Chen Hongjun, master player of 16.5-kilo Green Dragon Crescent Blade

Very strict in selecting his apprentice

During the exercise break, Chen warmly talked with the people. An elderly lady asked: "You are not young, do you fear that you will hurt yourself with the weapons during your exercises? "

"It has been 50 years since I started learning martial arts. Every morning between 4 o’clock and 7 o’clock, I will go out to do a blade and sword routine, and I am in good health now. So I am not worried in that regard," replied Chen. "Who taught you the skills?" a young man asked curiously. Chen told him that when he was young, he was in Cangzhou on apprenticeship, and the teacher was a master, and was now more than a hundred years old. The reason to learn martial arts, he continued, was, to a large extent, to make a living and protect himself from being bullied. "Do you want to take on some pupils?" the young man asked again. Chen smiled and took a few moments to answer. It turned out that he took a pupil once before, and he was surprised when the pupil, after acquiring several skills, walked the wrong path and broke the law. When Chen learned of this, he expelled the pupil. The story obviously dismayed Chen greatly. "From then on, when I choose pupils, I was very strict. Currently, a college lecturer is following me to learn these skills, and there are several postgraduates from Nanjing University. Swordsmen should have righteous characters, and the eldest pupil has been doing exercises with me for more than three years." At present, some youngsters do not have the necessary perseverance, and they try hard at first, but later they do not attend training. Most of them have other work to do, and could not stick with the task. It was a pity. Nowadays, his biggest wish was to pass on his martial arts skills from generation to generation.