Huo Yuanjia
2266302
226177831
2008-07-17T04:45:39Z
70.145.129.19
{{refimprove}}
{{Infobox Person
| name = Huo Yuanjia
| image = Huo Yuanjia.gif
| image_size =
| caption = '''Huo Yuanjia'''
| birth_date = 1868 AD
| birth_place = Xiaonan Village
| death_date = August 9, 1910 AD (42)
| death_place =
| occupation = Martial Artist (Wushu)
| Spouse =
| parents =
| children =
}}
{{Chinese name|[[Huo (surname)|霍 (Huo)]]}}
'''Huo Yuanjia''' ({{zh-cp|c=霍元甲|p=Huò Yuánjiǎ}}) [Cantonese: Fok Yuen Gap] (c.1868-1910<ref name=deathdate>[http://www.chinwoo.org.cn/lxwzc.asp?id=2 chinwoo.org.cn] states that the Chin Woo association was founded on July 7, 1910. An [http://ncdz.dzwww.com/ncdz-nc06/t20060216_1356540.htm interview] with Huo Yuanjia's great-grandson states that he died about 70 days after the Jingwu school was founded. [http://www.chinwoo.com/history.htm chinwoo.com] states August 1909 as the date of death.</ref>) was a [[Chinese martial art]]ist and co-founder of the [[Chin Woo Athletic Association]], a martial arts school in [[Shanghai]]. A practitioner of the martial art [[Mízōngyì]],<ref>{{cite book | last = Draeger | first = Donn F. | coauthors = Smith, Robert W. | title = Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts | origyear = 1969 | year = 1980 | publisher = Kodansha International | location = Tokyo | id = ISBN 0-87011-436-0 | pages = 23}}</ref> he is considered a hero in [[China]] for challenging foreign fighters in highly publicized matches at a time when Chinese sovereignty was being eroded by foreign concessions and [[spheres of influence]]. Due to his heroic status, legends and myths about events in his life are difficult to discern from the facts.
== Biography ==
=== Early life ===
Huo Yuanjia was actually born 1868 in Xiaonan Village in Jinghai County in [[Tianjin]], the fourth of his father [[Huo Endi|Huo En Di]]'s ten children. Huo En Di made his living by guarding merchant caravans traveling to [[Manchuria]] and back, but the family's primary source of income was from farming. The Huo family had a long tradition of being practitioners of traditional [[Chinese Martial Arts|Wushu]]. Huo Yuanjia, however, was born weak and susceptible to illness (at an early age he contracted [[jaundice]] that would recur periodically for the rest of his life) so his father refused to teach him traditional [[Chinese Martial Arts|Wushu]].
Because of his weakness, Huo En Di wanted his son to pursue scholarly interests instead of learning traditional [[Chinese Martial Arts|Wushu]]. This was perhaps a blessing, as he in later life became renowned for his humility and educated judgment. However at the time, pursuing scholarly interests was a great blow to his pride which was also fueled by the fact that he was continuously being taken advantage of by being humiliatingly defeated by local eight and nine year old children when he was twelve. His father hired a teacher from Japan, Chen Seng Ho (Chiang Ho), who in exchange for being taught his family style of martial arts [[Mízōngyì]], taught Yuanjia the values of humility and perseverance. Refusing to accept the vocation his father had chosen for him, Huo Yuanjia hid in bushes and even dug out a small hole in the wall of the training area and secretly observed his father teaching his family's style of martial arts. Each day he quietly sat and watched, and each night he went to a tree grove and practiced secretly with his tutor. This continued for about ten years.
In 1890, a martial artist by the name of Duo came from [[Henan]] Province to visit the Huo family. His manner provoked a trial of strength with the boxers of the family. After seeing a demonstration by Yuanjia's elder brother, he was goaded into a fight. Huo Yuanjia’s brother was beaten, but to the family's surprise Yuanjia himself got up and defeated his brother's opponent. His father then officially accepted him and taught his younger son all that he knew. His name started to spread and he soon began defeating neighboring practitioners in local contests. These bouts made Huo Yuanjia famous in his village and the neighboring areas.
