About the Author
Marcus Zhao 趙雁銓 studied traditional Taijiquan privately, on a one-to-one basis, initially with Fu Zhongwen 傅鈡文 (1903 – 1994) in Shanghai, China, who was the last known disciple of Yang Chengfu 杨澄甫 to pass away in September 1994. Thereupon, Marcus then became a disciple to his only son, Fu Shengyuan 傅聲遠 (1931 – 2017). This is the only form of martial art that he practises and teaches. He currently lives in Auckland, New Zealand. Marcus is dedicated to preserving and promoting the authentic traditional Yang Family Taijiquan.
One of Marcus’ ongoing projects is researching his family roots, which goes back more than a thousand years. He is possibly a descendent of the second emperor, Zhao Guangyi 趙光義 of the Song dynasty 宋朝 (960 AD - 1279 AD). Marcus is a philosopher and an author who has written on topics concerning Taijiquan, the Dao, and Chinese tea. He travels extensively and has lived in countries like China, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Malaysia. He considers himself a connoisseur of fine western-style grape wine and Chinese tea. He also appreciates food from almost all ethnicities; be it Italian, French, British, German, American, Indian, Thai, Malay, Indonesian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc. It is no surprise that Marcus likes to travel the globe, sampling the different wine and food on offer while visiting scenic and or historic places of interest.
When not travelling, he finds comfort in the tranquil sanctuary of a hamlet instead of life in a big crowded city, so that he can immerse in the scent of clean fresh air, green meadows, and the sound of whispering trees and running water, intermingled with the calling of wild animals, chirping birds, and insects. This is also the ideal place where he can practise his Taijiquan and enjoy his days in peace, harmony, and happiness.
Marcus can be contacted at: marcus@myhq.nz