Yuan Shimao runs Wudang Mountains kung fu academy
In the sacred Wudang Mountains of central China, Yuan Shimao runs a kung fu academy where physical combat training is paired with Taoist meditation and spiritual stillness. Founded in 2004, the academy offers multi-year courses and summer programs, drawing practitioners seeking both martial discipline and mental well-being.
From Striking to Stillness in the Wudang Mountains
Long before establishing his academy in 2004, Yuan Shimao focused strictly on the speed and strength of boxing and the Chinese combat sport of sanda during his early training in the 1980s. A bout of rheumatism prompted him to read an article about Taoist healing practices, leading him to pack his bags for the Wudang Mountains. There, he embraced standing meditation and discovered that physical movement and stillness are interconnected forces that help practitioners quiet the body and become grounded.
According to Yuan, training purely for combat without developing inner calm leaves a practitioner incomplete. “I trained that way for many years without becoming still enough to search within myself,” Yuan said, noting that entering the Dao helps students understand the scriptures and rediscover themselves. This philosophy treats the body as a vessel for the spirit, requiring physical health to support mental resilience.
Historical Roots of Wudang Taoism
The philosophical foundation of these martial arts stretches back more than 2,500 years, to the teachings of Chinese philosopher Laozi. According to Shu Chenghai, director of social education at the Wudang Museum, Laozi passed his knowledge to a first student who settled on the mountain. Shu noted that the tradition did not become a collective religious faith until after the Qin and Han dynasties.
Situated between the ancient political centers of Xi’an and Luoyang, Wudang allowed practitioners to seek seclusion while remaining accessible to major population centers. Shu emphasized that the Taoist tradition was never entirely about withdrawing from society. The mountain’s status as a spiritual center grew steadily through the Tang era, reaching its historical peak under the Ming emperors.
Shaping Modern Practice and Resolving Conflict
Today, Yuan’s academy accommodates both local and international students across three distinct tracks: an in-depth five-year martial arts program, a health and well-being course for adults, and a children’s summer camp. Among the student body is Guo Xinyi, who has trained at the academy for five years. In Chinese martial arts, teachers are known as Shifu, a term containing the character for father, reflecting a mentor’s deep role in a student’s life.
Guo credits her tai chi training with helping her handle personal conflicts, including tensions with her own parents. By applying the principles of tai chi—releasing tension and sinking before rising—she invited Master Yuan to speak with her and her family. “During that conversation, the conflict somehow seemed to dissolve almost invisibly,” Guo said, explaining how Yuan helped ease her father’s anxiety much like a restorative lesson in physical movement.
The demographics of these traditional academies continue to shift as younger generations seek out the discipline. While older adults historically made up the majority of learners, younger practitioners now arrive from across the globe, including American practitioner Jake Pinnick, who arrived at age 20 and has called Wudang home for 16 years.
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