Breathing life into a childhood dream

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Matt Jane (second from left) poses for a group photo with his students and family members in front of his Temple in north London in 2021 (PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Hundreds of thousands of people around the world are amazed by Jackie Chan’s kung fu movies. Some dream of living a life out of it. But few could realise it. Matt Jane did.

“People often say you should do a movie, that would be great, but I am living the real-life version of it, that’s more meaningful than making a movie,” the British kung fu master said.

Jane, who is also known by his Chinese name Bailong, which means white dragon, has been on a remarkable 25-year journey with Chinese kung fu.

At 11, he watched a kung fu show called The Wheel of Life in London. Inspired by the spectacle and Chinese kung fu movies, the young Jane nurtured a dream deep within his heart — to become a Shaolin master.

When he turned 16, he went to the Shaolin temple in Henan province to learn the ancient martial art.

The journey proved to be a transformative experience for the young Briton who encountered a world that was vastly different from the life he had known back in the UK.

“At 5 every morning, we would awaken and ascend a mountain, cool down on our hands and knees and practise headstands on concrete for hours on end,” Jane recalled.

Although the rigorous lifestyle may seem arduous to most, Jane found immense joy in it.

Alongside the demanding training came austere living conditions.

“We didn’t have access to a lot of things, but we were a very happy group of people. And the idea of family was really powerful because we were able to encourage each other to train and push forward, which I also didn’t feel I had much connection to in the UK growing up,” reflected Jane.

Growing up in Camden in north London, Jane described himself as a lost young man with a bloated street ego and a narrow perspective on life. However, his time in China transformed him in ways he could never have imagined.

“During my four-and-a-half-year stay in China, not only did I learn some incredible kung fu, but I grew from a young teenager into a man. And I experienced many different things, the learning process and the principles and morals which I would then continue into my life, which I continue to do until today,” said Jane.

After living in China for almost five years, Jane, then 21, became the first and only non-Chinese Shaolin warrior to join The Wheel of Life kung fu show, the very same show he watched as an 11-year-old.

And Jane met his future wife, Chang Chun, who was also a martial arts enthusiast. In 2009, they decided to return to London when Chang became pregnant. It was during this period that Jane started to establish his kung fu school, called Temple, in London.

Nathaniel Lawrence, a 40-year-old who has been training under Jane for two years, commends his kung fu skills and the positive impact he has made on the community.

“Many people have to go far away to learn such skill, so being able to have somebody within driving distance like Matt Jane is incredible,” Lawrence said.

Jane said: “Kung fu is a resource that allows people like myself to achieve something unique. And I’m so happy to have the chance and opportunity to bring this resource to the people of London and the communities here, the local people who come from across the UK to experience this unique opportunity, to have access to a culture, which before Temple, wasn’t available (here).”

In order to be better connected with the people in the UK, Jane interprets kung fu in a modern way.

“Not everyone wants to shave their head and become a Shaolin monk. But in reality, what we really need in kung fu is a culture called chanwuyi, and for me it’s not just Buddhism, kung fu and traditional Chinese medicine, it’s mind, exercise and nutrition,” he said.