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author: yuan er

some time ago, the emei women's kung fu team led by ling yun visited france, bringing the charm of chinese martial arts to the other side of the ocean.

during their busy schedule, the girls made a special visit to a chinese martial arts school in paris.

speaking of benjamin, the owner of this martial arts school, he is a master of pak mei boxing with 18 years of martial arts experience.

thus began a splendid contest between emei martial arts and french pak mei boxing.

● emei women's kung fu group in paris, france

when masters fight, the best way is to attack the opponent’s heart.

even on the road, the emei heroine was still as vigorous as ever. both sides felt the exhilaration of martial arts fighting in the fierce exchange of fists and feet.

if you use the white eyebrow fist, i will use the emei stab; if you use the phoenix eye hammer, i will use the kung fu fan.

with both softness and strength, both the host and the guest fully displayed their martial arts prowess.

the white eyebrows of emei can be said to be two eyebrows blooming at the same time.

so, apart from kung fu, what is so special about this martial arts school that is worth the emei female heroes traveling 9,000 kilometers to "make friends through martial arts"?

french youth fall in love with pak mei

as a kung fu enthusiast, benjamin started learning karate at the age of 6, and also learned praying mantis boxing and hung gar.

as his understanding of martial arts deepened, benjamin gradually discovered that what he had learned was far from the "real kung fu" in his mind.

● benjamin colusi

it is said that "all martial arts in the world come from shaolin".

in 1998, 14-year-old french boy benjamin followed his father to the shaolin temple in songshan, henan. everything here was so fresh and magical to benjamin.

after visiting the shaolin temple, he excitedly told his father that he wanted to stay in china to learn the most authentic kung fu.

his father told him that it was not the right time yet and that he had to learn chinese first so that he could better learn chinese kung fu.

benjamin remembered his father's words. after returning to france, he worked hard to learn chinese and even studied chinese as a major in college.

by the time he graduated, he had become a true china expert.

in 2006, benjamin came to china again. while teaching french in shanghai, he was looking for a kung fu school that he liked.

finally, in foshan, guangdong, he encountered the white eyebrow fist that made his blood boil.

● benjamin encounters pak mei

"hands follow the body; body follows steps." the superb white eyebrow fist deeply attracted benjamin.

he firmly believed that this was the meaning of his life.

to this end, benjamin studied under foshan white eyebrow boxing masters chen youwen, liu weiji and liu weixin.

the liu brothers are the sons of liu shaoliang, the founder of foshan white eyebrow boxing. at first, they did not want to accept benjamin as their apprentice.

firstly, chinese kung fu emphasizes “passing on knowledge within the family but not outsiders”; secondly, this foreign guy with thick eyebrows, big eyes and white skin can’t even speak fluent chinese, so how can he understand the meaning of the word “martial ethics”?

benjamin was not discouraged after hitting a wall, and simply settled down in foshan. seeing benjamin's persistence in pak mei quan, liu weiji agreed to teach him for six months. if there was no progress, he could stop coming.

when it comes to learning martial arts, benjamin is indeed quite talented and hardworking.

half a year later, he successfully passed the test and began to follow liu weiji to practice from the simplest steps to systematically learn the footwork, hand techniques and internal strength of pak mei fist.

liu weiji's younger brother liu weixin is the second-generation heir of the liu family's pak mei quan.

● liu weixin, inheritor of guangdong foshan baimeiquan

as the president of the foshan white eyebrow boxing association, he would have a more comprehensive consideration on whether to accept benjamin as his disciple.

pak mei originated in the late ming dynasty. it is known as one of the five major boxing styles in foshan, along with wing chun, hung gar, dragon shape boxing and cai li fot. it is highly respected by martial arts enthusiasts in sichuan and the guangdong, hong kong and macao regions.

the kung fu superstar jackie chan practices the foshan pak mei fist.

a complete set of pak mei martial arts system, including boxing and weapons, which is characterized by fierce momentum, punches hitting the flesh, and short and crisp bursts of power.

because baimei boxing is a very practical martial art and each move has great lethality, people who practice this kind of boxing must possess "martial ethics".

