Martial Arts as Self Defense Against Pirates
I recently visited Hong Kong on a business trip, and during an afternoon break I took a tour along the Ping Shan Heritage Trail. The trail provides historical insight into the settling and farming of the Pear River Delta by the Tang Clan, including visits to various temples and a museum that was the first colonial outpost for the British.
As readers of this blog (and visitors to Pantherbay.com) know, the Pearl River Delta, which includes Hong Kong and Guangzhou (formerly Canton) in Guangdong Province was a hotbed of piratical activity. At one point, a confederation of pirate clans amassed fleets that included a thousand ships, junks and coastal boats, and as many as 50,000 pirates to prowl the South China Sea (about five times the number plowing the Caribbean Sea at its height). (See the biography of Cheng I Sao, or Mrs Cheng on the pantherbay.com web site.)
Well, to defend themselves against the pirates, the Tang Clan trained themselves and villagers in the martial arts. Since they had limited access to "modern" weaponry, the focused on hand to hand combat the practical use of applying everyday farming implements as weapons.
I think it's interesting that martial arts were important for defensive purposes, not sport and offensive tactics as they are thought of in the West.
For more, see my video on Youtube filmed from Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong.
As readers of this blog (and visitors to Pantherbay.com) know, the Pearl River Delta, which includes Hong Kong and Guangzhou (formerly Canton) in Guangdong Province was a hotbed of piratical activity. At one point, a confederation of pirate clans amassed fleets that included a thousand ships, junks and coastal boats, and as many as 50,000 pirates to prowl the South China Sea (about five times the number plowing the Caribbean Sea at its height). (See the biography of Cheng I Sao, or Mrs Cheng on the pantherbay.com web site.)
Well, to defend themselves against the pirates, the Tang Clan trained themselves and villagers in the martial arts. Since they had limited access to "modern" weaponry, the focused on hand to hand combat the practical use of applying everyday farming implements as weapons.
I think it's interesting that martial arts were important for defensive purposes, not sport and offensive tactics as they are thought of in the West.
For more, see my video on Youtube filmed from Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong.
Posted by SRStaley at 1/2/2012 1:42 PM 
Categories: pirates, pirate history
Tags: pirates martial arts china south china sea cheng I sao mrs cheng
Categories: pirates, pirate history
Tags: pirates martial arts china south china sea cheng I sao mrs cheng
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