Grand Master Ma Xian Da
Grand Mater Ma Xianda was born in 1932 to a Muslim family who trace their martial
arts roots back six generations. Since 9/11, Muslims have been so profiled, but
it's easy to forget that there are many types of Muslims today. Chinese Muslims,
or Hui, represent the largest minority of the largest population in the world and
have as much connection with. Bin Laden as Christians have with Hitler. Originally
from Hebei, Ma learned from his father Ma Fengtu and uncle Ma Yintu, both noted
masters in their own right.
Ma Fengtu was a general under amed warlord Feng Yuxiang. Ma Yingtu also produced
Zhang Wenguang, another ninth Duan holder. Ma Xianda learned many traditional Wushu
forms including Tongbei Pigua, Kaimen, Baji, Ba Shan Fen, and Cuo Jiao and also
studied western boxing, wrestling and fencing. In fact, Ma was one of the very first
Chinese to study western martial sports. The most recent testimony of Ma's expertise
that Americans might recognize is his student, Gao Xian, who played a major supporting
role in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. But Master Gao is only one of Grandmaster
Ma's remarkable legacy. More than twenty of Ma's close students (including Shao
Zhao Ming see also Fan Zi Quan Clips) have earned the coveted title of Wu Ying or
"martial hero," a title conferred on athletes who have repeatedly placed in the
top three positions in national competition.)
Beyond his kin, Ma also coached the aforementioned champion Zhao Chang Jun for a
while and even taught Jet Li what would become one of Jet's favourite forms, Fan
Zi Quan.
In 1952, the first martial arts championship was held after the founding of the
PRC in 1949. Ma captured the Lei Tai championship, a free fighting event where fighters
knock each other off an elevated platform, defeating Tongbi master Deng Hongzhao
and Cuo Jiao master Li Xuewen. He also took the Short Weapon Fighting Champion and
the Wushu Performance Grand Champion. He won all this at the young of 19.The following
year, Ma won the Huabei Short Weapon Tournament. This included competitors from
Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia. Ma won every single bout.