By Xinhua writers Li Binian, Liu Jinhui, Cao Kai
ZHENGZHOU, Henan Province, May 24 (Xinhua) -- Englishman Daniel Nichols has something of a dual role here in China. For the past two years, he has split his time between teaching English at a university and studying Tai Chi.
His time as a Tai Chi student began ten years ago when he took up Yang-style Tai Chi at a small Tai Chi school near Aston University in Birmingham.
"I was not serious about Tai Chi at that time, but it did raise my interest in Chinese culture," said Daniel.
In 2010, Daniel traveled to Taiwan to learn Chinese for two years and worked in the field of international trade for another three years. It was then that he became fascinated by what is known as mantis boxing, another form of Chinese Kungfu.
"Chinese Kungfu is so interesting. Many of the moves involve vivid mimicry of animals. It is quite an eye-opener," he said.
He was so fascinated with Chinese Kungfu that he changed his Chinese name to Chen Zidan, a name similar to Donnie Yen (Zhen Zidan), a famous Kungfu star.
Three years ago, one of Daniel's colleagues was injured while playing football and he began to practice Tai Chi as a form of exercise. That's where Daniel's own Tai Chi story picked up again.
"He said Tai Chi could make his body more coordinated and more flexible so I practiced with him," Daniel said.
"Then he told me that Chenjiagou on the Chinese mainland is the birthplace of Tai Chi, so I quit my job and went to central China's Henan Province in May, 2015," he recalled.
Chenjiagou has been branded as the "Birthplace of Taiji" by the Chinese Wushu Association. Despite the village's small size, it includes more than 20 family Kungfu schools. Every summer, many people from outside China come to Chenjiagou to learn Tai Chi.
He first practiced Tai Chi with Chen Xiaoxing, the younger brother of Tai Chi master Chen Xiaowang, and after four days decided to stay to focus on learning it.
To make ends meet, Daniel found a job at the Zhengzhou University, which is about 80 kilometers from Chenjiagou. He teaches English at the university three days a week and practices Tai Chi in Chenjiagou for the rest of the week.
"It is not so easy to practice Tai Chi. It has been two years since I practiced it, I still feel that I am a beginner," said Daniel.
"There a form of philosophy in Tai Chi," Daniel said. "I read the Tao Te Ching before I came to China and I'm still reading. It's so interesting."
"I am not so sure about the future, maybe I will stay in China for a few more years, maybe I will return to Britain. But (in future) I plan to come back to China to practice Tai Chi," Daniel said.
Now Daniel is used to his life now in China. He has organized a bilingual football training class, teaching English as well as football. He says China is full of business opportunities.
"My life is connected to China. If that were not so, it would have been a waste of time for me to learn Chinese so well," Daniel said.
