"The salute is physical and yet is packed with meaning. This is not only a part of the martial arts culture but also an essential part of traditional Chinese culture, which is about respect, friendship and peace," Zhao said on the show.

Zhao, who was born in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, began his martial arts training at the age of 5 and graduated from Beijing Sport University with a major in martial arts in 1994. During his college years, Zhao won a number of national martial arts competitions.

Zhao's life path changed in 1993 when Hong Kong film producer Corey Yuen visited Beijing Sport University to find a martial artist to play the role of an antagonist in his 1993 movie that portrays a heroic young man named Fong Sai-yuk played by kung fu star Jet Li. Zhao took the opportunity to play the role of an "evil governor", which launched his acting career.

Zhao has achieved a level of success that many other artists would envy. Yet, he decided to take care of his children and his family because "it's a valuable experience of witnessing the growth of my own children and I don't want to miss that",Zhao says.

Now that his children are growing up, Zhao can spend more time on his work. After the reality show, he says he will continue to film a new martial arts movie.