Wang Shu-Jin
Great Grandmaster Wang Shu-Jing (王樹金)
Wang Shu-Jin was born in mainland China in 1903. He began training with Master Zhang Zhao Dong at the age of 18 and stayed until Zhang Zhao Dong passed away. Other teachers were Wang Xian-Chi and Shiao Hai-Po.
Wang Shu-Jin moved to Taiwan in 1949. In the 1950’s Wang Shu-Jin was invited to Japan to demonstrate and teach Chinese martial arts at the Japanese Karate Federation. The best fighters in the world, Westerners and Easterners, came to challenge him and study with him, including the famous boxer Jack Dempsey, the bodyguards of the royal family of Japan, and high-ranked karate experts. Wang Shu-Jin visited Japan a total of 11 times. During those visits, he was undefeated. Wang Shu-Jin is considered the person responsible for bringing internal martial arts to Japan.
Although he never visited the United States, American martial arts journals continued to praise him many years after his death and he became a legend. After fifty years of studying the internal martial arts, he still did not dare to say that he had achieved full control over all of them. “I am still learning and pleased to be doing so. I am humbled by the greatness and generosity of my teachers who agreed to accept me as a disciple and to teach me.” He passed away on September 8th, 1981 in Taiwan due to complications from melanoma.
(Pictures used by permission from International Cheng Ming Chinese Martial Arts Association.)