that evening. I kept trying to move forward, although the symptoms were becoming more noticeable. For roughly three weeks, they did not go away and sometimes became much stronger.

During that time, I was still walking a lot, including mountain routes and long stretches of road in Austria. Some of those walks felt harder than my earlier hikes in Ireland or Scotland. The sun was strong too, and my face became noticeably tanned.

At one point, the cough became very severe and I was coughing up mucus. I spent one day in the hotel resting and sleeping. When I had enough energy, I worked on my projects. Afterwards, I continued travelling, although I still did not feel completely well. Finishing another route did not mean I would immediately recover — the illness lasted much longer.

I then travelled to Ostrava in the Czech Republic to visit people close to me, including someone I think of as a second mother. I had missed them. I remember some parts of the journey unclearly, so I do not want to fill those gaps with details I am unsure about.

What I do remember is being welcomed, having somewhere to stay and feeling happy to see them. I brought gifts and small treats, including sweets for their daughter. I like giving people little things that make them happy.

In the Czech Republic, two people who were my guests, my mother and my brother’s daughter, also became ill after I arrived while still sick. I believe they caught it from me.

On Sunday, I flew back to London Luton while still unwell. By then, the severe cough had lasted about a month and a week. The cough continued into October but gradually became weaker. I rested and tried to ease the symptoms with things such as milk with honey, remedies and vitamin C. I cannot say exactly what helped. What mattered most to me was feeling better as my departure for China approached. I hope to arrive in good shape, but I cannot know in advance how my body will respond.

Today is 11 October 2026. Departure is close, and my head is full of things to organise. There have been travel preparations, clothes, expenses and responsibilities at home. I also helped my mother with repairs and changes in her flat. It has been an intense period of payments and decisions.

On Thursday, 8 October, I paid around 1,600 PLN for travel insurance. My mother and I viewed that expense differently, and the conversation felt uncomfortable to me. I wanted protection suited to activities I might try, rather than assuming everything would be covered.

In a written reply dated 8 October, the insurance agency confirmed coverage for kung-fu/Shaolin training, recreational diving and bungee jumping. The same message listed exclusions, including abseiling. That distinction matters: I cannot assume every extreme sport is covered.

I also spent 1,200 PLN repairing two upper teeth on the right side. Their appearance had bothered me, and I am happier with the result now. The appointment also reminded me that looking after myself requires further work.

From what I understood during the appointment, around fourteen teeth still need attention. Roughly five or six are in a more serious condition, while the others need less extensive work. These are approximate numbers I remember, rather than a detailed treatment plan. I will need more appointments. I want looking after my teeth and health to become a regular part of my life.

Shaolin is another part of that effort, but I do not yet know what the stay will change in me. I cannot predict how my body will look afterwards, whether I will feel much stronger or how difficult the training will be. I will describe what I actually experience, rather than promising a transformation before it happens.

The school confirmed my reservation. On 29 August, Paul wrote that a driver would meet me at the exit from baggage collection with a sign showing my name, and that the pickup would cost 300 CNY. A later reminder, sent on 9 October, asked for my travel details again. I had sent them earlier, but this final point still needs to be checked.

Those messages are part of the record of this journey: my questions, the school’s replies, the reservation and practical arrangements. They show how an idea gradually became a real plan. Any material I share publicly must have private information removed.

My current plans also include around twelve days in Thailand and a return to China, with Chengdu as part of a possible solo trip. These are plans, rather than experiences I have already lived. I will write about what actually happens as the journey develops.

I feel that the preparation chapter is coming to an end. The next part will begin with departure and the airport, followed by Shaolin and then further travels if I am able to carry them out.

I am excited, stressed and still trying to organise everything in my head. There have been many things to sort out. I have had to make my own decisions, learn along the way and take responsibility for them. I do not know the ending yet, but I am getting closer to the beginning.

During the journey, I will share updates on Instagram and my other channels. You are welcome to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, and return here for the longer stories.

Thank you for reading, taking an interest in my story and accompanying me on this journey. I wish you luck on your own path too.

See you in part two.

Przed wyjazdem — 11 października 2026 (wersja polska)

Wcześniej w tej historii opisywałem swoje plany podróży. Teraz mogę napisać, co rzeczywiście się wydarzyło. Spędziłem trochę czasu we Francji, odwiedziłem Monako na cały dzień, pojechałem dalej do Włoch, a następnie do Austrii.

Monako zrobiło na mnie duże wrażenie. Przez cały dzień poznawałem jego znane miejsca i oglądałem otaczający mnie luksus. Jednak pod koniec tej części podróży zacząłem źle się czuć. Pojawiły się katar, podrażnione gardło i kaszel.

We Włoszech zatrzymaliśmy się na pizzę, a wieczorem ruszyliśmy do Austrii. Nadal próbowałem iść do przodu, chociaż objawy stawały się coraz bardziej odczuwalne. Przez mniej więcej trzy tygodnie nie ustępowały, a czasami były znacznie silniejsze.

W tym czasie wciąż dużo chodziłem, także po górskich trasach i długich odcinkach dróg w Austrii. Niektóre z tych spacerów były dla mnie trudniejsze niż wcześniejsze wędrówki w Irlandii czy Szkocji. Było też mocne słońce i wyraźnie opaliłem twarz.

W pewnym momencie kaszel stał się bardzo silny i odkrztuszałem wydzielinę. Jeden dzień spędziłem w hotelu na odpoczynku i spaniu. Kiedy miałem siłę, zajmowałem się swoimi projektami. Później kontynuowałem podróż, chociaż nadal nie czułem się całkowicie zdrowy. Ukończenie kolejnej trasy nie oznaczało, że wyzdrowieję od razu — choroba trwała jeszcze długo.

