THE DEADLY TECHNIQUES OF YIN-YANG KICKS
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Category Archives: Kung Fu
A CAPABLE CHALLENGER FOR THE TIGER
(reproduced from http://shaolin.org/general/legends-of-southern-shaolin/legends05.html)
Lei-tai, picture taken from http://www.wutai.co.uk/masterssj/
That night a lot of people gathered at Guangdong Association. Everyone agreed that there would be no end if Looi Hoong was not killed on the lei-tai.
After a while, the director of the association, Chan Yuk Shi, said, “It is reasonable what everyone has said. But Looi Hoong’s kungfu is extraordinary. He is not known as Tiger Looi for no reasons. Seeing today’s matches, one can tell his valour. If we go to the lei-tai tomorrow without a high level challenger, it won’t be helpful. Hence, from what you have heard of capable persons, please inform me.”
Everyone was silent and started thinking. Then someone stood forward and said, “I propose a person. With his kungfu, killing Looi Hoong is more than sufficient.”
Chan Yuk Shi immediately asked who this capable person was.
The person replied, “He is Wang Chen Thong. His livelihood is fist and staff. His kungfu is excellent. Once, he hit a wall, and caused a big hole. I propose him. I am sure he won’t disappoint us.”
Chen Yuk Shi was very happy. Immediately he dispatched some persons with gifts to invite Wang Chen Thong.
After about two hours, Wang Chen Thong arrived. Everyone had a good look at him. He was like a Vajra King. His eyes shone like comets. The white and black of his eyes were well differentiated. Everyone venerated him respectfully, and went forward to greet him.
After the preliminaries, Chan Yuk Shi announced.
“Tonight, we specially invite Sifu Wang Chen Thong here, and our invitation shows that we admire and respect you extremely. Nevertheless, we have an intention. Without me saying, I believe sifu knows it. Looi Hoong, based on raw courage, insults all Cantonese people to this time. As long as anyone is a Cantonese person, he suffers great hurt, and view it as a great insult.
(Although Chan Yuk Shi did not learn kungfu, he addressed Wang Chen Thong as “Sifu Wang” out of courtesy.)
“Sifu Wang is also Cantonese. What you feel is like what we feel. But we are all traders. We don’t have the strength ‘to lift up an iron cockerel’ (which means ‘to have any noticeable strength’). Hence, after thorough discussion, we intend to invite glorious masters to avenge the dead, and remove the big insult on Guangdong.
“Everyone admires the miraculous valiance of Sifu Wang, and regards Sifu Wang as unparallel in the world. Hence, without intruding, we hope Sifu Wang can help us, to erase the insult of over thousands and millions of Cantonese people. We wonder what is Sifu Wang’s view?”
Wang Chen Thong laughingly replied in a clear, loud voice.
“This is a small matter. You need not be so full of courtesy. I don’t mean to be boastful, but even if my students come out, it is more than sufficient. Tomorrow, I shall represent all of you to kill this disgrace of martial circles.”
Everyone was jumping with joy. Chan Yuk Shi ordered a sumptuous dinner in honour of Wang Chen Thong. He personally toasted for Wang Chen Thong’s success.
After a few rounds of toasts, Wang Chen Thong loudly proclaimed, “Tomorrow I shall certainly kill Looi Hoong on the lei-tai to thank the feeling of our clansmen.”
Wong Kiew Kit,
8th January 2018, Sungai Petani
LINKS
Overview
LEI-TAI MATCH BETWEEN LOOI HOONG AND LI FOONG SAN
(reproduced from http://shaolin.org/general/legends-of-southern-shaolin/legends04.html)
Fierce Tiger Crouches on Ground
While the crowd was quiet, another person flow up the stage like a big bird. The crowd noticed that he was a kungfu master from Canton named Li Foong San. The spectators cheered.
After registering his name in the register of the lei-tai, Li Foong San said to Looi Hoong.
“Today I come up the stage to take up your challenge is not because of the rewards, and also not because I want to avenge the dead. But I saw your cruelty and could not tolerate. I am sure you know that setting up the lei-tai is to meet capable persons of the world, and not use this excuse to kill people. Even when your art is better than other people’s, and really you are no-double in the world, you should appreciate heaven’s love for life. Against those weaker than you, just defeating them will do.
