In a small village in Baoding, Hebei, 69-year-old Bai Hejiang is on a special mission. He wants to make sure that Baoding Fast Wrestling, a traditional Chinese art, doesn’t disappear.
Bai comes from a wrestling family. His grandfather was a bodyguard and coach, and his father and uncles were wrestlers. He started learning wrestling when he was only 4 or 5 years old. As a teenager, he worked very hard, riding a bicycle 8 or 9 kilometers every day after school to study with two masters. His hard work paid off, and he joined a professional wrestling team in Hebei.
After retiring, Bai noticed a sad thing. Baoding, once famous for wrestling, had no gyms teaching this special art. At 57, he decided to open a free wrestling gym. His family thought he was crazy, but he didn’t give up. He turned his old factory into a training place with a big outdoor field and a small indoor house.
Over the past 12 years, Bai has taught many children for free. He doesn’t care about money. He just wants to pass on this great tradition. His gym has two rules: no fees and open to everyone, no matter who they are.
Not everything is easy, though. Some children stop coming because it is too hard, and their parents let them quit. But Bai doesn’t lose hope. Many children work hard, and some even become great wrestlers. For example, 8-year-old Sun Chenjun travels 20 km every day to train. She has become stronger, both physically and mentally. Guo Yuhang, who used to be overweight, is now applying to a sports university to study wrestling. These children make Bai very proud.
“Our family’s martial arts culture must continue,” he says. Thanks to Wrestling Grandpa Bai Hejiang, Baoding Fast Wrestling has a bright future.
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