Grandmaster Ku was a legendary martial artist, famous for his Shaolin skill, his Iron Palm, and his Iron Body. He was one of the Five Southbound Tigers, bringing his art to Southern China and teaching in Guangzhou for a short time, where it spread to Hong Kong, and ultimately, to the rest of the world. It was, therefore, with considerable anticipation and excitement that I traveled to Southern China last year to seek out Sifu Zhou, the president of the Guangzhou Northern Shaolin Association. I knew virtually nothing about Sifu Zhou, except that his Northern Shaolin also descended from Grandmaster Ku. As anyone who has been to China can attest to, though, few things go as smoothly as planned.
China is simultaneously as fascinating as frustrating country.
As we called the many numbers on Sifu Zhou's business card we found one by one that they were disconnected. Sifu Zhou, it appeared, could no longer be reached at that number because he was now the proprietor of a small tea shop, but she was able to provide me with his new pager number. My friend finally reached Sifu Zhou and, after much explaining that I was an American kung fu student, that my teacher was a student of Yen Shang Wo, and that I traveled here to meet him, my plans were made. We were to go to Guangzhou, page Sifu Zhou from the train station, and then meet him at the police station. After much ma fan , or trouble, I found myself waiting on the street corner in front of the Guangzhou Police Station.