“Why must you kill him? Now he is dead, do you add any flesh to your body? Thinking of your intention, you are like an animal in human’s clothing. Today I come on stage is to employ my skills to consulate the ghost of the dead.”
After listening to this elucidation, not only was Looi Hoong not angry but he laughed out loudly.
“You know that lei-tai is the place for fighting, under fists and kicks, why is there mercy? Further, you also know that if I don’t hurt opponents, the opponents will hurt me. If I die under his fist, what would you say? Isn’t it that you will say I don’t know my limit, and openly give my life? Or you may say that my life is like that, and it is not his wrong?”
Li Foong San was surprised and did not know how to reply. Looi Hoong changed his facial feature, and continued.
“Like you without knowledge, don’t try to argue here. As you have come today, I shall act like your ancestors to teach you so that in future you will not blind your heart and blind your eyes.”
Immediately, Looi Hoong shouted, “See my technique!” He moved his right leg forward and used “Two Dragons Fight for Pearl” to attack the opponent’s eyes.
Li Foong San avoided the attack and immediately used “Throw Balls in Waves” to counter attack.
Looi Hoong saw the attack was aimed at his top and middle levels. So he used a bottom level to respond. When the attack was near, he squat down and tried to sweep Li Foong San’s front stance so that the opponent would fall down the lei-tai. This technique was “surprised by gods and feared by ghosts”, and was known as “Reverse Planting of Willows”. (In our school, this pattern is called “Firece Tiger Crouches on Ground”.)
As soon as Looi Hoong squat down, Li Foong San retreated his front stance, and used his hand to sweep at the opponent. If Looi Hoong failed to avoid, his arm would be fractured. In this precarious moment, however, Looi Hoong was not alarmed. He bent his body and changed step, and simultaneously struck out his palm.
Li Foong San was ready. Before the palm strike arrived, he had changed technique. The two combatants, one like wild wind swept leaves, and the other like a fierce tiger jumped across stream, fought on the lei-tai like dusts blown by breeze. It was difficult to explain and difficult to separate them, and they fought for life and death.
The spectators below moaned and sighed. They concluded that unless there was death, it would be difficult to differentiate the higher skills from the lower. The Cantonese groups of people cheered for Li Foong San.
On the lei-tai, the combatants exchanged many tens of encounters. Looi Hoong did not gain any advantage. His nature arose, his intention to kill was born, and he knew that Li Foong San’s kungfu was not ordinary, so he employed his “own door” ultimate technique – yin-yang kick.
This yin-yang kick was dangerous and extra-ordinary, and Looi Hoong “had accumulated essence and arose spirit” to train the ultimate technique for all his life, and had attained success after much “bitter training”. Whenever he met formidable opponents, there was not a single occasion he did not win with this ultimate technique.
Having decided on his intention, Looi Hoong used the tactic of “Majestic Hall Explain Many Things” to confuse Li Foong San’s eyesight. Then he used his ultimate technique of yin-yang kick, raising his leg to kick at his opponent with tremendous internal force.
Li Foong San could not avoid the attack. With a loud noise, like a kite that had snapped its thread, Li Foong San fell from the lei-tai. The Cantonese spectators rushed to save Li Foong San, who vomited blood. But he was dead.
Seeing the horrible death of Li Foong San, every Cantonese wanted to rush up the stage to fight Looi Hoong.
At that time a bell sounded, and Looi Hoong walked to the front of the lei-tai and thanked the spectators with a greeting. His students accompanied him to walk away.
Wong Kiew Kit,
8th January 2018, Sungai Petani
LINKS
Overview
LIFE-DEATH COMBAT ON LEI-TAI
(reproduced from http://shaolin.org/general/legends-of-southern-shaolin/legends03.html)
Singly Chop the Hua Mountain
After defeating Cheng Loon, Looi Hoong or Tiger Looi walked to the front of the lei-tai, or stage for kungfu combat, and said.
“Spectators below the lei-tai, if there are capable persons, please come up for a test.”
From nowhere in the crowd came a loud answer.
“Don’t boast. Today I’ll take your life.” Immediately a figure flew up the stage.
Looi Hoong replied angrily, “Who are you? Why don’t you have some manners? Even when coming up a lei-tai for combat, there should be courtesy first, then martial art. Now you open your mouth to want my life, as if my life is so easy for you to take. Quickly tell us your name. I don’t strike the nameless.”
