About Will Wain-Williams
Will Wain-Williams is a British journalist, documentary filmmaker, and founder of Monkey Steals Peach, documenting traditional martial arts and cultural heritage across China and East Asia since 2007.
Based in Shanghai, China, Will has spent nearly two decades studying Chinese language, culture, and traditional martial arts while traveling extensively throughout mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Okinawa, South Korea, and Southeast Asia. Through his work, he has documented many martial traditions at risk of extinction from the pressures of modern society.
He is the founder of Monkey Steals Peach, an independent documentary project dedicated to preserving traditional martial arts and related cultural traditions across East Asia. His work explores the intersection of martial arts, history, folk religion, cultural identity, and intangible cultural heritage, covering subjects such as the Chinese roots of Okinawan Karate, the folk martial arts of the rural areas surrounding the Shaolin Temple, the legacy of Chinese martial arts in the diaspora of Southeast Asia, and more.
As both a journalist and long-term practitioner, Will brings a rare dual perspective to his work. He is a formal disciple within the Taiji-Meihua Praying Mantis tradition and has trained in multiple Chinese martial arts systems, Brazilian Jiujitsu and Muay Thai while working professionally as a journalist and editor covering China.
Monkey Steals Peach has amassed more than five million views worldwide and is believed to represent one of the most extensive independent archives of traditional Chinese martial arts currently being assembled anywhere in the world. The project has documented hundreds of practitioners, many of whom have rarely, if ever, been interviewed in English-language media. Its documentary The Last Masters of Shaolin was selected for screening at a martial arts film festival in Okinawa, Japan.
Will’s journalism and commentary have appeared in The Diplomat, South China Morning Post, Sixth Tone, TRT World, Al Arabiya, CGTN, China Daily, Xinhua and Kung Fu Magazine. He regularly appears on podcasts and media platforms discussing traditional martial arts, cultural heritage, and contemporary China.
His areas of expertise include traditional Chinese martial arts, martial arts history and culture, intangible cultural heritage, Fujian martial arts and the origins of Karate, folk religion and temple culture, martial arts preservation, and East Asian cultural exchange.
Will is available for interviews, media commentary, speaking engagements, documentary collaborations, consulting, and research projects.
