Master Yuan Zumou, born on the 10th December at Baoying, in the province of Jiangsu, China, is the president of the International Shou Bo Federation, founder of the Shuai Jiao Association of France and founder of the discipline of Shou Bo.
In 1955 he carried out primary and then secondary school studies respectively at the Shanghai Primary School and the Shanghai High School. He was already demonstrating sporting talent, a good physique and a passion for sport. He began to practice acrobatics and boxing, becoming the captain of the acrobatics team.
In 1958 he was admitted to the Shanghai Sports Institute where he specialised in wrestling disciplines : Shuai Jiao, Greco-Roman and Freestyle Wrestling.
In 1964 he was placed second in the International Shuai Jiao Championship held in the town of Hefei in the province of Anhui.
He was presented with the title of « Master » by the Chinese National Commission for Sports and Physical Education (运动健将 n° 5306).
In 1965 he became champion Of China in Freestyle Wrestling.
In 1979 he became A Shuai Jiao trainer and was responsible for training many champions of China. In the National Youth Games of China his students obtained fourth place in the Freestyle Wrestling 48 kilogram category and sixth place in the Greco-Roman 52 kilogram category.
In 1983, his student HUANG Bin gained second place in the Greco-Roman 62 kilogram category during the National Youth Games of China.
In 1987, his student HUANG Bin became champion of China in the Greco-Roman 68 kilogram category. In the same year another of his students GAO Pingping also became national champion of China.
In 1985 he moved to France where he began to teach Shuai Jiao and promote traditional Chinese Culture. Two years later in the Chinese district of Paris (Troisiemme arrondissement) he founded a small group dedicated to the practice of Shuai Jiao.
In 1991 the French Shuai Jiao Association was officially registered.
In May 1992, with the support of the Paris city authorities, master YUAN Zumou organised the first Shuai Jiao Championship of France. At the end of the same year, once again with the support of the Paris city authorities, the Shuai Jiao Association of France obtained the authorisation from the French government to organise the first international Shaui Jiao tournament. Teams from Spain, Holland, Switzerland, Italy, Algeria, Morocco, United States and France took part. This tournament now takes place once every two years. To date, it has already been held seven times.
In 1999, Master Yuan Zumou, satisfied with the level reached in Chinese Wrestling by his students, proposed a revival of the Chinese tradition of combining in an educational and sporting way, techniques of both boxing and wrestling. His desire however, was to create a fundamentally non-violent sporting environment. He was dissatisfied with the regulations of Sanda and had in mind a set of rules which promised greater respect for the athletes involved. He proposed Shou Bo competitions, therefore recreating in modern times an ancient Chinese Fighting discipline and introducing it to the world of contemporary sports.
In 2002, the French Ministry for Youth and Sport awarded him the Bronze medal.
In 2003, the International Shuai Jiao Championship’s name was changed to “International Shuai Jiao and Shou Bo Championship”. Shou Bo had officially entered the world of sporting competitions.
In 2004, year of the « China in France » initiative, the President of China, HU Jintao, visited the Chinese Embassy in France, representatives of Chinese companies operating in France, representatives of the Chinese community in France and Chinese students in France. Master YUAN Zumou was one of the representatives of the Chinese community in France. The Chinese President paid hommage to him for his contribution to and promotion of Chinese culture in France through the Associations of Shuai Jiao and Tai Chi he has created.
In 2006 the National Sports Office of China awarded Master YUAN Zumou a prize for his exceptional contribution to Chinese Wrestling.