Wudang Academy
Traditional Sanfeng Cultural Heritage
Welcome to the Wudang Academy
Our Wudang Academy website is dedicated to the Wudang arts and the continuity of the traditions. Always carry the Wudang teachings in your heart. If this is your first time here make sure to read the links in the top header navigation to understand more of what this website is about.
The foreigner class is specifically designed for people from other countries who come for a short-term or long-term stay. The classes are easier than the Chinese traditional class but they are more optimized to get an understanding of the Wudang martial arts and consider the fact that most foreigners are older than the 13y old students at the Chinese traditional class.
After the great flooding of Xiaoyao Valley, also known as Monkey Valley, a lot of pathways and bridges were destroyed and till today not restored. The bus station in the valley is fine, but if you want to walk the path up to the golden top, the valley may conceal some dangers which are important for tourists to know.
We found many new friends and a lot of new impressions. I want to share a few pictures of our most important moments
The standard stretching routines in the traditional Wudang schools demand high flexibility to improve ones internal power. Being flexible puts less strain on the body and relaxation becomes more efficient. This will prevent injury and establishes freedom in the mind. Freeing oneself from physical and mental blockades to prevent stagnation of energy.
Between all of the politics and competitions, deep in the valleys of the Wudang mountains is the last refuge. The purpose is to live in the mountains and practice the internal arts. Deep in the Yiren valley is a circle of seekers and believers of the truth.
Baguazhang is derived from the philosophy of I Ching. Practitioners move in eight directions represented by eight trigrams: Qian, Kan, Gen, Zhen, Xun, Li, Kun and Dui. Practitioners should keep walking in circles with swinging and hooking steps, and strike with different palm positions.
The swordsmanship is one of the features of the Wudang school,” says Chen Shiyu, inheritor of the Taoist kung fu in Wudang style. “The sword is considered as ‘king of weapons’. It has a sense of elegance.
The vast mountain range of Wudang has been since a long time a place for inspiration and Daoist beliefs. Those who work on improving oneself find a deep bond with the spirits in this area. This post is all about my impressions when I visited the Wudang Mountain area. If you like a picture you can click on it for purchasing a license, nice prints for your wall or a postcard for your friends!
Every Wednesday is a performance day at Yuan Xiu Gang’s school, the performances were going till 11am and the rest of the day is basically free. So that is a nice opportunity to go to the city and check things out! (click on the images to buy a license, print or postcard!)
The suburban district of Wudangshan is within the town Shiyan. In the past, it consisted of bumpy roads and walking paths. The shopping street used to be a crowded marketplace for the locals, now it is closed for vendors and became a western-style shopping street with official restaurants and stores.
Master Yuan Xiu Gang (Daoist Name: Shi Mao) is a disciple of the 15th generation of Wudang San Feng Pai and the direct Master of Michael Weichhard (Master Ziji). You can find more information about Master Yuan Xiu Gang on his website here!
After a long and enduring flight, we finally arrived at the Beijing airport. From there on we decided to go by Airport Express to the subway system of China.