Zhao Changjun

Zhao Changjun (Chinese: 赵长军; pinyin: Zhàozhǎngjūn; born October 1960) is a retired professional wushu taolu athlete from China. He is regarded as one of the greatest wushu athletes of all time. In wushu circles, it is commonly said the 1970s belonged to Jet Li, the 1980s to Zhao Changjun, and the 1990s to Yuan Wenqing.[1]

Zhao Changjun
Personal information
Born1960 (age 62–63)
Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
Sport
SportWushu
Event(s)Changquan, Daoshu, Gunshu
TeamShaanxi Wushu Team
Medal record
Representing  China
Men's Wushu Taolu
World Championships (pre-IWUF)
Gold medal – first place 1985 Xi'an All-around (CQ)
Gold medal – first place 1985 Xi'an Changquan
Gold medal – first place 1985 Xi'an Daoshu
Gold medal – first place 1985 Xi'an Gunshu
Gold medal – first place 1986 Tianjin All-around (CQ)
Gold medal – first place 1986 Tianjin Changquan
Gold medal – first place 1986 Tianjin Daoshu
Gold medal – first place 1986 Tianjin Gunshu
Asian Championships
Gold medal – first place 1987 Yokohama All-around (CQ)
Gold medal – first place 1987 Yokohama Changquan
Gold medal – first place 1987 Yokohama Daoshu
Gold medal – first place 1987 Yokohama Gunshu

Early life

Zhao was born in October 1960 to a poor Hui family in Xi'an, Shaanxi. He started practicing wushu at the age of six, studying with Yuan Runsheng and learning various traditional styles. He briefly had to stop training because of the Cultural Revolution where martial arts instructors were often purged. In 1970, he resumed training and was accepted into the Shaanxi provincial wushu team to train under Bai Wenxiang, then later Yu Baiwen and Ma Zhenbang.

Career

Competitive Career

In 1972, Zhao met Jet Li for the first time in national competition. The judges, not favoring to distinguish between both athletes, gave both of them an "Excellent Performance Award." In 1974, Zhao was considered for the famous Beijing Wushu Team debut tour to the United States but was rejected because his specialty styles, zuiquan and houquan, were looked down upon, as they were not favorable styles which represented Chinese people. As a result, Zhao worked with his coaches to develop the modernized version of ditangquan, which carries the acrobatics and athleticism of zuiquan and houquan.[2] Despite this, he was able to travel to Japan to perform.

During the mid 1970s, Zhao would be overshadowed by the success of Jet Li, who would eventually retire after the 4th National Games of China in 1979. Starting in 1978, Zhao would gold medals at every national championships and from 1980 to 1988, he won the all-around national championship title for eight years in a row.[3] At the National Games of China, he won seven gold medals scattered across four renditions.[4]

Starting in 1984, Zhao was appointed as a deputy director of the Shaanxi Sports Technical College and become a coach of the Shaanxi Wushu Team.

In May of 1985 when Muhammad Ali visited China, Zhao had the opportunity to meet him and engage in light sparring.[5][6]

In 1985, the first International Invitational Wushu Championships were held in Xi'an, and Zhao won three gold medals as well as the all-around title.[7][8] After the competition, he was approached by Bow-sim Mark from the United States, and accepted her plea to let him teach her son, Donnie Yen, for a year.[1] In 1986 in the second International Invitational Wushu Championships in Tianjin, Zhao was once again a triple gold medalist and the all-around title winner.[9] In 1987, the Wushu Federation of Asia (WFA) was formed and at the first Asian Wushu Championships in Yokohama, Japan, Zhao won the men's all-around title, becoming the first official Asian wushu champion.[10][11] After this success, he retired from competitive wushu. He proceeded to teach at the Shaanxi Sports Technical College and became the head coach of the Shaanxi Wushu Team.[12]

