Cameroon's Jet Li

A Cameroonian young man pursues his kungfu dream in China and teaches Chinese martial arts back in his country

- Li Xiaoyu

Every Wednesday evening, regardless of the weather, people from all over Yaoundé, capital of Cameroon, gather to attend the kungfu classes offered by the Confucius Institute of the University of Yaoundé II. Open to all, the lessons are rich and varied in content, ranging from basic exercises to the teaching of Chinese martial arts culture. Students are so captivated that they often discuss their lessons even when the class is over. Their enthusiasm is, in turn, a great source of motivation for their instructor Erisien Fabrice Mba, also known by his Chinese name, Li Mubai.

Fascinated with Chinese martial arts since his childhood, Mba borrowed the name “Li” from actors and kungfu icons Bruce Lee and Jet Li, of whom he is a huge fan. His martial arts instructor gave him the first name Mubai, in reference to the wooden planks used to make molds. His Chinese name reflects his commitment to molding and training as many young Africans as possible, who are all just as passionate, motivated, and dedicated as he is about kungfu.

Beginning of the dream

Mba was born in 1979 in Sangmélima, Cameroon. Having lost his father at a young age, he was raised by his mother who ran a small stall at the local food market and struggled to support her family. He sometimes went to school in rags, hungry and barefoot. In front of the other pupils in his class, most of whom came from affluent families and were the teaching staff’s favorites, he often felt excluded, undervalued, and unappreciated.