身教胜言：功夫如何让世界读懂中国(2)

图为迪米特里表演功夫现场

采访结束时，迪米特里表示：“我会继续学习中国功夫的！”从他坚定的眼神里，我们看到文明向外传递的强大力量。在这个充满隔阂的时代，中国功夫以其独特的包容性，为不同文明搭建起对话的桥梁。它不要求学习者放弃自己的文化身份，而是邀请人们在身体与心灵的互动中，创造出一个共享的理解空间。或许这正是中国功夫珍贵的当代价值——在语言与招式之外，为人类提供一种无需翻译的沟通方式，更以古老而深邃的东方智慧，为人类共同面临的困境提供新的解题思路。

撰稿人：何博媛

Beyond Words: How Kung Fu Helps the World Understand China

Editor’s Note: Chinese kung fu, a unique physical philosophy rooted in China’s history and culture, has long transcended simple martial arts to become an important carrier of Chinese wisdom and values. As China's ties with the world grow closer, kung fu has become a shining cultural ambassador, sparking a "kung fu craze" globally. Vasetskii Dmitrii, a global champion of the "Chinese Bridge" competition, has delved deep into the fabric of Chinese culture through kung fu, grasping its profound and intricate inner meaning. This cross-cultural exchange shows that when Chinese kung fu goes global, it becomes a shared spiritual treasure for all humanity. This is precisely where the unique charm of Chinese culture lies: it allows different cultures to find common ground in their differences and enrich each other through dialogue.

"Hello everyone, my name is Dmitrii, and I'm from Russia." Dmitrii began the interview by introducing himself in Chinese. Sitting next to him was his friend, 16-year-old Rustam Asadchikov, also from Russia. Although it was their second time in China, both were still filled with curiosity about the country's customs and culture. "I'm very happy to be back in China," Rustam said with a smile.

Before the interview, we learned that Dmitrii had been studying Chinese kung fu. We were curious why he wanted to learn. Dmitrii thought for a moment before saying, "I've seen some movies about Chinese kung fu, and the scenes left a deep impression on me. I thought the movements were cool and full of heroism."

"Could you show us some?" we asked. Dmitrii readily agreed and stepped aside to perform. His gaze was focused, and his movements were clean and sharp. After he finished a set of forms, we couldn't help but applaud.

During Dmitrii's demonstration, Rustam, who wasn't very familiar with kung fu, began to mimic the movements. Although his motions were clumsy, his focused and excited expression was infectious. "I'm not very good at kung fu," he said, a little embarrassed, "but I've seen the change in Dmitrii after he started practicing. These movements truly have a power of their own!"

The immediate reactions of Dmitrii and Rustam are a microcosm of Chinese kung fu's powerful appeal. This instant resonance, which transcends language and culture, is due in no small part to the decades of global exposure through kung fu cinema. Looking back, Bruce Lee was undoubtedly a groundbreaking figure. He made indelible contributions to the internationalization of Chinese kung fu and film, and his success even led to the word "kung fu" being added to the English dictionary.

Following him, Jackie Chan expanded kung fu’s cinematic appeal with his comedic performances, while Jet Li and Donnie Yen gave it richer modern expressions with their professional martial skills and character depth. Together, they built kung fu's international image, making its narratives a significant branch of global popular culture.

In cross-cultural communication, "cultural discount" often occurs because language and cognitive barriers can prevent recipients from fully understanding the deeper meanings of the source culture. However, this phenomenon is weakened in kung fu films. The powerful visual language, universal heroic themes, and the aesthetic appeal of the actions themselves allow the films to bypass linguistic and cognitive gaps and speak directly to the heart. More importantly, these films don't just provide sensory stimulation; they also subtly export Eastern philosophical and ethical concepts, allowing the world to experience the depth and charm of Eastern culture in the most intuitive way.

The legends on the silver screen sparked the initial interest of countless young people like Dmitrii, but true understanding occurred when he transitioned from a spectator to a practitioner. "Before, when I watched Enter the Dragon（《龙争虎斗》）， I didn't fully grasp Bruce Lee's concept of 'selflessness,'" he admitted. "But after I started practicing, I gradually came to appreciate the wisdom of 'going with the flow' that's behind it."