Huo Yuanjia began working with his father as a guardian. While escorting a group of monks, they were confronted by a leader of bandits named Zhao who gave them a letter threatening the monks with an attack from his army. Unperturbed, Yuanjia met Zhao's challenge and defeated him, injuring both of the bandit’s arms in the process; his many troops dispersed. Word of this feat spread fast further adding to his growing fame.
On his return home he sold firewood to make a living, and in 1896 Huo Yuanjia worked as a porter in the [[Tianjin]] Huaiqing pharmacy, where he learned much about the world. The shop owner, who was also a doctor, had recently returned from [[Japan]], and warned him about the growing threat [[Japan]] posed towards [[China]]. The [[Boxer Rebellion]] in 1898 helped accentuate his growing realization that [[China]] was being torn up and exploited by foreign powers, both [[Western world|Western]] and [[Asia]]n.
=== National Decay ===
[[China]] was in a state of turmoil, weak and politically confused at the end of the [[Qing Dynasty]]. The country was suffering from one natural disaster after another on top of severe [[oppression]] by [[Imperialism in Asia#Imperialism in China|European colonists]]. [[Germany]] dominated [[Jiaozhou]] (Kiaochow) Bay, [[Shandong]], and the [[Huang He]] (Hwang-Ho) valley; [[Russia]] dominated the [[Liaodong Peninsula]] and [[Manchuria]]; the [[United Kingdom]] dominated [[Weihaiwei]] and the [[Yangtze Valley]]; and [[France]] dominated the [[Guangzhou]] Bay and several other southern provinces. China was further weakened through [[drug addiction]]. Britain began importing [[opium]] into China in order to redress the [[balance of trade]] to favor itself.
In addition to European exploitation, during the early part of the 20th century [[Empire of Japan|Japan's military power]] increased. Like the West, Japan decided to exercise its [[Imperialism in Asia#Imperialism in China|sphere of influence]] over Asia as well. These intentions were felt by the Chinese people as their government became subservient to the Europeans and now to the Japanese.
China was under the belief that it was simply blessed by the [[Mandate of Heaven]] and could not be defeated by any other country in the world. It was psychologically devastating to the Chinese people that their country had become so weak that even Japan, which was traditionally and historically respectful to China, was able to influence its government.
=== Fame Achieved ===
Huo Yuanjia's real fame came when, in 1901, he responded to leaflets advertising a challenge by a [[wrestler]] from [[Russia]] in Xiyuan Park, [[Tianjin]], where Huo Yuanjia had already won many victories. The wrestler had openly insulted the Chinese, calling them "Sick man of Asia" and the "Weak Men of the [[Eastern world|East]]" because no one would accept his challenge to a fight. When Yuanjia accepted his challenge, the Russian, who claimed to be the strongest man in the world, [[forfeit]]ed. After losing he said through an [[Interpreting|interpreter]] that he was merely putting on a performance and that he had to make such challenges in order to make a living. Huo Yuanjia then asked the Russian if he would write an apology in the newspaper, which the Russian reportedly obliged.
