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Kongtong Sect
The Kongtong School is a martial arts school mentioned in several works of ''wuxia'' fiction. It is commonly featured as a leading orthodox school in the '' wulin'' (martial artists' community). It is named after the place where it is based, the Kongtong Mountains. History According to legend, the school was founded by a shepherd boy. The boy met an immortal in the Kongtong Mountains, who taught him extraordinary martial arts. The boy was Mulingzi, the founder of the Kongtong School. Mulingzi attained a remarkable level of prowess in martial arts and led Kongtong towards its rise to prominence in the '' wulin'' as one of the major orthodox schools alongside Shaolin, Wudang and others. Mulingzi is known for his most powerful skill, the 'Seven Harms Fist', Cha, Louis. ''The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber'' (倚天屠龍記). ''Ming Pao'', 1961. and his chivalry. Mulingzi hated villainy so he often roamed the ''jianghu'' in his younger days as a ''youxia'' to help the poor and punis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wuxia
( ), which literally means "martial heroes", is a genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists in ancient China. Although is traditionally a form of historical fiction, its popularity has caused it to be adapted for such diverse art forms as Chinese opera, manhua, television dramas, films, and video games. It forms part of popular culture in many Chinese-speaking communities around the world. The word "" is a compound composed of the elements (, literally "martial", "military", or "armed") and (, literally "chivalrous", "vigilante" or "hero"). A martial artist who follows the code of is often referred to as a (, literally "follower of ") or (, literally "wandering "). In some translations, the martial artist is referred to as a "swordsman" or "swordswoman" even though they may not necessarily wield a sword. The heroes in wuxia fiction typically do not serve a lord, wield military power, or belong to the aristocratic class. They often originat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zhang Wuji
Zhang Wuji () is the fictional protagonist of the ''wuxia'' novel ''The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber'' by Jin Yong. Fictional character biography Zhang Wuji's parents are from opposing sides of the ''wulin'' (martial artists' community). His father, Zhang Cuishan, is an apprentice of Zhang Sanfeng, the highly respected leader of the "orthodox" Wudang Sect; his mother, Yin Susu, is the daughter of Yin Tianzheng, the chief of the "evil" Heavenly Eagle Cult. Zhang Wuji was born on a reclusive volcanic island, where he spent his childhood with only his parents and his godfather, Xie Xun. When he was about ten years old, his parents brought him back to China and they soon found themselves the target of several martial artists trying to force them to reveal the whereabouts of Xie Xun, who possesses the highly coveted Dragon-Slaying Saber. His parents refused to betray Xie Xun and took their own lives. The orphaned Zhang Wuji is initially mortally wounded but he wanders into an iso ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gun (staff)
A ''gun'' (pronunciation , English approximation: , ) or ''bang'' () is a long Chinese staff weapon used in Chinese martial arts. It is known as one of the four major weapons, along with the ''qiang'' (spear), ''dao'' (sabre), and the ''jian'' (straight sword). It is called, in this group, "The Grandfather of all Weapons". In Vietnam (as a result of Chinese influence), the gun is known as ''côn'' in Vietnamese martial arts. Variants and styles The gun is fashioned with one thick end as the base and a thinner end near the tip, and is cut to be about the same height as the user or 6 foot. Besides the standard ''gun'', there are also flail-like two section and three section varieties of the staff as well as non-tapered heavier variants. Numerous Chinese martial arts teach the staff as part of their curriculum, including (in English alphabetical order): * Bagua seven star rod () or Seven Star Stick (Qi Xing Gun), also called the Whip Stick (Bian Gun) or Heart High Stick ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dao (Chinese Sword)
''Dao'' (pronunciation: , English approximation: , Chinese: 刀; pinyin: ''dāo'') are single-edged Chinese swords, primarily used for slashing and chopping. The most common form is also known as the Chinese sabre, although those with wider blades are sometimes referred to as Chinese broadswords. In China, the dao is considered one of the four traditional weapons, along with the ''gun'' (stick or staff), '' qiang'' (spear), and the ''jian'' (double-edged sword), called in this group "The General of Weapons". Name In Chinese, the word can be applied to ''any'' weapon with a single-edged blade and usually refers to knives. Because of this, the term is sometimes translated as knife or Nonetheless, within Chinese martial arts and in military contexts, the larger "sword" versions of the ''dao'' are usually intended. General characteristics While dao have varied greatly over the centuries, most single-handed dao of the Ming period and later and the modern swords based on them s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jian
The ''jian'' (pronunciation （劍）, English approximation: ) is a double-edged straight sword used during the last 2,500 years in China. The first Chinese sources that mention the ''jian'' date to the 7th century BCE, during the Spring and Autumn period; one of the earliest specimens being the Sword of Goujian. Historical one-handed versions have blades varying from in length. The weight of an average sword of blade-length would be in a range of approximately 700 to 900 grams (1.5 to 2 pounds). There are also larger two-handed versions used for training by many styles of Chinese martial arts. Professional ''jian'' practitioners are referred to as ''jianke'' ( or "swordsmen"; a term dating from the Han dynasty). In Chinese folklore, it is known as "The Gentleman of Weapons" and is considered one of the four major weapons, along with the ''gun'' (staff), '' qiang'' (spear), and the ''dao'' (sabre). These swords are also sometimes referred to as ''taijijian'' or "tai ch ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Neigong
