Edit filter log

'{{Contains Chinese text}} {{About|the person}} {{Original research|date=March 2009}} {{Refimprove|date=February 2010}} {{Infobox martial artist |name = Huo Yuanjia<br />霍元甲 |image = Liuhopafa.JPG |image_size = |caption = '''Huo Yuanjia''' |birth_date = {{birth date |mf=y|1868|1|18}} |birth_place = Xiaonanhe Village, [[Jinghai County]], [[Tianjin]] |death_date = {{death date and age|mf=y|1910|8|9|1868|1|19}} |death_place = [[Shanghai]] |death_cause = possible [[arsenic poisoning]] |martial_art = [[Chinese martial arts|Wushu]] |style = [[Mizongyi]] |rank = [[Grandmaster (martial arts)|Grandmaster]] |relatives = [[Huo Endi]] (father) |students = Liu Zhensheng, Chen Gongzhe }} {{Chinese name|[[Huo (surname)|Huo]]}} {{Chinese|c=霍元甲|p=Huò Yuánjiǎ|j=Fok3 Jyun4 Gaap3}} {{Chinese martial arts}} '''Huo Yuanjia''' (January 18, 1868 &ndash; August 9, 1910<ref name=deathdate>[http://www.wushu.org.cn/lxwzc.asp?id=2 wushu.org.cn] states that the wushu association was founded on July 7, 1910. An [http://ncdz.dzwww.com/ncdz-nc06/t20060216_1356540.htm interview] with Huo's great-grandson states that he died about 70&nbsp;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 artist and co-founder of the [[Chin Woo Athletic Association]], a martial arts school in [[Shanghai]]. A practitioner of the martial art [[mizongyi]],<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 | isbn = 0-87011-436-0 | page = 23}}</ref> Huo is considered a hero in China for defeating foreign fighters in highly publicized matches at a time when Chinese sovereignty was being eroded by colonization, foreign concessions, and spheres of influence. Due to his heroic status, legends and myths about events in his life are difficult to discern from facts.<ref>{{cite news|title= Martial Arts of the Jingwu|work= Kung Fu Magazine|date=|url= http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=924|accessdate=2010-10-15}}</ref> ==Biography== ===Early life=== {{Unreferenced section|date=February 2010}} Huo was born in Xiaonanhe Village in [[Jinghai County]], [[Tianjin]], as the fourth of [[Huo Endi]]'s ten children. The family's main source of income was from agriculture, but Huo Endi also made a living by escorting merchant caravans to [[Manchuria]] and back. Although he was from a family of traditional wushu practitioners, Huo was born weak and susceptible to illness (he had asthma and at an early age he contracted jaundice, that would recur periodically for the rest of his life), so his father discouraged him from learning traditional wushu. Huo Endi hired a tutor named Chen Seng-ho from Japan to teach his son academics and the values of humility and perseverance. In return, Chen was taught the Huo family's style of martial arts, [[mizongyi]]. Against his father's wishes, Huo still wanted to learn wushu. He secretly observed his father teaching students martial arts during the day and practiced them at night with his tutor. In 1890, a martial artist from [[Henan]] visited the Huo family and had a fight with Huo's older brother. Huo's brother was defeated and to the surprise of the family, Huo fought against his brother's opponent and defeated him. As Huo proved that he was physically able to practice wushu, his father accepted him as a student. In later years, Huo went on to challenge martial artists from neighboring lands and his fame grew as he defeated more and more opponents in bouts. Huo joined his father at work as a caravan guard. One day, while escorting a group of monks, Huo was confronted by an aggressive bandit leader who threatened to attack the monks with his bandit followers. Huo fought against the bandit leader and defeated him. News of his feat spread and added on to his growing fame. In 1896, Huo went to [[Tianjin]] and made a living there by working as a porter in the Huaiqing pharmacy there and by selling firewood. ===Rise to fame=== In 1902, Huo responded to a challenge advertised by a Russian wrestler in Xiyuan Park, [[Tianjin]]. The wrestler openly called the Chinese "weak men of the East" as no one accepted his challenge to a fight. The Russian forfeited when Huo accepted his challenge. The Russian told Huo that he was merely putting on a performance in order to make a living and made an apology for his earlier remark in the newspaper.