Bow Sim Mark
Encyclopedia
Bow-sim Mark is a martial arts
master (or sifu) who lives in Newton, Massachusetts
, USA
.
, China
. She began studying martial arts at elementary school, training seriously in high school and then at Wu Shu training schools, specialising in T'ai chi ch'uan and Northern Shaolin. Mark learned Fu Style Wudangquan by training under Fu Wing Fay for 10 years; Wing Fay was the eldest son and top student of Grandmaster Fu Chen Sung
. She was an instructor at Wing Fay's school from 1968-74.
area. She was one of the first to provide Chinese wushu
instruction in the West. She gave the first demonstration of Combined Tai Chi Chuan in the United States, and published the first description of the technique in 1975. Mark won a gold medal at the first International Tournament of T'ai chi ch'uan in Wuhan City in 1984. She was named Black Belt magazine's Kung-Fu artist of the year for 1995.
One of her specialities is her Wudang sword dance. She played the part of a 'kung fu diva' in a play, Mum and Shah at the Lyric Stage theater in Boston in 1995.
, and a daughter, Chris Chi-ching Yen, who placed third in a Wushu tournament in 1986 when she was just twelve, and who has also joined the film industry. She is married to Klyster Yen.
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
master (or sifu) who lives in Newton, Massachusetts
Newton, Massachusetts
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States bordered to the east by Boston. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.-Villages:...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Training
Mark is originally from GuangzhouGuangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. She began studying martial arts at elementary school, training seriously in high school and then at Wu Shu training schools, specialising in T'ai chi ch'uan and Northern Shaolin. Mark learned Fu Style Wudangquan by training under Fu Wing Fay for 10 years; Wing Fay was the eldest son and top student of Grandmaster Fu Chen Sung
Fu Chen Sung
Fu Chen Sung , or Fu Qiankun was a grandmaster of Wudangquan martial arts. He was best known as one of the famed "Five Northern Tigers," and a third-generation master of Baguazhang who founded Fu Style Baguazhang...
. She was an instructor at Wing Fay's school from 1968-74.
Career
Mark emigrated to Brighton, Massachusetts in 1975, after living for a year in Hong Kong, and founded the Chinese Wushu Research Institute in July 1976. She still teaches and performs in the BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
area. She was one of the first to provide Chinese wushu
Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts, also referred to by the Mandarin Chinese term wushu and popularly as kung fu , are a number of fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common traits, identified as "families" , "sects" or...
instruction in the West. She gave the first demonstration of Combined Tai Chi Chuan in the United States, and published the first description of the technique in 1975. Mark won a gold medal at the first International Tournament of T'ai chi ch'uan in Wuhan City in 1984. She was named Black Belt magazine's Kung-Fu artist of the year for 1995.
One of her specialities is her Wudang sword dance. She played the part of a 'kung fu diva' in a play, Mum and Shah at the Lyric Stage theater in Boston in 1995.
Personal life
She has two children, including her son, martial arts movie star Donnie YenDonnie Yen
Donnie Yen is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film director and producer, action choreographer, and world wushu tournament medalist...
, and a daughter, Chris Chi-ching Yen, who placed third in a Wushu tournament in 1986 when she was just twelve, and who has also joined the film industry. She is married to Klyster Yen.
External links
- Profile from the Chinese Wushu Research Institute
- Bookfinder.com's catalog of Bow Sim Mark titles
- Profile from Mass. Culture Council, including a video of her performance.