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October 27, 2001 To Mr. Wu BinA couple of days ago, someone forwarded the letter that you addressed to me, dated October 22, 2001, I am actually preparing to leave for Armenia to attend the 6th World Wushu Championships in a couple of days, therefore I am only going to be brief in responding to your letter. I will have the Chinese version of this letter upon my return from Armenia. Letter to Mr. Anthony Goh To Mr. Anthony Goh, Recently I've had the fortune to read your works on the internet and other places, at first I didn't mind, but later on, after you "opened fire" on Li Jie and I two or three times I decided to remain silent any longer is not polite, I have no alternative - "It is impolite to not reciprocate" [a Chinese saying]. I believe when people read the actual facts they will understand the situation. 1. With regard to myself: I'm already 65, in China most people retire at age 60, but the leaders in China still encourage me to continue. When I actually retired, I will be around 70 years old. Do I really need to run to the US to compete for your job [literally your rice bowl - ie livelihood/ means of putting food on the table]? In China I am a world class coach, my pension is already enough for me to have a happy retirement. I am very fortunate to be able to be involved with wushu my entire life. Since graduating from the Beijing Physical Education Institution in 1963 with a major in Wushu, I have fostered many accomplished students, now they are all over the world. Just the ones in the United States include Li Lian Jie [Jet Li], Li Jin-heng, Zhang Guifeng, Zhang Hong-mei, Hao Zhi-hua, Huang Qiu-yan, Yu Shao-wen, Zhou Jin-ping etc. They have all helped further develop the sport of wushu throughout the world (including in the US). Since the 80's I myself have brought teams to the US over 10 times. My students including Li Lian Jie [Jet Li], Lu Yan, Cui Ya-hui have all performed for the White House and were greeted by President Nixon. These are facts that are known to everyone. I have no intention to
degrade your achievements in wushu. There is no need for you to get defensive
about it. I also do not worry about you "taking my rice bowl"
[compete with my job] as I don't think you would be suitable to do what I am
doing. The things that should really concern you are your actions and behaviors
that violate the rules. With your age and achievements, you should not be
doing this. I guess this behavior is best described in the Chinese proverb,
"greed at the heart makes the snake swallow the elephant." Now that your involvement in the U.S. coup attempt and your various disruptive behaviors has been revealed in the U.S. and internationally, I do not think that any government or organization who is aware of this would allow this kind of behavior to continue for too long. This may make your goal of retiring at age of nearly 70 an unrealistic one. There's an old Chinese saying that goes, "Peaches and Plums [ie students] all over the world" For someone who is a wushu coach for all his life, the greatest reward is to have so many students that I can be proud of. My greatest joy is the close relationship between me and my students. Do you understand any of this? There are some things in this world that is beyond time, space and fame and wealth. When my birthday comes along, countless students come from all over the world to wish me a happy birthday. Have you ever enjoy this? Wude [martial ethics], in a certain sense, is about how living your live ethnically. Those who do not follow this path when dealing with wushu can fall onto the path of darkness. If someone like this were to lead a Wushu organization's board of directors, the results will not be good in the end. These words are not directed at you alone, this is the lesson that history teaches us, and is the cruel and sad truth. Perhaps you do not yet have a thorough knowledge of my background. It so happens that there is a book about me that is being written right now. If you're interested, I'll definitely take your comments when the book is completed. May I remind you that
there exists so many notable and senior masters in China such as, Zhang Wen Guang,
Ma Xian Da, Liu Yi Hua, Cai Yuen Long, Peng Ling Tai, who are skillful and
have produced many top athletes and coaches in China. It is through the
efforts and devotion of so many top masters and coaches collaboratively that
allow China to maintain its status of being the leader of wushu in the world. 2. Regarding you and Jeff Bolt. I was introduced to you by Mr. Eric Chen [Chen Zhi Zhong] in 1995 at the National Wushu Training Center. At that time, you just became the president of the USAWKF. We talked about how to hold tournaments, and how to choose athletes. My impression at the time was that you didn't seem to be too familiar with this field, and was quite open to suggestions. You now seem to be much different from the way you were. At that time, you also introduced me to Jeff Bolt, we met for no more than a minute. The second time I met him was at the World Taijiquan-Health Conference held in Sanya, China this past March. As far as I know, he wanted to inform Mr. Li Jie about some of the USAWKF internal issues. Considering the unity of the US's Wushu community and your relationship, Li Jie intentionally avoided him. Li Jie dispatched someone to recieve him, and tactfully relay the policy of not meddling in your "internal affairs". Since I do not understand English, and was appointed the director of the closing ceremony, I did not come into contact with him. I believe there were lots of people from the US who made it to Sanya, they didn't know where Jeff Bolt was? I don't know you had such an incredible imagination to link up Jeff Bolt, Li Jie and Wu Bin? And on what basis do you said Li Jie and I "planned to usurp power, seeking a place in the US after retirement". I really hope you can show some hard evidence, instead of pulling lies out of the air [literally - to wag your tongue too freely]. There are 2 more Chinese sayings that I wish to give to you: "When the body is straight [ie - the moral character is upstanding], there is no need to worry about the shadow being crooked"; "Those without a guilty conscience need not worry about ghosts knocking at the door". Yes, you did not contact
