Simon Cox

Simon Cox is a martial artist, scholar, and teacher who spent six years training at Wudang Mountain, the spiritual home of Daoist culture and internal arts. Under Master Yuan Xiugang 袁修刚, he immersed himself in the Sanfeng lineage, studying tai chi, qigong, and Daoist meditation. His intensive training combined rigorous daily practice with rich cultural experiences, including performances and participation in Daoist events across China.

Following his time in Wudang, he earned a PhD in religion from Rice University, where his research focused on the history of the subtle body in Western intellectual traditions. His dissertation, The Subtle Body: A Genealogy, was published by Oxford University Press in 2022 and explores the history of the idea of the subtle body.

Now based in Penticton, British Columbia, he runs a thriving kung fu school with his wife, sharing the rich martial and meditative traditions of Wudang with a diverse community of students. He also contributes to the Esalen Center for Theory and Research, co-leading a Subtle Body initiative aimed at exploring the transformative potential of embodied practices. Through teaching, writing, and research, he continues to make ancient Daoist wisdom accessible and relevant for contemporary audiences.