Silumkid
03-11-2002, 05:57 PM
As many of you know, I am not involved in contemporary wushu nor do I care at all about it's politics. I have, however, had a good measure of respect for Jet Li's and Zhang Hong-Mei's coach, Wu Bin. This letter printed recently and openly to Anthony Goh of the USAWKF confirmed for me why I like him...so without further adieu:
An Open Letter to Anthony Goh:
Recently I've had the fortune to read your works on the internet and other places. At first I didn't mind, but later on, after you "opened fire" on Li Jie and me two or three times I decided that to remain silent any longer is not polite. I have no alternative. I believe when people read the actual facts they will understand.
With regard to myself, I am already 65. In China most people retire at age 60, but the leaders in China still encourage me to continue. When I actually retire, I will be around 70 years old. Do I really need to run to the US to compete for your job?
In China I am a world-class coach and my pension is already enough for a happy retirement. I am very fortunate to have been able to be involved with wushu my entire life. Since graduating from the Beijing Physical Education Institute in 1963 with a major in wushu, I have fostered many accomplished students who are now all over the world. Just those in the US include: Li Lian Jie (Jet Li), Li Jin-Heng, Zhang Guifeng, Zhang Hong-Mei, Hao Zhi-Hua, Huang Qiu-Yan, Yu Shao-Wen, and Zhou Jin-Ping. They have all helped further develop the sport of wushu throughout the world. I have brought teams to the US over ten times. My students, including Jet Li, Lu Yan, and Cui Ya-Hui have all performed for the White House and were greeted by President Richard Nixon.
There's an old Chinese saying, "Peaches and plums all over the world". For someone who has been a wushu coach all his life, the greatest reward is to have so many students, for which I can be proud.
My greatest joy is the close relationship between me and my students. There are some things in this world that are beyond time, space, fame and wealth. When my birthday comes along, countless students come from all over the world to celebrate. Have you ever enjoyed this?
Wu de, in a certain sense, is about how you live ethically. Those who do not follow this path when dealing with wushu can fall into the path of darkness. If someone like this were to lead a wushu organization's board of directors, the results would not be good in the end.
Re: you and Jeff Bolt, I was introduced to you by Eric Chen in 1995 at the National Wushu Training Center. At that time, you had just become president of the USAWKF. We talked about how to hold tournaments and how to choose athletes. My impression at the time was that you didn't seem tooo familiar with this field and were quite open to suggestions. You now seem to be much different from the way you were.
At that time, you also introduced me to Jeff Bolt. We met for no longer than a minute. The second time I met him was at the World Taijiquan Health Conference in Sanya, China last March. As far as I know, he wanted to inform Li Jie about some of the USAWKF internal issues. Considering the unity of the US's wushu community and your relationship, Li Jie intentionally avoided him. Li Jie dispatched someone to receive him and tactfully relayed the policy of not meddling in your "internal affairs".
Since I do not understand English and was appointed director of the closing ceremony, I did not come into contact with him. I believe there were lots of people from the US who made it to Sanya, but they didn't know where Jeff Bolt was. And on what basis do you say that Li Jie and I "planned to usurp power, seeking a place in the US after retirement'? I really hope you can show some hard evidence.
There are two more Chinese sayings I would like to give to you: "When the body is straight (i.e. - the moral character is upstanding) there is no need to worry about the shadow being crooked"; and "Those without a guilty conscience do not need to worry about ghosts knocking at the door".
May I offer a few words for you? The International Wushu Federation already has about 80 members. Many members have worked hard and gotten their country's Olympic Committee or Sports Bureau's recognition. But the US has not.
Your top priority is to gather and unite the various wushu organizations in the US and get the US Olympic Committee's recogntion, instead of internal fighting and repelling dissenting voices. Also, at the World Wushu Games, the US Wushu Team's places are in a downward trend. As the leader, you are responsible for leading them out of the slump as soon as possible - this is what you are supposed to be working on.
There is a saying in China: "The favor of a drop of water should be repaid with flowing streams". And what are you doing today? Another saying goes: "Good advice jars the ears but is good for action, good medicine is bitter but id good for curing illness". The above is just a little honest advice from me. Young man, you still have a long life ahead of you, I hope you will do what is best. The above does not represent the opinion of the IWF or the Chinese Wushu Federation. It is merely my personal opinion.