Between 1909 and 1910, Huo Yuanjia, accompanied by his [[apprentice]]s Liu Zheng Sheng and Zhang Wen Da, traveled to [[Shanghai]] twice to accept an open challenge posed by a [[boxing|boxer]] from Britain named [[Hercules O'Brien]] (Ou-Pin). The match was preceded by disagreement over the rules by which it would be governed. O'Brien insisted on [[Western world|Western]] [[boxing]] rules limiting attacks to punches above the waist. Huo Yuanjia, on the other hand, was more accustomed to the rules of Chinese [[Leitai]] challenge matches, which had a different set of rules. They finally agreed that the first person to knock down his opponent would be considered the winner. However, O'Brien never fought Yuanjia,<ref>Moore, Roger. (September 22, 2006) [[Orlando Sentinel]] ''Li jets out of action genre by playing a generic hero.'' Section: Calendar; Page 14. (Quote: Aussie strongman Nathan Jones "plays Euro-strongman Hercules O'Brien here, a real-life fighter who was supposed to fight Huo but never did.")</ref> opting to leave town instead.<ref>Chester, Rodney. (August 26, 2006) [[The Courier-Mail]] ''Tweaking the artistic truth.'' Section: etc1 - First with the news; M04. (Quote, "In reality, big bad O'Brien left town when Huo challenged him to a fight. Likewise, a Russian fighter had a change of heart when Huo challenged him for calling Asian men weak. The Russian opted for a public apology instead of a public brawl.")</ref>
The teacher of the bandit whom Huo Yuanjia had defeated on behalf of the monks, Zhang Wen Dat, held a month-long competition, inviting all contestants in the hope of luring Huo Yuanjia. He felt no need to prove himself, so he did not enter. [[Zhang Wen Dat]], encouraged by an entourage in [[Shanghai]], contacted Huo Yuanjia and openly challenged him. Huo Yuanjia, feeling ill, allowed his top student [[Liu Zheng Sheng]] to meet the challenge, and the two battled. The next day news spread that Liu Zheng Sheng did not win, but the fight was a draw. Huo Yuanjia approached Zhang Wen Dat to suggest to end all of this and to "shake hands", but Zhang Wen Dat refused.
Zhang Wen Dat continued to challenge him. Huo Yuanjia felt that he had no choice but to finally accept his challenge and fight. He defeated Zhang with just two moves. Huo said to Zhang Wen Dat that he had not learned how to behave humbly and one should not display conceit or boastfulness. Huo told him that the reason why he lost was not due to a lack of skill, but rather he fought for revenge and not for improving himself spiritually. His disappointment in people like Zhang Wen Dat, and his realization that there was growth in the use of new [[technology]] like [[firearms]], led Huo Yuanjia to debate the practical uses of traditional Wushu. Nevertheless, what Huo Yuanjia did give to the people of China was hope and a revised sense of pride with his numerous victories over the foreign fighters.
He became known as the best martial arts fighter in the world at that time.
=== Wushu as Athleticism ===
While conversing with close friend Nong Jin Sun, Huo Yuanjia confessed his disappointment and his apprehension about the future of traditional Wushu. He recalled his younger years and what his tutor said to him, that people should do their best, in practice, physically and mentally, therefore improving themselves spiritually. Nong Jin Sun agreed that this was and is a timeless and important aspect of traditional Wushu, regardless of improving technology or unscrupulous people. Huo Yuanjia thought that the teaching of traditional Wushu would be a good way of rebuilding the confidence and the spirit of the Chinese people.
During the [[Qing Dynasty]], the [[Manchu]] Emperor was afraid that the [[Han Chinese|Han]] [[people]] might try to restore the [[Ming Dynasty]]. During the fifth year of the Emperor's reign, he made an announcement that forbade the study of Martial Arts. He was scared of an uprising against him. All provincial governors were authorized to stop all practices of traditional Wushu, whether it was with bare hands, sticks or weapons. Anyone calling themselves a traditional Wushu Master was open to arrest.
Chen Qimei, a member of [[Tongmenghui]] (the Chinese Revolutionary League) whose goal was to overthrow the Manchu Empire and to rightfully restore China to the Han Chinese, raised his suggestion to train millions of youth to be both physically strong and militarily skillful within ten years so as to meet the demand of large-scale revolution and military renovation. So with the encouragement of Huo's friends, money from sponsors as far away as Tokyo, Japan from [[Sun Yat-sen]] and [[Song Jiaoren]], and the support from much of the population of Shanghai, he set up the Chin Woo Physical Training Center (which eventually evolved to become the Chin Woo Athletic Association) with close friend Nong Jin Sun as president.<ref>Historic involvement of the Tongmenghui as helping start the first Chin Woo center.<br /> http://www.chinwoomen.com/history.html</ref>
Huo Yuanjia needed to disguise the fact that his school was for the learning of self-defense, the building up of health and mind, and the instilling of pride and patriotism into its members and the community. He thus opened it as a "physical training center" instead of calling it a "traditional wushu school" in order to shroud its main intentions by supporting all physical exercises and activities. The popularity of Huo Yuanjia and what he stood for was obvious from the number of members who joined the club at the outset. Chin Woo became very popular, and in its first summer its ranks swelled dramatically.