{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}} Between 1909 and 1910, Huo traveled to [[Shanghai]] twice to accept an open challenge posed by a British boxer, Hercules O'Brien. The two of them had arguments over the rules governing such boxing matches and eventually agreed that whoever knocked down his opponent would be the victor. O'Brien fought Huo and lost. Huo's victory was a great inspiration to the Chinese people and had them questioning the basis of imperialistic dominance. There is a lot of controversy denying that the fight ever took place however. Even recently an article stated the same, that O'Brien<ref>Moore, Roger. (September 22, 2006) [[Orlando Sentinel]]|url= http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2006-09-22/entertainment/FEARLESS_1_jet-li-huo-fearless| ''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> opted 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> ===Chin Woo Athletic Association=== Between 1909 and 1910,<ref>[http://www.jingmo.org/jingmohistory.html]</ref> Huo founded the [[Chin Woo Athletic Association|Chin Woo Physical Training Center]] (later known as Chin Woo Athletic Association) with his close friend Nong Jinsun as president of the association.<ref>Historic involvement of the Tongmenghui as helping start the first Chin Woo center.<br /> http://www.chinwoomen.com/history.html</ref> Huo was encouraged by close friends and sponsored by [[Sun Yat-sen]] and [[Song Jiaoren]] who were living in [[Tokyo]], Japan. The center was meant to be a school for learning the art of self-defense, improvement of health and mind. Huo suffered from [[jaundice]] and [[tuberculosis]] and started seeing a Japanese physician for medication and treatment. The physician, a member of the Japanese Judo Association based in Shanghai, invited him to a competition upon hearing of his fame. Huo's student Liu Zhensheng competed with a judo practitioner. Although there were disputes over who won the match, both sides generally agreed that the disagreement culminated in a brawl and members of the judo team were injured, some with broken fingers and hands, including the head instructor.{{Citation needed|date=March 2009}} ===Death=== Huo died on August 9, 1910, at 42 years of age. In 1989, the tomb of Huo and his wife was relocated. Black spots were discovered in the pelvic bones, and Tianjin Municipality Police Laboratory confirmed that they contained [[arsenic]].<ref>http://news.xinhuanet.com/book/2011-09/29/c_122106587_2.htm</ref> Consequently, it is difficult to ascertain whether his death was caused by malicious poisoning or the prescription of medicine. This was because [[arsenic trioxide]] has been used therapeutically for approximately 2,400 years as a part of [[traditional Chinese medicine]].<ref>http://www.ccmp.gov.tw/en/research/result_detail.asp?relno=51&selno=0&no=95&detailno=1020</ref> Historian Chen Gongzhe, who was also one of Huo's students, believed that the cause of his master's death was [[hemoptysis]] disease. Chen wrote that Huo was introduced to a Japanese physician by the judo instructor as his health declined. The physician prescribed some medicine for his condition, but Huo's health continued to deteriorate. Huo was admitted to Shanghai Red Cross Hospital, where he died two weeks later. Although Chen did not mention that the medicine prescribed by the Japanese physician contained arsenic or any other poison, some leaders of the [[Chin Woo Athletic Association]] speculate that Huo was poisoned around the time of his death.<ref>{{cite book | last = Kennedy | first = Brian | coauthors = Guo, Elizabeth | title = Jingwu: The School that Transformed Kung Fu (Paperback) | pages = 168 | Publisher: Blue Snake Books (June 15, 2010) | Language: English | ISBN 978-1-58394-242-0 | page = 77}}</ref> ==Legacy and expansion of Chin Woo== {{Unreferenced section|date=February 2010}} Huo died only months after helping to found the [[Chin Woo Athletic Association]]. Before his death, he invited Zhao Lianhe of Shaolin Mizong Style to teach in Chin Woo and Zhao agreed. Subsequently, a number of other martial arts masters agreed to teach at the school. They included [[Eagle Claw]] master Chen Zizheng, [[Seven Star Praying Mantis]] master Luo Guangyu, [[Xingyiquan]] master Geng Xiaguang, and [[Wu Chien Chuan]], the founder of [[Wu-style taijiquan]]. In June 1910, the ''[[Eastern Times]]'' announced the establishment of the Chin Woo association in Huo's name. It was the first civil martial arts organization in China that was not associated with a particular school or style. During the period of the Japanese sphere of influence, the [[Twenty-One Demands]] sent to the Chinese government resulted in two treaties with Japan on May 25, 1915. This prevented the Manchu ruling class from exercising full control over the [[Han Chinese]]. With their new freedom, Huo's students purchased a new building as headquarters for the organisation and renamed it "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. In 1918, Chin Woo opened a branch at [[Nathan Road]] in Hong Kong. In July 1919, the Chin Woo Association sent five representatives to Southeast Asia to perform a missionary program to expand activities overseas. They were Chen Gongzhe, Li Huisheng, Luo Xiaoao, Chen Shizhao and Ye Shutian. They made their first stop in Saigon, Vietnam where they opened the first Chin Woo school outside of China. Later, they opened schools in Malaysia and Singapore as well. By 1923, these five masters had opened schools all over Southeast Asia and visited nine different countries. In 1966, Shanghai's Chin Woo school was forced to discontinue its activities by the [[Communist Party of China|Chinese Communist Party]] due to the [[Cultural Revolution]] plan, whose goal was to destroy old ideas, culture, customs in order to modernize China. Those restrictions were later lifted in 1976 and activities were continued in Shanghai's Chin Woo. Currently, Chin Woo is one of the largest wushu organizations in the world with branches in Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Poland, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and Switzerland.