There is an old saying in the martial arts world: “One who practices martial arts is half a doctor” (武林有句俗话“一个武半个医”). Those who train in martial arts often suffer injuries, so skilled practitioners also tend to learn bone-setting and massage techniques.
In the ancient city of Cangzhou (沧州), there is a renowned martial arts master named Ma Zhendong (马振东), who, while training in martial arts, also mastered the advanced skills of bone-setting and massage. He teaches people martial arts for fitness while also providing free medical treatment.
A Devotion to Martial Arts and Lifelong Learning
On the morning of January 22, as sparse snowflakes drifted from the sky, a reporter visited Ma Zhendong (马振东) in a secluded courtyard on Xinkai Road (新开路) in Cangzhou (沧州). Ma Zhendong has a lean face and appears to be in his 50s, but he was actually born in 1949 and is approaching 80 years old. Cangzhou, an ancient city, has a strong tradition of martial arts. When Ma Zhendong was a child, there were three martial arts training grounds on Yihe Street (义和街), where he lived. Just like the name of Yi He Road (义和路, “Righteousness and Harmony Road”), the people who live here embody the traditional Cangzhou spirit, public-spirited, kind-hearted, and always ready to help others.
As a frail child, he began learning martial arts at the age of 14 from his neighbour, Hu Jinghua (胡景华), a master of Liuhemen (六合门). Ma Zhendong trained with extraordinary diligence and endurance. While other children played after school, he practised intensely with his master. Even in the harsh winter, when the cold cracked his hands, he persisted. As his martial skills improved, his body grew stronger. Ma Zhendong’s passion for martial arts deepened, and at 16, he continued his studies under his martial uncles, Li Zhenqing (李振清) and Hui Fengrong (回凤荣), learning Liuhemen (六合门) martial arts and wrestling. In 1972, he became a disciple of Zhang Shaojie (张少杰), a master of Chaquan (查拳) and Huaquan (滑拳). Ma Zhendong gained fame for his Liuhequan (六合拳), Chaquan (查拳), and Huaquan (滑拳), but he remained humble and continued to learn from other martial arts schools.
A Kind Heart Earns the Favor of a Renowned Doctor
In 1967, at the age of 21, Ma Zhen Dong worked at a local grass rope factory. By chance, he met Yu Yong Zhou (于永洲), the father of a coworker. Yu Yongzhou (于永洲), who was renowned for treating injuries from falls and fractures. Yu was an old TCM practitioner renowned in Cangzhou for his skill in treating trauma injuries, his touch could cure ailments instantly. Whenever he had free time, Ma Zhendong would visit Dr. Yu to help grind herbs. Impressed by Ma Zhendong’s sincerity, Dr. Yu offered to teach him medicine.
Although Ma Zhendong had little interest in medicine, he continued to assist Dr. Yu. After more than a year, Dr. Yu told him: “Skills are never a burden. If you learn them, you can save lives when it matters. Whether you use them for medicine or martial arts, they will always be useful.” Moved by Dr. Yu’s sincerity, Ma Zhendong began learning bone-setting and massage. Ma Zhen Dong agreed and began studying bone-setting, massage, and herbal medicine preparation. With his background in martial arts and familiarity with human anatomy, combined with his strong hands, his medical skills improved rapidly. By 1972, he had officially begun treating patients. Later, he also obtained his medical license. Thanks to his strong martial arts skills and powerful hands, he made rapid progress and began practicing medicine independently after a few years.
His first patient was a man suffering from waist and leg pain, who could barely walk and wore a pained expression. After Ma Zhen Dong’s massage treatment, the man stood up, walked without pain, and felt refreshed. Overjoyed, the patient tried to pay the consultation fee, but Ma Zhen Dong waved his hands: “No, no payment!” The man left both surprised and grateful.
Watching the patient walk away, Ma Zhen Dong felt an indescribable joy. “Not charging fees makes me happier than charging!” With this simple belief, he treated everyone equally, never accepting payment, and has done so for 50 years.
Free Medical Practice and Teaching Martial Arts
In 1988, Ma Zhendong was transferred to work at the Cangzhou Sports School, where he also served as a coach at the Yanhuang Martial Arts School (炎黄武校). In his spare time, he voluntarily taught martial arts. Since martial artists often suffer from falls and injuries, he provided free treatment to many students and practitioners. Later, he not only served as the team doctor for the Cangzhou Sports School’s martial arts team but also worked as the on-site doctor for provincial-level wrestling and Sanda (散打) competitions held in Cangzhou.
