Rare female Shaolin Kung Fu disciple is using social media to share the 1,500-year-old practice with the world

RICHMOND, Va. —Natalie Aldrich is a bridge between the ancient world and 21st century. The woman from Richmond puts a new twist on old teachings.

Aldrich is a 35th generation disciple of Shaolin Kung Fu — a blend of meditation and martial arts she describes as sharpening both the inner and outer self.

Few women have earned the title in the practice's 1,500-year history.

"To be part of the actual lineage, that is maybe I'm only one of a handful in the whole US," Aldrich said. "It's like becoming a gladiator or something or a samurai. Like women didn't do that."

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Aldrich's journey began six years ago.

The northern Virginia native and aspiring actress was working in Los Angeles when the COVID-19 pandemic upended her life.

"I am the person who really tries to take responsibility in my role in my life and Captain my own ship," she said.

Searching for structure and direction, Aldrich walked into a Shaolin temple.

"I loved it. I always remember the minute I walked into the Temple on August 15, 2020," she said. "Just feeling this intuitive intuitive feeling my intuition telling me that this is where I am supposed to be."

"It is the most physically demanding thing I've ever done," she added.

The decision transformed her life.

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"Yes. Yes. It is like coming home to myself," Aldrich said.

For three years, Aldrich lived and trained in the practice developed in China more than a millennium ago.

"But that discipline that I had from the first day, it brought me peace because I had something I had a purpose now," she said.

During a ceremony in January 2021, Aldrich became a disciple of Shaolin. The ceremony included having her head shaved by her mentor.

"So I sat there, and as he shaved my head and then and then bowed, so it wasn't just some stunt for social media. It wasn't a way to get attention. It was away for me to shed away my past," she said. "Listen, I'm a new person. My name is Eternal Silk. I was just excited about this new journey. Couldn't care less about losing my hair really or losing the past."

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While still living in the temple, Aldrich began posting videos online — and the response was immediate.

"I was posting these little videos and people starting messaging me and commenting. 'How can I learn?'" she said.

"It was just so interesting for people to see this like bald chick doing kung fu and posting and living in the Temple and like posting her journey so I started to get a lot of followers and some of my videos went viral," Aldrich said.

Eventually, the strict lifestyle wore on her. Three years to the day after walking in, Aldrich left temple life behind and moved back to Richmond.

"But I did miss regular life. I started to really miss just being a normal 2022-year-old girl and doing normal 22-year-old girl things," she said. "I was like I'm not gonna feel guilty about this. This is it's my time to leave and I need to so I just took my suitcase and I left."

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"Something about me is that I really like routine and discipline and regiment until it gets old and then I really like spontaneity," she added.

Aldrich still carries the lessons she learned and earned.

"I'm not a master I don't claim to be, but I did have this experience. You know that nobody can take away from me," she said.

Now, she is sharing that knowledge with others — both online and in person — introducing people in Richmond and around the world to the benefits of Shaolin Kung Fu.

"So things like awareness, meditation, mindful movement, humility, simplicity," Aldrich said.

Her message is that dedicating three years in a temple is not a requirement to grow from Shaolin Kung Fu.

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"It has been a huge honor to see the way that it changes peoples lives," she said.

"Yes, it will absolutely always be a part of me," Aldrich said. "But I'm trying to teach myself to be happy in a moment and be happy with the journey instead of attaching my happiness to outcomes. This peace is accessible to anyone."

"Kung fu gives you strength and mobility," she added.

To learn more about Shaolin Kung Fu or to learn from Aldrich, visit modernshaolin.com.