Ng Mui
Encyclopedia
Ng Mui is said to have been one of the legendary Five Elders
— survivors of the destruction of the Shaolin Temple by the Qing Dynasty
.
She is said to have been a master variously of the Shaolin martial arts, the Wudang martial arts, and Yuejiaquan
, the family style of Yue Fei
. She is also credited as the founder of the martial arts Wǔ Méi Pài (Ng Mui style), Wing Chun Kuen, Dragon style
, White Crane
, and Five-Pattern Hung Kuen.
She has been associated with various locations, including the Shaolin Temple in either Henan
or Fujian
, the Wudang Mountains
in Hubei
, Mount Emei
in Sichuan
, a supposed White Crane Temple, the Daliang Mountains on the border between Sichuan
and Yunnan
, and additional locations in Guangxi
and Guangdong
. According to one folk story, she was the daughter of a Ming
general.
master Yip Man
, Ng Mui was Abbess at the Henan
Shaolin Monastery and managed to survive its destruction by Qing forces during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor
(1662–1722).
She fled to the White Crane Temple (which this account locates in the Daliang mountains between Yunnan
and Sichuan
) where she met a girl of fifteen named Yim Wing-Chun
whom a bandit was trying to force into marriage.
Ng Mui taught Wing-Chun how to defend herself by distilling Shaolin martial art knowledge into a system that Wing-Chun could learn quickly, and use without developing great strength.
It is unlikely that the Henan Shaolin Monastery was destroyed by the Kangxi Emperor, who expressed his favor for the temple with the calligraphic inscription that, to this day, still hangs over its main gate. With regard to the details of the temple's destruction, this account by and large concurs with that of the Yip Man
and Jiu Wan branches of Wing Chun
.
, was one of the last members of the temple before its first destruction, which they date to 1570 (Chow & Spangler, 1982).
The Shaolin Gung Fu Institute of the Pacific Northwest agrees with the date of 1570 for a destruction of the temple and states explicitly that Dragon style was created at the Henan Shaolin Temple c. 1565.
court, fully developed her practical style in the Forbidden City
. To develop balance and leg strength she trained on upturned logs, in a pattern she invented. She was traveling when her parents were killed in the Manchu capture of the Ming capital
. She took refuge in the White Crane Temple (which this legend locates in Kwangsi Province
), and became an anti-Qing rebel, teaching her style only within the Temple. The style uses instantaneous counters, and slower movements from Bodhidharma and Qigong
.
Sifu Ken Lo is the seventh generation master in succession after Ng Mui in this lineage, and David Berman, Floyd Lifton, and Daisy Taylor Lifton are masters of its eighth generation.
's 1994 movie Wing Chun
, the main character's teacher was based on the legends of Ng Mui.
Five Elders
In Southern Chinese folklore, the Five Elders of Shaolin are survivors of the destruction of the Shaolin Monastery by the Qing Dynasty, variously said to have taken place in 1647, in 1674 or in 1732.-The Kung Fu Five Elders:...
— survivors of the destruction of the Shaolin Temple by the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
.
She is said to have been a master variously of the Shaolin martial arts, the Wudang martial arts, and Yuejiaquan
Yuejiaquan
Yuejiaquan is a style of Chinese martial arts attributed to Yue Fei, a noted General and patriot from the Song Dynasty.-History and philosophy:...
, the family style of Yue Fei
Yue Fei
Yue Fei , style name Pengju, was a military general of the Southern Song Dynasty. His ancestral home was in Xiaoti, Yonghe Village, Tangyin, Xiangzhou, Henan...
. She is also credited as the founder of the martial arts Wǔ Méi Pài (Ng Mui style), Wing Chun Kuen, Dragon style
Dragon style
Dragon style can refer to:*A style of the martial arts called Dragon Kung Fu*A Norwegian architectural style called "Dragon style"...
, White Crane
Lama (martial art)
While today the martial arts known as Lama Pai, Tibetan White Crane, and Hop Gar exist as relatively distinct lineages and/or organizations, all originated with a single figure known as Sing Lung who arrived in Guangdong Province during the Qing Dynasty and taught a martial art then known as...
, and Five-Pattern Hung Kuen.
She has been associated with various locations, including the Shaolin Temple in either Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
or Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
, the Wudang Mountains
Wudang Mountains
The Wudang Mountains , also known as Wu Tang Shan or simply Wudang, are a small mountain range in the northwestern part of Hubei Province of People's Republic of China, just to the south of the city of Shiyan.-Geography:...
in Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
, Mount Emei
Mount Emei
"峨眉山" redirects here. For the county-level city that Mount Emei is located in, see Emeishan CityMount Emei is a mountain in Sichuan province, China...
in Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
, a supposed White Crane Temple, the Daliang Mountains on the border between Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
and Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
, and additional locations in Guangxi
Guangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
and Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
. According to one folk story, she was the daughter of a Ming
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
general.
Wing Chun
According to the Wing ChunWing Chun
Wing Chun , also romanised as Ving Tsun or Wing Tsun, ; ; is a concept-based Chinese martial art and form of self-defense utilizing both striking and grappling while specializing in close-range combat.The alternative characters 永春 "eternal spring" are also...
master Yip Man
Yip Man
Yip Man , also spelled as Ip Man, and also known as Yip Kai-Man, was a Chinese martial artist. He had several students who later became martial arts teachers in their own right, including Bruce Lee.-Early life:...
