East meets West: Learning martial arts in Taiwan

But for those who are willing to make the effort, Taiwan offers better instruction than China, South Korea or Japan, Lin said, because of its well-preserved martial arts structure. "All the roots originated from China, but when the government came to the island in 1949, most of the martial arts masters followed," he explained. "The few who stayed in China later went through the Cultural Revolution. And when it comes to learning a cultural heritage, decades-long gaps (in the tradition) are damaging."