Dear Chairman Kino,

All instructors and students,

Good morning. Today I see many familiar faces. I enjoyed your shows before at the Embassy Spring Festival and the Bahamas Dragon Boat Festival. Today I see your skill again, and I am deeply moved.

I thank the International Four Winds Martial Arts Association for spreading the spirit of martial arts. 

Martial arts are a treasure of traditional Chinese culture. They come from China, but belong to the world. Masters like Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and Donnie Yen are famous worldwide. Hundreds of millions of people practice martial arts across the globe.

On the surface, martial arts are fighting skills.  They show courage, discipline, and strength. But the meaning goes deeper. 

Chinese martial arts teach peace.

The goal is not to defeat others, but to improve oneself and protect peace. The Chinese character “Wu” or martial, means to uphold justice, solve conflict and stop war. True martial artists value control, not anger. They seek harmony, not confrontation. 

Chinese martial arts also teach virtue. In China we say: “Learn to be a good person before learning martial arts.”The heart of martial virtue is kindness—care, respect, and help for others.

Martial arts grow through learning and sharing.

They started in China, enriched by China’s many ethnic groups, and absorbed wisdom from many cultures around the world. Indeed, the spirit of learning from others have given rise to the rich variety of martial arts styles.

I am glad you use martial arts to stay healthy, make friends, and learn Chinese culture. I hope martial arts grow stronger in The Bahamas. May they be a bridge of friendship between China and The Bahamas. Today, on behalf of the Chinese Embassy, I’m please to provide a donation to support martial arts teaching in The Bahamas. I hope more Bahamian friends learn about China through martial arts, feel China, and come closer to China.

Together, let us add strength to China Bahamas friendship.