미등록선함으로 자연을 다스려 세상을 포용하는 것...‘전통무술’의 미학

The 7th NTD International Traditional Chinese Martial Arts Competition kicks off. Participants from around the world are showcasing their skills in an electric atmosphere. After three days of competition, only the award ceremony remains. Continuing on in our bronze award, now moving on to our silver awards. Let's give them a big round of applause. So this year our judges did not award a gold medal. Now let's invite Mr. Liu Fu. We are very sorry. We don't want this to happen. We have searched every corner of the world. We wanted to find a gold medal winner, but we couldn't. I'm very sad. I want to cry. With the goal of reviving traditional Chinese martial arts, NTD's International Traditional Chinese Martial Arts Competition has been held since 2008, serving as an international stage for martial arts enthusiasts worldwide, attracting attention from all walks of life. Alternating between Taiwan and the US, a total of seven competitions have been held over 14 years. Looking back at past competitions, there have always been recipients of the gold medal. Despite its extended pause in competition during the COVID-19 pandemic, the 7th International Traditional Chinese Martial Arts Competition reflected levels of passion and effort on par with all previous years. However, this competition marked the first time there is no gold medal awarded. What had changed? We've come a long way. We've overcome many difficulties. Indeed, I encouraged everyone to come when I met you in Taiwan. I said, why didn't you give us a gold medal? We've worked so hard. We are also traditional martial artists. But traditional martial arts doesn't come easily. It requires us to make an effort. Mr. Youfu Li has been serving as a martial arts expert and judge continuously since the first International Traditional Chinese Martial Arts Competition organized by NTD Television. His expertise spans the realms of Chinese traditional culture, history and medicine. In his youth, he trained under an ancient master skilled in traditional martial arts. He is one of only a few in his generation to become a genuine traditional martial artist. Although over 75 years old, he remains exceptionally agile and strong and retains a full head of jet black hair. He has never dyed it. Here is his story. Why did we hold the competition? Because we want to promote traditional martial arts and revive the traditional Chinese culture of 5,000 years ago. As you know, traditional martial arts have been badly damaged and it has affected many other places in the world, including Taiwan. Because it has been lost. It's all gone. Or you say those things can't be found on the Internet. So he said, no, it's fake. Then are today's mainstream martial arts not traditional martial arts? Don't the martial arts of China have an unbroken lineage stretching back through history? Mr. Youfu Li says not necessarily. He and his fellow committee members view these as contemporary martial arts. So they created a kind of new martial art. What did he talk about? It's difficult and beautiful. The value of appreciation. He went into it. It became a kind of competitive activity. Now some people learn traditional martial arts. Especially the West, he doesn't understand. He thinks traditional martial arts. Everyone tells him, this is my tradition. Come on, I'll give it to you if you pay me. After he learned it, he thought it was traditional martial arts. He came to the competition. As a result, when we practiced, we saw how it became a new martial art. It was a good practice. It was something that was infiltrated and destroyed unknowingly. This is the new martial art. Its infiltration is terrible. Where did they all come from? Communication has also developed. This information flows fast. There are things in the movies. This person made a film. He took out the action. When you look over there, this is good. I'll take one. His action over there is good. I'll take one, too. Then all the schools came. Traditional masters are not allowed. He created a fist. He has his mind. He has his power and fist. He has his way of practicing. His way of training. He also has his secret. He has to master it. His style is unique. Your style is what you are. So we hope that people who can inherit traditional martial arts can resist this new martial art. Don't let it infiltrate. But how do we seek it? These have been our standards for 14 years. The basic principles have always been taught in traditional martial arts. He said, the eyes, the body, the hair, the cloth, the spirit, the qi, the strength, the bow. These eight aspects are the basic aspects of traditional martial arts. What about its usage? Because traditional martial arts is about usage. Its usage is in four aspects. Kick, hit, throw, grab. There are four ways to use it. It's called the four skills. There are also twelve forms. It's artistic. It has to look good. It has to be beautiful. It's closely related to the natural world. The movement is like a peach. The silence is like a moon. The qi is like a circle. The happiness is like a sparrow. The lightness is like a leaf. The gravity is like an iron. The rotation is like a wheel. The folding is like a bow. The speed is like the wind. The slow is like an eagle. The standing is like a crane. The standing is like a pine tree. That's how people are beautiful. Traditional martial arts may generally be categorized as either external or internal. Influenced by Confucian thought, external martial arts adhere to a code of conduct, rules, and specific techniques. While Daoism influenced internal traditional martial arts, pursues spiritual self-refinement and enlightenment. Therefore, external martial arts are called self-cultivation and self-improvement, governing the country and ruling the world. Beyond technical moves and tests of combat skills, when martial artists reach their most refined levels, true martial artistry is not defined by just combat techniques, but akin to the cultivation culture of Buddhism and Daoism. It reaches far beyond what we can sense using our eyes and hands. Chinese culture, rooted in Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, has