Source Title: The “Dream of a Chivalrous Man” of Overseas Chinese Villagers in Guangxi: Both men, women and children practice martial arts and often discuss with ASEAN friends
China News Service, Yulin, November 27th. The big knife in his hand was flying up and down. He used various techniques such as kicking, hitting, and hitting throughout the entire routine, creating dangers everywhere. This is not a scene in a martial arts movie, but Pang Yunfu, a “post-80s” villager in Sanshe Village, Fudong Community, Fumian Town, Fumian District, Yulin City, Guangxi, practicing Yulin South Shaolin Shibalusong in a martial arts gym.
Pang Yunfu began to formally practice martial arts at the age of 11. The villagers of Sanshe Village where he lives have a tradition of martial arts. There is a martial arts gym named Cunshengtang in the village. “When I was young, at least 100 villagers of the same age as me went to the martial arts gym to practice martial arts at the same time. I fell in love with martial arts in such an atmosphere since I was a child.” Pang Yunfu said.
Lu Jiaying, president of Yulin South Shaolin Shibalusuo Wushu Association, recently introduced in an interview with reporters that Shibalusou Wushu was founded by monks who escaped from Southern Shaolin. It has a history of more than 250 years and is characterized by fast, ruthless and accurate. According to incomplete statistics, there are more than 600 South Shaolin Eighteenth Road Soong Martial Art Museums distributed all over China and abroad, and their disciples are located in Guangxi, Guangdong, Hong Kong and Taiwan regions of China, as well as Vietnam, Japan, North Korea, Britain and other countries. In 2014, the Southern Shaolin Shibalusong Wushu was included in the intangible cultural heritage items of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
Yulin City is the largest hometown of overseas Chinese in Guangxi, with a total of more than 2 million overseas Chinese and more than 1.5 million returned overseas Chinese. Yulin South Shaolin Shiba Lusong has a deep relationship with ASEAN countries. Lu Jiaying said that in 1952, Yan Qingyuan, the fifth generation master of Yulin South Shaolin Eighteen Roads, was invited by a Vietnamese folk martial arts group to set up a hall in Vietnam’s old street to teach students, with thousands of disciples.
Lu Jiaying said that in Sanshe Village, no matter men, women or children, every generation practices martial arts.
“After practicing martial arts, I have a heroic and courageous mentality. Sometimes when I walk on the road, I see weak people being bullied, and I will step forward to stop them.” Pang Yunfu said, learning martial arts first learns morality, because there are many people practicing martial arts in the village, and the villagers get along very well. .
Pang Yunfu, who has participated in many competitions and won many awards, is a young and middle-aged representative of the Shibalusong School in Sanshe Village. He once participated in the 4th China-ASEAN Wushu Festival held in Guilin. “Discussing skills with martial arts enthusiasts from Malaysia, Cambodia and other ASEAN countries, and making friends with martial arts, opened my eyes. The biggest dream of our generation is to let more people know about Shibalusong.” Pang Yunfu said.
Pang Yunfu hopes that in the process of implementing rural revitalization, the local government can combine the reality of Fudong community, include Shibalusou in the cultural revitalization items, and carry forward Yulin South Shaolin Shibalusou.
“In order to inherit Yulin South Shaolin Eighteen Roads, we have introduced this traditional culture into the campus.” Qiu Zongqiang, the principal of the No. 2 Junior Middle School in Fumian Town, Fumian District, Yulin City, said in an interview with reporters.
Luo Xia, who majored in martial arts at the university, is a martial arts fan and is proficient in Shiba Lusong. In 2019, he worked as a physical education teacher in the No. 2 Junior Middle School of Fumian Town, Fumian District.
In 2019, at the opening ceremony of the school’s track and field games, in order to enliven the atmosphere, Rorschach performed an impromptu performance of a set of Eighteen Ways of Boxing on stage. The flowing moves, vigorous and powerful movements, and the roar of swallowing mountains and rivers conquered Qiu Zongqiang and the teachers and students present. Under Luo Xia’s leadership, this set of martial arts was included in the school-based curriculum. He founded the Wushu gymnastics of No. 2 Junior Middle School in Fumian Township, which has become a regular activity for more than 2,000 students in the school every day between classes.
“The neighbors know that I have learned Shibalusou, and they cast admiring eyes. Learning Shibalusou can not only strengthen the body, make the body and mind happy, but also inherit the intangible cultural heritage, which makes me very proud.” Fumian Township No. 2 Junior high school student Xie Meijuan said.