Xu insists his aim was not to disparage Chinese martial arts, but to show that what is often sold as a powerful fighting skill is useless in actual close combat situations. Some brazenly wandered in to pick fights. Other tai chi practitioners began challenging Xu both online and in person, setting up camp outside the MMA gym in Beijing that he manages. One aggrieved Chinese entrepreneur offered $1.45 million to any fighter who could defeat Xu. The Chinese Wushu Association condemned the “suspected illegal actions that violate the morals of martial arts.” He and his family received death threats. Online trolls accused Xu of humiliating traditional Chinese culture, and he found he was banned from social media. The video quickly became a viral sensation on China’s social-media platforms. The bout left Xu with barely a scratch but a life in tatters. Xu leaps forward and rains down blows on his opponent until the referee stops the fight. The tai chi master instantly tumbles onto the checkerboard matting. After sizing each other up for a few seconds, Xu advances, furiously hurling punches at Wei’s head. Wei shuffles to and fro with both arms raised like a praying mantis. In the video of the April 27, 2017, bout that later went viral on social media, Xu takes a standard MMA striking pose. West, the master of a hallowed tradition vs. Xu says he only wanted to open people’s eyes, but the bout was billed as East vs.

The online quarrel escalated, and before long Xu and Wei were facing off in a basement in the central Chinese city of Chengdu for a bare-knuckle match. Xu believes this “fake kung fu” sullies true martial arts.

The idea that masters of kung fu achieve mystical skills is widely accepted in China Wei is just one of many making such claims. Wei boasted of using an invisible force field to keep a dove on his hand, and pulverizing a watermelon’s innards without damaging its skin. Xu wanted Wei Lei, a kung fu master in the discipline of tai chi, to account for the outlandish powers he claimed to possess. The dispute started with an argument on social media.

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