The man laughed loudly. “Open your eyes to see carefully. Your lord is a well known kungfu master in all areas of Suzhow and Hangzhou named Cheong Xin Harng. My two fists once struck dead two tigers. Look at your body. Is your body comparable to two tigers?”
Looi Hoong smirked coldly. “Who saw you killed two tigers with your two fists. With your two fists you can only tear two paper tigers.”
Cheong Xin Harng was angry. His fists hit Looi Hoong wildly. Looi Hoong was secretly laughing. Purposely he feigned some weakness to tempt the opponent to hit futilely.
Cheong Xin Harng was not deep in his kungfu, coupled with wanting to win easily. He did not know that Looi Hoong’s movements were meant to trick him, but instead wrongly thought that the opponent’s defence was weak.
So he advanced and came close. Looi Hoong suddenly changed his tactics and used the pattern, “Singly Chop the Hua Mountain” to chop at Cheong Xin Harng’s head.
Cheong Xin Harng could not defend. His head was broken, and his brain splashed out. He fell down dead.
Looi Hoong kicked his carcass down the stage. Full of pride he announced to the spectators, “If there are capable persons, come up on stage. Evening is approaching; we may have to wait for tomorrow.”
Wong Kiew Kit,
8th January 2018, Sungai Petani
LINKS
Overview
KUNGFU MASTERS WERE COURTEOUS EVEN IN DEADLY COMBAT
(reproduced from http://shaolin.org/general/legends-of-southern-shaolin/legends02.html)
Lei-tai, picture taken from http://healthandfitnesshistory.com/ancient-fitness-tools/chinese-lei-tai/
On the first day of the lei-tai combat, or combat without any rules on a raised platform, Pure Ball Gate where the lei tai was held, was full of people. Cantonese people came in groups, all of them were very angry.
The atmosphere was serious. Hundreds of Looi Hoong’s students, all in black kungfu uniform, were in front of the lei-tai. On the left side was erected a colorful tent. Seated in it were a martial official with tens of soldiers observing the crowd.
Suddenly thunderous drums sounded on the lei-tai. Looi Hoong, the Chief Instructor of the army, in black kungfu dress, eyes shinning and radiating an invincible force, walked to the front of the lei-tai and announced.
“I act on the order of the general and set up this lei-tai to meet heroes of the world. Anyone with ability please come up the lei-tai to test me. If he can punch me once, he will be rewarded with a hundred pieces of gold. If he can kick me once, he will be rewarded with two hundred pieces of gold. If he fells me to the floor, not only he will be rewarded with five hundred pieces of gold, he will also be invited to become an instructor in the army.”
When Looi Hoong just completed his speech, a figure from the crowd flew up to the stage. Greeting Looi Hoong, he said.
“I am unable, and my name is Cheng Loon. I know a bit of fist and staff (i.e. kungfu). Today I present my limited kungfu, seek teaching from sifu. Regarding the rewards, they are not my intention.”
Looi Hoong returned the greeting and said, “There is no need for warrior to be modest. As you have come up the lei-tai, please do not hide your strong points. Let me also seek teaching from you.”
“Well said,” came the reply. “Let’s cross hands.”
Looi Hoong employed a poise pattern called “Hungry Tiger Embraces Head”, with his left tiger-claw at eye-level and his right tiger-claw in front of his chest.
Seeing the poise pattern, Cheng Loon said silently to himself, “Today’s match is unlike combat matches at ordinary times. In a lei-tai match, it is death or serious injury. I must be very careful. It is not easy to attack such a poise pattern. I’ll use ‘stick’ hand as a feign.” So Cheng Loon moved in with a ‘stick’ hand to meet the opponent’s front hand to confuse the opponent’s defence.
But Looi Hoong knew kungfu philosophy well. Seeing how his opponent moved in, he knew it was ‘stick’ hand as a feign move. To use ‘stick’ hand successfully, an exponent must be near to the opponent. The strong point of ‘stick’ hand is the edge of the sticking palm. As soon as their hands ‘stick’, the exponent will shoot, or thrust the palm forward. The exponent will change according to how the opponent responds.
The song-formula of ‘stick’ hand is as follows.
Stick hand is near the body,
If empty, enter the gate.
Courage is all over the body,
Marvelous techniques will win.
Looi Hoong was a kungfu expert. As the opponent moved in, he changed into a pattern called “Black Tiger Steals Heart”, changing his right tiger-claw into a fist, and striking the solar plexus of his opponent, fast and ferocious.