-Wu Bin, Beijing, China
Anthony Goh refused to comment on Wu Bin's letter.
An Open Letter to Anthony Goh:
Recently I've had the fortune to read your works on the internet and other places. At first I didn't mind, but later on, after you "opened fire" on Li Jie and me two or three times I decided that to remain silent any longer is not polite. I have no alternative. I believe when people read the actual facts they will understand.
With regard to myself, I am already 65. In China most people retire at age 60, but the leaders in China still encourage me to continue. When I actually retire, I will be around 70 years old. Do I really need to run to the US to compete for your job?
In China I am a world-class coach and my pension is already enough for a happy retirement. I am very fortunate to have been able to be involved with wushu my entire life. Since graduating from the Beijing Physical Education Institute in 1963 with a major in wushu, I have fostered many accomplished students who are now all over the world. Just those in the US include: Li Lian Jie (Jet Li), Li Jin-Heng, Zhang Guifeng, Zhang Hong-Mei, Hao Zhi-Hua, Huang Qiu-Yan, Yu Shao-Wen, and Zhou Jin-Ping. They have all helped further develop the sport of wushu throughout the world. I have brought teams to the US over ten times. My students, including Jet Li, Lu Yan, and Cui Ya-Hui have all performed for the White House and were greeted by President Richard Nixon.
There's an old Chinese saying, "Peaches and plums all over the world". For someone who has been a wushu coach all his life, the greatest reward is to have so many students, for which I can be proud.
My greatest joy is the close relationship between me and my students. There are some things in this world that are beyond time, space, fame and wealth. When my birthday comes along, countless students come from all over the world to celebrate. Have you ever enjoyed this?
Wu de, in a certain sense, is about how you live ethically. Those who do not follow this path when dealing with wushu can fall into the path of darkness. If someone like this were to lead a wushu organization's board of directors, the results would not be good in the end.
Re: you and Jeff Bolt, I was introduced to you by Eric Chen in 1995 at the National Wushu Training Center. At that time, you had just become president of the USAWKF. We talked about how to hold tournaments and how to choose athletes. My impression at the time was that you didn't seem tooo familiar with this field and were quite open to suggestions. You now seem to be much different from the way you were.
At that time, you also introduced me to Jeff Bolt. We met for no longer than a minute. The second time I met him was at the World Taijiquan Health Conference in Sanya, China last March. As far as I know, he wanted to inform Li Jie about some of the USAWKF internal issues. Considering the unity of the US's wushu community and your relationship, Li Jie intentionally avoided him. Li Jie dispatched someone to receive him and tactfully relayed the policy of not meddling in your "internal affairs".
Since I do not understand English and was appointed director of the closing ceremony, I did not come into contact with him. I believe there were lots of people from the US who made it to Sanya, but they didn't know where Jeff Bolt was. And on what basis do you say that Li Jie and I "planned to usurp power, seeking a place in the US after retirement'? I really hope you can show some hard evidence.
There are two more Chinese sayings I would like to give to you: "When the body is straight (i.e. - the moral character is upstanding) there is no need to worry about the shadow being crooked"; and "Those without a guilty conscience do not need to worry about ghosts knocking at the door".
May I offer a few words for you? The International Wushu Federation already has about 80 members. Many members have worked hard and gotten their country's Olympic Committee or Sports Bureau's recognition. But the US has not.
Your top priority is to gather and unite the various wushu organizations in the US and get the US Olympic Committee's recogntion, instead of internal fighting and repelling dissenting voices. Also, at the World Wushu Games, the US Wushu Team's places are in a downward trend. As the leader, you are responsible for leading them out of the slump as soon as possible - this is what you are supposed to be working on.
There is a saying in China: "The favor of a drop of water should be repaid with flowing streams". And what are you doing today? Another saying goes: "Good advice jars the ears but is good for action, good medicine is bitter but id good for curing illness". The above is just a little honest advice from me. Young man, you still have a long life ahead of you, I hope you will do what is best. The above does not represent the opinion of the IWF or the Chinese Wushu Federation. It is merely my personal opinion.
-Wu Bin, Beijing, China
Anthony Goh refused to comment on Wu Bin's letter.