HONOUR (yiqi) This word sums up the perennial code of the Chinese KnightErrant, or swordsman (xia). As the ancient historian Sima Qian (c. 145-C.85 BC)wrote: The word of the knight-errant is to be believed, his actions bear fruit; hispromises are kept, he has the courage to offer his own life to free the righteousfrom bondage.'Or, in the words of Liang Qichao (1873-1929):He treasures hiscountry above his own life; he treasures friendship and duty above his own life;he treasures thekeeping of promises and theachieving of vengeance above hisown life; he treasures honour and righteousness above his own life.'INNER FORCE (neigong) Literally'inner work', this is the part of kungfuconcerned not so much with particular techniques (moves, styles), butwith the basic underlying physical (breathing, posture, etc.) and spiritual(meditation,concentration,consciousness)training,whichgives thetechniques their inner strength.KOWTOW (ketou) Literally, 'knock-head', this salutation was used in Chinabefore the Emperor, his representatives, or symbols, and consisted ofprostrations repeated a fixed number of times, the forehead touching theground at each prostration.It was also used as the most respectful form ofsalutation from children to parents, and from servants to masters on formaloccasions,etc.(Yule&Burnell, Hobson-jobson,1886).KUNGFU (gongfu)This is thegeneral termused in the West and in Cantoneseusage for all types of Martial Arts, and, in a broader (and more ancient) sensea word for time spent in training and self-cultivation,and forall forms of skilland attainment. (In this sense, Margot Fonteyn and Otto Klemperer aremasters of kungfu.Howard Reid and Michael Croucher, The Way of theWarrior,1995)Traditionallythe fighting arts were referred to in Chinese asArtsoftheFist(quanshu),and morerecentlyasMartialArts(wushu).Thevarious Schools of kungfu developed many different styles of fighting.KUNQUOPERA Southern form of lyric opera,reaching its height in the Mingand early Manchu period.LAMAISMThis was the broad term for theBuddhism of Tibet and Mongolia,to which the Manchu Imperial House subscribed.LODGEseeTriadsLOYALIST This is the general term for those elements loyal to the ancienregime of the Ming dynasty, during the early years of the Manchu conquest.MACE The tenth part of a Chinese tael of silver
HONOUR (yiqi) This word sums up the perennial code of the Chinese Knight Errant, or swordsman (xia). As the ancient historian Sima Qian (c. 145-C.85 BC) wrote: The word of the knight-errant is to be believed, his actions bear fruit; his promises are kept, he has the courage to offer his own life to free the righteous from bondage.' Or, in the words of Liang Qichao (1873-1929): 'He treasures his country above his own life; he treasures friendship and duty above his own life; he treasures the keeping of promises and the achieving of vengeance above his own life; he treasures honour and righteousness above his own life.' INNER FORCE (neigong) Literally 'inner work', this is the part of kungfu concerned not so much with particular techniques (moves, styles), but with the basic underlying physical (breathing, posture, etc.) and spiritual (meditation, concentration, consciousness) training, which gives the techniques their inner strength. KOWTOW (ketou) Literally, 'knock-head', this salutation was used in China before the Emperor, his representatives, or symbols, and consisted of prostrations repeated a fixed number of times, the forehead touching the ground at each prostration. It was also used as the most respectful form of salutation from children to parents, and from servants to masters on formal occasions, etc. (Yule & Burnell, Hobson-jobson, 1886). KUNGFU (gongfu) This is the general term used in the West and in Cantonese usage for all types of Martial Arts, and, in a broader (and more ancient) sense, a word for time spent in training and self-cultivation, and for all forms of skill and attainment. ('In this sense, Margot Fonteyn and Otto Klemperer are masters of kungfu.' Howard Reid and Michael Croucher, The Way of the Warrior, 1995) Traditionally the fighting arts were referred to in Chinese as Arts of the Fist (quanshu), and more recently as Martial Arts (wushu). The various Schools of kungfu developed many different styles of fighting. KUNQU OPERA Southern form of lyric opera, reaching its height in the Ming and early Manchu period. LAMAISM This was the broad term for the Buddhism of Tibet and Mongolia, to which the Manchu Imperial House subscribed. LODGE see Triads LOYALIST This is the general term for those elements loyal to the ancien regime of the Ming dynasty, during the early years of the Manchu conquest. MACE The tenth part of a Chinese tael of silver
