(Ecns.cn)--Though Christmas is just around the corner, foreign students from the United States, France, Italy, Britain and other countries who are learning martial arts at schools near Mount Song in central China's Henan Province remain focused on their practice.
"I want to keep practicing Chinese kung fu for the rest of my life. It has taught me to be persistent," said Camille Serre, an 18-year-old French girl whose Chinese name is Xiao Min. Judging from her appearance, it is hard to imagine that the girl has studied martial arts for over three months in China.
"I learned of kung fu by watching a movie. After I graduated from high school, my father sent me to China to learn Chinese and martial arts," said Camille. "My father hopes that I can use kung fu to protect myself. I have also studied it in France for over two years."
Like Camille, many foreigners come to learn kung fu after watching martial arts movies. According to the coach of a martial arts school in Henan, the oldest foreign student at his school is 68 years old, while the youngest is only 6.
"Most of them practice six hours a day. Every year there are about a hundred foreign students who come to our school to learn martial arts," said the coach. "At first, some wanted to learn the exact movements they had seen in the movies, but later they changed their attitudes."
"What is presented in the movies is not the same as what people learn at martial arts schools, so students need to change their view," said another coach. Instead, the emphasis of kung fu is on maintaining health and building mental strength.
