Huo Yuanjia and the Chin Woo Association

Huo Yuanjia was a real life hero, who inspired mythic tales about his life. His life and expoloits have been the basis of films starring Bruce Lee and Jet Li. The real Huo Yuanjia defeated many foreign fighters, when China was being victimized by other countries in the late 1800s and early 1900s. His exploits were a source of pride at a time, when China was at a low ebb in its history.

Huo Yuanjia was born on January 18, 1868. He was the son of a martial arts instructor, who did not want his son to train in martial arts. Huo Yuanjia would observe his father teach during the day and practice with his tutor at night. He eventually became exceptional.

D'acord amb Viquipèdia, la família es va assabentar de l'habilitat d'Huo Yuanjia, en 1890, quan un artista marcial va vèncer al seu germà, que havia estat entrenat pel seu pare. Huo Yuanjia va lluitar el vencedor i va guanyar. Era 22 anys d'edat.

Huo Yuanjia després va derrotar a un lluitador rus, diversos artistes marcials xineses i un boxejador anglès amb el nom d'Hercules O'Brien.

Hercules O’Brien ran several insulting articles in local newspapers challenging local fighters to a match. O’Brien was an intimidating looking man but Huo Yuanjia took up the challenge.

Huo Yuanjia i Hercules O'Brien van discutir sobre les regles durant diversos mesos abans que finalment van acordar que la primera persona enderrocat seria el perdedor. Depenent de la font, sembla que Huo Yuanjia va colpejar O'Brien cap avall i es va endur la victòria. Algunes versions afirmen que O'Brien no va mostrar. We do know Huo Yuanjia won one way or the other.

Huo Yuanjia established the Chin Woo Athletic Association around 1900. Es va centrar en l'ensenyament de les arts marcials, exercici i dieta per a la millora general de la salut i la protecció. L'Associació de Chin Woo encara existeix fins als nostres dies.

A l'agost 9, 1910, Huo Yuanjia va morir a l'edat de 42. Per anys, many people speculated he was poisoned. The motive for the poisoning theory was his defeat of all the foreign fighters. En 1989, el seu cos va ser exhumat i la seva estèrnum tenien les marques negres reveladors d'enverinament per arsènic.

Però, Huo Yuanjia va ser tractat per la icterícia i la tuberculosi en la dècada anterior a la seva mort. One of the ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine at this time was arsenic. Huo Yuanjia was just as likely to have been killed by the medicine as he was to have been deliberately poisoned.

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