After retiring from the Cangzhou (沧州) Sports School in 2008, he studied under Ma Honglin (马洪林), mastering various weapons and routines such as single and double broadswords, single and double swords, double hooks, the Spring and Autumn Great Saber (春秋大刀), Taijiquan (太极拳), and Baduanjin (八段锦). He also volunteered to teach martial arts in parks and communities.
After retiring, he also opened a small clinic at home under the name “Hui Ci Clinic (惠慈诊所)”, officially registered with the Health Bureau, but he never charged patients for treatment. Above his door hangs a sign reading “Hui Ci Clinic” (惠慈诊所), alongside it are two intricately carved wooden plaques inscribed with “Ren Xin De Shu, Ling Ming Hou Ze” (仁心德术 令名厚泽, “Benevolent Heart and Virtuous Skill, Renowned and Deeply Respected”) and “Zheng Dao Xing Yi” (正道行医, “Practicing Medicine with Integrity”). Here, not only are consultation and treatment fees waived, but even the herbal plasters he prepares himself are given away for free. Ma Zhen Dong has been practicing medicine this way since 1972, over 50 years now, treating countless patients.
Ma Zhen Dong’s clinic is a microcosm of his spiritual world.
The small room is filled with eighteen types of weapons, even the iron frame of the bone-setting massage bed is adorned with daggers and spears. The walls are covered with calligraphy and paintings, featuring subjects like plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums, as well as seal script and clerical script. Phrases like “Books Retain the Spirit of Gold and Stone, the Room is Filled with the Fragrance of Orchids and Lilies” (书存金石气，室有蕙兰香) and “Exquisite Medical Skills, Noble Virtue in Giving Medicine for Free” (行医技精湛，舍药德高尚) are inscribed to commend his good deeds. In one corner of the desk lie medical books and a human skeletal model. An open box of herbal plasters exudes a faint, soothing herbal aroma.
Early in the morning, we arrived for an interview just as two patients were leaving, repeatedly expressing their gratitude. During the interview, a middle-aged couple from a rural area entered. The man had injured his arm in a recent snowfall, and the woman had bruised her kneecap. Ma Zhen Dong performed bone-setting and massage on the man while the woman explained: “We’re from Hou Zhuang Zi Village. We’ve known Big Brother Ma for 12 or 13 years now. Back then, our child was injured in a fall and hospitalized, but the injury wasn’t healing. A fellow patient recommended Big Brother Ma. He’s incredible! After his massage, our child could walk right away! Meeting Big Brother Ma was our fortune. Since then, whenever anyone in our family gets injured, we don’t go to the hospital, we come straight to Big Brother Ma. He’s such a good person, always treating patients for free. At first, we brought gifts, but after Big Brother and his wife refused several times, we realized he truly doesn’t accept a single cent.”
Ma Zhen Dong’s techniques were skillful and efficient. In no time, he finished massaging the man’s arm, applied a herbal plaster to the injury, and gave him several precautions. The woman’s injury was minor, and after the massage, she was much better. Just then, his phone rang, another patient seeking his help. The caller was a middle-aged man with a distinguished appearance, though his face was etched with anxiety. His 90-year-old father had fallen and fractured a bone, and at that age, surgery was too risky. After asking around, he had found Ma Zhen Dong. “Can you make a house call? My car is outside.” “Saving lives comes first! Let’s go!” Ma Zhen Dong packed his medicine case and quickly followed the man out.
I Don’t Care About These Things. Don’t Worry About It.
With medical skills in hand, he has relieved the suffering of over 10,000 people in 50 years. What we saw and heard in one morning was just a small glimpse of Ma Zhen Dong’s 50-year journey of healing and saving lives. 50 years, 18,250 days and nights.
Once, while visiting a relative in the hospital, Ma Zhen Dong noticed a neighboring elderly patient with severe leg pain who couldn’t walk. The man had been treated for a long time without improvement, and both he and his family were desperate. Ma Zhen Dong’s relative asked him to take a look. After a quick diagnosis and massage, Ma Zhen Dong helped the man stand up and walk. To everyone’s astonishment, the man could walk again!