● liu weixin and his disciples perform pak mei quan

“the truth is not easily passed on, and the method is not easily taught.” this is the reason why liu weixin repeatedly rejected benjamin.

however, benjamin believes that sincerity can move mountains and break stones.

for three consecutive years, he flew from france to foshan to visit liu weixin.

gradually, liu weixin was finally moved by the sincerity of the french boy. he realized that martial arts is also a kind of chinese culture, and culture not only needs to be inherited, but also needs to be spread.

now, the arrival of this french guy who loves pak mei may be an opportunity for pak mei to go abroad.

in 2009, on the second day after celebrating the opening of liu weixin's martial arts school, benjamin formally became liu weixin's disciple and was given a chinese name - liu ben.

in the following years, liu ben practiced in the coldest days of winter and the hottest days of summer, from "nine-step push" to "tiger out of the forest". he mastered all the routines of baimei fist and developed the ability to attack quickly, fiercely and accurately.

● liu ben practices the main moves of baimeiquan

although he was a martial arts expert with few rivals, liu ben always followed his master's teachings, which were: "rely on your talent but don't be arrogant, be martial but don't bully others."

the mighty white eyebrow fist, a low-key way of life

in 2011, benjamin returned to paris after completing his studies.

in order to better promote chinese pak mei boxing, he founded a foshan pak mei boxing gym named "lwx" which specializes in teaching pak mei boxing.

it is quite rare for the french to teach chinese kung fu, and many people come here to learn. from 2011 to 2017 alone, liu ben has accepted more than 150 french students.

● liu ben and his students

this martial arts school has a strong chinese style, and its layout is almost completely restored to that of the foshan martial arts school. a photo of the founder liu shaoliang is also enshrined on the wall.

every morning, liu ben would bring his disciples to burn incense to their master, and subtly teach them what it means to "respect ancestors, respect masters, respect martial ethics, learn martial arts, arts, and benevolence and righteousness."

in early 2022, the kung fu game "sifu", directed by liu ben, became popular all over the world.

● promotional video for the game "sifu"

the game highly restores the essence of baimei fist, with moves such as phoenix eye hammer, whip hammer, leg support, soft palm, etc. the protagonist's moves are also clean and neat, with the main feature being fast, fierce and accurate.

and all of these came from liu ben's practice of every move.

the game "sifu" made players all over the world aware of foshan pak mei fist and allowed them to immersively experience the charm of pak mei fist in the game.

● liu ben practices game moves

because of this game, liu ben became famous overseas. however, in the face of fame and fortune, he never lost himself.

this is because he knew very well that all his impressive skills were given by his master.

● liu ben learns martial arts in foshan

what is a master?

liu weixin asked him this question before officially accepting liu ben.

at that time, liu ben replied: "once a teacher, always a father."

it was this answer that deeply moved liu weixin.

a foreigner can have such cognition. no matter what level he will reach in the future, at least liu ben has passed the test of how to be an apprentice.

● liu ben and master

over the years, liu ben has truly lived up to the traditional chinese culture of “treating the teacher like a father.”

in his heart, the master is like a father figure.

he named his martial arts gym "lwx" to remind himself of his roots.

in addition, liu ben would take more than a month every year to take his disciples back to foshan martial arts hall to visit their mentor, practice martial arts with his fellow apprentices, and experience the most authentic foshan culture.

● liu weixin and liu ben's disciples

for many years, liu ben has been on the path of promoting chinese culture.

he brought not only pak mei boxing to france, but also a variety of other colorful traditional chinese skills.

the martial arts school's website introduces gongfu tea, lion dance and cantonese opera in chinese with pictures and texts.

liu ben and his disciples’ wonderful lion dance performances can be seen on many important occasions in france.

they put the finishing touches on the musee des anglais in france, celebrated the opening of the shangri-la hotel, and were officially invited to perform the most authentic foshan lion dance in front of the paris city hall.

● liu ben promotes pak mei and lion dance culture in france

liu ben often said that he not only wanted to share chinese martial arts in france, but also wanted more french people to feel the profoundness of chinese culture.

today, 13 years later, foshan pak mei boxing has become famous overseas.

liu weixin was very proud of his foreign disciple. he never thought that in his lifetime, he would be able to see the white eyebrow boxing spread across the ocean and become famous in france.

now, he has chosen liu ben as his successor.

it is the common wish of the master and apprentice to promote foshan baimei boxing, let more people know it, learn it, and carry it forward.

● the third generation inheritor of foshan baimei boxing

yes, as long as the white eyebrow fist can be passed down from generation to generation, what does it matter whether they are chinese or foreigners?

chinese kung fu, sailing out to sea

like liu ben, there are many foreigners who spread chinese kung fu to all parts of the world.

such as shaolin disciple bailong.

