[Martial Arts] Journey of a Thousand Miles to Seek a Master and Self-Practice

Autor: Jeffi Chao Hui Wu

Fecha: 17 de julio de 2025, jueves, 7:39 a.m.

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[Martial Arts] A Journey of Self-Training and Seeking Masters

"Doctors do not come to your door, and masters do not take the initiative." These eight words, seemingly cold and desolate, are the most authentic reflection of my decades-long journey in cultivation. No one will actively present true skills to you, nor will any genuine successor come to your door and say, "I am here to teach you." All true inheritance and genuine skills must be forged step by step by yourself, knocking on doors for guidance time and again. The path I have walked is a real "journey of seeking masters and self-training."

My connection with President Lin Wenhui began in 1992 in Hong Kong. That was my first real encounter with the great figures of Qigong and Tai Chi. At that time, he was the president of the "Hong Kong Qigong Tai Chi Association," with a calm demeanor and an introverted spirit. For many years, he did not impart internal skills, later casually saying, "You first practice standing meditation, and then we can talk after a hundred days." It was only years later that I truly understood this. After returning to Sydney, I practiced standing meditation every day without interruption. I stood for over a year!

It was only after the "foundation of a hundred days of standing meditation" that President Lin gradually transmitted to me the core skills of Qigong and Tai Chi. He did not formally accept me as a disciple, but I understood: this was already a significant recognition. True skills do not lie in the formal act of "accepting disciples," but in whether you truly practice and verify them. As early as 2001, I was appointed as an honorary advisor to the Hong Kong Qigong Tai Chi Association, participating in community affairs and cultural exchanges for a long time. In 2013, I even accompanied President Lin to Chenjiagou for a journey to trace the roots of Tai Chi, which was a dual return of culture and martial arts.

However, my cultivation does not stop at Tai Chi.

My connection with Zhao-style Xingyi Quan originated from Master Zhao Hongwei. He is a direct disciple of Master Li Chunling, known as the "Northeast God of Strength," and the founder and head of the Zhao-style Xingyi Tai Chi School. In his early years, Master Zhao taught Xingyi Quan in Northeast China and, due to his high level of martial arts, was gradually hired as a martial arts instructor by the military, special police, and public security systems. His reputation expanded from local to national, even influencing overseas, with the number of people coming to learn from him growing from just over a hundred to thousands.

As early as 2007, through the introduction of Lin Wenhui, I connected with Master Zhao Hongwei in Shenzhen. At that time, although I had been promoting Tai Chi in Australia for many years, I maintained great respect for Xingyi Quan, having practiced the San Ti Zhuang and Wu Xing Quan for many years without interruption. In 2024, Master Zhao officially accepted me as the ninth generation direct disciple of the Che Xingyi Tai Chi Quan and appointed me as the head of Zhao-style Xingyi Quan in Australia. This is not only an honor but also a solemn commitment: to promote and carry forward the treasure of Chinese martial arts, Zhao-style Xingyi Quan, globally.

Such inheritance is not self-proclaimed by any individual but is personally confirmed, appointed, and authorized by Master Zhao, forming a global dissemination network. I am in Australia, and the responsibility on my shoulders is a genuine "passing on the lineage and promoting the art in one domain."

As for the authentic lineage of Tai Chi, I formally became a disciple of Master Shan Ying in October 2024. Master Shan is a direct disciple of Master Li Jingwu, a twelfth-generation inheritor of Chen-style Tai Chi and a sixth-generation inheritor of Wu-style Tai Chi. When I first had an in-depth conversation with him, I detailed my thirty years of experience in standing meditation, forms, and structural insights. After listening, Master Shan stood up to demonstrate and personally adjusted the key points of my body one by one. The feeling of my bones and energy channels being instantly connected is something I will never forget. I understood that I had found the right teacher and embarked on the path of authentic Tai Chi inheritance.

Now, I have simultaneously gained recognition and guidance from masters of three major systems:
• President Lin Wenhui transmitted to me the foundational methods of Qigong and Tai Chi (first-generation inheritor of Wang Xianquan);
• Master Zhao Hongwei (direct disciple of Li Chunling) officially accepted me as the ninth generation direct disciple of Zhao-style Xingyi Quan and appointed me as the head in Australia;
• Master Shan Ying accepted me as a inheritor of the twelfth generation of Chen-style and sixth generation of Wu-style Tai Chi (Li Jingwu Tai Chi School).

These three lineages may seem independent, but they actually run parallel and construct a complete training system within me—internal energy is cultivated through standing meditation, Xingyi's practical combat runs through energy flow, and Tai Chi's postures nurture structure and harmony. I did not rely on any platform background, nor did I have senior brothers paving the way for me; no one held my hand to guide me. I relied solely on myself, starting from the point of a hundred days of standing meditation, step by step, overcoming each challenge, to reach today.

Therefore, I say: the so-called "journey of seeking masters" is not a formality but a true transcendence. It transcends the comfort zones of culture, the barriers of language, the ambiguities of technique, and the prejudices of identity. The so-called "self-training" is not about building a car behind closed doors, but rather a complete training system constructed within the three authentic systems, where each component can be independently verified, each link can trace its path, and each punch can prove its effectiveness.

I use the accumulation of these thirty years to solidify one statement:
True skills do not lie in legends but on your own path; they do not reside in others' hands but in your own.

Source: https://www.australianwinner.com/AuWinner/viewtopic.php?t=696894