MANCHUS This clan of the lurched Tartars, from the north-easternregion now known as Manchuria, conquered and occupied China duringthe mid-seventeenth century, founding the dynasty known in Chinese asthe Qing.MARTIALARTSseeKungfuMARTIALARTS FRATERNITY (wulin)ThekungfuBrothers, literallythe Martial Forest,the Chinese Greenwood, the subdivision of theBrotherhood of River and Lake that consisted of practitioners of theMartialArts.MING DYNASTY (1368-1644) Literally Bright dynasty, this was the lastnative (i.e.Han) dynasty, founded bythe monk and rebel-leader, ZhuYuanzhang. After a period of decline beginning in the reign of the EmperorWan Li (1572-1620), it succumbed to internal and external pressures and wasreplaced bythe Manchu (Qing)dynasty.MONGOLs These Central Asian nomadic warriors conquered and occupiedfirst Northern and then Southern China during the thirteenth century,founding the dynasty known in Chinese as the Yuan (literally Original orPrimordial,126o-1368).Duringthemid-thirteenthcenturytheirEmpirestretchedacrossEurasiafromtheeastern coastof China tothevalleyoftheVolga.MOvE (zhao) This is one of the most basic elements in kungfu. A single movewould have its own name, sometimes a graphic description of the move itself(e.g.'Armpit Mallet Strike'), more often a fanciful and poetic suggestion of it(e.g.'Breaking the Branch of the Plum Tree','Bucking Antelope','Buddha of theSouth Seas', 'Monkey Picking Fruit'). A particular style or form of kungfu (e.g.Misty's variant of the Lesser Catch-Can Soft Hand Wudang School, or Old Hai'sGreaterCatch-CanShaolin)would consistof oneormoreseriesorsetsofmoves. Such sets often had names of their own (such as Misty's'Eight Trigramsof the Roving Dragon', and Old Hai's Thousand Hands' or 'Merciful Guanyin')
MANCHUS This clan of the lurched Tartars, from the north-eastern region now known as Manchuria, conquered and occupied China during the mid-seventeenth century, founding the dynasty known in Chinese as the Qing. MARTIAL ARTS see Kungfu MARTIAL ARTS FRATERNITY (wulin) The kungfu Brothers, literally the Martial Forest, the Chinese Greenwood, the subdivision of the Brotherhood of River and Lake that consisted of practitioners of the Martial Arts. MING DYNASTY (1368-1644) Literally Bright dynasty, this was the last native (i.e. Han) dynasty, founded by the monk and rebel-leader, Zhu Yuanzhang. After a period of decline beginning in the reign of the Emperor Wan Li (1572-1620), it succumbed to internal and external pressures and was replaced by the Manchu (Qing) dynasty. MONGOLS These Central Asian nomadic warriors conquered and occupied first Northern and then Southern China during the thirteenth century, founding the dynasty known in Chinese as the Yuan (literally Original or Primordial, 1260-1368). During the mid-thirteenth century their Empire stretched across Eurasia from the eastern coast of China to the valley of the Volga. MOVE (zhao) This is one of the most basic elements in kungfu. A single move would have its own name, sometimes a graphic description of the move itself (e.g. 'Armpit Mallet Strike'), more often a fanciful and poetic suggestion of it (e.g. 'Breaking the Branch of the Plum Tree', 'Bucking Antelope', 'Buddha of the South Seas', 'Monkey Picking Fruit'). A particular style or form of kungfu (e.g. Misty's variant of the Lesser Catch-Can Soft Hand Wudang School, or Old Hai's Greater Catch-Can Shaolin) would consist of one or more series or sets of moves. Such sets often had names of their own (such as Misty's 'Eight Trigrams of the Roving Dragon', and Old Hai's Thousand Hands' or 'Merciful Guanyin')
PEACH TREE GARDEN This was the setting in which the three third-centuryheroes of the novel The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Bei, Zhang Feiand Guan Yu, swore an oath of brotherhood.PEACHTREE STREAM Thiswas the legendaryUtopia stumbled upon bythefisherman in thefamous storybythepoetTaoYuanming(365-428).QI This is a fundamental concept in traditional Chinese philosophy,medicineand kungfu. It is the energy, breath, or inner life-force cultivated by Taoists andkungfu practitioners through meditation and self-cultivation, the wholeprocessbeingknownas Qigong,orWorkon theQi.QING DYNASTY (1644-1911)This dynasty, literallythe Pure or Clear dynasty,was the last Imperial dynasty, during which China was ruled by the Manchus.RIVER AND LAKE, BROTHERHOOD OF (jianghu) In earliest times'River andLake' referred to the backwaters (originally the Yangtze River and DongtingLake, then by extension the Three Rivers and the Five Lakes) into whichhermits disappeared in order to live a reclusive life. It became the expressionfor the whole underground culture of traditional