Data map: On August 15, 2014, the inauguration ceremony of the bronze statue of Wushu master Huo Yuanjia designed and produced by famous masters was held in Shanghai Jingwu Park. Many descendants of Jingwu sages specially came to attend the ceremony.
The picture shows the great-grandson Huo Zizheng attending the event.
Photo by Tang Yanjun
"The Great Wall will never fall, the Yellow River for thousands of miles is surging"...
This is the theme song in the TV series "Heroes Fearless" that once caused a lot of people to go empty in the early 1980s.
With the wonderful performance of actor Huang Yuanshen, the image of a generation of martial arts master and patriot Huo Yuanjia who was active in the last years of the Qing Dynasty is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.
In history, Fearless's legendary deeds are also widely spread.
110 years ago, on September 14, this martial arts master passed away.
Through more than one hundred years of time, Huo Yuanjia has always been one of the totems of traditional Chinese martial arts. The "Jingwu Spirit" he advocated has been baptized by time, and has a long history and timelessness.
Data Map: The performance scene of the large-scale stage play "Legend of Wushu: Fearless".
Photo by China News Agency reporter Zhang Daozheng
Different from the divine image in the film and television works, the real Huo Yuanjia was born in a peasant family who practiced martial arts for seven generations in the suburbs of Tianjin, and was weak since childhood.
His father was afraid that Huo Yuanjia would ruin the reputation of the Huo family's martial arts family, so he was forbidden to practice martial arts since he was a child.
But Huo Yuanjia has high ambitions, and often steals his teacher to learn art when his father transfers art to his brothers.
When he was discovered by his father, Huo Yuanjia was no longer the weak child he used to be.
After growing up, Huo Yuanjia relied on his strength to make a living in Tianjin.
There, he and Nong Jinsun, a man of insight who had returned from overseas, became irresistible, and met a group of people with lofty ideals who were actively looking for a way to save the country.
In his youth, Huo Yuanjia worked as a dock stevedore and also a helper in the medicine store.
Because he likes to be a chivalrous man, coupled with a good kung fu, Huo Yuanjia gradually gained fame in Tianjin.
Screenshot of the TV series "Heroes Fearless".
In the late Qing Dynasty, the Chinese nation was facing constant invasions by imperialist powers. Influenced by patriots such as Nong Jinsun, Huo Yuanjia's hatred of the aggressors and his determination to save the country with force arose in his heart.
In the film and television works, Huo Yuanjia is portrayed as an image of a powerful and invincible hero.
Especially in the bridge section where he competed with foreign hercules, Huo Yuanjia used four or two forces to easily defeat the Japanese Ronin.
But in fact, Huo Yuanjia has really stood in the ring only twice, and both times won without a fight.
The first time was in 1901. A Russian strongman named Schivanlov claimed to be "the invincible hand to beat China" and slandered the Chinese as "the sick man of East Asia."
Hearing that Huo Yuanjia was furious, he went to fight with his apprentice.
I don't know if he was shocked by Huo Yuanjia's origin and prestige, or for other reasons, the so-called Hercules finally bowed his head to Huo Yuanjia and reported to the "Jinmen Heroes" to apologize.
Screenshot of the TV series "Heroes Fearless".
The other time was in 1910, when the British Hercules Opiyin went to Shanghai to perform Western Lux techniques.
He insulted "China is the country of sick men, and the people are sick men in East Asia", and expressed "willing to wrestle with the Chinese."
But at that time, there was no one in Shanghai to fight.
Under the recommendation of the revolutionary Chen Qimei, Huo Yuanjia made a special trip to Shanghai from Tianjin.
As a result, when the agreed game time came, Opiein unexpectedly missed the appointment.
The story of Huo Yuanjia’s disgraced national humiliation and the prestige of our country spread. He became famous in Shanghai, and Shanghai also set off a wave of martial arts.
In order to enhance the health of the country and completely remove the hat of "the sick man of East Asia", Huo Yuanjia integrated gymnastics and martial arts, and founded the "Jingwu Gymnastics Club" in Shanghai in 1910, attracting many Chinese to embark on the road of martial arts. .
Not long after the establishment of the Jingwu Gymnastics Club, Fearless passed away at the age of 42.
There are still different opinions on the cause of his death.
Some people say that he died of a severe illness due to overwork, but in the "Jing Wu Ben Ji" written by Jing Wu Hui practitioners, it is recorded that Huo Yuan Jia took a chronic lung rotten medicine prescribed by a Japanese doctor after competing with the Japanese. And die.
Screenshot of the TV series "Heroes Fearless".
No matter what reason Huo Yuanjia passed away, his persistent pursuit of martial arts and sincere love for the country in his short life have left precious spiritual wealth for future generations.
When the Jingwu Club was established, it took "Love China, Strengthen the Country and the People" as its soul.
The great man serves the country for the people, especially in that era of poverty and weakness, Fearless's spirit of daring to resist in the face of insults and provocations has awakened the self-esteem and confidence of the Chinese people.
After Huo Yuanjia's death, Mr. Sun Yat-sen wrote his inscription "Spirit of Martial Arts", which is also an affirmation and award of Huo Yuanjia's martial arts thoughts.
After going through a hundred years, Huo Yuanjia's eight characters of "patriotism, self-cultivation, justice, and helping others" put forward at the time are still outdated today.
Its core has long gone beyond the scope of sports and has become one of the common values of the entire nation.
(Author Xing Rui)