a rich and profound value system, allowing the infusion of morals, cultivation, diligence, orthodoxy, and wisdom to enrich and fulfill the study of martial arts. The power of martial arts is related to the overall reaction of people. Where does it come from? It comes from our hearts, our thoughts, our spirits, and our consciousness. In the past, great masters have said, when you practice martial arts, you don't want to hit people when they come. You just think, what if he hits me? How do I resolve him? Your goal is to protect, stop violence, so you are kind. Then he can do better. From time immemorial, the world has danced the rhythm of two virtues, the grace of the pen and the might of the sword. The virtue of civil arts lies in their eloquence, flowing in harmony with nature, embracing the world. The virtue of martial arts lies in their prowess, upholding the law of combat, accommodating the world they encounter. Yet when martial virtue wanes, the boundaries blur between good and evil. Their martial prowess becomes non-existent, sinking into the cycle of evil retribution. Among the renowned strategists of ancient and modern times, there was a hero who played a pivotal role in establishing the Han dynasty under Liu Bang's reign. His name was Han Xin. There is a well-known childhood story about Han Xin. From a young age, he trained in martial arts and carried a sword by his side at all times. One day, while walking through the streets, young Han Xin encountered a group of rowdy local ruffians. In their eyes, Han Xin's habit of carrying a sword was seen as displeasing. One of them crossed his arms and blocked Han Xin's path saying, What do you carry the sword for? Do you dare to kill someone? If you do, then cut off my head. Seeing that Han Xin didn't dare, he smugly continued, If you're afraid to kill me, then crawl through my legs. Han Xin pondered it for a moment and then quietly crawled between the bully's legs with no further action. As a matter of fact, with Han Xin's exceptional abilities, he could have easily taken the man's life. But he didn't. Then why did he endure the abuse? If Han Xin had wielded his sword against him that day, could he have become a great general who unified the world in the future? Tang Taizong, Yang Jiajiang, Yue Fei, they all followed the same path. Wai Jiaquan also talked about confidence. He couldn't hurt me. If you hit me twice, I would practice martial arts directly. If I could block your attack, it would be over. So this kind of person is rare now. So you keep talking about martial ethics. Can you describe the characteristics of a martial artist with a few simple key words? Because martial ethics is also a common saying. But basically, it doesn't mean to be a good person or a bad person. To further explain martial virtues, we meet with a young martial artist, Taiyan Liu. Taiyan Liu earned a gold medal in the Men's Weapons Division in the 2019 NTD Traditional Chinese Martial Arts Competition. And the gold award will be given to competitor 3344, Taiyan Liu. His martial arts moves are bold and smooth. Despite his young age, his techniques are highly refined. Taiyan is said to have a secret that he uses to remain calm at competitions. Let's listen to his story. When I was a kid, I liked the stories of the martial arts schools, such as Jiefu Jiping and Cheng'er Yangshan. Some ancient books said that you have to practice so hard to master martial arts. Or the masters in the past were all like this. When I first came into contact with martial arts, I didn't think about it. It was just a course. My martial arts teacher was shocked at that time. Instead, he said that a person with such good martial arts but his temperament was so introverted and quiet. So at that time, I was moved by my teacher's temperament. So I started to practice very seriously with my teacher. I even took the initiative to find my teacher. After graduating from high school, I went to study at the National Library of the Cultural University. After college, I started to get in touch with all kinds of different martial arts. Usually in the morning, I would get up at five or six o'clock to practice martial arts. It's a bit like early morning practice. Then it depends on what time the next job is. Sometimes I practice a little longer, sometimes I practice a little less. In fact, I have been practicing martial arts for almost eight years. I actually haven't felt that I have really practiced martial arts. Of course, I already have some basic martial arts on me. Because at that time, my problem was that I didn't know how to improve myself. I should say that at that time, I didn't really know what I practiced martial arts for. It's kind of like this. Later, because of my own pursuit of martial arts, I saw on the Internet that there were a lot of articles written by Mr. Youfu on the website of Wushu Dazhai. In fact, I was really moved by Mr. Youfu's articles. I felt that his level was very high. Some of the things he said are something you usually can't hear or see. If I have a chance, I can learn from Mr. Youfu. Then I wrote a letter to Mr. Youfu. Yes, after I graduated, I immediately went to the U.S. to find a teacher to learn. He asked me, when you were practicing martial arts, did your heart calm down? I think this point is very important. In fact, I didn't pay much attention to it. And I didn't even think about it. What does this have to do with martial arts? But when he talked about this point, in fact, I will start from my daily life. When my heart calms down, I didn't actually stand up before. I only started to stand up after I learned from Mr. Youfu. Then I think it was after standing up that I really felt that I was practicing martial arts. Then I have to say one thing. In fact, I feel that Wushu is not like a normal sport or a normal skill. It's a bit like a cultivation. When standing up, there is a state of mind as straight as water. The body is very upright and the body is very relaxed. I don't think about anything in my mind. Just let it be very calm. At first, I couldn't do it for five minutes. I couldn't shake my legs for five minutes. My legs were