Two Three Martial Saints

  The Chinese nation is a nation with a martial arts tradition. In history, there were countless people with high martial arts skills. However, only three people were formally canonized as Martial Saints by the emperors of all dynasties: Jiang Shang, Guan Yu and Yue Fei.

  I have a different view on this.

  Tai Gong Jiang Shang, how can you come out of the mountain at such an old age, with declining health and vitality, and talk about martial arts?

  Guan Yu, the Cloud Long, was not invincible in martial arts. At the foot of Tiger Trap Pass, he and Zhang Fei fought against Lü Bu to no avail, and they still needed Liu Bei to join them, with three brothers ganging up on others, an unchivalrous victory. Guan Yu led his troops independently, but his military achievements were not remarkable.

  Later on, I realized that these three martial saints have a biggest common point, which is "loyalty". Especially Guan Yu, who was extremely loyal and righteous, and was admired by emperors throughout history. That's why he was titled "Martial Saint". The intention behind this is exactly the same as when our country vigorously promoted Jiao Yulu and Lei Feng during a certain period of time. Nothing more than that.

  The three martial arts saints in my mind are: Xie Xuan, Yue Fei, and Qi Jiguang.

  Eastern Jin Xie Xuan recruited refugees from the north to form the "Northern Garrison Army" and rose to prominence, with outstanding military achievements, never having lost a single battle. The most impressive one was the Battle of Fei River, where he led 80,000 soldiers to defeat the 1 million-strong army of Former Qin's Fu Jian (actually only 800,000), without even getting his feet wet. Such bravery and strength, isn't that the "God of War"?

  Qi Jiguang, the first hero of the Ming dynasty's resistance against the Japanese pirates. He recruited miners and farmers in Yiwu, Zhejiang, trained the Qi family army, and fought from Shandong to Guangdong, cooperating with Yu Dayou, the commander-in-chief of Fujian, and Liu Xiang, the commander-in-chief of Guangdong, to drive out the Japanese pirates from the coastal areas. He made great contributions and saved countless people.

  What is most commendable about Qi Jiguang is that he attached great importance to the development and application of high-tech military weapons. Under his promotion, the hot weapon application of the Qi family army was ahead of the whole era. Therefore, Qi Jiguang doing "Wu Sheng" is also worthy of it.

  Qi Jiguang was skilled with a spear and claimed his spear techniques were those of the Yang family.

  After Yue Fei's death, two kinds of Yang Family Spear techniques were passed down in the world: one was the original Yang Family Spear technique passed down by the Yang Family Generals; the other was the Yang Family Spear technique modified and supplemented by Yue Fei.

  Yang Family Spear is the integration of heart method into the original Yang Family spear technique. The so-called: intention unites, energy unites, body unites, spear unites, horse unites; the last unity is the re-unity (integration) of the previous five unities, that is, heart unites. Heart unites means the way of utmost sincerity, can foreknow. In plain language, it means being able to predict good or bad fortune and thus avoid risks. Therefore, Yang Family Spear technique and Yue Family Spear have almost no difference in their forms, very hard to distinguish, only the heart method and body method are different.

  Because Yue Fei was killed under the crime of "Mo Xuyou", for a long time, all things related to the Yue family were banned, and the Yue Family Spear Method was forced to be renamed Yang Family Spear Method. Later, after Yue Fei was rehabilitated by the Song Dynasty and posthumously honored as the King Wu Mu of E, the Yue Family Spear Method was again transmitted under its original name. Therefore, the Yang Family Spear Method is actually the same as the Yue Family Spear Method, with two different names for the same thing.

  Yue Fei later applied his spear techniques to boxing and became "Fist".

  Whether it is "gun" or "fist", in its practice and fighting methods, the use of visualization and intention occupies a very important position, so it is also called "heart-mind gun" and "heart-mind fist". Later, it gradually evolved into one of the main modern boxing styles - Xingyiquan.

  Due to Yue Fei's "Xin Fa" originated from Mount Hua, there are also practitioners of Xinyi Quan and Xingyiquan who worship Chen Tuan Lao Zu as their ancestor.

  The original Yang family gun method was a way of using the long spear on horseback, and there was only one way to practice it. Therefore, later generations' "Xinyi Quan" or "Xingyiquan", including "Dachengquan", all mainly used single-style training methods (such as various stake methods, strength-building and energy-cultivating methods, visualization methods, etc.) and fighting methods, while the forms were added by later people.

  The story of Yue Fei is well-known and widely spread among Chinese people. The ending of Yue Fei's life was tragic, "with great aspirations unfulfilled, he died first, causing heroes to shed tears". What a lamentable event! One poem "Man Jiang Hong" has made countless kind-hearted scholars' blood boil with indignation.

  I have always had a wish to write about the three martial arts saints in my heart, and this book "The Legend of Wu Song: The Story of Yue Fei" is my first attempt. I hope it will be accepted.