Tai Chi master sues MMA fighter for defamation after being called a fraud

You might have heard of Xu Xiaodong.

Here’s a little reminder.

Basically Xu goes around challenging a host of experts in traditional martial arts to prove they are a scam.

The 41-year-old’s one-man mission has met some fierce resistance from the Chinese community.

Some consider his actions deliberately provocative, and that he is undermining Chinese martial arts.

A claim Xu vehemently denies.

As he told Time, his aim was never to disparage traditional martial arts but rather to showcase the frauds that might populate it.

“A lot of people have been brainwashed by these fake kung fu masters, I’m trying to wake them up and let them know what real traditional kung fu actually is.”

Still punished

Despite his stated intentions, some have been quick to denounce him.

Particularly the Chinese Wushu Association.

See, the fight that propelled Xu to worldwide virality was against a Tai Chi proponent.

Here it is.

This incited the fury of the Wushu Association, who condemned Wu’s actions, calling it a violation to the moral of martial arts.

Despite these harsh chiding, and a near S$2 million bounty to beat him in a match, Xu had been going strong for a while now.

However while MMA might be quite powerful, it appears to be no match for the state machinations of China.

Apologies, and social credit

According to South China Morning Post (SCMP), his skirmishes with the Wushu association appears to have caught up with him, specifically with one Chen Xiaowang.

Image from Chen Xiaowang

According to his website, Chen is a “9th Duan in Taijiquan” which is one of the highest ranks there is. He is also a “19th Generation Lineage Holder of Chen Family Taijiquan”.

Xu, who had apparently disparaged Chen a few years earlier, was served with this legal notice.

Basically, here are all the things he has been struck with.

“1. Pay 400,000 yuan (S$79,700) to Chen.

2. Apologise to Chen for seven straight days, on what appears to be different mediums.

3. Credit score will be lowered to D.”

Here’s what that third thing results in, according to Fight Commentary Breakdown.

Image from Fight Commentary Breakdown

He can’t fly first class, he can’t stay at certain hotels.

Furthermore, there are other educational and transport-related restrictions.

It was the transport restrictions that proved most pertinent in his latest fight.

He appeared in the ring visibly frustrated, perhaps a result of his 36-hour trip to the fighting spot.

According to SCMP, Xu couldn’t take a high-speed train.

Xu was subjected to more humiliation before the fight, with him having to completely mask himself as well as go by an incredibly embarrassing stage name.

And after all that hassle, and woe, Xu found himself face-to-face with a Wing Chun “expert”.

Lu Gang, a ‘pressure point Wing Chun master’, who is reportedly a descendant of the legendary Ip Man.

Xu, stripped of his name, social credit, means of transport, and to an extent, his name, maybe Gang would be the one to put an end to Xu’s three year streak of humiliating martial arts proponents.

Nope, Lu lost in less than a minute.

Here’s the fight, courtesy of Fight Commentary Breakdowns.

Welp.

Image from fight breakdown and Chen Xiaowang

This content was originally published here.