Tai chi's unlikely disciple
After leaving his US home behind 14 years ago, Jake Pinnick has dedicated his life to the sacred ways of Wudang Mountain
As dawn breaks over Wudang Mountain in Central China's Hubei province, a tall figure is silhouetted against the 600-year-old Yuxu Gong Temple, also known as the Jade Void Temple, brandishing a gleaming tai chi sword. Despite his Western features, he blends seamlessly with the other Taoists residing on the mountain.
The man in question is Jake Pinnick, an American who identifies as a 16th-generation disciple of the Wudang Sanfeng martial arts lineage, named after the legendary Taoist reputed to have lived on Wudang Mountain and to have invented tai chi.
Annually, tens of thousands of foreigners make their way to the sacred mountain, yet Pinnick stands out as a permanent resident, who has made the mountain his home. He now serves as an instructor, imparting knowledge of tai chi and Chinese culture to a global audience.
