Huo Yuanjia

Huo Yuanjia was a Chinese martial artist and a co-founder of the Chin Woo Athletic Association, a martial arts school in Shanghai. He was born in a family of traditional wushu practitioners, but he was weak and sickly as a child. He learned wushu from his father and his elder brother, and became proficient in the style of mizongyi, which means "lost track skill". He also studied other martial arts, such as xingyi, bagua, and shaolin. Huo Yuanjia became famous for his courage and skill in challenging and defeating foreign fighters in publicised matches at a time when China was under the threat of foreign imperialism and humiliation. He was considered a national hero and a symbol of Chinese pride and resistance. He also dedicated himself to teaching and promoting wushu as a way of improving the physical and mental health of the Chinese people. He co-founded the Chin Woo Athletic Association in 1909, which was one of the first civil martial arts organisations in China that was open to all people regardless of their background, ethnicity, or religion. The Chin Woo Athletic Association also taught other subjects, such as ethics, hygiene, and first aid. Huo Yuanjia died in 1910, at the age of 42, from pneumonia. He was buried in Fushou Garden in Shanghai, where a memorial hall was built in his honour. His life story has inspired many books, films, and television series, and he is regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of Chinese martial arts.