Me and China: My fulfilling odyssey to Wudang Mountain

Jake Pinnick was born in Illinois, the United States, in 1990. As he was captivated by Chinese martial arts in his youth, he decided to come to China to seek the "roots" of Chinese kung fu. On June 1, 2010, he arrived in Wudang Mountain and started to learn martial arts from his master.

His long-term study of martial arts has proved to be extremely beneficial for him. He has not only mastered disciplines such as baxiangun (the Eight Immortals Cane), Tai Chi, and Qigong, but developed an appreciation for their cultural significance. He has learned about the Chinese wisdom of balancing internal and external cultivation, strength and gentleness, and the Taoist philosophy of unity between heaven and humanity and respect for nature.

After completing his studies in 2014, Jake returned to the U.S. His experience in China has left a lasting influence on him. Therefore, he returned to Wudang Mountain to study traditional Chinese music, philosophy and history. Today, China has become his second home. "I hope to keep sharing my stories in Wudang Mountain with more people, contributing my efforts to cultural exchanges between the U.S. and China, and promoting traditional Chinese culture in the world," Pinnick said.