In China’s Taoist martial arts schools, fighting is only part of the lesson

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SHIYAN, China (AP) — There was a time when Chinese master Yuan Shimao thought martial arts were all about punching and kicking. As a young practitioner, he focused on speed and strength.

“I trained that way for many years without becoming still enough to search within myself,” said Yuan, who founded a kung fu academy in central China in 2004.

“But as you gradually settle into stillness, you begin to understand what the scriptures mean by spirit,” he added. “You can begin to rediscover yourself.”

That process is known as “entering the Dao” in martial arts. It is a guiding principle at Yuan’s academy in the sacred Wudang Mountains , where disciplines like kung fu and tai chi draw on Taoist thought.

Practitioners like Yuan start by strengthening the body. As they progress, the mind becomes more resilient and willpower develops.

“The body is a vehicle or vessel within which the spirit resides,” Yuan said. “You therefore need a healthy body capable of carrying your spirit.”

A search for healing led to a deeper martial arts practice

Yuan began practicing martial arts in the 1980s.…