 The profound Chinese martial arts, kung fu as Westerners commonly call them, have a long history. In ancient times, armies had them to overtake lands, “Robin Hoods” used them to get rid of villains, outlaws took it as means to do evil. Kung fu has been an indispensable part in traditional Chinese culture. One generation after another, outstanding kung fu masters practiced it, leaving so many much-talked-about sagas. Kung fu in history was not a far-fetched, just a skill to conquer enemies. However, due to the honor given, literary descriptions of heroic deeds, and imagination in admiration by later generations, kung fu has been haloed, particularly so in numerous thrilling stories.
Before this unfathomable kung fu treasure archive, both today and in history, we have chosen stories of present-day people. All of them have a deep love of kung fu, all of them have shown an instinct pursuit. No halo is seen on their heads, neither a material seeking. Among them, some are beginners, just children, some have practiced all through their lives, some sportsmen by profession, and some just ordinary people like any others. We are going to tell their stories.
Each character in this TV series lives today. All of them have a deep love of kung fu. Among them, some are beginners, just children, some have practiced kung fu all through their lives, some sportsmen by profession, and some are just ordinary people like any others. We are going to tell their stories.
Chen Xiaoxing is a farmer. He has practiced taijiquan boxing style since very young. As a conservative person, he has seldom left his village.
Each year, in Wenxian County, on the fifth in the first month by lunar calendar, there is a county-wide taijiquan competition. For this occasion, each year Chen, and his two nieces, lead village children in preparation.
For several hundred years, population of taijiquan has kept increasing. A taijiquan culture has been born out of this vigorous and gentle, motivated and still style. By a rough estimation, global players of this form are at least 80 million.
Little Fei is an eight-year old boy. His grandpa brought him all the way here, Yuncheng, Shandong Province, for him to learn kung fu. The boy has loved it since he was a toddler, and his family has been quite supportive, hoping he will develop into a well-educated kung fu master. They have rented a room by the county stadium, at 10 yuan per month. The grandpa takes care of him. The boy is studying school courses and kung fu skills at a martial school.
The Spring Festival was drawing near. This time, the two planned to go back home in the northeast for the festival. So we left, made sure we would meet the next spring. However, next time we went there, three years later, the two were nowhere to be seen. Neither other folks, just a desolate look. Did they ever come back?
Shi Dejian is a monk in the Shaolin Temple. He lives in the Sanhuang Village, South Mount. Trees, birds and wild plants keep him company. A solitude life, but he has lived like this for over a dozen years.
A snowfall came last night. Dejian loves snow. He came from north China and white snow takes a considerable part in his childhood memories. White and soft snow here makes him homesick. He has been away for five years. Two years before, he learnt his dad was ill, and almost died. His dad is still in sickbed. For long he has failed to hear from his home. He is worried. He wants to return for the coming Spring Festival.
The Shaolin Temple is a call in his life. But the missing of his home in the northeast is common. With a mixed feeling, both a little excited and worried, he boarded the home-bound train.
Aged just 11, Dandan has practiced Kung fu for seven years. She has followed competition requirements laid by the State Physical Culture and Sports Commission for a free style. She has been to many provincial and national competitions and returned with championship. She came to Wudang Mount for an international competition a month later. But this time, she failed.
Her parents have a business in Baotou, selling building materials. For this Wudang competition, they gave up a business season to bring their daughter here. When the little girl grows up, she will probably understand what her parents have sacrificed for her success.
Life in Chengdu is easy and slow. Everywhere, people of all ages are playing mah-jong. Master Long dislikes this game. His time is spent on sword making and kung fu practice.
When Long was young, he was a master fitter. Sword making began after he retired from work. So far he has made many, most of them being gifts to friends, some even gone abroad. All the designing, processing and sheath decoration were done by himself, and all by hand.
He was making another one. He needed a furnace, which he failed to get anywhere. In the end, he heard, from a young friend, of a blacksmith not far from the city. He planned to go there for a stay to make a nice one.
His kung fu is self-taught. All the moves are made by himself and at his will. His purpose is simple, keeping fit and filling up his free time.
To be on the safe side, Long made two swords this time. Usually, after much hammering and smoothing, he would find something undesirable on hardness or pliability. If bended, it might not go back to a straight line, or the body may have a defect. Such a sword would be dumped, and his labor and time lost. He called such a sword a waste, and in his home, he had so many wastes.
Guo is only 14 this year. Two years ago he began practice wrestling and once won a provincial champion. Before long, he will go to Tianjin for an intensive training before a national ethnic sports meet.
Wrestling has several thousand years history in China. After wrestling was taken off from the list of the National Games, wrestling as a competition item has come to a standstill. Contrary to this, the wrestling competition on the annual Mayer’s Cup in Paris has become a more and more exciting event. Wrestling in Chinese style won’t stop simply because missing in the National Games list.
