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March 23 OM or AUMAs the cross is to Christians, the Om is to Hindus. It is made up of three Sanskrit letters, aa, au and ma which, when combined, make the sound Aum or Om. The most important symbol in Hinduism, it occurs in every prayer and invocation to most deities begins with it. As the symbol of piety, Om is often found at the head of letters, pendants, enshrined in every Hindu temple and family shrines.
This symbol is actually a sacred syllable representing the Brahman or the Absolute -the source of all existence. Brahman, in itself, is incomprehensible so a symbol becomes mandatory to help us realize the Unknowable. The syllable Om occurs even in English words having a similar meaning, for instance, 'omniscience', 'omnipotent', 'omnipresent'. Thus Om is also used to signify divinity and authority. Its similarity with the Latin 'M' as also to the Greek letter 'Omega' is discernable. Even the word 'Amen' used by Christians to conclude a prayer seems to be akin to Om. February 26 47 RoninThe story tells of a group of samurai who were left leaderless (became ronin) after their master was forced to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) for assaulting a court official named Kira, who had insulted him. They avenged him by killing the court official after patiently waiting and planning for over a year. In turn, they were themselves forced to commit seppuku for committing the crime of murder, as they had known they would be—the tale being about the honorable fulfillment of revenge, especially for an honorable leader. February 16 SeppukuSeppuku (Japanese: 切腹|切腹, "stomach-cutting" or "belly slicing") is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. Seppuku is also known in English as hara-kiri (腹切り|腹切り) and is written with the same kanji as seppuku but in reverse order with an okurigana. In Japanese, hara-kiri is considered a colloquial and somewhat vulgar term. The practice of committing seppuku at the death of one's master is known as oibara (追腹 or 追い腹); the ritual is similar. February 14 BushidoBushido, literally translated "Way of the Warrior," developed in Japan between the Heian and Tokugawa Ages (9th-12th century). It was a code and way of life for Samurai, a class of warriors similar to the medieval knights of Europe. It was influenced by Zen and Confucianism, two different schools of thought of those periods. Bushido is not unlike the chivalry and codes of the European knights. "It puts emphasis on loyalty, self sacrifice, justice, sense of shame, refined manners, purity, modesty, frugality, martial spirit, honor and affection" February 06 I ChingThe I Ching is the oldest of the Chinese classic texts. It describes an ancient system of cosmology and philosophy which is at the heart of Chinese cultural beliefs. The philosophy centers on the ideas of the dynamic balance of opposites, the evolution of events as a process, and acceptance of the inevitability of change. January 30 Kung Fu Hustle - Lion's roar
Quote Kung Fu Hustle - Lion's roar January 27 Hero - Theatrical Trailer
Quote Hero - Theatrical Trailer January 26 Jow Ga Kung Fu
January 23 TaoismThe English word "Taoism" translates the Chinese terms Daojiao (道教) and Daojia (道家). The character Dao 道 (or Tao, depending on the transliteration scheme one prefers) literally means "path" or "way", but in Chinese religion or philosophy has taken on more abstract meanings. The compound Daojiao refers to "Daoism" as a "religion" (i.e., people worshipping at altars); Daojia refers to the activity of scholars in their studies. (It must be noted that this distinction is itself controversial and fraught with hermeneutic difficulty.) Much uncertainty exists over the meaning of "Taoism." In some countries and contexts (for example, the national "Taoism" organizations of China and Taiwan), the label has come to be applied to the Chinese folk religion, which would otherwise not have a readily-recognizable English name. However many, if not most, of its practitioners would not recognize "Taoism" (in any language) as the name of their religion. Moreover, the several forms of what we might call "elite" or "organized" Taoism often distinguish their ritual activities from those of the folk religion, which professional "Taoists" (Daoshi) tend to view as debased. January 19 Bak Mei Kung FuBak Mei is characterized