Daoist monk Zhou Xuan Yun (Mysterious Cloud) was born in the year of the Monkey in a small village in central China's Henan Province. At age 13, his parents sent him to live in on Wudang Mountain, China, where he was a student and later an instructor of Taiji and Kung Fu. Living at the Daoist Association Martial Arts Academy, in the Purple Cloud Temple, Xuan Yun was accepted into the 15th generation on the Wudang San Feng lineage. At the age of 16, Xuan Yun took the vows to become a Daoist Monk, and begun his study of Daoist philosophy and religious practices. While all the students at Wudang are considered Daoist initiates, Xuan Yun remains the only student of his generation to be fully ordained as a Daoist Monk.

At the age of 20, Xuan Yun left the monastery to live as a wandering monk. He traveled alone around around China for four years. Seeking out other martial arts masters, he practiced what he had been taught and learned many new skills. Currently, Xuan Yun has been dividing his time between the United States and China. In the U.S. Xuan Yun is busy teaching classes and workshops, as well as filming a series of teaching DVD's. These teaching videos are the first English language videos for the traditional Wudang arts. With over ten years of teaching experience, Xuan Yun has taught students of all ages and from over 25 different countries. Xuan Yun is a featured author for Taiji Kung Fu Magazine. Xuan Yun also enjoys hiking, plays the bamboo flute and is a great cook.