China, the vagrant outlawfraternity, as opposed to the Confucian establishment. Especially in the South,such people travelled about largely by water (river, lake, canal), hence thename. It was a world fraught with danger, but with its own romance andmythology. Ten years may a scholar make, But not a veteran of River andLake.Onceindividuals belonged to this alternativeBrotherhood, mere existed between them a tacit understandingand bond.Theyhad their own codeof conduct,their own concepts ofhonour and loyalty,theirown language and wisdom,their own hierarchy.In the broad sense River andLake embraced every'marginal' and dispossessed element in society:from theroving swordsman, bodyguard, and Martial Arts adept (Shifu) to the lowliesttravelling performer with his monkey and his hurdy-gurdy; from the storyteller,the juggler, and the acrobat to the medicineman selling patent plasters, thetravelling barber, and the fortune-teller consulting the Book of Changes; fromthe wandering Taoist monk selling tal-ismanic charms to the rebel-leadergathering together members of some religious secret sect in his mountain lairIt included cripples, beggars, tramps, singsong-girls, bawds, pirates,junkmen-buccaneers, drug-runners, smugglers, bandits, gangsters, and thieves.(In later usage to be a'River and Lakeman'came to have the popular sense ofto be'wise in the ways ofthe world','street-wise, smart',and thence'charlatan,orquack'.)Their British counterparts were the 'travelling folk' or 'gentlemen of the road'.The beat characters and hobos in Jack Kerouac's novels (On The Road, The
PEACH TREE GARDEN This was the setting in which the three third-century heroes of the novel The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, and Guan Yu, swore an oath of brotherhood. PEACH TREE STREAM This was the legendary Utopia stumbled upon by the fisherman in the famous story by the poet Tao Yuanming (365-428). QI This is a fundamental concept in traditional Chinese philosophy, medicine, and kungfu. It is the energy, breath, or inner life-force cultivated by Taoists and kungfu practitioners through meditation and self-cultivation, the whole process being known as Qigong, or Work on the Qi. QING DYNASTY (1644-1911) This dynasty, literally the Pure or Clear dynasty, was the last Imperial dynasty, during which China was ruled by the Manchus. RIVER AND LAKE, BROTHERHOOD OF (jianghu) In earliest times 'River and Lake' referred to the backwaters (originally the Yangtze River and Dongting Lake, then by extension the Three Rivers and the Five Lakes) into which hermits disappeared in order to live a reclusive life. It became the expression for the whole underground culture of traditional China, the vagrant outlaw fraternity, as opposed to the Confucian establishment. Especially in the South, such people travelled about largely by water (river, lake, canal), hence the name. It was a world fraught with danger, but with its own romance and mythology. 'Ten years may a scholar make, But not a veteran of River and Lake.' Once individuals belonged to this alternative Brotherhood, mere existed between them a tacit understanding and bond. They had their own code of conduct, their own concepts of honour and loyalty, their own language and wisdom, their own hierarchy. In the broad sense River and Lake embraced every 'marginal' and dispossessed element in society: from the roving swordsman, bodyguard, and Martial Arts adept (Shifu) to the lowliest travelling performer with his monkey and his hurdy-gurdy; from the storyteller, the juggler, and the acrobat to the medicineman selling patent plasters, the travelling barber, and the fortune-teller consulting the Book of Changes; from the wandering Taoist monk selling tal-ismanic charms to the rebel-leader gathering together members of some religious secret sect in his mountain lair. It included cripples, beggars, tramps, singsong-girls, bawds, pirates, junkmen-buccaneers, drug-runners, smugglers, bandits, gangsters, and thieves. (In later usage to be a 'River and Lake man' came to have the popular sense of to be 'wise in the ways of the world', 'street-wise, smart', and thence 'charlatan, or quack'.) Their British counterparts were the 'travelling folk' or 'gentlemen of the road'. The beat characters and hobos in Jack Kerouac's novels (On The Road, The
