From street kid to kung fu crusader

Despite food being scarce, Fabrice managed to continue to practice martial arts, learning from videos and training in front of the conference center, just as his Chinese teacher once did.

In 2011, a professor from the Confucius Institute encountered Fabrice as he practiced his moves and invited him to the institute to learn about Chinese language and culture. Soon, Fabrice became friends with the Chinese teachers, who encouraged him to pursue his passion for martial arts. "I finally had the feeling of becoming me," he said.

Four years later, Fabrice was awarded a scholarship to be trained in martial arts and traditional Chinese medicine at the Shaolin Temple in Henan province.

"It was just like what I saw in the movies," said Fabrice. "The great masters of Shaolin really edified and enlightened me."

Between 2015 and 2019, Fabrice went to the temple three times for training. Back in Yaounde, he is now a physiotherapist and, when he's not busy with his patients, teaches free kung fu lessons at the Confucius Institute and several schools.

Many Africans think of kung fu purely as a combat system, so Fabrice is keen to stress its true meaning.

"What kung fu basically teaches is the production of a man of morality," he said. "When a man is rich in moral values, it is easier for him to be surrounded by people who love him and to have advancements in life," said Fabrice.