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Putting the 'k' in kung fu
August 31, 2010, Tuesday
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LI Zhiwei played the role of a robber in the movie "Kids from Shaolin" more than 25 years ago and it helped cement his reputation as a master of martial arts.
Born in Dongyang in Zhejiang Province, Li began to practice martial arts at Mt Mogan in Deqing County when he was a teenager.
He learned Dongyang boxing from his father, who was a craftsman. When he was 12, he moved to Hangzhou and started to practice martial arts under the tutelage of some famous masters, the route that many legendary characters in China's kung fu novels followed.
He learned Muay Thai (Thai boxing) from a professor at Zhejiang University, Shaolin changquan (a long-style boxing) and Luohan boxing from traditional martial artists in the community.
Every day Li would climb the hill with sandbags attached to his legs or hang himself upside down with his feet hooked on a horizontal bar.
All of his hard work paid off when he grew up. Since the 1980s, he has participated in many national martial arts contests. Once in an international competition, he floored an American karate champion.
When people were still discussing traditional boxing methods, he had already studied Muay Thai and published articles about the martial art. He has lived in Hangzhou for half a century and many of his students have become martial arts masters.
Those who know Jet Li's movie "Kids from Shaolin" may not know that Li also played a role in it, including one impressive scene.
When the villain came out at the end of the movie and started fighting with the heroes from Shaolin Temple, a girl tried to stab Li's character with a spear.
Li clenched his teeth, sank his breath to the lower belly and the spear bent against his neck, doing no damage. Other characters exclaimed: "He can make a 'Golden Shield'!"
Viewers may regard the scene as a stunt, but Li said film makers couldn't do stunts like that at the time, and the "Golden Shield" was a real qigong technique - a deep-breathing exercise that can help fighters attack with the power of air.
Old injuries
He trained over and over, first using chopsticks. After he could break a handful of chopsticks, he turned to iron spears.
Li was injured accidentally when filming other dangerous scenes, including getting run over by a car, in the movie. But he didn't give up kung fu, and now, though he can still sometimes feel pain from these old injuries, he is in full vigor.
However, the master doesn't like to talk too much about himself. He is more interested in telling stories about his students. His favorite student Han Guoping was one of the founders of China's karate.
Han died of illness in 2008, but Li compared him to Bruce Lee, the famous Chinese-American martial artist.
"Bruce Lee contributed greatly to the development of Wing Chun kung fu (a martial art specializing in close-range combat). My student Han was as great as him," Li says.
He adds that Lee introduced the world to Chinese kung fu with his movies. But movies are different from real martial arts.
In comparison, Han has taught many kung fu professionals, making a more substantial contribution.
Wang Youming, another student of Li, is a chief director of the national armed police.
The 64-year-old is more of a businessman now.
He runs a pharmacy called Fu Run Tang on Yan'an Road, and it is among Hangzhou's most well-known medicine shops. Staff call him shifu, or master, instead of boss.
Li acts and looks younger than his age and he can still lift 70 kilograms easily.
With a dual identity, Li has two different name cards. One is for martial arts and one for his pharmacy.
His medicine business started doing well several years ago because the pharmacy offers reasonable prices and good faith.
Although he is now primarily a businessman, Li preserves the manner of a martial artist - straightforward, compassionate and warm-hearted.
Born in Dongyang in Zhejiang Province, Li began to practice martial arts at Mt Mogan in Deqing County when he was a teenager.
He learned Dongyang boxing from his father, who was a craftsman. When he was 12, he moved to Hangzhou and started to practice martial arts under the tutelage of some famous masters, the route that many legendary characters in China's kung fu novels followed.
He learned Muay Thai (Thai boxing) from a professor at Zhejiang University, Shaolin changquan (a long-style boxing) and Luohan boxing from traditional martial artists in the community.
Every day Li would climb the hill with sandbags attached to his legs or hang himself upside down with his feet hooked on a horizontal bar.
All of his hard work paid off when he grew up. Since the 1980s, he has participated in many national martial arts contests. Once in an international competition, he floored an American karate champion.
When people were still discussing traditional boxing methods, he had already studied Muay Thai and published articles about the martial art. He has lived in Hangzhou for half a century and many of his students have become martial arts masters.
Those who know Jet Li's movie "Kids from Shaolin" may not know that Li also played a role in it, including one impressive scene.
When the villain came out at the end of the movie and started fighting with the heroes from Shaolin Temple, a girl tried to stab Li's character with a spear.
Li clenched his teeth, sank his breath to the lower belly and the spear bent against his neck, doing no damage. Other characters exclaimed: "He can make a 'Golden Shield'!"
Viewers may regard the scene as a stunt, but Li said film makers couldn't do stunts like that at the time, and the "Golden Shield" was a real qigong technique - a deep-breathing exercise that can help fighters attack with the power of air.
Old injuries
He trained over and over, first using chopsticks. After he could break a handful of chopsticks, he turned to iron spears.
Li was injured accidentally when filming other dangerous scenes, including getting run over by a car, in the movie. But he didn't give up kung fu, and now, though he can still sometimes feel pain from these old injuries, he is in full vigor.
However, the master doesn't like to talk too much about himself. He is more interested in telling stories about his students. His favorite student Han Guoping was one of the founders of China's karate.
Han died of illness in 2008, but Li compared him to Bruce Lee, the famous Chinese-American martial artist.
"Bruce Lee contributed greatly to the development of Wing Chun kung fu (a martial art specializing in close-range combat). My student Han was as great as him," Li says.
He adds that Lee introduced the world to Chinese kung fu with his movies. But movies are different from real martial arts.
In comparison, Han has taught many kung fu professionals, making a more substantial contribution.
Wang Youming, another student of Li, is a chief director of the national armed police.
The 64-year-old is more of a businessman now.
He runs a pharmacy called Fu Run Tang on Yan'an Road, and it is among Hangzhou's most well-known medicine shops. Staff call him shifu, or master, instead of boss.
Li acts and looks younger than his age and he can still lift 70 kilograms easily.
With a dual identity, Li has two different name cards. One is for martial arts and one for his pharmacy.
His medicine business started doing well several years ago because the pharmacy offers reasonable prices and good faith.
Although he is now primarily a businessman, Li preserves the manner of a martial artist - straightforward, compassionate and warm-hearted.
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