Neigong, also spelled ''nei kung'', ''neigung'', or ''nae gong'', refers to any of a set of Chinese breathing, meditation, somatics practices, and spiritual practice disciplines associated with Daoism and especially the Chinese martial arts. Neigong practice is normally associated with the so-called "soft style", "internal" or neijia Chinese martial arts, as opposed to the category known as waigong or "external skill" which is historically associated with shaolinquan or the so-called "hard style", "external" or wàijiā Chinese martial arts. Both have many different schools, disciplines and practices and historically there has been mutual influence between the two and distinguishing precisely between them differs from school to school. There is both martial and non-martial neigong. Well-known examples of martial neigong are the various breathing and focus trainings taught in some traditional Taijiquan, Baguazhang, Xingyiquan and Liuhebafa schools. An example of non-martial ne ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taoism
Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of Philosophy, philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of China, Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the ''Tao'' (, 'Thoroughfare'); the ''Tao'' is generally defined as the source of everything and the ultimate principle underlying reality. The ''Tao Te Ching'', a book containing teachings attributed to Laozi (), together with the later Zhuangzi (book), writings of Zhuangzi, are both widely considered the keystone works of Taoism. Taoism teaches about the various disciplines for achieving perfection through self-cultivation. This can be done through the use of Taoist techniques and by becoming one with the unplanned rhythms of the all, called "the way" or "Tao". Taoist ethics vary depending on the particular school, but in general tend to emphasize ''wu wei'' (action without intention), naturalness, simplicity, spontaneity and the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kunlun Sect
The Kunlun School is a fictional martial arts school mentioned in several works of ''wuxia'' fiction. It is usually featured as a leading orthodox school in the '' jianghu / wulin'' (martial artists' community). It is named after the place where it is based, the Kunlun Mountains in western China, near modern Qinghai and Xinjiang provinces. Due to its geographical location, it was hardly known to martial artists in the ''jianghu'' before its rise to prominence. History The school's history traces back to the Zhou dynasty during the reign of King Wu. According to legend, its founders were the semi-mythological figures Laozi and Yuanshi Tianzun. The latter had 12 apprentices, who later became the Twelve Elders of Kunlun. Although Kunlun has its roots in Taoism, its members do not strictly follow Taoist customs and practices. Kunlun's rise to prominence in the '' wulin'' (martial artists' community) only came after martial artists such as He Zudao made their names through their pro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shaolin Monastery
Shaolin Monastery (少林寺 ''Shàolínsì''), also known as Shaolin Temple, is a renowned monastic institution recognized as the birthplace of Chan Buddhism and the cradle of Shaolin Kung Fu. It is located at the foot of Wuru Peak of the Songshan mountain range in Dengfeng County, Henan Province, China. The name reflects its location in the ancient grove (林 lín) of Mount Shaoshi, in the hinterland of the Songshan mountains. Mount Song occupied a prominent position among Chinese sacred mountains as early as the 1st century BC, when it was proclaimed one of the Five Holy Peaks (五岳 wǔyuè). It is located some thirty miles (about forty-eight kilometers) southeast of Luoyang, the former capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386–534), and forty-five miles (about seventy-two kilometers) southwest of Zhengzhou, the modern capital of Henan Province.Shahar 2008 As the first Shaolin abbot, Batuo devoted himself to translating Buddhist scriptures and to preaching doctrines to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of The Heaven Sword And Dragon Saber Characters
The following is a list of characters from the wuxia novel ''The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber'' by Jin Yong. Some of these characters are fictionalised personas of, or are based on, actual historical figures, such as Zhu Yuanzhang, Chang Yuchun, Xu Da, Zhang Sanfeng and Chen Youliang. Main characters * Zhang Wuji () * Zhao Min () * Zhou Zhiruo () Ming Cult * The Bright Left and Right Messengers serve as the cult leader's deputies. They are: ** Yang Xiao () is the Bright Left Messenger (). He served as the cult's acting leader during its period of internal conflict, and later as an adviser to Zhang Wuji after the latter became the cult's leader. He is also a close friend and confidant to Zhang Wuji. In the earlier revisions of the novel, Zhang Wuji names him the new leader of the Ming Cult before leaving with Zhao Min and they remain friends and in contact with each other. He is Ji Xiaofu's lover and Yang Buhui's father. Despite having been named as the cult's new leader, he ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jianghu
''Jianghu'' () is a term that generally refers to the milieu, environment, or sub-community in which many Chinese wuxia stories are set. The term is used flexibly, and can be used to describe a fictionalized version of Historical China (usually using loose influences from across the ~1000 BCE–280 AD period); a setting of feuding martial arts clans and the people of that community; a secret and possibly criminal underworld; a general sense of the "mythic world" where fantastical stories happen; or some combination thereof. Background In modern Chinese culture, ''jianghu'' is commonly accepted as an alternative universe coexisting with the actual historical one in which the context of the wuxia genre was set. Unlike the normal world, in the ''jianghu'' ''xia'' (wanderers, knight-errants) are free to act on their own initiative, including with violence, to punish evil and foes, and to reward goodness and allies. While the term literally means "rivers and lakes", it is broad ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ming Cult
The Ming Cult is a fictional cult and martial arts sect featured in the ''wuxia'' novel ''The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber'' by Jin Yong, first published in serial form from 1961 to 1963. It is also briefly mentioned in ''The Legend of the Condor Heroes'', another novel also by Jin Yong. It is loosely based on Manichaeism, an actual Gnosticism, gnostic religion which originated in Persia in the 3rd century CE and later spread to other parts of the world, including China. The cult's headquarters is at Bright Peak () in the Kunlun Mountains and it has several other bases spread throughout China. Its most powerful skills are the "Heaven and Earth Great Shift" () and the "Martial Arts of the Holy Flame Tablets" (). Background in the novel In ''The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber'', the Ming Cult is also known as the "Cult of Mani (prophet), Mani" () to martial artists in the ''jianghu'' but its more common name is "Mo Jiao" (), which literally means "Demonic Cult". The cult originated ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