{{Citation needed|date=July 2010}} Huo was survived by three sons and two daughters, and now has seven grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren.{{Citation needed|date=July 2010}} ==In popular culture== Huo's life story has been adapted into a number of films and television series. In these adaptations, Huo is depicted as a heroic martial artist who fights to uphold the dignity of the Chinese people in the face of foreign aggression. His death is portrayed dramatically: he is secretly poisoned to death by foreigners, usually the Japanese, who see him as a threat to their interests in their exploitation of China. A notable feature in some of these adaptations is the appearance of [[Chen Zhen (fictional character)|Chen Zhen]], a fictional student of Huo, who brings his teacher's murderers to justice and continues to uphold Huo's legacy. * ''[[The Legendary Fok]]'', a 1981 Hong Kong television series produced by [[Rediffusion Television|RTV]], starring Wong Yuen-sun as Fok Yuen-gap ([[Cantonese]] for Huo Yuanjia) and [[Bruce Leung]] as Chan Zan (Cantonese for Chen Zhen). * ''[[Legend of a Fighter]]'', a 1982 Hong Kong film starring [[Bryan Leung]] as Huo Yuanjia. * ''[[Fist of Fury (TV series)|Fist of Fury]]'', a 1995 Hong Kong television series based on the 1972 [[Fist of Fury|film of the same title]] that starred [[Bruce Lee]] as Chen Zhen. Produced by [[Asia Television|ATV]], the series starred [[Donnie Yen]] as Chan Zan and [[Eddy Ko]] in a supporting role as Fok Yuen-gap. * ''[[Huo Yuanjia (2001 TV series)|Huo Yuanjia]]'', a 2001 Chinese television series starring [[Vincent Zhao]] as the titular character and [[Wu Yue (actor)|Wu Yue]] as Chen Zhen. It was followed by a sequel ''[[Jingwu Yingxiong Chen Zhen]]''. * ''[[Fearless (2006 film)|Fearless]]'',<ref>{{cite news|title= FILM; Exit Kicking: Jet Li's Martial Arts Swan Song|work= [[The New York Times]] |date=September 17, 2006|url= http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E05E6DA1531F934A2575AC0A9609C8B63&scp=3&sq=Fist%20of%20Legend&st=cse |accessdate=2010-09-15|first=Terrence|last=Rafferty}}</ref> a 2006 film starring [[Jet Li]] as Huo Yuanjia. * ''[[Huo Yuanjia (2008 TV series)|Huo Yuanjia]]'', also known as ''The Legendary Fok 2008'', a 2008 television series starring [[Ekin Cheng]] as Huo Yuanjia and [[Jordan Chan]] as Chen Zhen. Jordan Chan reprised his role as Chen Zhen in the sequel ''[[Jingwu Chen Zhen]]''. ==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.ccmp.gov.tw/en/research/result_detail.asp?relno=51&selno=0&no=95&detailno=1020 Arsenic used in Chinese Herbal Medicine for over 2400 years] *Jingwu Athletic Association - 100 Years by Robert Yandle (ISBN 978-189251535-3) ==External links== {{Commons category|Huo Yuanjia}} *[http://www.chinwoo.com/ World Chin Woo Federation] - Official site *[http://www.chinwoo.com/directory.htm Locations of Jing Wu Sports Federations around the world with contact details ] *[http://www.chinwoo.com.au/ Western Australia Chin Woo Athletic Association] - Official site *[http://www.chin-woo.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=70&Itemid=65 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 *[http://www.chinwooitalia.altervista.org/storia.html Chin Woo Italia] Huo Yuanjià {{Huo Yuanjia and Chen Zhen}} {{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. --> | NAME =Huo, Yuanjia | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH =January 18, 1868 | PLACE OF BIRTH =Xiaonanhe Village, [[Jinghai County]], [[Tianjin]] | DATE OF DEATH =August 9, 1910 | PLACE OF DEATH =[[Shanghai]] }} {{DEFAULTSORT:Huo, Yuanjia}} [[Category:1868 births]] [[Category:1910 deaths]] [[Category:Chinese warriors]] [[Category:Chinese martial artists]] [[Category:Chinese wushu practitioners]] [[Category:Martial arts school founders]] [[Category:My Jhong Law Horn practitioners]] [[ar:هيو يوانجيا]] [[da:Huo Yuanjia]] [[de:Huo Yuanjia]] [[es:Huo Yuanjia]] [[fr:Huo Yuanjia]] [[ko:곽원갑]] [[id:Huo Yuanjia]] [[it:Huo Yuanjia]] [[hu:Huo Jüan-csia]] [[nl:Huo Yuanjia]] [[ja:霍元甲]] [[no:Huo Yuanjia]] [[pt:Huo Yuanjia]] [[ru:Хо Юаньцзя]] [[sq:Huo Yuanjia]] [[sv:Huo Yuanjia]] [[th:ฮั่ว หยวนเจี๋ย]] [[tr:Huo Yuanjia]] [[vi:Hoắc Nguyên Giáp]] [[zh:霍元甲]] he married red'