Huo Yuanjia, still suffering bouts of [[jaundice]] and now [[tuberculosis]], started seeing a Japanese doctor for medication and treatment. With his strength and speed improving, Huo Yuanjia's impressive reputation was soon known throughout the Japanese martial arts schools. Huo's doctor, a member of the Japanese [[Judo]] Association, based in [[Shanghai]], invited him to a competition.
Huo Yuanjia's top student, [[Liu Zheng Sheng]], competed with a [[Judo]] practitioner. The Japanese claimed their student won the match, and the Chinese claimed their student had won. What was generally agreed by both sides is that the disagreement ended up in a brawl and ten members of the [[Judo]] team were injured, some with broken fingers and hands, including the head instructor.(citation needed)
=== Death ===
Huo Yuanjia became seriously ill and passed away on August 9th, 1910 at 42 years of age (some say he died the 14th of September 1910). When and how he died is still debated and is shrouded in mystery. It is rumored that he had been poisoned by the Japanese as revenge for their defeat during the Judo competition but this is speculation. Some people believe that Huo Yuanjia may have died due to incorrect changes made to his medicine and incorrect treatment by his new Chinese doctor. Others speculate that the European colonists were threatened by the rise of Chinese nationalism and had him poisoned.
The historian, Huo Yuanjia student, Chen Gong Zhe (陳公哲 1890-1961) believed and wrote that the cause of his teacher's death is a [[hemoptysis]] disease(喀血病). Chen Gong Zhe did not write that Huo Yuanjia was poisoned by the Japanese doctor Akino who was introduced by the Japanese Judo instructor (精武50年武術發展史, '50 Years History of Wu Shu Development at Jing Wu', published in 1957). Huo Yuanjia was admitted to Shanghai Red Cross Hospital and died 2 weeks after. Chen Gong Zhe did not write that the medicine contained [[arsenic]].
In 1989, the tomb of Huo Yuanjia and his wife was relocated, and his pelvis bones were discovered to contain black spots, in which Tianjin Municipality Police laboratory confirmed that it contained arsenic. It is difficult to ascertain whether his death was caused by malicious poisoning or by treatment. What is verifiable, is the use of arsenic to treat tuberculosis and other illnesses was a common practice in China and Europe during the early 1900s.
Huo Yuanjia died only months after helping to fund the [[Chin Woo Athletic Association]]. Because Huo Yuanjia was widely admired as a Chinese national hero, a series of other masters agreed to teach at the school including [[Eagle Claw]] master Chen Zizheng, [[Seven Star Praying Mantis]] master Luo Guangyu, [[Xingyi]] master Geng Xiaguang, and [[Wu Jianquan]], the founder of Wu style [[Taijiquan]]. Due to Huo Yuanjia's popularity, the masters had decided that he should be the "face" of Chin Woo, resulting in his strong association with it. In June 1910, the Eastern Times newspaper announced the establishment of this association in the name of Huo Yuanjia. It was the first civil [[Kung Fu]] organization in [[China]] that was not associated with a particular school or style.
=== Expansion of Chin Woo ===
During the Japanese sphere of influence the [[Twenty-One Demands|21 Demands]] sent to the Chinese government resulted in two treaties with Japan on May 25, 1915, which separated the corrupt Manchurian ruling class from exercising control over the Han. The students of Huo were spurred on. They bought a new building and renamed it the "Chin Woo Athletic Association". Re-organization, publications of books and magazines, and new styles of martial arts other than what Huo taught, were accepted under the mantle of the new association, and in 1918 the Chin Woo opened an association in Nathan Road in Hong Kong.
