one belt one road story drawing: i learn martial arts and teach martial arts in johannesburg
2024-09-03
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schools in south africa finish early in the afternoon. in a community in the north of downtown johannesburg, local primary school students come to the community center after school and wait for their parents to get off work before going home. in early 2023, mel, a martial arts coach living nearby, opened a weekly martial arts class at the community center to teach students chinese martial arts.
↑on august 26, 2024, in johannesburg, south africa, mel demonstrated martial arts to students.many students in the martial arts class were introduced to martial arts through kung fu movies, but in mel's class they can actually learn chinese martial arts, which makes them very interested. mel teaches basic skills such as five-step boxing and kicking, and now many students have practiced well.
↑on august 26, 2024, in johannesburg, south africa, mel was instructing students to practice martial arts.when meier was teaching students, many children playing on the playground were attracted by the martial arts moves and gathered around to watch and imitate them.
↑on august 26, 2024, in johannesburg, south africa, mel was instructing students to practice martial arts.
in addition to running martial arts classes at the community centre, mel also serves as a martial arts coach for the confucius institute at the university of johannesburg, giving martial arts classes twice a week to students who join the confucius institute's martial arts club.
the students in the martial arts class are mainly from the university of johannesburg, in addition to local martial arts enthusiasts. students here can practice on their own, and mel only needs to correct and demonstrate, and take students to watch martial arts demonstration videos after practice.
↑on august 28, 2024, at the confucius institute at the university of johannesburg in south africa, mel adjusted the belts for students before the martial arts class.
↑on august 28, 2024, at the confucius institute at the university of johannesburg in south africa, mel instructs students in a martial arts class.
↑on august 28, 2024, at the confucius institute at the university of johannesburg in south africa, mel exchanged fist salutes with students after the martial arts class.
↑on august 28, 2024, mel (right) watched a martial arts demonstration video with students at the confucius institute at the university of johannesburg, south africa.in 2017, meier entered the confucius institute at the university of johannesburg to study chinese martial arts. from march 2019 to september 2022, feng tao, a martial arts teacher at the confucius institute, coached him for three and a half years and gave him a chinese name: meng wei.
↑on april 2, 2022, in johannesburg, south africa, mel practiced martial arts with martial arts teacher feng tao.
↑on april 2, 2022, in johannesburg, south africa, meier and martial arts teacher feng tao performed martial arts in mandela square.after years of practice, mel has mastered a variety of chinese martial arts such as tai chi, chang quan, tai chi sword, and became a member of the south african wushu national team. in august 2023, he went to emeishan city, sichuan province with the south african wushu national team to participate in the world traditional wushu championships and won a silver medal.
↑on august 11, 2018, in johannesburg, south africa, mel (first from left) and other martial arts students participated in a local martial arts competition.
↑on november 11, 2023, mel competed in the 2023 wushu championships hosted by the south african wushu association.meier hopes his martial arts classes can attract more local students
let more south africans understand and learn chinese martial arts
he also hopes that his students can hone their bodies and minds through practicing martial arts.
get a better future
↑on august 28, 2024, at the confucius institute at the university of johannesburg in south africa, mel saluted with students.photography: zhang yudong
produced by: dai qiaochu
world story studio
produced jointly with the xinhua news agency's photo department and the african branch
