US martial artist in China sees kung fu as preventive medicine and meditation, and documents his search for its origins
- Lawyer and government adviser turned documentary maker Laurence Brahm has studied many forms of Chinese martial arts to help overcome burnout
- His latest film documents his journeys across China to find the origins of kung fu, at the Shaolin Temple and beyond
As someone who practises kung fu for four hours every day, former New Yorker and international lawyer turned filmmaker Laurence Brahm is well-known in Beijing’s wushu community. He has studied under masters from various schools of Chinese martial arts, including 81-year-old Liu Hongchi, who is an expert in many wushu styles including Zhangjia Kungfu and Cha Quan.
“Kung fu trains your mind to think about opening up to opportunities, protecting yourself, avoiding conflict and getting hit, and creating situations where you can access where you want to be,” he says.
The 60-year-old reels off with pride the list of martial arts he practises, starting with a nod to his highly regarded teacher.
“Liu is very respected by every martial artist [in China]. During the Republic of China period, Liu trained under really old masters from the Qing dynasty. He teaches me Zhang family kung fu, an esoteric style of Beijing kung fu that dates back to the Ming dynasty, and the five traditional animal styles of Shaolin kung fu – the dragon, the snake, the tiger, the leopard and the crane.”