Cheng Loon retreated his stance sideways, and struck Looi Hoong’s elbow with a hanging fist, using a pattern called “Side Body Hang Fist”. As the opponent retreated his arm, Cheng Loon would move forward immediately with a cup fist to the opponent’s chin, using the pattern “Big Boss Offers Wine”.
But Looi Hoong’s eyes were sharp and his movements fast. He drops his elbow to avoid the hanging fist, changing his punch to a tiger-claw, gripping the opponent’s arm and pulling backward, while his front leg blocked the opponent’s front leg to trip the opponent.
Cheng Loon could not avoid this top-bottom attack. He fell forward onto the floor. He clasped his hands in greeting and said.
“Respect and concede defeat. Sifu Looi’s kungfu is extraordinary. Little brother here is no match.”
(“Sifu” means one’s kungfu teacher, but it is frequently used politely for someone whose kungfu is good. “Little brother” refers to the speaker, in this case Cheng Loon.)
Looi Hoong smile gently, returned the greeting and said.
“Warrior’s techniques are also extraordinary. Unfortunately the floor is slippery. It is not because your kungfu is inadequate.”
Wong Kiew Kit,
8th January 2018, Sungai Petani
LINKS
Overview
LEI-TAI, OR STAGE FOR DEADLY KUNGFU COMBAT
(reproduced from http://shaolin.org/general/legends-of-southern-shaolin/legends01.html)
Classical Hangzhou, picture taken from “Things to Do in Hangzhou” in the internet
Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province of China just south of Yangtze Jiang, the longest river of China, was one of the most beautiful cities in the world. West Lake situated in the west of the city is now a world heritage site.
But the Qing general stationed at Hangzhou was in a depressive mood. He received intelligence that most of the rebels who wanted to overthrow the Qing Dynasty were in south China.
Just then someone jumped in from a window. The general was alert, but the next moment he noticed that the intruder was Looi Hoong, the chief kungfu instructor of his army. Looi Hoong was so good in kungfu that people called him Tiger Looi.
Looi Hoong knelt before the general, and said.
“Sir, you have long looked after me very well, and I didn’t know how to repay you. I’ve noticed that you were depressed the last few days. I guess it is because of the rebels. There is much evidence that most of them are located in south China. I have an idea but I don’t know whether you will like it.”
“Please tell me your idea,” the general said.
“I’ll set up a ‘lei-tai’ in Hangzhou. On the lei-tai I’ll hang two huge banners, which read ‘A punch will strike the whole of Guangzhou’ and ‘a leg will kick Suzhou and Hangzhou’. This will make many people angry. Rebels, who practice kungfu, will challenge me. In this way we can find out more about the rebels.”
“This is an excellent idea.”
Suzhou is another beautiful city of China. There is a saying in Chinese that “there is heaven above, and Su and Hang below”.
So soon at the Gate of Pure Ball in busy Hangzhou, a lei-tai or a platform for kungfu combat was erected with the two huge banners easily seen. In a lei-tai match there were no rules and no referee. The combatants fought until one was killed or conceded defeat. Any injuries were due to the inferiority of the combatants’ combat skill, and no legal action would be taken.
Many people of course were angry with the banners. In Cantonese, they read
Kuen ta Kongtoong yi shang
Khuik tek Su Hoong leong chow
In English they mean
A punch strikes the whole province of Guangdong
A leg kicks the two districts of Suzhou and Hangzhou
Accompanying the banner there was a notice which read as follows.
This is an announcement from the General who is stationed in Hangzhou. The chief instructor of our army, Looi Hoong, is excellent in combat and wishes to meet heroes of the world. Hence this lei-tai is erected so as to meet warriors of four directions. Combat on the lei-tai is sure to cause injuries.
Please note the following rules.
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Those in our army are not permitted to take part.
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Those who are monks or nuns are not permitted to take part.
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Women and girls are not permitted to take part.
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Those who take part must not conceal secret weapons.
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Spectators cannot employ secret weapons to help any combatant.
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Combatants must register their names and addresses.
Any injuries or deaths from the combat are due to heaven’s will, and no action will be taken.
There will be rewards. Any combatant who strikes the owner of the lei-tai with a punch will be rewarded with a hundred pieces of gold. Any combatant who kicks the owner of the lei-tai will be rewarded with two hundred pieces of gold. Any combatant who fells the owner of the lei-tai on the floor of the lei-tai will be rewarded with five hundred pieces of gold.