In July 1919, the Chin Woo Association sent five representatives throughout Southeast Asia to perform a missionary program to expand activities overseas. They were Chen Gong Zhe, Li Hui Sheng, Luo Xiao Ao, Chen Shi Zhao, and Ye Shu Tian. They made their first stop in [[Saigon]], [[Vietnam]]—here they opened the first Chin Woo school outside of China there and later in [[Malaysia]] and [[Singapore]]. To prove their skills, they were often required to give demonstrations or accept challenges. By 1923, these five masters had opened schools all over [[Southeast Asia]] and visited nine different countries.
In 1966, Shanghai Chin Woo was forced to discontinue their martial-arts activities due to oppression from the Communist Party of China's [[Cultural Revolution]] program whose goal was to destroy old ideas, culture, customs in order to modernize China. Those restrictions were later lifted in 1976, and martial-arts activities were again alive in the Shanghai Chin Woo.
Currently, Chin Woo is one of the largest [[Chinese Martial Arts|Wushu]] organizations in the world with branches in [[Japan]], [[Hong Kong]], [[Macau]], [[Vietnam]], [[Malaysia]], [[Singapore]], [[Poland]], [[Canada]], [[United Kingdom|UK]], [[United States|U.S.]], [[Australia]], and [[Switzerland]]. It is so well known that famous actors such as [[Bruce Lee]] and [[Jet Li]] have made movies based on Huo's life and achievements.
Huo Yuanjia was survived by three sons and two daughters, and now has seven grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren.
== In popular culture ==
<!-- Broken image: [[Image:http://big5.china.com.cn/gate/big5/www.tvsou.com//forenotice_images/20061222/small_news_pic11083.jpg|thumb|right|Inaccuracies Ekin Cheng's Huo Yuanjia]]
-->
[[Image:LegendaryFok.jpg|thumb|right|The 1981 Hong Kong Asia Television Limited TV Series ''[[The Legendary Fok]]''. The first production broadcasted to feature Huo YuanJia.]]
<!-- needs fair use rationale for this article [[Image:Fearless film.jpg|thumb|right|Inaccuracies in the 2006 film ''[[Fearless (2006 film)|Fearless]]'' provoked Huo Yuanjia's descendants to request an apology from its filmmakers.<ref>[http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-02/16/content_4187427.htm "Huo Yuanjia's descendants seeks apology from Jet Li"], ''Xinhua''</ref>]] -->
=== TV Series Adaptations ===
In 1981, ATV ([[Asia Television Limited]], and Hong Kong's first television station) produced and broadcast the first Television series to feature this legendary Chinese Martial Artist, known as "The Legendary Fok (大俠霍元甲)". There were a total of 20 episodes. The actor that portrayed Huo YuanJia in this version is Wong Yuen Sun (黃元申). Huo's student [[Chen Zhen (martial artist)|Chen Zhen]] is also in this story's plot, and portrayed by [[Bruce Leung]] (梁小龍), see [[Kung Fu Hustle]]. A remake of this series was also produced by another television station in Mainland China sometime in 2000-2001. That version stars [[Vincent Zhao Wen-Zhou]] / [[Vincent Chiu Man-Cheuk]] (趙文卓) as Huo YuanJia.
In 2007, the company of Mainland China had made a new Television series of "Huo YuanJia" based on the ATV one. The new version stars [[Ekin Cheng]] as Huo and [[Jordan Chan]] as Chen. The drama was produced by Stanley Kwan and directed by Ju Jue Liang.
=== Film Adaptations ===
The 1982 Chinese film ''[[Legend of a Fighter]]'' has often been cited as the first film to feature the character Huo Yuanjia. It follows him as a young boy where as the youngest of several brothers, his legendary "Huo family style" father refuses to teach him Kung Fu because he perceived Yuanjia to be weak, and undeserving of kung-fu education. His father enlists a Japanese teacher to educate the boy and distract his attention away from fighting, unbeknownst that the new teacher is a Japanese master who shares something in common with the boys branded "weakness". In secret, young Huo Yuanjia trains for eight years until the day arrives when he displays his honed abilities in defense of his ailing father.
