37-year-old Shi Xiaolong's impressive fight scenes in *The Nine Gates* have gone viral, reminding people of the once-famous kung fu child star's solid, unwavering martial arts foundation.
After the action scenes featuring 37-year-old Shi Xiaolong as “Hei Bei Lao Liu” in *Nine Gates* aired, the sheer intensity of his fighting style—so powerful that his punches nearly struck the camera—quickly sparked widespread discussion across the internet.
Although this child star of the martial arts world had been
out of the public eye for many years, his solid foundation earned him widespread recognition the moment he returned. The roots of all this can be traced back to an elder who has dedicated decades to the martial arts.
Chen Tongshan was born in 1965 into a martial arts family in Dengfeng, Henan. From a very young age, his father, Chen Chengwen, urged him to practice standing postures, fearing that the family’s martial arts tradition might be lost in his generation.This sense of heritage, deeply ingrained in the family’s bloodline, was later passed down unreservedly by Chen Tongshan to his own son.
When Shi Xiaolong had just turned two—still holding a bottle and barely able to stand—Chen Tongshan had already dressed him in a training uniform. In the snowy depths of winter, the young Shi Xiaolong stood in a horse stance,his jaw clenched so tightly it trembled. Chen Tongshan stood by, completely unmoved, then turned and took him to the Shaolin Temple to become a disciple of Shi Yongxin. From that moment on, the identity of the ordinary child Chen Xiaolong was rewritten, and his journey as a kung fu child star known as Shi Xiaolong officially began.
At the age of
five, Shi Xiaolong had already become a sensation across Asia, with advertising offers piling up on his desk. While others saw him as a cash cow, in the eyes of his father, Chen Tongshan, he was a martial arts heir who needed to be carefully nurtured. What
should have been a smooth path to success gradually veered off course.
Chen Tongshan viewed his son’s fame as a means to profit, and the numerous projects he secured for him all fell into the same formulaic kung fu mold.Later, an accident occurred at the family-run martial arts school, and all the negative publicity fell squarely on Shi Xiaolong. The once-household-name child star gradually faded from the public eye.
If it were anyone else, they might have long since harbored resentment toward their father, but Shi Xiaolong has never shown any such feelings.
Over the years, he has never exploited his hardships for public attention. Privately, he has consistently maintained a daily two-hour horse stance practice; he accepts roles without regard to their prominence; he performs all his own stunts; and in his spare time, he learns about directing from the crew behind the scenes. From on-screen acting to behind-the-scenes production, he has taken steady, solid steps forward.
It wasn’t until the close-up action scenes in *Nine Gates* were presented to the audience that the raw power behind his punches clearly demonstrated to everyone that he has never for a single day neglected the martial arts skills passed down through his family.
Most people, by the time they’ve lived half their lives, have faced the struggle of being pushed forward by external forces, and have taken detours that others deemed unsustainable. Some were crushed by adversity and never managed to get back on their feet, while others gritted their teeth and persevered, quietly mastering the skills they needed.
As for Shi Xiaolong’s current achievements—whether they stem from his parents’ strict guidance or from his own perseverance during those difficult, unnoticed days—opinions vary. The most solid path to growth is to stay focused, quietly hone one’s skills, and then, when the time comes, deliver a performance that truly stands out.
