BLT Supplies Interview, 2000

Interview with the Master

Did you compete? How many tournaments did you win?
Yes, I first became a member of the Zhejiang Wushu Team when I was 12 years old and later joined the China National Wushu Team when I was 14. I competed at the national and international levels for 12 years and traveled to over 30 countries competing for China. In 1981 and 1982 I won back-to-back all-around China wushu champion titles. I also held national wushu championship titles in 12 individual events including nanquan and monkey staff.   

How did you first get involved in martial arts?
In 1970 I was invited to join the gymnastics program at the Zhejiang Province Sports Institute in Hangzhou. This is one of China's elite sports training centers. In 1971 the coaches of the martial arts program asked me to give wushu a try saying that they saw more potential in me as a martial artist than as a gymnast. I had never done wushu before but decided to give a try. I've never regretted this decision.   

Who were your early influences?
The most important early influence was Mr. Chen Xiaojian who was my elementary school physical education teacher. He was the person who got me involved in gymnastics and who helped me get the audition for the Zhejiang Province's professional gymnastics program. He felt that I had a lot of natural talent and helped guide me in the right direction.

What do you think is the major difference between training in the USA and the training in China?
First of all the type of wushu training program that I was part of in China was a professional program. Those of us admitted to the program had beat out of thousands of other children for our spots. There were only 30 children accepted out of a province with a population of 40,000,000 people. All of the children in the program had to move to the sports center to live and train. We were only allowed to go home to see our families for one month each year. Each day at the center we trained for hours and hours as well as took classes in all academic subjects. It was very difficult and we had no control over what we had to study. We had to do as we were told. In America wushu is still an amateur sport. People take up the study of wushu as a hobby. It's considered a type of exercise program not a career choice. Chinese wushu athletes devote years and years to full-time wushu training. This is not yet the situation in America. 

How many different fist and weapons forms are there in your system?
Because I am a professional martial artist and a former all-around wushu champion of China, I have a very broad martial arts background. I have mastered all of the various weapons and know many regional styles. One of the things that I am known for is my ability to create new forms. I like to preserve the best elements of my tradition but I also like to try to bring the best of what's new into it.

When you were in China, how many movies did you act in? Were they all martial arts related?
So far I have made 15 films in China, Hong Kong, and Japan, including The Shaolin Temple series. All of these films were kungfu movies.

What was the last movie, tv show, or entertainment program that you saw which featured some martial arts? Do you think it did the art justice?
The last martial arts show that I saw was Sammo Hung's television program Martial Law. His kungfu still looks good. His basic technique is very good and clean. I've admired Sammo's work as both a director and as an actor. Over the years he has created many nice kungfu pieces.

Do you think the commercialization, both in Asia and the West, has helped or harmed martial arts?
I hope that one day wushu will be come an official Olympic event. Through the commercialization of the tradition more and more people are learning about the sport and more people can earn a living off it. This will make wushu stronger. If American hopes to create Olympic quality wushu athletes we will need to have the support of the business community.  

What do you think should be done to further promote martial arts? We need to introduce more children to the sport of wushu at an early age. We need to set up good quality training and competition programs that will give young athletes lots of experience. Older people should also be exposed to the sport of taiji. This type of wushu is a great way for older people to get regular exercise. Insurance companies should make free taiji classes available to their older clients. I know this would have a great effect on their health.

What advice do you have for people who want to learn your martial art or martial arts in general?
In 1998 my wife Zong Jianmei (also a former Zhejiang Wushu Team member) and I opened the Shaolin Wushu Center/USA in South Windsor, Connecticut. It is our goal to try to create a professional quality wushu training program for students of all ages. At our center we have tried to create an atmosphere which encourages people to work hard at the study of wushu while also emphasizing the importance of also being a good human being. We treat our students like family and hope they treat each other with respect and kindness. I think that a good martial artist should be honorable, humble and generous of spirit. I think people interested in studying wushu should look for a program that emphasizes both the inner and outer training of the martial artist.

Reported by Susan Pertel Jain for BLT Supplies, Inc.
BLT Supplies Inc.©2000