Do not be greedy of the rewards and loose your life. The lei-tai will be on for one hundred days.
Soon the news spread throughout Hangzhou. At Guangdong Association many people gathered to discuss the lei-tai match. Young men were rowdy and angry, and wanted to take up the challenge to restore the reputation of Guangdong.
The director of the association, Chan Yuk Shi, said.
“It is commendable that so many people want to restore the reputation of Guangdong. But Looi Hoong’s kungfu is very good. He is the chief instructor of the army. Hence, he is supported by the government. Even if we win at the lei-tai, the army will go after us. We are all businessmen. We cannot match the government. If unfortunately some of our challengers are defeated, fists and kicks have no mercy, they just submit their lives. You are all wise people. Please think carefully before taking any action.”
However, a young man spoke loudly.
“I am afraid of his cockerel. Looi Hoong has said that his one fist punches the whole of Guangdong. How many people are there in Guangdong? More than thousands and millions. He insults our ancestors. We still have to think carefully? Director Chan, you are a man from Guangdong. Why do you look at our own people like women and children? Now in this case, if we cannot restore the reputation of Guangdong, we may as well burn the association. We do not want other people to laugh at Guangdong Association.”
The crowd then became rowdy and noisy. Seeing this, Chan Yuk Shi could just shake his head and said nothing.
Wong Kiew Kit,
8th January 2018, Sungai Petani
LINKS
Overview
LEGENDS OF SOUTHERN SHAOLIN — OVERVIEW
(reproduced from http://shaolin.org/general/legends-of-southern-shaolin/overview.html)
The modern Southern Shaolin Monastery, picture taken from Google
The following legends, which are based on historical facts, are translated from the book, “Legends from Southern Shaolin” 南少林傳奇, written by Chiew Sek (Cantonese Chinese) in 1993, which Grandmaster Wong bought more than 20 years ago in 1995.
There are some differences between the legends here and those that Grandmaster Wong heard from his father more than 70 years ago in the late 1940s from a Chinese magazine entitled “Legends from Kungfu Knights” 武俠小說王. In reproducing the legends here, Grandmaster Wong made some modifications according to what kungfu masters knew. Some Chinese terms are in figurative language, and their meanings are explained in parenthesis, thus adding to the fun and beauty of the language.
These legends happened after the first burning of the first southern Shaolin Monastery at the City of Quanzhou in Fujian Province, where our patriarch, the Venerable Jiang Nan, escaped. Little is known of the Venerable Jiang Nan because he ran out of China, thus missing the legends that many kungfu exponents were fond of, and passed the Shaolin arts to Sifu Yang Fatt Khuen, who then passed to Sifu Ho Fatt Nam. Grandmaster Wong learned from Sifu Ho Fatt Nam in the 1970s.
Another of our patriarch, the Venerable Chi Seen, also escaped from the first burning of the southern Shaolin Monastery at Quanzhou. He established a second southern Shaolin Monastery on Jiu Lian shan, or the Nine-Lotus Mountain, also in Fujian Province. These legends, which were popular among many Chinese-reading public who were interested in kungfu, occurred after the first burning of the southern Shaolin Monastery at Quanzhou and before the second burning of the southern Shaolin Monastery on the Nine-Lotus Mountain by the Qing army led by Pak Mei.
The northern Shaolin Monastery at Henan was still intact. It was razed to the ground by warlords in 1927, and its burning had nothing to do with kungfu. Before that, an emperor of the Ming Dynasty, which preceded the Qing Dynasty, moved the imperial status of the Shaolin Monastery from Henan to Quanzhou.
These legends from Southern Shaolin were well known among kungfu exponents, especially old masters, of the 20th century. It is highly recommended that our Shaolin Wahnam family members also know of these legends.
Wong Kiew Kit,
8th January 2018, Sungai Petani
Fong Sai Yuk Fighting on Lei-Tai
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Lei-Tai, or Stage for Deadly Kungfu Combat
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Kungfu Masters were Courteous Even in Deadly Combat
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Life-Death Combat on Lei-Tai
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Lei-Tai Match between Looi Hoong and Li Foong San
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A Capable Challenger for the Tiger
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The Deadly Techniques of Yin-Yang Kicks
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If it was Not Rare, it must be Something Odd
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Fong Sai Yuk Broke Out from his Room
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Fong Sai Yuk Killing Tiger Looi
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A Lei-Tai Challenge from a Young Woman
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Excellent Kungfu in Combat
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Duel After Duel, When Will this End?
