文 元 道

During the interview with Master Anlin Wang, he has cited twice from Chapter 39 of Dao De Ching:

Heaven by oneness becometh pure.
Earth by oneness can endure.
Minds by oneness souls procure.
Valleys by oneness repletion secure.
All creatures by oneness to life have been called.
- Translated by Daisetsu Teitaro Suzuki and Paul Carus, 1913, Chapter 39

However, based on suggestions from the film maker Robb Moss and a few other colleagues, it is better to show the flow of the Master’s movement than to interrupt it with subtitles and voice-overs. I can’t agree more and therefore has since taken it off.

Meanwhile, without the citation of Laozi, viewers can only guess why I give the title “One”. I don’t know how easy it is for a person, who has no root in Chinese tradition, to guess. The use of the Yin Yang symbol is easy to understand because Taichi/martial art is deeply rooted in Daoism.

Master Anlin Wang is from Shandong province, the hometown of Confucius. In my interview with him, he emphasized the similarity between Laozi and Confucius – both inherited wisdom from Yi Ching and the Yin Yang school. Master Wang’s school “Wen Sheng” – the sage of literati, refers to Confucius. It is my understanding that Master Wang strives to integrate Daoism and Confucianism in his martial art. Based on this understanding, I have integrated “Wen” and “Sheng”, the two characters onto the Yin Yang symbol.