Dharma Bums) are members of an American River and Lake fraternity. In theAustralian 'bush', bushrangers shared a similar camaraderie of mateship. TheFrench Resistance took to the 'maquis'or scrub-country. In eachcase theterrain connoted a shared way of life, outside the mainstream of respectablesociety.The more inclusive Brotherhood of River and Lake embraced within itself themore exclusive Brotherhoods such as that of the secret societies(e.g.theTriads). In The Deer and the Cauldron the term Brodier is used both betweenTriad members (who have been formally initiated intoa Lodge),and within theless formal fellowship of River and Lake.All of Louis Cha's Martial Arts novels are set against the rich backdrop of theChinese River and Lake world.SHAOLIN KUNGFU This School of kungfu was named after the ShaolinTemple near the Central Sacred Peak of Mount Song in central China, and isthe oldest of the Martial Arts lineages, its origins dating back to the IndianBuddhist monk Batuo in the fifth century, and to the six-century Zen patriarchBodhidharma (also an Indian). Over the ages, it developed into countless stylesand sub-divisions, the so-called Seventy-Two Arts of Shaolin. For example, thestyle madefamous by the late Bruce Lee,Wing Chun,is a Cantonesedevelopment of the Southern Shaolin tradition. Many secret societies inChinese history had links with Shaolin (e.g. the White Lotus sect, the Boxers).SHIFU This is the traditional term of respect (meaning Master, or Guru) usedof a Martial Arts adept by his disciples. 'A Teacher for a day is a Fatier for life.SOFTCRUSHKARATE (huagu)Thislethal and highly unorthodox formof kungfu included the art of killing by causing bones to disintegrate graduallywithout inflicting any visible injury, and was taught only by the sinister Masterof Snake Island, offthecoastof Liaodong.SPRING AND AUTUMN This period (722-468 BC) was the subject of one ofthe earliest and most famous works of Chinese history, The Spring and AutumnAnnals.TAEL A 'Chinese ounce'; a weight of silver, used as money. In 1613, a tael ofsilver was roughly equivalent to'five shillings sterling'TAOISM This was one of the Three Chinese Religions or Schools of Philosophy(along with Confucianism, and Buddhism, which was imported from India).The two great early Taoist sages were Laozi (reputed, if indeed he ever existed,to have been 'author' of TheWay and IK Power, and a contemporary of
Dharma Bums) are members of an American River and Lake fraternity. In the Australian 'bush', bushrangers shared a similar camaraderie of mateship. The French Resistance took to the 'maquis' or scrub-country. In each case the terrain connoted a shared way of life, outside the mainstream of respectable society. The more inclusive Brotherhood of River and Lake embraced within itself the more exclusive Brotherhoods such as that of the secret societies (e.g. the Triads). In The Deer and the Cauldron the term Brodier is used both between Triad members (who have been formally initiated into a Lodge), and within the less formal fellowship of River and Lake. All of Louis Cha's Martial Arts novels are set against the rich backdrop of the Chinese River and Lake world. SHAOLIN KUNGFU This School of kungfu was named after the Shaolin Temple near the Central Sacred Peak of Mount Song in central China, and is the oldest of the Martial Arts lineages, its origins dating back to the Indian Buddhist monk Batuo in the fifth century, and to the six-century Zen patriarch Bodhidharma (also an Indian). Over the ages, it developed into countless styles and sub-divisions, the so-called Seventy-Two Arts of Shaolin. For example, the style made famous by the late Bruce Lee, Wing Chun, is a Cantonese development of the Southern Shaolin tradition. Many secret societies in Chinese history had links with Shaolin (e.g. the White Lotus sect, the Boxers). SHIFU This is the traditional term of respect (meaning Master, or Guru) used of a Martial Arts adept by his disciples. 'A Teacher for a day is a Fatiier for life.' SOFT CRUSH KARATE (huagu) This lethal and highly unorthodox form of kungfu included the art of killing by causing bones to disintegrate gradually, without inflicting any visible injury, and was taught only by the sinister Master of Snake Island, off the coast of Liaodong. SPRING AND AUTUMN This period (722-468 BC) was the subject of one of the earliest and most famous works of Chinese history, The Spring and Autumn Annals. TAEL A 'Chinese ounce'; a weight of silver, used as money. In 1613, a tael of silver was roughly equivalent to 'five shillings sterling'. TAOISM This was one of the Three Chinese Religions or Schools of Philosophy (along with Confucianism, and Buddhism, which was imported from India). The two great early Taoist sages were Laozi (reputed, if indeed he ever existed, to have been 'author' of The Way and IK Power, and a contemporary of