The lion dance is popular among folks in China, on each traditional holiday or on ceremonies. The dance has a long history. The earliest documentation happened in Han Dynasty. Old Pang is a lion dancer.
He began to practice kung fu at the age of 20. He has practiced many styles, Baimei, Liuhe, and Xingyi. For stronger arms and a waist, he leant lion dance 20 years ago.
The 70-years old Wu is of Hui, a retired professor from Sports Department of Inner Mongolian Medical College. His father was name Wu Tong. The father taught him this Yinba style, his masterly skill, when the son was very young.
Wu Bingxiao wished he could systematically pass this Yinba style lancing onto his students, the skill not to get lost. This has been his earnest hope. Once he said, if just one student could master this style, he would be satisfied.
Mountains in West China have nurtured simple and honest farmers one generation after another. Old Man Gao is one of them. Every week, the 66-year old Gao goes to the county Waste Recycling Station for a look, a place six or seven kilometers away from his mountain village. He is an ordinary man, the only thing special about him, and he feels so proud of, is his kung fu skills, cudgeling in Qiaozi style.
His village is poor, having little water supply and no entertainment. Everyone in the village practices this cudgeling style.
The twenty-three year old Hengli came from New York city. Before he came, he was a college student majored in stage art. He practiced Chinese kung fu in his spare time. Quite by chance, he met a Chinese boxing teacher in a subway. Since the chance meeting, he has forged an indissoluble bond with kung fu.
Three years ago, by the introduction of that boxing teacher, Hengli came to Beijing Sport University to study kung fu. He has never missed each show or competition in the college.
He has been to many countries, and made many friends of different nationalities and colors. All of them are young, all of them share a common interest, Chinese kung fu. With this, those young people from different parts of the world have become friends.
Ma Xianda was from a family with kung fu background for generations. His father is Ma Fengtu, a well-known kung fu player. Ma Xianda once served as the deputy chief of the State Martial Arts Management.
The seventy-year old Ma Xianda has retired. He no longer has to rush around for business. He spends his time on kung fu studies.
His younger brother, 66-year-old Ma Lingda, has retired from a Gansu governmental sports department. He worked many years there, and taught many students. This ground on the Baita Mount by the Yellow River is a place for the retired man and his students to practice kung fu.
Ma Mingda is number four in the family. A history professor in Jinan University and a well-known kung fu player in one. In past years, he has published many research articles on kung fu, from history and factual points of views, some affirmative, some negative.
In his college, much more students practice tae kwon do, karate, and free-style combating than Chinese kung fu. Many students believe Chinese kung fu is just for a show. They won’t learn it even for free. They believe Chinese kung fu has no real combating significance. This has made Ma sad.
Chen Xiaohui is a boy from the countryside in Dujiangyan. Kung fu is enlisted in his school curriculum. He has been a good student. Not long before, he was taken as a student for Qingcheng Mount school.
After several months, he made an impressing progress. His teacher wanted to make him a key student.
There is going to be a competition on the mount. Little Hui is hoping to do well. This is the first time he attends one.
Since the opening and reform policies implemented in China, every trade has done utmost to develop economy. Kung fu has no longer been the means to conquer enemies. In Cangzhou, however, kung fu practicing is still popular. Wherever you go, the one you meet may be a good player. There, we picked two less-known players and took down what they did in a day. The two didn’t know each other, their homes far apart, the 60-odd Sun in Qingxian County, and 98-year old Zhu in Cangxian County.
People like them are many in Cangzhou, viewed not as the top players. They have practiced it through out their lives, easy to be approached, never in the hope to gain a quick success or anything. They never hoped to, one day, establish their own school. This peaceful state of mind has left them in excellent health.
In this school, there is a class for free-style combating. We documented stories of three girls in three competitions. The first match was within the school, winners would go up for the second competition in the city. Winners out of the second competition would go for the nation-wide held in Shanghai.
Zhang is 70 years old. This documentary, entitled Boxers, was made 20 years ago by Beijing Newsreels and Documentary Film Studio, for a record of Chinese kung fu arts. It was then the beginning of opening and reform, kung fu was still popular among folks. Gaining health through it was their number one objective.
Zhang no longer teaches students as frequently as he used to. But every Sunday afternoon, he and his students get together to practice Shaobei style.
Tutored by Zhang, students often practice it in a real scene. By this, they have accumulated much experience. They hope to create a stage for traditional Chinese martial art.
These are just parts from the 20-part TV series. Chinese kung fu has experienced so much through out history. Chinese people invented gunpowder, with it, foreigners made firearms. Before firearms, kung fu was no longer significant in battlefields. However, kung fu is still for self-defense. Today, it is more for entertainment and keeping fit. Chinese kung fu is traditional, current but more of future as well.
|