In Cang County’s Zhi Fang Tou Township, Shi Er Hu Village, a 14-year-old boy had suffered a femur fracture in his left leg from a car accident. After bone-setting, his leg still wasn’t healing. The boy’s father sought out Ma Zhen Dong, who treated him with a single touch. A month later, the boy miraculously recovered! Seven or eight years later, the boy was in another car accident, and once again, Ma Zhen Dong set his bones and treated his injuries, allowing him to stand and walk again. Facing Ma Zhen Dong, the boy’s father wept in shame, he had once sworn to repay Ma Zhen Dong for his free treatment but had never fulfilled his promise. Yet, it was Ma Zhen Dong who had healed his son a second time. Ma Zhen Dong patted his shoulder and said: “I don’t care about these things. Don’t worry about it.”
A woman from Xian County had visited major hospitals in Shijiazhuang and Beijing to no avail for her leg condition. Desperate, she came to Ma Zhen Dong. A month later, she could walk again! She burst into tears: “Big Brother, I was so desperate I thought of suicide. I never expected you to cure me…”. Conservatively estimated, over 50 years, he has treated at least 10,000 people. He has seen countless patients and all kinds of ailments. The more he treats, the more he feels grateful to his teacher: If his teacher hadn’t insisted back then, even if he wanted to help people now, he wouldn’t have the ability to relieve their suffering!
No Amount of Money Can Compare to Peace of Mind
Practicing Medicine Like a Knight-Errant, He Is Cangzhou’s “Good Man”
Before studying medicine, Ma Zhen Dong practiced martial arts and was a renowned martial artist. He treats patients with the spirit of a knight-errant, resolving people’s suffering with righteousness and chivalry. Some people say: “Doctors treat patients and save lives. Charging fees is reasonable. You should accept payment!” His reply: “I have a salary, and my wife has a salary. It’s enough for us to live on. What would we do with so much money? Not charging fees and serving everyone is good enough!”
After retiring, he set up the “Hui Ci Clinic” (惠慈诊所) at home. Someone advised him: “Now that you’ve opened a clinic, you should at least charge fees!” His answer: “My wife and I both have pensions. Even with the clinic open, I still won’t charge.”, “Look, nothing comes for free! You’re getting older. You should move to a better apartment with an elevator…”, “Would more money make things better?
We bring nothing into this world and take nothing out. If we leave money to our children, it might even bring them misfortune.” He earnestly added, “If I really charged fees, I could have bought several apartments by now. But I like this old house. It gives me peace of mind.” In recent years, combining medicine and martial arts, he created a fitness routine and taught it to people for free every morning. It has effectively treated many cases of waist and leg pain, and floaters in the eyes. People admire and thank him, calling him a rare “Good Man of Cangzhou.”
Despite repeatedly stating that he doesn’t accept payment, some patients still bring gifts. He refuses them all, except for calligraphy, paintings, and banners, because those bear his name, and he cannot refuse. As a result, his home is filled with the fragrant scent of gratitude. In one corner, there is a small traditional Chinese painting of peonies. “That was a gift from a patient with a bone fracture,” he explained with a smile. “It was originally a large painting by a Beijing artist. A friend visited me and liked it, so I gave it to him. He had it scanned and printed in a smaller size. It was a kind gesture, so I kept it as a memento.”
What touches him most is his wife’s understanding and tolerance. Patients often call in the middle of the night for help. Sometimes, when he’s exhausted or unwell, he hesitates to go. His wife would say: “Go! Who would ask for help unless they’re in real trouble?” Some patients come from distant counties, and after treatment, it’s too late to return, and conditions are poor. His wife would cook for them and let them rest. For patients with serious injuries and anxiety, he would treat them with massage, while his wife comforted and consoled them.
He also teaches martial arts for free. Every morning, dozens of people gather in the park to learn from him. To help more people improve their health, he created a fitness routine based on martial arts forms and Qigong methods, which he teaches to early risers. Ma Zhendong says:“Whether practicing martial arts or medicine, the most important thing is ‘virtue’ (德). This is the foundation of being a good person.” He is dedicated to passing on everything he has learned so that more people can benefit from his knowledge.