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The Invincible Ng Mui
To be Continued
FRAGRANT FOX — A NOVELETTE ON SHAOLIN KUNGFU PART 3
(reproduced from http://shaolin.org/general/fragrant-fox/fragrant-fox03.html)
This novelette, still unpublished, was written about 40 years ago by Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit in the 1980s. Those attending the Valentine Kungfu Courses 2018 on the Shaolin Pakua Set will find the novelette particularly interesting as there are accounts of combat sequences from the Pakua Set.
AN OPALESCENT PEARL IN A DARK NIGHT
A traditional Chinese woman from https://www.ancienthistorylists.com/china-history/top-10-ancient-chinese-clothing-popular-in-ancient-china/
As Yang looked round, Miss Hu sailed in from the door like a blossoming flower drifting in the air, with a delicate waft of jasmine scent floating in with her. Hiss Hu, the only daughter of the Prime Minister, was as beautiful as she was demure. Some admirers des¬cribed her as the autumn moon at its brightest, some as an opalescent pearl in a dark night, others as poetry and music in their best combination.
And all agreed that no one could refuse doing her favours — not because she was the Prime Minister’s daughter, but because whenever she requested help (and this only on very rare occasions) her eyes spoke in such a pitiful but captivating manner that never failed to bring out the chivalry in man. Indeed, there were countless people ready to line up in the street, waiting to bang their heads against the wall, if only Miss Hu asked them to.
In Miss Hu, Yang Shao Ming saw the first girl he ever loved, the girl who was equally demure, who would blush at his mere presence. But was it love or a pass¬ing affection, a passing fancy common to all excitable, hot-blooded youths. Whatever it was, this demure girl had remained vividly in his memory. But she was only a dream, a vision whom he could only relive fondly in reminisc¬ence, for he did not even know her, did not even know her name, and now there was no where he could find her.
“I hope you can help me, Sifu Yang,” Miss Hu pleaded in her bewitching, appealing way.
“How am I to help you?” Yang asked. He noticed a film of tears at Miss Hu’s sparkling eyes.
“My jade-plum is stolen!” she replied demurely.
“The jade-plum!” Yang exclaimed, jerking himself up to the present reality. “The jade-plum that your father gave you as your twentieth birthday present! The jade-plum that is as big as a real plum and is worth the treasure of the whole city?”
“When I woke up this morning, I found my closet forced open. I was shocked, as my jade-plum was kept inside. True enough, when I checked the contents, I found everything intact, except my most treasured jade-plum.” Miss Hu began to sob.
Since time immemorial men have suspected the most deadly weapon of a woman is her tears. There is also a Chinese saying that the most valiant of heroes could not escape the wiles of a beautiful lady. There was no doubt about Miss Hu’s beauty. Now she employed her tears. So even a quick-minded kungfu expert like Yang could not tell whether her tears were due to wiles or genuine affliction.
“I would be very thankful if you can recover my jade-plum, Sifu Yang. You know how much that jade-plum means to me.”
“How are you going to thank me?” Yang inquired rather intelligently.
Miss Hu blinked her eyes and thought for a moment. “I’ll buy you three barrels of the best wine.” She suddenly cheered up. “I’m sure that’s what a man wants.”
Yang wondered whether she knew what a man wanted. Poor girl. How innocent, how naive!
“Perhaps you’ll like to come to my chamber,” she continued shyly, “to examine the situation yourselves.”
This time Yang Shao Ming was shocked. Even Commissioner Chin, who had been quiet all this while, looked surprised. A lady’s chamber was her very private place. But now she was asking them to visit her chamber.
I’d better don’t harbour imaginative ideas, Yang reminded himself. Of course we had to visit her chamber. How else could we examine the environment where the crime occurred?
LINKS
Fragrant Fox — Overview
FRAGRANT FOX — A NOVELETTE ON SHAOLIN KUNGFU PART 2
(reproduced from http://shaolin.org/general/fragrant-fox/fragrant-fox02.html)
This novelette, still unpublished, was written about 40 years ago by Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit in the 1980s. Those attending the Valentine Kungfu Courses 2018 on the Shaolin Pakua Set will find the novelette particularly interesting as there are accounts of combat sequences from the Pakua Set.
