Xu's mission has taken him to the streets of China where he challenges "tai chi" masters to fight. He is currently riding a wave of popularity from internet videos in which he beats up masters on camera, often after they refuse to fight him at all or accept his challenge but then back out at the last minute.

I too am just now learning about Xu Xiaodong.  I think it’s great he’s exposing the fraud within the practice.  I did a little bit more reading on my own, and I see what really put him out there was when he defeated proclaimed master. This relates in a way to another article on here about critical thinking.  Everything shouldn’t just be taken at face value.  Things should be questioned and in this case physically challenged.

    Interesting article! I have heard about Xu Xiaodong, the Chinese MMA fighter, in the media. However, I was not aware of the controversy surrounding him and his efforts to help people realize the truth behind martial arts in China. Martial arts is so ingrained into the culture of China, so it makes sense why the issue is so big.

This is a complicated issue on many levels. First, there's the Communist practice of breaking down individual accomplishments in order to maintain conformity, hence the ban on terms such as "master." That's ridiculous because it refers to the individual's skill level. On the other hand, there is fakery around the world when it comes to martial arts. Things ranging from individuals boasting they can disable an opponent without touching them or martial artists boasting levels they've never attained. Just go on YouTube and you'll see exposes of these frauds.