, Ng Mui was Abbess at the Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
Shaolin Monastery and managed to survive its destruction by Qing forces during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor
Kangxi Emperor
The Kangxi Emperor ; Manchu: elhe taifin hūwangdi ; Mongolian: Энх-Амгалан хаан, 4 May 1654 –20 December 1722) was the fourth emperor of the Qing Dynasty, the first to be born on Chinese soil south of the Pass and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, from 1661 to 1722.Kangxi's...
(1662–1722).
She fled to the White Crane Temple (which this account locates in the Daliang mountains between Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
and Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
) where she met a girl of fifteen named Yim Wing-Chun
Yim Wing-chun
Yim Wing-chun is a Chinese legendary character, often cited in Wing Chun legends as the first master of the martial art bearing her name. Wing-chun, though a person's name in Chinese language, literally means "spring chant" or "forever spring", or may be substituted with the character for "eternal...
whom a bandit was trying to force into marriage.
Ng Mui taught Wing-Chun how to defend herself by distilling Shaolin martial art knowledge into a system that Wing-Chun could learn quickly, and use without developing great strength.
Yip Man
Yip Man , also spelled as Ip Man, and also known as Yip Kai-Man, was a Chinese martial artist. He had several students who later became martial arts teachers in their own right, including Bruce Lee.-Early life:...
and Jiu Wan branches of Wing Chun
Wing Chun
Wing Chun , also romanised as Ving Tsun or Wing Tsun, ; ; is a concept-based Chinese martial art and form of self-defense utilizing both striking and grappling while specializing in close-range combat.The alternative characters 永春 "eternal spring" are also...
.
Five-Pattern Hung Kuen
Dragon style
Modern Dragon style historians relate that Shaolin nun Ng Mui, who is said to have originated the Dragon styleDragon style
Dragon style can refer to:*A style of the martial arts called Dragon Kung Fu*A Norwegian architectural style called "Dragon style"...
, was one of the last members of the temple before its first destruction, which they date to 1570 (Chow & Spangler, 1982).
The Shaolin Gung Fu Institute of the Pacific Northwest agrees with the date of 1570 for a destruction of the temple and states explicitly that Dragon style was created at the Henan Shaolin Temple c. 1565.
Wǔ Méi Pài
In the Wǔ Méi Pài tradition, Ng Mui, the daughter of a general in the Ming imperialMing Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
court, fully developed her practical style in the Forbidden City
Forbidden City
The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum...
. To develop balance and leg strength she trained on upturned logs, in a pattern she invented. She was traveling when her parents were killed in the Manchu capture of the Ming capital
Imperial Court
An Imperial Court is the noble court of an empire .For example:*The noble court of an Emperor of China, Emperor of Japan, Emperor of Ethiopia, Emperor of Austria, Emperor of India, Emperor of Persia, etc....
. She took refuge in the White Crane Temple (which this legend locates in Kwangsi Province
Guangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
), and became an anti-Qing rebel, teaching her style only within the Temple. The style uses instantaneous counters, and slower movements from Bodhidharma and Qigong
Qigong
Qigong or chi kung is a practice of aligning breath, movement, and awareness for exercise, healing, and meditation...
.
Sifu Ken Lo is the seventh generation master in succession after Ng Mui in this lineage, and David Berman, Floyd Lifton, and Daisy Taylor Lifton are masters of its eighth generation.
Tibetan White Crane
According to the genealogy of Tibetan White Crane, "Ng Mui" is the Chinese name of the Tibetan monk Jikboloktoto, who was the last generation of transmission before Sing Lung, who brought the art to Guangdong. This account is most different from the others, with a male Ng Mui, the absence of a Manchu menace to flee from and, given the dating of Sing Lung's relocation to Guangdong to 1865, a 19th century setting.Popular culture references
In Michelle YeohMichelle Yeoh
Michelle Yeoh Choo-Kheng is a Hong Kong-based Malaysian Chinese actress, well known for performing her own stunts in the action films that brought her to fame in the early 1990s....
's 1994 movie Wing Chun
Wing Chun (film)
Wing Chun is a 1994 Hong Kong martial arts action comedy film directed by Yuen Woo-ping and stars Michelle Yeoh as the eponymous character Yim Wing-Chun, a tofu maker and martial artist who tries to protect her village's inhabitants from a group of bandits.The film was preceded by a 1994...
, the main character's teacher was based on the legends of Ng Mui.
See also
- Five EldersFive EldersIn Southern Chinese folklore, the Five Elders of Shaolin are survivors of the destruction of the Shaolin Monastery by the Qing Dynasty, variously said to have taken place in 1647, in 1674 or in 1732.-The Kung Fu Five Elders:...
- Jee Sin Sim SeeJee Sin Sim SeeJee Sin Sim See is said to have been one of the legendary Five Elders, survivors of the destruction of the Shaolin Temple by the Qing Dynasty ....
- Bak MeiBak MeiBak Mei is said to have been one of the legendary Five Elders — survivors of the destruction of the Shaolin Temple by the Qing Dynasty imperial regime — who, according to some accounts, betrayed Shaolin to the imperial government...
- Fong Sai-YukFong Sai-YukFong Sai-yuk is a Chinese martial artist and folk hero. He is first introduced in Wuxia stories from the Qing Dynasty such as Wan Nian Qing. He is also featured in several forms of media, of which the most notable is the 1993 film Fong Sai-yuk.-Early life:Fong Sai-yuk is a native of Zhaoqing,...
- Wing ChunWing ChunWing Chun , also romanised as Ving Tsun or Wing Tsun, ; ; is a concept-based Chinese martial art and form of self-defense utilizing both striking and grappling while specializing in close-range combat.The alternative characters 永春 "eternal spring" are also...