SMA Centre’s head coach is awarded his 6th Dan by the Chinese Wushu Association
Growth in martial arts, as in life, never ends. And even a lifelong disciple of the Chinese martial arts, such as our head coach, Shuaimeng Liu, still has new ground to break and new levels of achievement to reach for.
It is a testament to both his passion as well as the work ethic on which the SMA Centre was founded, that Shuaimeng has just been awarded his 6th Dan in Chinese martial arts by the Chinese Wushu Association (CWA).
No one deserves this honour more, and we are all incredibly proud. Having seen the time, effort and discipline that he puts into his training, day in and day out, all we can say is, congratulations, Shuai! You earned it!
6th Dan – more than a belt
Conventionally, we expect martial arts grading to be signified with a coloured canvas belt. This is often not the case with the Chinese martial arts. And in the case of achieving his 6th Dan, Shuai received a certificate to mark formalise the honour.
And it truly is a great honour!
To give you an idea of the gravity of this achievement, remember that, while the highest level of accomplishment recognised by the CWA is 9th Dan, achieving the rank of 6th Dan entitles a practitioner to officially refer to him or herself by the title of ‘Master’. It is the highest technical grade – meaning that you must be proficient in the forms as well as in combat in order to achieve it – but it cannot be earned only through one’s own martial arts prowess.
In order to become a 6th Dan Wushu practitioner, not only must one write exams and present a thesis on the topic, but it is required to have actually added tangible value to the practice and spread of one’s discipline. For Shuaimeng, this has meant not only training students to the highest standards, but also turning the South African martial artists under his tutelage into national and international champions, proudly representing both the SMA Centre and the country on the world stage.
A Lifelong passion for martial arts
It can take more than 30 years of continuous study and training to achieve 6th Dan. For most, this might seem like an absurd investment of time. But, for Shuaimeng, who ran away from home to pursue the secluded life of a shaolin monk when he was just 9-years-old, to do otherwise would have been unthinkable. It hasn’t been a life of hard work so much as the ongoing fulfilment of a dream.
For as long as he can remember, Shuaimeng has been an ardent practitioner of the martial arts.
When he came to this country in 2005, the 34th generation shaolin monk had already spent a majority of his life immersed in martial arts, and he saw an opportunity to share his passion with a country and culture that was largely unaware of it.
More than simply chasing accolades, Shuaimeng’s driving motivation has always been to share the Chinese martial arts, their wisdom, enlightenment and self-defence applications with those who are willing to learn. It is this passion that has earned him the prestige of mastery, and it is this passion that will continue to inspire Shuaimeng and any who are fortunate enough to call themselves his students.
Contact the SMA Centre and learn from the best
Having produced provincial, national and even international champions, the SMA Centre founded by Shuaimeng Liu is home to a talented and accomplished team of coaches, who encourage a supportive culture of martial arts excellence.
Browse the martial arts styles we offer classes on or contact us and start your own journey to martial arts mastery, today!