Następnie pojechałem do Ostrawy w Czechach, żeby odwiedzić bliskie mi osoby, w tym osobę, którą traktuję jak drugą mamę. Tęskniłem za nimi. Niektóre fragmenty podróży pamiętam niewyraźnie, dlatego nie chcę uzupełniać tych luk szczegółami, których nie jestem pewien.

Pamiętam jednak, że zostałem przyjęty, miałem gdzie przenocować i cieszyłem się ze spotkania. Przywiozłem prezenty i drobne przyjemności, między innymi słodycze dla ich córki. Lubię dawać ludziom małe rzeczy, które sprawiają im radość.

W Czechach również zachorowały przeze mnie dwie osoby, które były moimi gośćmi: moja mama i córka mojego brata, ponieważ przyjechałem tam, będąc nadal chory.

W niedzielę poleciałem z powrotem do London Luton, nadal będąc chorym. Bardzo silny kaszel utrzymywał się już około miesiąca i tygodnia. Kaszel utrzymywał się jeszcze w październiku, ale stopniowo słabł. Odpoczywałem i próbowałem łagodzić objawy, między innymi mlekiem z miodem, preparatami i witaminą C. Nie potrafię powiedzieć, co dokładnie pomogło. Najważniejsze było dla mnie to, że czułem się lepiej, gdy zbliżał się wyjazd do Chin. Mam nadzieję dotrzeć w dobrej formie, ale nie mogę z góry wiedzieć, jak zareaguje mój organizm.

Dzisiaj jest 11 października 2026. Wyjazd jest już blisko, a ja mam głowę pełną spraw do załatwienia. Były przygotowania do podróży, ubrania, wydatki i obowiązki w domu. Pomagałem też mamie przy naprawach i zmianach w mieszkaniu. To był intensywny czas, pełen płatności i decyzji.

W czwartek, 8 października, zapłaciłem około 1600 zł za ubezpieczenie podróżne. Mama i ja patrzyliśmy na ten wydatek inaczej, a rozmowa była dla mnie niekomfortowa. Chciałem ochrony odpowiadającej aktywnościom, których mogę spróbować, zamiast zakładać, że wszystko będzie objęte polisą.

W pisemnej odpowiedzi z 8 października agencja ubezpieczeniowa potwierdziła objęcie ochroną treningu kung-fu/Shaolin, rekreacyjnego nurkowania i bungee jumping. W tej samej wiadomości wymieniono wyłączenia, między innymi abseiling, czyli zjazd na linie. To ważna różnica: nie mogę zakładać, że każdy sport ekstremalny jest objęty ochroną.

Wydałem również 1200 zł na naprawę dwóch górnych zębów po prawej stronie. Ich wygląd wcześniej mi przeszkadzał, a teraz jestem bardziej zadowolony z efektu. Ta wizyta przypomniała mi jednak, że dbanie o siebie wymaga dalszej pracy.

Z tego, co zrozumiałem podczas wizyty, około czternastu zębów nadal wymaga uwagi. Mniej więcej pięć lub sześć jest w poważniejszym stanie, a pozostałe potrzebują mniej rozległych prac. To orientacyjne liczby, które zapamiętałem, a nie szczegółowy plan leczenia. Będę potrzebował kolejnych wizyt. Chcę dbać o zęby i zdrowie jako stałą część swojego życia.

Shaolin jest kolejną częścią tego wysiłku, ale jeszcze nie wiem, co zmieni we mnie ten pobyt. Nie potrafię przewidzieć, jak później będzie wyglądało moje ciało, czy poczuję się znacznie silniejszy ani jak trudne będą treningi. Będę opisywał to, czego naprawdę doświadczę, zamiast obiecywać przemianę, zanim ona nastąpi.

Szkoła potwierdziła moją rezerwację. 29 sierpnia Paul napisał, że kierowca spotka mnie przy wyjściu z odbioru bagażu z tabliczką z moim nazwiskiem, a odbiór będzie kosztował 300 CNY. Późniejsze przypomnienie, wysłane 9 października, ponownie poprosiło o dane podróży. Wysłałem je wcześniej, ale tę ostatnią sprawę trzeba jeszcze sprawdzić.

Te wiadomości są częścią dokumentacji tej podróży: moje pytania, odpowiedzi szkoły, rezerwacja i praktyczne ustalenia. Pokazują, jak pomysł stopniowo stał się rzeczywistym planem. Materiały, które pokażę publicznie, muszą mieć usunięte prywatne dane.

W moich obecnych planach jest też około dwunastu dni w Tajlandii i powrót do Chin, z Chengdu jako częścią możliwej podróży solo. To plany, a nie wydarzenia, które już przeżyłem. Będę pisał o tym, co naprawdę się wydarzy, w miarę rozwoju podróży.

Czuję, że kończy się rozdział przygotowań. Następna część zacznie się od wyjazdu i lotniska, później pojawi się Shaolin, a następnie dalsze podróże, jeśli uda się je zrealizować.

Jestem podekscytowany, zestresowany i nadal próbuję to wszystko poukładać w głowie. Było dużo spraw do załatwienia. Musiałem sam podejmować decyzje, uczyć się po drodze i brać za nie odpowiedzialność. Jeszcze nie znam zakończenia, ale jestem coraz bliżej początku.

W trakcie podróży będę dodawał aktualności na Instagramie i w pozostałych kanałach. Zapraszam do obserwowania mnie na Facebooku, Instagramie, TikToku i YouTube oraz do wracania tutaj po dłuższe opowieści.

Dziękuję, że czytacie, interesujecie się moją historią i towarzyszycie mi w tej podróży. Wam również życzę powodzenia na własnej drodze.

Do zobaczenia w drugiej części.