THE PERFECT DETECTIVE
The swordsmen, picture taken from https://croppedanddubbed.wordpress.com/2014/07/08/swordsman-of-all-swordsmen-pre-kung-fu-joseph-kuo-classic-from-1968/
Commissioner Chin’s career in the Imperial Bureau of Criminal Investigation had been so outstandingly successful that people called him the Perfect Detective. Like Yang Shao Ming, he was also good at kungfu.
Any police officer, if he wanted to survive, had to be proficient in the martial arts, for although this period of Chinese history during the Ming Dynasty was comparatively peaceful and prosperous, big time criminals were generally skillful fighters. Indeed to a great extent it was because of his kungfu excellence as much as his efficiency in preventing and solving crimes that the public enjoyed peaceful times.
Nevertheless, the Commissioner was even better known for his fine taste. Everything about him was the best: he wore the best clothes, ate the best food, drank the best wine, had the best-looking women, and mixed with the best friends. Even his officers and his investigation methods were the best. In fact people were convinced that Commissioner Chin was the personification of success.
What can worry Commissioner Chin? Yang wondered to himself. Just what on earth can worry this man whose support includes the highest ministers of the Emperor, whose friends comprise of the best kungfu experts in China, and whose efficiency spells fear as well as reverence throughout the whole underworld of crime?
Yang hoped Chin would reveal his worries, but the more he hoped, the more Chin seemed to have forgotten about this irresistible curiosity which he appeared to have accidentally caused Yang to suffer.
Yang looked across the table at the Police Commissioner. His earlier sulky look had disappeared from his face. Commissioner Chin even seemed to be smiling to himself, being oblivious to the troubled thoughts in Yang’s head, and oblivious to everything around him. He took a sip of his fragrant wine, sat back and rinsed the wine gently and artfully in his mouth, and with eyes closed, obviously enjoying its lingering aroma.
Can the cause of his worries be Fragrant Fox? Yang reasoned to himself. He realized he could stand it no longer.
“Have you any news of Fragrant Fox?” he eventually asked, almost foolishly.
“She has given me enough trouble, this Fox,” Chin replied wrathfully. It was amazing how quickly his earlier complacent disposition turned into anger. “I’ll soon have her caught.” But in a moment, the Commissioner reverted to his nonchalant mood, as if totally involved in the appreciation of his wine.
Yang could understand Chin’s exasperation, even for a moment. Although this Fragrant Fox was actually not a criminal — she never robbed nor killed — yet she must have caused this Chief Investigator of the Empire more trouble than the most notorious criminals. Since the widely-talked-about appearance of this highly amorous Fox some months ago, many people had begun to doubt the validity of the Perfect Detective’s reputation.
“It’s just incredible,” Yang said, “that even those whom she made love to, and who enjoyed her love so much, could not know who she actually is!”
“Fragrant Fox is not only a kungfu expert, she is also excellent in make-up techniques,” Chin explained, still in his leisurely mood. “Her variety of disguises is such that even if she were your neighbour, you might not know it!”
“Perhaps she is a very ugly woman. She has to wear different masks to hide her face,” Yang jested.
“She is extremely beautiful and charming,” Chin objected, then sighed, as if regretting that had she been a less insatiable lover, he might have married her.
“How do you know? Have you seen her actual face?”
Yang’s abrupt questions aroused the Commissioner from his dreamy state, but he managed to reply calmly, “I have sufficient evidence at present to pin-point a certain suspect.”
“Who is this suspect?”
“I won’t tell you now so as not to prejudice your investigation.”
“My investigation? So you are again asking me to do your investigation!” Yang protested.
“I hope you won’t refuse to help,” came a melodious, timely reply from behind.
LINKS
FRAGRANT FOX — A NOVELETTE ON SHAOLIN KUNGFU PART 1
(reproduced from http://shaolin.org/general/fragrant-fox/fragrant-fox01.html)
This novelette, still unpublished, was written about 40 years ago by Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit in the 1980s. Those attending the Valentine Kungfu Courses 2018 on the Shaolin Pakua Set will find the novelette particularly interesting as there are accounts of combat sequences from the Pakua Set.
PERSIAN SCARLET
Shaolin Wahnam Kuala Lumpur 