sore and I felt like they were going to break. I just stood up for five minutes. I had to stay like this every day. Then I tried to do it for ten minutes. Ten minutes later, it was more difficult. It took me 11 minutes and 12 minutes to slowly add it up. Add it up to 30 minutes. In the end, I really stood up for 30 minutes. When I did that action, it was different. The effect of the whole stance is different. Some things are not necessarily written in the book. It's really hard. You need to break through. If you don't break through, for example, I can't do it for five minutes, I'll get up. I stayed up every day. It's like communicating with the heaven and earth. Yes, it will affect your life in the process. People who practice Wushu, after practicing to a certain extent, one is that his senses will become very sharp. Wushu is really a great spirit. When you practice it, you can't see it in your eyes. But you can feel it. So you will feel very mysterious in it. Then you will continue to look forward. If I keep going forward, what kind of scene will I see? How will I feel? Different experiences. Because we are actually a very precise instrument in the human body. We can still do these actions. Even with very strong force, we can still do some very difficult actions. Yes, he is actually very delicate. I think any memory is like this. When you reach a certain level, when you master some of his essence, you will have a sense of it. I am now teaching a Wushu club in elementary school. It was the principal who took the initiative to find me to teach. Because he thinks that children now all use mobile phones. Then he is very spiritless. Then Wushu is the strength of your body. And Wushu, no matter what you squat, your body must be upright. Your posture must be upright. So they think that Wushu is very good. When I was in Russia, I was bullied by others. So I think learning Wushu can help me protect myself. I think practicing Wushu will make me braver and smarter. If I encounter something, I will suppress it first. I won't let go of my emotions like I did before. Maybe when I practice, I will feel very painful and tired when I press my legs or do a lot of actions. But I have to endure it. I think it's very cool. It's amazing. So the whole person's middle axis, the middle axis line, after the arm turns, the hip is upright. Then the gun goes out. This gun line is like this. The Wushu system has gradually adjusted to some bad habits in my life. Because I am a very slow person, in all my life, I am unconsciously pushed by others. Hey, you are too slow, you are too slow, you are too slow. So I will suddenly explode. Hey, I want to do this. I will suddenly rush to do things like a headless fly. Even if it's just a basic punch, I will do one, two, three, something like that. Everyone will tell you not to use force. Then just reach out your hand. So Wushu itself is a very good exercise for the heart. For me, it's like this. You might have been like this before. But when you practice Wushu, you have to start squatting. The body has to stop. Then there are some jumping movements. You have to stretch your body. So it's actually good for his development. Yes. Put your legs together. Hold it for a while. And then instantly punch. On the day of my mom's wedding, she asked us to go to the forest park on Sunday to practice Wushu. And then we practiced. I think it's pretty fun. And then my mom asked us if we wanted to continue. And then we said yes. And then we continue to practice until now. And then her grandfather showed me a video. And it just so happens to be Da Yan's teacher. And then I contacted him. And then I thought I could let them try it. Yes, I think Wushu is not only training physical strength, but also a very good practice for their moral cultivation. Parents feel that their children used to be very weak. Now that they're practicing Wushu, they're starting to have the strength. And then they become more energetic. He's just very moved. Yes. And some of the workers out there, they practice Wushu. They feel very good after practicing Wushu. And then they're in a good mood. And then they feel very comfortable. So their attitude to Wushu is also very positive. If you want to learn traditional Wushu, it's important to find a good master. I think a good master is important in terms of morality. If you really want to practice Wushu, it's very important. Of course, the first one is actually mental cultivation. It's very important for you to be able to meet the requirements of your own behavior. If they can practice this, they may have their own experience. I won't say much about this first. What's important is that you can respect your teacher. And then you can be hardworking, you can have perseverance, and you can be persistent. These are the necessary conditions for you to practice Wushu well. I hope I can reach the level of those masters in the past. Yes. This is my own plan and expectation. So I'm going to practice harder. I really want to pass on the good skills of traditional Wushu. Traditions are the distilled wisdom of our ancestors and part of our shared human heritage. Traditional Chinese martial arts can no longer be the cultural heritage of China alone. For they are a heritage with no ethnic or national boundaries. Today, people worldwide are increasingly recognizing China's pre-communist cultural values and they are experiencing a vigorous and sustained revival. I love the competition. I think it's very, very well organized. I've been in many, many international championships and this is by far one of the best that I've been. Wonderful job. Great job. All things are born from the Tao and preserved by virtue. Martial virtue belongs to the realm of morality. The Tao represents the cosmic laws governing the universe while virtue involves living in accordance with those laws. The essence of martial virtue lies in achieving martial prowess through virtue. Cultivating virtue through martial arts. By harmoniously uniting martial prowess with moral cultivation. Only by integrating martial arts and morality can we inherit the martial virtues of China's 5,000 years of divine civilization.