● shaolin monk bailong

born in 1988, bailong is from the uk and his name is matthew. when he was 11 years old, he watched the shaolin monks' performance "shaolin: wheel of life".

the young boy was so impressed by the masters' real kung fu that he began to think about going to shaolin to become a monk.

at the age of 16, matthew came to the shaolin temple in songshan to learn martial arts.

● white dragon in shaolin temple

after countless days of diligent study and practice, he was accepted as a disciple by the abbot shi yongxin, and his buddhist name was miaojue, but he preferred to call himself bailong.

due to his excellent kung fu skills, bai long was hired as a coach for the shaolin international class. he also became the only foreign actor in the shaolin monks performance troupe and participated in the new round of "the wheel of life" tour.

in 2010, bailong returned to the uk and founded a martial arts school in london, aiming to bring shaolin's "zen, martial arts and medicine" culture to the people of his hometown.

he was only 21 years old that year.

● bai long teaches students shaolin kung fu at the london martial arts school

shaolin martial arts changed his destiny, and he also wants to help more people through chinese kung fu.

in bai long's view, chinese martial arts is more like a way of life. he is determined to promote chinese kung fu to the world and spread shaolin culture and spirit.

in addition to teaching students real kung fu, bai long has also accepted invitations to participate in various reality shows such as "britain's got talent" and "america's got talent".

many people fell in love with chinese martial arts through this family.

● bai long's family

shaolin and wudang are the two major schools of chinese martial arts. both schools have an open and inclusive attitude towards the inheritance of martial arts. regardless of nationality or race, as long as you love martial arts, you are welcome to visit, study and exchange ideas.

wudang jack is the 16th generation descendant of the sanfeng school and studied under taoist master yuan shimao.

● wu-tang jack

although he has a western face, he has been in wudang for a long time and now has the temperament of an immortal.

it was the movie "crouching tiger, hidden dragon" that gave jack the idea of ​​coming to china to learn authentic kung fu.

but there are so many kinds of chinese kung fu, what should we learn?

by chance, he saw a video of taoist master yuan shimao and was immediately attracted by the graceful eight immortals stick.

compared with the hard kung fu of shaolin, jack prefers the combination of hardness and softness of wudang kung fu.

in 2010, 20-year-old american jack came to wudang and became a member of the wudang international traditional martial arts class. after three years of training, he officially became a disciple.

after graduation, jack returned to his hometown in the united states for a short time and taught in martial arts schools there and in canada. but he found that foreigners only learned the basics of wudang kung fu.

if you want to achieve something in martial arts, you should go back to the birthplace of "wudang kung fu" and study it in depth.

in 2018, jack returned to wudang and became the only foreign master in the martial arts school.

● jack and his master took a photo at the graduation ceremony

jack said that wudang martial arts is part of traditional chinese culture and he still needs to learn more.

during his time in wudang, he learned a lot of ancient chinese music and compiled and published an english version of "introduction to dongxiao".

at the same time, jack also operates the martial arts school's website and social media accounts, promoting chinese health preservation, wudang tai chi and taoist culture to the world.

● daily life of wu tang jack

in recent years, this foreign taoist priest from wudang mountain has become an internet celebrity due to his participation in many variety shows.

many people learned about the real wudang culture through him, and the students he taught came from all over the world.

although he is about to obtain a chinese green card, jack said that he will still return to the united states in the future.

found a martial arts school in my hometown, teach authentic tai chi sword and boxing, share taoist culture, and become a disseminator of chinese traditional culture.

● jack carefully guides students

although liu ben, bai long and jack are foreigners, they are indeed the inheritors of traditional chinese culture.

because of their love for chinese martial arts, they traveled thousands of miles to china to learn from masters.

for them, kung fu is a dream, a belief, and a medium for understanding and spreading chinese culture.

they are the best proof that chinese culture is going global!

make friends through martial arts and promote friendship between china and foreign countries; value harmony and spread chinese kung fu.

china's traditional culture is inherited locally and promoted throughout the world.

like the emei girl group and like these foreign masters!

● references

[1] documentary: the roots of pak mei

[2] xinhua news agency: foshan pak mei chulros’s love affair with kung fu

[3] european times | sifu martial arts director, french white eyebrow master benjamin (liu ben) describes his apprenticeship experience

[4] china daily: a british man is obsessed with chinese kung fu. he has practiced martial arts for 20 years and opened a martial arts school in london

[5] newsweek｜wudang jack: martial arts and taoism