Acting career

Following the success of Shaolin Temple (1982) which starred Jet Li, a martial arts movie titled Wudang (1983) was released which starred Zhao. The film was poorly received due to its writing and was pulled out of shelves after eight days in 1984.[3] Despite this, Zhao's fame rose due to his lead role, and began to participate in film and television dramas including the "New Fang Shiyu" series, "The Broadsword King Five" and "The Jade Blood Sword."[3] In 1987 after his retirement from competitive wushu, he started in the 16-episode series "Legend of Sea Lantern" which was positively received. In 1990, Zhao went to Hong Kong after being invited by Sammo Hung to work on Blade of Fury (1990). The film was poorly received, was only screened for nine days, and thus the production company had to close due to bankruptcy and the actors were left without much payment.[3] After participating in The Strong Man Broken Arm by Longxiang Pictures, the repeated failures led Zhao to briefly retire from the film industry.[3]

Post-retirement

In 1989, he was invited by the Chinese Wushu Association to record and perform the first compulsory daoshu routine which would be used by the International Wushu Federation. In 1990 ahead of wushu's first appearance at the Asian Games, he served as the team coach for Malaysia.

After working in the Hong Kong film industry, he moved back to Xi'an to open the Zhao Changjun Wushu Institute. Sammo Hung would also work at this school. In 2007, he moved to the United States and taught in New Jersey.[13][14] In 2020, he returned to China and assumed the position as a distinguished professor and head of the wushu department at the Xi'an International Studies University.[12]

Awards

By the Chinese Wushu Association:

  • Top Ten Chinese Wushu Athletes (1995)[15]

References
  1. "甄子丹师父赵长军，中国武术第一人十连冠：却被3个混混打进医院" [Yen Zidan's Master Zhao Changjun, the first Chinese martial artist to win ten consecutive championships: but was beaten into the hospital by 3 thugs]. NetEase (in Chinese). 2020-12-23. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  2. Ching, Gene; Oh, Gigi (2006). "Where Wushu Went Wrong". Kung Fu Magazine. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
  3. "赵长军在电影圈不红，是因为他在另一个圈子里红的发紫" [Zhao Changjun is not popular in the movie circle because he is red and purple in another circle]. Sohu (in Chinese). 2020-05-27. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  4. "赵长军：爱上武术，就是一生一世" [Zhao Changjun: Falling in love with martial arts is a lifetime]. tyj.shaanxi.gov.cn (in Chinese). 2021-02-01. Archived from the original on 2021-09-13. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  5. Bradley, Jeff (1985-05-21). "Muhammad Ali Ends China Tour, Says He Will Return". Associated Press. Beijing. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
  6. "ali arrives in northwest china city of xian". Xinhua General News Service. Xi'an. Xinhua News Agency. 1985-05-15. 515110. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
  7. "first-day wushu competition sees rare high score". Xinhua General News Service. Xi'an. Xinhua News Agency. 1985-08-22. 082296. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
  8. "first international wushu contest concludes". Xinhua General News Service. Xi'an. Xinhua News Agency. 1985-08-25. 082550. Retrieved 2021-08-15.
  9. "international martial arts tournament ends in tianjin". Xinhua General News Service. Tianjin. Xinhua News Agency. 1986-11-04. 1104165. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
  10. "results of first-day asian wushu championships". Xinhua General News Service. Yokohama. Xinhua News Agency. 1987-09-26. 0926150. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
  11. "asian wushu championships conclude in japan". Xinhua General News Service. Yokohama. Xinhua News Agency. 1987-09-27. 0927088. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  12. "著名武术家赵长军受聘担任西安外事学院特聘教授、武术系主任" [Famous martial artist Zhao Changjun was hired as a distinguished professor and head of the Wushu Department of Xi'an University of Foreign Affairs]. Shanxizixun (in Chinese). 2020-12-18. Retrieved 2021-10-17.
  13. Zhang, Ruinan (2017-09-11). "Tai chi lights up Times Square". China Daily (European ed.). Retrieved 2021-09-09.
  14. "新泽西州八华裔入选国家武术队 将代表美国参赛" [Eight Chinese from New Jersey selected for national martial arts team will represent the United States]. China News Service (in Chinese). 2014-03-14. Retrieved 2021-10-17.
  15. "武术大师赵长军传奇武学人生——文/武双安" [Wushu Master Zhao Changjun's Legendary Martial Arts Life——Wen/Wu Shuang'an]. Sohu. 2018-10-06. Retrieved 2022-03-22.
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