Tai chi's unlikely disciple
After leaving his US home behind 14 years ago, Jake Pinnick has dedicated his life to the sacred ways of Wudang Mountain
Inspirational force
During a performance of Wudang Taihequan at the 2023 Wudang Tai Chi International Friendship Competition, a black butterfly unexpectedly joined him, captivating the audience.
The video went viral on social media, with one netizen interpreting the scene as "Zhuangzi (the ancient Taoist philosopher) transforming into a butterfly to encourage him". Another commended his performance as "authentic and true to its roots".
Pinnick clinched two gold medals at the event, while his two foreign students each secured a silver. However, he says: "Medals are not important to me; what matters is that people, through me, get to know tai chi and Chinese culture."
He has harnessed the power of the internet to widen his reach. Over the past three years, together with his wife, Cao Ling, he has produced and shared hundreds of short videos, drawing fans from the United States and Europe into the orbit of his tai chi and bamboo flute practices.
After three years of online classes with the American, Maurijn Bracke from Belgium finally had the opportunity for face-to-face instruction. "The study of tai chi involves martial arts, Taoist philosophy, classical music, tea art, and more, and Jake can explain them all clearly," says Bracke.
