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Jonathan White

Fresh off retiring from martial arts after being ridiculed online in videos spoofing hit films, disgraced tai chi master Ma Baoguo is set to make an appearance on the big screen.
In an interview on Monday, Ma confirmed he would be playing an aged kung fu master in the upcoming film Young Kung Fu King and that he was confident in his acting skills.
Ma also added that he expects the film to break box office records. “If you wait and see, it will definitely be popular,” he said, as per Sina’s own Weibo account.
The 69-year-old retired on November 15 in an announcement on his Weibo account, which followed thousands of videos editing him into mainstream films that racked up hundreds of millions of views and him trending in online searches.


Just two days later the Weibo of the Shandong Yanwutang Film and Television Media Company posted that Ma had agreed on November 16 to film scenes for the upcoming release.
Ma then responded with his own video on November 17 explaining his decision to make the film despite walking away from martial arts to “return to a peaceful life”.
Disgraced master ‘walks away from kung fu ’ after fresh online mockery
“Many film companies have asked me to make films, but I did not agree,” Ma said, but he was convinced by director Zheng Yang that it would promote Chinese kung fu. “I am willing to make the real Chinese kung fu shown in this film.”
Ma, who shot to notoriety after being knocked out inside 30 seconds in a fight in May, added that this was not backing down from his retirement. “No contradiction,” he said. “I will not participate in martial arts.”
He added in his video that his “love for the country” and the film’s desire to promote traditional kung fu meant he had to take part no matter the salary.

Many reports on Chinese social media quoted an insider to say that Ma will be paid 50,000 yuan (US$7,600) for his appearance in the film.
Ma’s announcement that he will play an old kung fu master in the film, which has brought further ridicule and criticism.
ThePaper.cn, a Shanghai-based newspaper, suggested that Ma would be able to play a fake kung fu master “as acting is his real strength”.
Ma opponent ‘scared’ before KO’ing tai chi master – and paid for fight
In the aftermath of his retirement Ma’s official Weibo also launched a fan club “Ma Baoguo True Love Fan Club”. It was reported that members paid to join but once Ma found out he asked the assistant who set it up to return the money.
Ma also trended after netizens noticed that his “rat tail juice” saying had been registered by someone as a trademark.


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Martial arts

Disgraced Chinese tai chi master Ma Baoguo comes out of retirement for kung fu film

A still from the video of tai chi master Ma Baoguo (left) talking to the referee ahead of his embarrassing 30-second knockout. Photo: Handout

Tai chi master Ma Baoguo and his opponent at the start of the fight

Disgraced Chinese tai chi master Ma Baoguo ‘walks away from kung fu’ after fresh online ridicule

A still from the video of tai chi master Ma Baoguo talking to the referee before his embarrassing 30-second knockout. Photo: Handout

=== PHOTO CAPTURED ONLINE=== Tai Chi master Ma Baoguo gets tended to by medical staff after getting knocked out.

Ma Baoguo’s opponent ‘scared’ before KO’ing tai chi master in 30 seconds – and had to pay to fight

Wang Qingmin speaks to local media (left) about his viral 30-second KO of tai chi master Ma Baoguo. Photo: Sina Sports/YouTube

Referee asked tai chi master Ma Baoguo to show mercy before embarrassing 30-second KO

A still from the video of tai chi master Ma Baoguo (right) talking to the referee ahead of his embarrassing 30-second knockout. Photo: Hupu

Gone in 30 seconds: tai chi master Ma Baoguo knocked out cold by amateur martial arts fighter 20 years his junior

Tai chi master Ma Baoguo gets ready to hit the deck. Photo: YouTube

Ma gets tended to by medical staff after getting knocked out.

Ma and his opponent at the start of the fight

Chinese MMA fighter Xu Xiaodong mocks tai chi ‘master’ Ma Baoguo after 30-second KO – ‘the truth has been revealed’

Tai chi master Ma Baoguo is knocked out in Shandong. Photo: YouTube/Fight Commentary Breakdowns

Retired mixed martial arts boxer Xu Xiaodong, left, prepares to compete against Ma Baoguo, right, a master of Chen style tai chi, at the planned mass brawl site in Shanghai, China, 26 June 2017. On Monday (26 June 2017), Shanghai police officers intervened before a planned mass brawl between mixed martial artists and tai chi practitioners could take place. The proposed fight is the latest in a string of incidents that have shaken up the Chinese martial arts' scene. It comes on the heels of rumours that the government of China had taken action - via internet censorship - to squash the rivalry between MMA and traditional martial arts. At the centre of this latest incident is Xu Xiaodong, head of the Beijing MMA association. It was Xu's streetfight with Wei Lei (a tai chi master) that caused the MMA vs tai chi raditional martial arts rivalry to go viral last May. However, it seems Xu's belief that MMA is superior to tai chi and kung fu has not died down. Nor has his eagerness to prove it.

Sport

Martial Arts

Kung Fu


Film company announced 69-year-old agreed to appear in Young Kung Fu King a day after retirement message on social media
Ma says film will ‘break box office records’ as online ridicule continues, with one newspaper saying ‘acting is his real strength’



Ma says film will ‘break box office records’ as online ridicule continues, with one newspaper saying ‘acting is his real strength’.


Xu Xiaodong

Weibo

Chinese language cinema

Disgraced Chinese tai chi master Ma Baoguo comes out of retirement for kung fu film

Film company announced 69-year-old agreed to appear in Young Kung Fu King a day after retirement message on social media Ma says film will ‘break box office records’ as online ridicule continues, with one newspaper saying ‘acting is his real strength’

Film company announced 69-year-old agreed to appear in Young Kung Fu King a day after retirement message on social media

Ma says film will ‘break box office records’ as online ridicule continues, with one newspaper saying ‘acting is his real strength’