The films ''[[Fist of Fury]]'' (1972) and its remake ''[[Fist of Legend]]'' (1994) are fictionalized accounts of the events following his death. The main character in all of these films is based upon a student of Huo Yuanjia named [[Chen Zhen (martial artist)|Chen Zhen]], who was portrayed by [[Bruce Lee]] in ''Fist of Fury,'' [[Jackie Chan]] in ''New Fist of Fury'' and [[Jet Li]] in ''Fist of Legend''. [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084105/]
The film ''[[Fearless (2006 film)|Fearless]]'' (2006) is a fictionalized story based loosely upon the life of Huo Yuanjia, who is played here by Jet Li. In this version of his story, foreign colonizers, seeking Huo's defeat in order to destroy Chinese confidence, arrange a competition in which he must fight four of their best fighters in one day. After Huo defeats the first three challengers, his final opponent is Tanaka ([[Nakamura Shidō]]), a Japanese martial arts expert. In the days prior to the match, the two fighters meet, and while trading philosophies over tea, Huo Yuanjia earns Tanaka's respect. As the final match begins, Tanaka offers to reschedule, believing the fight to be an unfair one. Huo refuses, and their first round is declared a draw. During the break between rounds, Huo's tea is poisoned by a Japanese envoy in cahoots with European colonists. Despite becoming violently ill, Huo manages to continue the fight, and restrains himself from delivering a fatal blow to Tanaka. Nearing death himself, Huo collapses from the effects of the poison, but to the dismay of the foreign organizers, Tanaka and the crowd proclaim Huo Yuanjia the true champion.
A song, titled Huo Yuanjia, was written and sung by [[Jay Chou]] for the aforementioned movie. It is also featured on [[Dance! Online]].
== See also ==
* [[Chin Woo Athletic Association]]
* [[Mízōngyì]]
== Notes ==
{{reflist}}
==Further reading==
* [http://www.hkflix.com/xq/asp/filmID.2787/rtype.4/qx/reviews.htm Earlier film portraying Huo Yuanjia's biography]
* [http://www.pasadena.edu/chinese/cultural/wushu.html Wushu and Qigong]
* [http://www.oralchelation.net/data/HistoricalDiets/data10a.htm British pharmacopoeia dating from 1917 regarding the use of arsenic as treatment of tuberculosis]
* [http://www.pinc.com/healthnews/chinese_medicine.html Arsenic and Mercury found in Chinese Herbal Medicine]
== External links ==
* [http://www.chinwoo.com/ World Chin Woo Federation] - Official site
* [http://www.chinwoo.com.au/ Western Australia Chin Woo Athletic Association] - Official site
* [http://www.chin-woo.com/historychinwoo.html British Institute for Chinese Martial Arts] - Official site
* [http://www.chinwoo.org/history.htm Chinwoo Athletic Association National Chinese Feeling] - Official site
* [http://www.chinwoomen.com/history.html World Chin Woo Men] - Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Huo Yuanjia}}
[[Category:1868 births]]
[[Category:1910 deaths]]
[[Category:Chinese warriors]]
[[Category:Martial arts school founders]]
[[Category:My Jhong Law Horn practitioners]]
[[da:Huo Yuanjia]]
[[de:Huo Yuanjia]]
[[es:Huo Yuanjia]]
[[it:Huo Yuanjia]]
[[hu:Huo Yuan Jia]]
[[nl:Huo Yuanjia]]
[[ja:霍元甲]]
[[no:Huo Yuanjia]]
[[pt:Huo Yuanjia]]
[[sv:Huo Yuanjia]]
[[vi:Hoắc Nguyên Giáp]]
[[zh:霍元甲]]