October 19, 2026, 6:02 pm | Read time: 10 minutes
Sometimes it’s better to just keep your mouth shut, especially if you tend to overestimate yourself. That’s exactly what got me into trouble when Sacha Wenk, better known as “The Shaolin Kid,” invited me to his boot camp. After ten years of competitive ballet, I was naturally confident I could handle it easily. How bad could it be? Well, after three days of punches, kicks, and pushing my physical limits, I’m sure I still have bruises in places I haven’t discovered yet. Here’s how I survived the boot camp, as I tell it on FITBOOK.
Three Days of Kung Fu, Martial Arts, and Endurance Training
Sacha Wenk went to China as a teenager to learn Kung Fu. Today, the Swiss is known as “The Shaolin Kid” on social media and shares his knowledge in his own boot camps. One of them takes place in the Swiss mountain village of Champéry. The program includes Kung Fu, martial arts, endurance training, and meditation.
Sacha is supported by Ukrainian MMA fighters Vitaliy Dubina and Daniel Donchenko, who lead the boxing training. MMA stands for Mixed Martial Arts, a combat sport that allows punches, kicks, throws, and ground fighting. American trainer Coach Jay Patto is responsible for the morning cardio.
Most participants stay for one or even two weeks. I had only planned three days for my FITBOOK self-experiment, which later turned out to be a very fortunate decision.
Day 1: Barely Arrived, Already Exhausted
I thought I could first settle in, take a look around, and slowly ease into the training. Instead, it started right away. At 2 p.m., I stood with the other participants in front of Vitaliy and Daniel, who apparently had no intention of giving us a gentle welcome. Four hours of boxing training were on the schedule. And before we even put on the gloves, we had to do burpees, push-ups, planks, and squats. Sometimes for minutes, with hardly any breaks in between. A particularly popular combination was 15 push-ups followed by holding the plank position. We repeated this for about 15 minutes.
Why I Suddenly Got a Lot of Attention
I quickly earned the nickname “the journalist” at the camp. Perhaps that’s why the trainers paid extra attention to whether I was really putting in the effort. During an abdominal exercise, Vitaliy quickly noticed that I was holding back a bit. He promptly began pressing my outstretched legs down hard. “Oh, look at that, you act all weak, but you can actually do something!” he remarked. I closed my eyes and cursed myself. Because I knew what that meant: more attention for me. And I mean a lot more.
While I was doing push-ups or holding a plank, one of the trainers would come by and kick me in the stomach from below several times. Just to check if I was tensing it properly, as they assured me with a wink. In another exercise, one of the trainers sat on my knees while I tried to hold a squat. With a 90-kilo man on my legs, I had to renew my faith in God.
Then it was on to actual boxing. We practiced punch combinations, kicks, and evasive movements. The biggest challenge for me was not so much hitting the target as overcoming the inhibition to seriously hurt my opponent. When the four hours were finally over, I was exhausted but surprisingly satisfied. I had made it and even felt pretty good. What could possibly happen next?
The First Night Was Terrible
The other participants had already warned me. After the first training session, the pain could be so bad that some people even cried at night. I thought that was an exaggeration. Until I was lying in bed myself.
In the past, I often had pain after training. Sometimes it was so bad that my father had to massage my legs because I couldn’t sleep otherwise. But the pain that night was unlike anything else. It felt like my whole body was twisted. Everything was pulling and twisting. And the worst part: It kept getting worse. I tossed and turned, pulled my legs up, stretched them out again. Nothing helped. Not even the two ibuprofen I had taken by then.
At 2:15 a.m., I was still awake and starting to worry that something was wrong with my body. I almost wanted to be picked up and quit the boot camp. But then I thought: I came here to experience as much as possible. And now I’m supposed to give up after just four hours of training?
Eventually, fatigue overtook me, and I fell asleep. When I woke up the next morning, I felt like I hadn’t slept at all. At least the pain was gone, just in time for the next training session, which started at six o’clock.
Also interesting: Kung Fu star Sacha Wenk: “Pain is part of achieving something”
Day 2: Training with Sacha Wenk
After the morning cardio with Coach Jay, we continued at ten o’clock with Sacha Wenk. All the participants had been waiting for him. I was also curious about what training with him would be like. And what can I say: It was intense! Starting with the fact that it took place outside, even in the rain, without mercy.