Confucius) and the scintillating wit Zhuangzi (contemporary of the secondConfucian sage, Mencius, and much admired by Oscar Wilde). The Taoistmysticsplacedgreat emphasis on living inHarmonywithNature,orwiththeTao (the Way, the underlying Principle, or Logos, of the Universe), and to thisend perfected techniques of meditation and self-cultivation. Much of thephilosophy accompanying kungfu is an amalgam of Taoism and Buddhism.Unlike Buddhist monks, Taoist priests did not shave tieir heads but let theirhairgrowlong.THREEKINGDOMS (San Guo)This was a famous period in Chinese history(220-265),when three rival contesters fought it outfor the succession to theHan dynasty. Stories surrounding the exploits of the main con-testers providedrousingmaterial over thecenturiesforendlessballads,storyrecitations, operas,and films (including an enormously long TV adaptation recently released inChina).The story reached its first culmination in the epic novel (probablywritteninthefifteenthcentury),TheRomanceoftheThreeKingdoms,ofwhichthereareechoesthroughoutLouisCha'swork.Thereisa newtranslationby Moss Roberts (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1992)TRIADS The Triad Society, or Society of Heaven and Earth (Tiandihui), was asecret societydedicated to the overthrow of the Manchus and the restoration ofthe Ming dynasty, pledging loyalty to the Ming Pretender Prince Tang. It wasdivided geographically into several Lodges (tang or, in Cantonese, long). TheFive Forward Lodges were:Lotus Flower (Fujian Province), Obedience(Guangdong),Clan(Guangxi),Unity(HunanandHubei).andTransformation(Zhejiang). The Five Rear Lodges were: Green Wood (Jiangsu), Red Fire(Guizhou), White Metal (Sichuan), Black Water (Yunnan), and Yellow Earth(Henan and the central provinces). Many legendary accounts of the TriadSociety's origins exist, some of which describe a link between the FiveAncestors(TigerGenerals)oftheTriadsandtheFiveFightingMonksoftheSouthernShaolinTempleinFujian,who escaped after the burning of their temple during the reign of EmperorKang Xi. This resistance organization continued to operate throughout theManchu dynasty, spreading to the Overseas Chinese communities inSouth-EastAsiaandtheUnitedStates(SunYatsenwasinductedintotheHawaii Lodgein19o4).Itwas theforerunner oftoday's notorious world-wideTriad network.WATER MARGIN (Shuihuzhuah) This is the classic bandit novel in Chinese
Confucius) and the scintillating wit Zhuangzi (contemporary of the second Confucian sage, Mencius, and much admired by Oscar Wilde). The Taoist mystics placed great emphasis on living in Harmony with Nature, or with the Tao (the Way, the underlying Principle, or Logos, of the Universe), and to this end perfected techniques of meditation and self-cultivation. Much of the philosophy accompanying kungfu is an amalgam of Taoism and Buddhism. Unlike Buddhist monks, Taoist priests did not shave tiieir heads but let their hair grow long. THREE KINGDOMS (San Guo) This was a famous period in Chinese history (220-265), when three rival contesters fought it out for the succession to the Han dynasty. Stories surrounding the exploits of the main con-testers provided rousing material over the centuries for endless ballads, story recitations, operas, and films (including an enormously long TV adaptation recently released in China). The story reached its first culmination in the epic novel (probably written in the fifteenth century), The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, of which there are echoes throughout Louis Cha's work. There is a new translation by Moss Roberts (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1992). TRIADS The Triad Society, or Society of Heaven and Earth (Tiandihui), was a secret society dedicated to the overthrow of the Manchus and the restoration of the Ming dynasty, pledging loyalty to the Ming Pretender Prince Tang. It was divided geographically into several Lodges (tang or, in Cantonese, long). The Five Forward Lodges were: Lotus Flower (Fujian Province), Obedience (Guangdong), Clan (Guangxi), Unity (Hunan and Hubei), and Transformation (Zhejiang). The Five Rear Lodges were: Green Wood (Jiangsu), Red Fire (Guizhou), White Metal (Sichuan), Black Water (Yunnan), and Yellow Earth (Henan and the central provinces). Many legendary accounts of the Triad Society's origins exist, some of which describe a link between the Five Ancestors (Tiger Generals) of the Triads and the Five Fighting Monks of the Southern Shaolin Temple in Fujian, who escaped after the burning of their temple during the reign of Emperor Kang Xi. This resistance organization continued to operate throughout the Manchu dynasty, spreading to the Overseas Chinese communities in South-East Asia and the United States (Sun Yatsen was inducted into the Hawaii Lodge in 1904). It was the forerunner of today's notorious worldwide Triad network. WATER MARGIN (Shuihuzhuah) This is the classic bandit novel in Chinese