Wushu Education

On a hot July day in Fairfax, Va., husband and wife coaching team Christopher Peí and Zhāng Guìfèng, patted their students on the back while observing their emotions before their third performance at the 2019 Pan American Kungfu & Taijiquan Championships and U.S.A. Wushu Kungfu Federation National Team Trials (USAWKF). Wǔshù (武术) is a sport that blends elements of performance and martial arts. The USAWKF National Team Trials happen every two years and in the interim coaches and students get up at 7 a.m. each day to practice. For 30 years Peí and Zhāng have dedicated themselves to Wushu education. As a photographer and native of Foshan, China, a southern city that has an important position in the country's Wushu history, I photographed this couple's dedication to Wushu education in the United States. It was a way to connect with my roots and also explore why these traditions have been fading away in Foshan.

在一个弗吉尼亚州炎热的七月天，美国武术学院华裔夫妻创建人裴康凯和张桂凤正在给今年要参加美国国家武术队选拔赛的学生们打气。武术是一个结合武功和表演的一项运动，为了准备这次两年一度的美国全能比赛，两位教练和学生们每天7点起床训练。这个夫妻档为了推广中国传统文化，他们已经在美国开展武术教育三十年。佛山是中国南方的一个城市，这座城市代表着中国武术历史很重要的一个地位。作为一个在佛山出生的摄影师，我从小并没有花费太多时间在自己的故乡，所以我决定在美国记录这两位武术教练是怎样在美国开展武术教育及探索武术传统艺术在佛山消逝的原因。