Water Margin Editorial
Shandong Province is considered by many to be the ancient heart of Chinese civilisation. It was the home of China's greatest philosopher, Confucius, and of China's most sacred mountain, Tai Shan, venerated by emperors of every dynasty. It is also famous as the setting of one of China's greatest novels: The Water Margin
The story of The Water Margin revolves around a band of 108 Chinese bandits hiding out in the marshes of the Liang Mountain - Liang Shan Po. Known as the 'Outlaws of the Marsh', each one has suffered countless misadventures and injustices that drove them to rebel against corrupt officialdom, steal from the rich, and give back to the poor. As a group they become unbeatable and resist many attempts by the army to apprehend them. The most famous of them have become household names all over Asia:
- Song Jiang, the noble scholar who leads the outlaws.
- Gongsun Sheng, a master of Taoist thunder magic.
- Buddhist monk and drunkard Sagacious Lu, covered head to foot with tattoos and a mean fighter with a staff.
- The hero Wu Song, who kills a man-eating tiger with his bare fists.
- Li Kui, the 'Black Whirlwind', who fights naked, twirling two battle axes over his head
It was a time of political chaos and corruption in government, which preceded the invasion of Northern China by the non-Chinese Jin Empire (see the Overview of Chinese History article for more information on the period). The Song Dynasty History preserves a record of a popular rebellion in the Liang Shan Po area of Shandong Province at that time.
The Water Margin describes the use of numerous weapons, patterns, free-hand fighting techniques and battle strategies, featuring colourful names like 'Hsu Ning the Spear Expert', 'Kuang Sheng the Big Sword', 'Iron Flute Jinn'. To this day there are traditional Wushu styles being practiced in Shandong Province which trace their history back to the events of the ancient Song Dynasty, described in the novel.
During Wushu Scholar's numerous trips to Shandong Province we met and interviewed many of the most famous local masters and visited schools in the area of Liang Shan Po in the search of famous legacy of the the Song Dynasty. On the shores of Da Ming Lake, Jinan, we were eventually successful, filming a group of stylists who have preserved this heritage over many years.
The array of weapons on display was truly magnificent. Among the long weapons we saw Pu Dao, Wolf Tooth Staff, 10 foot spear, Guan Dao, Long Mao, Yue Ya Spade, 2-handed Axe. Among short weapons we saw Dragon Phoenix Twin Sword, Miao Dao, Hand Protection Hook, Double Jian, Double Hammer, Double Harvest Knife. We also filmed a number of soft weapons such as 3 section staff, 9 section whip and rope dart. Finally two man patterns included staff against staff, broadsword and tonfa against spear, Guan Dao against spear and 3 section staff against spear.
Each pattern is a masterclass in the advantages and disadvantages of that particular weapon. For example, the Double Hammer Master has to find any way he can to get into close range to make his shorter weapons effective, otherwise he will be an easy target for any weapon with a greater range than his. The Snake Spear Master on the other hand must get the energy into the tip of the weapon. The longer the weapon, the harder it is to control and make its movements precise and imbued with force.
In the two man patterns, the Spear and 3-section-staff are well matched, Spear being perhaps the softest of "hard" weapons and 3-section-staff vice versa. Notice how Master Dong Kui changes the range of his weapon by folding or unfolding the wood sections of the staff. This gives the weapon great versatility, as well as the ability to launch an attack from unexpected angles. In fact that was the reason 3-section-staff became popular as a weapon - its versatility made it very effective against an opponent using a shield, able to fold around, over or under a shield and deliver a strike.
These weapons were commonplace during the Song Dynasty and earlier, captured on murals on temple walls, wall carvings, paintings and on the pages of books such as the The Water Margin. The leaders of the "Outlaws of the Marsh" were often high ranking soldiers from the Imperial armies, battle hardened and used to leading from the front. Their adventures found them fighting hand to hand in a guerrilla war against the forces of corruption. The legacy of these colourful and vibrant characters lives on today thanks to the dedication of these masters.
