A stuntman, a martial artist, a fight director, and a kung fu star, Jackie Chan is seemingly a Russian doll. With his verve and flair in martial arts, Chan quickly rose to fame. However, a massive portion of his grandeur came from his rigorous training from childhood. Notably, Chan went to China Drama Academy (CDA) when he was only 7. In fact, he lived there for a decade and came out as a pro kung fu fighter. Nevertheless, he was only allowed to meet his family once a week.
While sharing his childhood stories in his book, Chan revealed how his mother once had a saddening experience in the academy that made her teary-eyed.
Jackie Chan’s mother once regretted their decision
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In 1961, Chan?s parents enrolled him in the CDA and signed a ten-year contract. The seven-year-old small boy didn’t have any idea of what life in a boarding school would be like by then. Fascinated by the environment, Chan wanted to stay there “forever”. But, after a while, as he revealed in his book Never Grow up, “My master could have beaten me to death in that time and gotten away with it.”
He also shared how his mother would come to visit him weekly to fill up the void of his father, who was in Australia. Chan’s mother used to come to the academy carrying a forty-pound bucket of hot water to give her son a tepid bath. She would borrow a tub from the school and give him a bath. Getting water in Hong Kong was rare then and the students took showers only once or twice a week. However, when one day his mother saw the cut marks, bruises, and scars on his body due to punishments, as Chan described, “My mom would weep while she bathed me…”?
Evidently, that life was not very easy for Jackie, away from his home, away from his parents. He was even more saddened when after 2 years of his enrollment, his parent decided to move to Australia, leaving Chan for good. Devastated, the martial artist cried and cursed, but finally made peace with life in the school.
What was it like for Chan?
While living in the academy, the future Shaolin Master had to live within disciplines and restrictions. Moreover, he became the “property” of his master, who would punish him for every mistake he made, regardless of how small it would be.
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The students would have to lead an austere life there, which includes sleeping on a rolled-out mat on the floor and 6 hours of sleep followed by a strict morning routine. As soon as he joined the academy, his life changed. As Chan put it, “In that moment, my childhood came to an end”.
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Watch This Story – Jackie Chan?s Son? Legs ?Started To Wobble? After Seeing His Father In An Unusual Condition Once
Within that environment surrounded by adversities, his mother’s weekly visits worked as a relief for Chan.