Linda Liang (Liang Chunxiu), a Chinese-Canadian cultural promoter, was recently invited onto Toronto's 1430 Mandarin Hotline radio program for an in-depth conversation covering her forty-plus years of martial-arts practice, her exploration of bringing traditional Chinese wushu to North America, and what martial arts offer body and mind today.
Linda traces her roots to Cangzhou, Hebei — a place steeped in martial-arts tradition — and began training in traditional wushu in her youth. More than forty years on, she still practises with the same devotion. Looking back on her journey during the interview, she reflected that wushu, for her, has never been merely the drilling of physical routines: shaped by the culture that raised her, it is the daily practice of the martial spirit — respecting one's teachers and the Way, honouring virtue with humility, and persevering. The composure built through decades of training has become the bedrock of how she carries herself in everyday life.
In her twenty-seven years in Canada, Linda has put down deep roots in her adopted home while persisting, alongside a settled life, in spreading traditional Chinese martial arts. Asked why she promotes wushu overseas, she spoke of two motivations. Abroad, one feels more keenly the sense of belonging that traditional culture gives overseas Chinese; at the same time, she hopes to correct the one-dimensional impression many overseas friends have of martial arts — they see only the external forms, without understanding the inner core of traditional wushu: cultivating body and mind.
Through her teaching in North America, she has observed that local students readily embrace wushu for its fitness and stress-relief benefits, yet concepts from Eastern culture — "jing-qi-shen" (essence, energy, spirit) and martial virtue — are harder to grasp. So in her classes she steers away from obscure terminology, guiding students instead toward steady breathing and focused awareness — real, felt experiences through which the substance of traditional wushu reveals itself.
Traditional wushu takes root in North America, she summed up, along three broad paths: serving the public through community wellness programs, showcasing its beauty at multicultural festivals, and partnering with official local sport associations — weaving martial arts into the fabric of everyday social life.
On the practical value of martial arts today, Linda noted that in a fast-paced modern world, wushu is an excellent way to regulate body and mind. For young people, it teaches courtesy and respect, hones focus through repeated practice, and helps shape a well-rounded character; self-defence comes first, but martial virtue sets the bottom line — knowing restraint and when to yield. For office workers and older adults alike, she advised choosing forms and weapons suited to one's needs, avoiding haste: progress step by step, keep at it, and the benefits will reveal themselves.
Looking ahead, Linda will continue to base herself in North America, running community workshops and cultural-exchange activities as a carrier of traditional culture — helping people of every background read the Eastern wisdom of self-cultivation that lives behind traditional martial arts.