When Gabriel first read the Tao Te Ching he was still in his native Brazil.

Eight years later, Gabriel Valdetaro of Rio de Janeiro has become Zhang Fengzhan of Beijing, a disciple of martial arts at the city's famed Tsinghua campus.

"I came to China to seek my 'Tao,'" he tells those who ask.

Martial arts is his first step on the lifelong quest for the 'Tao,' within which is distilled the Chinese wisdom of harmony between nature and humanity.

His Chinese surname, Zhang, comes from his martial arts style, Zhang San Men. Fengzhan, which means dedication and unfolding, was given to him by his master, who hopes that a new life will unfold for his student in China, where he can find his own "Tao."

Making his devotions at the Bai Yun Temple's Wen Chang Hall for his PhD, he tells CGTN Stringer, "It's not about praying for divine protection."

It's about a commitment to applying the martial arts principles of mind-body harmony and effortless action to daily life.