This 'Kung Fu Grandma' is taking China by storm
They call Zhang Hexian "Kung Fu Grandma."
A social media sensation in China, the diminutive 93-year-old from the eastern Zhejiang province has been practicing the martial art since age 4. At the time, her country "was at war," Zhang explains, "so it was a good way to learn self-defense." She has since mastered a form of kung fu that encompasses 15 styles, each with 36 moves, and now teaches the skill to others in her village.
Zhang, who boasts that she’s never been to a hospital, credits kung fu with keeping her healthy. "To have good body," she says, "you need to exercise and keep a positive attitude."
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Christina Colizza is chief researcher and writer at The Week magazine.
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