Tai chi master sees beyond kung fu in coaching expats
Print Edition
I ran into Wang Kaiyuan early on September 10 in Shanghai’s People’s Park, where he was instructing dozens of Westerners in tai chi in fluent English.
This was quite striking, as although tai chi practitioners were present in the park, they were primarily local residents.
The Western practitioners, representing various ages and genders, earnestly attempted to replicate each of Wang’s movements, demonstrating impressive accuracy for beginners.
From time to time, Wang would swiftly approach practitioners to offer brief, personalized instructions.
I approached him for an interview, but it happened nearly two months later this week, after a similar training session on the Bund.
But equally busy were many of the practitioners, like one female entrepreneur from the United States who said she learned about this training from a colleague and regretted that her busy schedule meant that she could only attend one session.
Wang has the best credentials for a martial arts master. Born in Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province, he started taking lessons in kung fu at the age of 6 in 1992 from his father, who was an accomplished martial arts master himself.
Wang Kaiyuan is the 12th successor of Chen-style tai chi, or Taijiquan, and the 2006 tai chi champion of Hebei Province, a province traditionally known for its martial spirit.
Nor was Wang lacking in formal education. He graduated from Shanghai University of Sport with a master’s degree in Chinese martial arts and started a tai chi training center in 2006, which evolved into the Shanghai Hun Yuan Tai Chi Kung Fu Center.
The center has since coached tens of thousands of tai chi enthusiasts.
Significantly, Wang also has an MA in interpreting and translation from the University of Western Sydney.
He still teaches at his alma mater, Shanghai University of Sport, on weekends, but business engagement with the Hun Yuan Tai Chi center means he has to make many business trips outside the city or even long trips overseas.
At the invitation of Holland America Line, Wang gave a 54-day coaching on tai chi and Baduanjin, another popular Chinese health exercise, aboard a cruise ship from September 1 last year.
“The 54-day-long trip helped initiate American, Canadian and British passengers into the charm of Chinese culture, as well as helped passengers achieve relaxation and inner calm through the practice,” Wang said.
He revealed that he has been invited to coach tai chi from December 2 to 17 aboard a private cruise, The World.
Although Wang’s students include both Chinese and overseas practitioners, he attributed a certain cultural element to the participation of foreigners, though few could afford the luxury of a 54-day instruction.
He, therefore, prioritizes the needs of short-term learners.
“Some foreign groups were eager to try out Chinese tai chi, and on such occasions, we would teach them some simple movements, as well as basic breathing techniques, so that these foreigners could learn some skills in their experience of Chinese culture, and they really like this,” Wang said.
The delegation attending the training session on the Bund was scheduled to visit six locations that day, but the early morning training was deemed essential for the day.
These visitors were students on an EMBA program under Fudan University. Wang also cooperates with Shanghai Jiao Tong University and New York University Shanghai. His business partners also include such high-profile business entities as Volvo, L’Oréal, Rio Tinto and a host of financial institutions.
“Foreigners seem to find traditional Chinese culture mesmerizing and esoteric. After having a glimpse into these through social media such as YouTube and Instagram, they are eager to experience some bit of Chinese culture by practicing tai chi or Chinese calligraphy,” Wang observed.
The enthusiasm, he said, was encouraged by the recent visa-free policy for transit travelers.
“We have been receiving about two or three overseas groups in a month, many of them senior executives who want to have some cultural dimension in their otherwise fairly busy life,” Wang said.
While the need for such services is tremendous, he also emphasized the importance of publicity in helping foreigners access offerings like his Hun Yuan Tai Chi.
Obviously, Wang’s proficiency in English was a decided asset, enabling him to explain some uniquely Chinese concepts in a more accessible manner.
“Of course, other martial art masters could have this done with the help of an interpreter, but having this secondhand from a go-between can be less efficient. Because, if the interpreter is not a practitioner, he/she will have difficulty in getting the message across some uniquely Chinese concepts with all their nuances and niceties,” Wang said.
His ambition is to promote Chinese martial arts to every corner of the globe.
“We should encourage this globally for the sake of health preservation and for spreading Chinese culture,” he added.
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