Asian Books Blog: Wuxia and xianxia, guest post from Alice Poon

Asian Books Blog: Wuxia and xianxia, guest post from Alice Poo Alice Poon is currently based in Vancouver. After a childhood spent devouring Jin Yong’s wuxia novels, Alice has, over the years, fed herself a steady diet of modern wuxia / xianxia and Chinese history and mythology masterpieces. Since the release of her two historical Chinese novels, The Green Phoenix and Tales …

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What about Wude (武德)?

Wude is an important part of the culture of the Chinese martial arts. Morality is very important to the practice of martial arts in general and this idea of Wude is extolled by Kung Fu masters. It is the criteria on how students are judged by their masters, and whether or not they are deemed worthy to be taught.

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Kung Fu Secret: Wuxia’s Youxia

Who are the Youxia (遊俠)? The wandering heroes of ancient China are described with this blanket term; anyone who was well traveled and righted the wrongs they saw before them. This type of warrior folk hero is frequently celebrated in Chinese poetry and fiction. A term commonly translated as “wandering vigilante” or “knight-errant” and less commonly known as “cavalier”, “adventurer”, “soldier of fortune” or “underworld stalwart.” A Futuwwa, Fianna or Ronin.

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First Meditation: Tamo

A review like no other. A written meditation on Tamo – a book review of A Tiger’s Tale volume 1.

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Master Lam Sai Wing (林世榮 1861? – 1943)

Lam Sai-Wing (林世荣 1861? – 1943) master of Hung Gar Kung Fu. A disciple to the legendary folk hero Wong Fei-Hung and progenitor for many Martial Artists.

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Kung Fu Secret: Their Big Knives

Few weapons are as iconic for the martial arts as the Chinese Dao and yet, the term can be applied to a very wide range of weaponry.

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A Brief Visit to the Shaolin Wushu Guan

Shaolin Temple’s original founding is probably the most mythologized aspect of its history. One of its earliest written sources is a Tang-Period (618-907) short story on a historical Shaolin monk named Sengchou 480-560. Beyond that, we often say the temple was founded by Ba Tuo around 495 BCE, and has been home to such disciples as Hui Guang and Seng Chou, the earliest known martial arts monks. Imagine; kung fu training has been held in this hall for generations since.

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