Xing Yi Quan and the Legend of Yue Fei
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Xing Yi Quan can be traced back to a man named Ji Ji Ke (姬际可) who lived in Shanxi Province in the early Qing Dynasty. Legend has it that Ji Ji Ke was skilled at spear. One day, he came across a military treatise known as the “Book of Wu Mu” (武穆拳譜) written by Yue Fei.
Yue FeiYue Fei (岳飞) was a Song Dynasty military strategist and folk hero. Legend has it that when Yue Fei was young, his mother tattooed his back with four large characters meaning “loyally serve and protect the country” (精忠报国). At age 19, Yue Fei entered the army, defeated many of the enemy’s most feared generals and helped resist foreign invasions. However, as Yue Fei grew in fame and influence, the emperor felt threatened. He had Yue Fei imprisoned and killed. Yue Fei’s patriotic ideals were embraced by later generations. In particular, Nationalist leader Sun Yat Sen, praised Yue Fei as a model of loyalty and strength that all young people and martial artists...