by its emphasis on powerful close range hand strikes. Within Bak Mei can be found the four principles of Fou (Float), Chum (Sink), Tun (Swallow), and Tou (Spit) common in the Southern Chinese martial arts and also found in Karate. Unique to Bak Mei is its classification of the following 6 powers: biu (thrusting), chum (sinking), tan (springing), fa (neutralizing), tung, and chuk. Bak Mei emphasizes the movements of the tiger. The traditions of Bak Mei Kung Fu trace its origins to Mount Emei, where Bak Mei is said to have transmitted the art to the Chan (Zen) master Gwong Wai,[4] who transmitted the art to the Chan master Juk Faat Wan[5] and the Taoist Fung Fo. White LotusHu Ah-Piao, one of the two heroes who beat Pai Mei, is scheduled for release, much to the delight of his pregnant wife Mei-Hsiao , his best friend in arms (who for some reason isn't in jail) Hung Wei-Ting , and his lovely sister Ching-Ching . Of course, those loyal to Pai Mei are angered by the emperor's show of mercy, but none are more outraged than the evil White Lotus , chieftain of the White Lotus Clan and the identical twin CLASSMATE of Pai Mei. Thirsting for bloody retribution, White Lotus leads an all-out attack on our heroes, which leaves both Ah-Piao and Ching-Ching dead. Barely making it out with their lives, Mei-Hsiao and Wei-Ting escape to another village where they gain employment at a paper dummy shop. Seeking to avenge the death of both his sworn brother and his fiancée (he and Ching-Ching were hoping to get married), Wei-Ting tries to combine Tiger and Crane boxing into one style, practicing every evening after work. Not used to practicing alone, Wei-Ting tries to recruit Ah Piao's pale-faced brother Ah-Chang to help him train, a move that results in some fine comedic moments. The obvious contrast between the skilled Wei-Ting and his weak, uncoordinated, and comically unwilling helper makes for some hilarious sight gags. Wei-Ting loses his bout with White Lotus on the first try, so he trains for a few more years, but sadly he ends up failing yet again. After learning that his technique is too forceful to strike the ethereal White Lotus Chief, Wei-Ting looks to Mei-Hsiao to teach him a softer, more feminine style of kung fu. She agrees and makes him do "women's work" to begin his training—caring for the baby, sewing, etc. Eventually Wei-Ting learns the slinky, graceful techniques of his sworn sister and sets off to face White Lotus. He's gonna win, right? Wrong. He LOSES. AGAIN. I think I'm beginning to see a pattern here. This time around, however, Wei-Ting almost loses his life in the process, nearly succumbing to White Lotus's 100-Pace Punch, a deadly maneuver which kills the victim one hundred steps after the blow is delivered. Thanks to some acupuncture from an unlikely ally, Wei-Ting is back in action. Eagerly, he learns the secrets of acupressure points and incorporates this new knowledge into his own eclectic mix of Tiger, Crane, and Women's kung fu to create a whole new style of fighting: embroidery kung fu! With acupuncture needles in hand, Wei-Ting heads off for the final showdown with White Lotus. Once Upon a Time in ChinaOnce upon a time in China Some believe around the year, one-double aught-three. Head priest of The White Lotus Clan Pai Mei Was walking down the road Contemplating whatever a man with Pai Mei's infinite power would contemplate Which is another way of saying, who knows. When, a Shaolin monk appeared on the road traveling in the opposite direction. As the monk and the priest crossed paths... Pai Mei in a practically unfathomable display of generosity Gave the monk the slightest of nods. The nod, was not returned. Now was it the intention of the Shaolin monk to insult Pai Mei ? Or, did he just fail to see the generous social gesture? The motives of the monk, remain unknown. What is known, were the consequences. The next morning Pai Mei appeared at the Shaolin Temple, And demanded that the temple's head Abbot offer Pai Mei his neck to repay the insult. The Abbot, at first, tried to console Pai Mei, only to find, Pai Mei was inconsolable. So began, the massacre of the Shaolin Temple, And all sixty of the monks inside, At the fists of the White Lotus. And so began, the legend of Pai Mei's Five-Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique. |
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