Jeff Bolt directly in initiating and during the coup attempt, you conducted
it through Liu Yu and Tai Yim. You and your associates also planned
to abandon Jeff Bolt afterwards as he could not be the one to provide
you with the benefits you and your associates anticipated. But because
Jimmy Wong and Liu Yu resigned and Tai Yim was not a member of the board,
you were unable to succeed. When the coup attempt failed, Jeff Bolt
was "riding on a tiger" and could not find an exit and you
were worried that your involvement could be exposed, therefore you were
forced to work together even though Jeff Bolt was not your ideal partner
at all. By now, he should know that you can't help him in his illegal
activities, and he should be annoyed by those fruitless meetings held
in Sanya and Japan that you and your associates advised him to attend. 3. May I offer a few words for you. The International Wushu Federation already has about 80 members. Many members have worked hard and got their country's Olympic Committee or Sports Bureau's recognition. But the US has not. Your top priority is to gather and unite the various Wushu organizations in the US and get the US Olympic Committee's recognition, instead of internal fighting and repelling dissenting voices. Also, at the World Wushu Games the US Wushu Team's placings are in a downward trend. As the leader, you are responsible for leading them out of the slump as soon as possible - this is what you're supposed to be working on. Please note that wushu is
not an Olympic event today and is also not in the Pan American Games
as it is in the Asian Games. USAWKF is making every effort to promote
the sport, including bringing the World Championships for the first
time outside of Asia in 1995. It is also the first and only wushu organization
that is able to operate on a national basis in the U.S. Today, USAWKF
is a household name in the wushu world. There wasn't one before it in
the US, and there is no current equivalent. As an amateur sport without
any professional athletes, many of the non-Asian countries do not yet
have their wushu organization recognized by their National Olympic Committee.
Not only do you not understand English, you also do not seem to understand
the difference and challenge of the wushu development in Pan America.
Your coup attempt has delayed our efforts and our application for membership
in the US Olympic Committee. 4. Do you still remember the time when you invited the Chinese Wushu team over to the US to perform? According to the agreement, you still own the Chinese group US $20,000. Although you know that this is the money the young team member earned in exchange for their sweat and hard work, you delayed payment again and again. Finally, it was Li Jie who, considering your plight, and in order to promote wushu, and foster friendly relations between the two countries' wushu communities, requested that his superiors forgive the money you had promised to pay back. I hope you didn't forget this incident? There is a saying in China: "The favor of a drop of water should be repaid with flowing streams". And what are you doing today? Regarding the China tour performance in 1996 and the dispute
of the performance fee, please read my letter directed to Li Jie dated
September 15, 1997 which describes that the failed fundraising tour
was due to the non-performance of obligations of the Chinese Wushu Association
(CWA). The saying goes, "Good advice jars the ears but is good for action, Good medicine is bitter but good for curing illness". The above is just a little of honest advice from me. Young man, you still have a long life ahead of you, I hope you will do what is best. My advice to you is that you should withdraw immediately from your inappropriate behavior. You have made the Beijing Wushu Institute a place where you make promises and the World Championship and any other championships the venue for you to secure your promises and competition medals. You and those who support you have created a misconception that wushu and corruptive behaviors is a packaged deal that is eager to export throughout the world. Also, due to the fact that I don't understand English, if there is someone who is willing to translate this to English, I'd be much obliged. The above does not represent the opinion of the International Wushu Federation, or the opinion of the Chinese Wushu Federation. It is merely my own, personal opinion. Wu Bin The actions you took have disrupted the growth and
prosperity of my life's work. My words have only been used to reveal the
truth and to undo what has so wrongly been done. I hope my letter makes you
seriously reconsider your behavior.
You can never be too old to correct your own mistakes.
Anthony Goh |