First, we practiced various Kung Fu forms together. These are predetermined sequences of movements where posture, concentration, and breathing play an important role. The exercises also have a meditative component and are meant to help you become more aware of your own body.
As the rain got heavier, we jogged to a sports hall. There, a completely different training was on the agenda. In one exercise, a participant stood in the middle while four others simultaneously punched his body with their fists. Then we switched. Normally, I try to avoid such situations. Here, it was apparently part of the program.
Afterward, we could let Sacha or Coach Jay hit us on the back. The traditional Chinese technique comes from healing medicine and is supposed to stimulate circulation. I chose Sacha, who luckily held back a bit with me.
For some male participants, it was much more intense. Their backs were bloody afterward. At the sight of these images, I realized that the trainers had indeed taken it easy on me as a journalist. Because my friend Will Bowen’s back looked like this:
Why I Let the Shaolin Kid Kick Me
Next, I voluntarily let Sacha kick me in the legs. The exercise was supposed to train our pain tolerance. And because I apparently still hadn’t learned to properly assess my own abilities, I naturally volunteered.
The first kick landed. And it landed hard. I barely had time to be annoyed before the next one followed. And another. The kicks hurt like hell. But as soon as the others cheered me on, I could partially block out the pain. My ambition took care of the rest. Yet the biggest challenge of the day was still ahead of me.
300 Meters Up the Mountain on Hands
In the late afternoon, we went outside. We had to carry each other, run up steep hills, and do strength exercises. My lungs burned like fire, and every breath and step became a struggle.
But Sacha apparently wasn’t done yet. Completely relaxed, he jogged next to me and explained, “Look, I have a real challenge for you now. I want you to walk up this path on your hands.”
First of all, it was unusual for someone to suddenly grab your legs and lift you up. The last time I did this exercise was in elementary school, and it was just a simple race in the gym, back and forth. Here, I faced a path of uneven stones, dirt, rain, and a not-at-all-inviting-looking way up the mountain.
I felt myself hesitate for a second. But then I saw Sacha standing next to me and took a step forward with my right hand. Then the next, then again the next. In the first few minutes, I thought it wasn’t that hard. But the path got steeper, and eventually, I quickly felt my body resisting.
Now It Was All About Endurance
My arms were shaking. My neck was shaking, and my legs almost slipped out of my partner’s grip. He stumbled behind me as I repositioned my legs, almost losing balance. My breathing was now only coming in gasps, and I felt my head pounding from all the blood being pumped into it. The stones dug into my hands, and eventually, they felt raw. But I had no time to think about it. I wanted to get to the top.
I briefly thought I couldn’t go on. But then I heard people from above starting to cheer me on and encourage me. So I let out a scream of effort and pushed myself further up. I focused only on placing my hands one in front of the other, bit by bit. When I reached the top, my hands were bloody, and my arms were completely exhausted. Then I found out that the others were allowed to switch halfway. Not me. Although I was mad at Sacha, I still gave him a high five and lay down completely exhausted on the wet ground. I had had enough for today.
Kung Fu Star Sacha Wenk: “Pain Is Part of the Process if You Want to Achieve Something”
Jackie Chan: “Yes, I’m 71—but I can still move!”
Day 3: I Just Couldn’t Anymore
On the third day, the past training sessions were clearly noticeable. This time, stretching exercises and various Kung Fu forms were on the schedule. Sacha showed us the sequences of movements, which we imitated together. He paid particular attention to the correct posture and breathing. The exercises also had a meditative aspect and were meant to help improve concentration and body awareness. Still, I was exhausted–but also happy when the first break came.
Unfortunately, I could only participate in the first half of the training because I had to catch my train. Sacha tried to persuade me to stay a little longer, but “unfortunately” that wasn’t possible. However, the fact that my body desperately needed a break after three days of boot camp made saying goodbye a bit easier. Plus, I didn’t leave without souvenirs: I had plenty of those bruises all over my body.
My Conclusion After Three Days of Shaolin Boot Camp
Would I do the boot camp again? Actually, yes. Even though I’ve never been pushed to my physical limits like this before, it was an experience I wouldn’t want to miss. Above all, I learned how much you can achieve with a good dose of ambition and the support of others. Next time, however, I might approach it with a little less confidence. And just to be safe, book only three days again.