Foreigners embrace classic martial arts branch

A classic branch of Chinese martial arts has won popularity overseas, and foreign fans are growing from beginner to master.

Jake Lee Pinnick from the US state of Illinois called himself the 16th-generation successor of the Sanfeng school of Wudang martial arts, making it his "duty to spread the kungfu and Wudang culture".

Pinnick teaches at a bilingual martial club at Wudang Mountain, a renowned holy land of Taoism in Hubei province and a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, after studying there for more than 10 years.

As a teenager, he liked to watch Chinese kungfu films performed by actors such as Jackie Chan. By chance, he noticed an internet video of a man performing Wudang Baxian Sticks on the internet. That man, Yuan Shimao, became his teacher. Pinnick visited Yuan in 2010, after which he learned multiple forms of kungfu, such as tai chi and qigong. He also met his Chinese wife, and they had a daughter together.

Now, as an instructor, he has tutored many martial arts enthusiasts from different countries. Every year, more than 100,000 foreigners travel at Wudang Mountain, and 5,000 of them learn martial arts.

Liu Jia'nan, who also learned at the mountain, teaches Wudang martial arts at Southridge Park in Dubai for free with his partner, Liu Huajin. They have attracted about 150 students.

Chen Yixin, a Chinese from Malaysia, is one of Liu's oldest students. She said tai chi brings peace of her mind and has taught her the importance of persistence.

The Wudang Martial Arts Association has 10 branches overseas in countries such as the US, Canada, France, Mexico, Russia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Italy. It has more than 10,000 members.