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Martial Arts Odyssey: Shan Kung Fu
May 9, 2009
by Antonio Graceffo

A lot of fight fans don’t get very involved with international politics. Hopefully featuring the Kung Fu of the Shan people will help call attention to the genocide in Burma. Inside the war zone of Burma, under protection of the Shan State rebel army, host Antonio Graceffo is one of the first foreigners ever to experience Lai Tai or Shan Kung Fu. The Shan are one of Burma’s many ethnic minorities being subjected to genocide at the hands of heir own government. Meet young Master Kawn Wan, whose parents were murdered by the SPDC Burmese government army. Now, he lives on the Shan State Army base, teaching Lai Tai Kung Fu to the war orphans in the hopes of preserving the Shan culture. One of the Shan army lieutenants ominously told Antonio, “If the world doesn’t come to help us soon, your video will be the last record of our people.”

Antonio Graceffo is the former assistant head of Private Wealth Management for one of the largest private banks in the United States. He is now an adventure and martial arts author, and has lived in Asia for many years, publishing four books and several hundred articles in magazines and websites around the world. He has worked as a consultant and writer for shows on the History and Discovery channels and appears on camera in “Digging for the Truth” and “Human Weapon”. Antonio is host of the web TV show, “Martial Arts Odyssey.” He was embedded with the Shan State rebel army in Burma, documenting human rights abuses, and doing a film and print project to raise awareness of the Shan people. To see all of his videos about martial arts, Burma and other countries, click here. Check out his books here. Visit his website at www.speakingadventure.com. Contact him at antonio@speakingadventure.com.