Is the Emei Sect really for women?

The influence of Jin Yong's novels sometimes creates misconceptions. One of the most common misconceptions is about Emei, a martial arts school with a rich tradition.

The Emei martial arts school is often misunderstood as being only for women - Photo: EM

Controversial Origin

"At the end of the Southern Song Dynasty - the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, Guo Xiang, daughter of Guo Jing - Huang Rong, founded the Emei martial arts school at Mount Emei, Sichuan Province. This martial arts school was passed down through generations to women, and was one of the largest martial arts schools in Central Plains."

That is what readers of Jin Yong's novels know by heart. But the truth is quite far from what the great Hong Kong writer created.

According to popular documents in Chinese martial arts research circles, the Emei school is named after the mountain of the same name in Sichuan province.

Some folk documents say that this sect existed during the Ming Dynasty, founded by a female Taoist named Chu Tu Anh.

This information is confirmed in the work "Chinese Martial Arts Records" by scholar Vuong Duc Lam, a prestigious document on the history of Chinese martial arts.

Another legend says that the founder of the Nga Mi sect was a Taoist named Tu Do Bach, who lived from the Qin Dynasty to the Eastern Han Dynasty.

According to this legend, Tu Do Bach was the first person to create the white ape-imitating martial arts at Nga Mi mountain - which later developed into the school's signature martial arts.

Kim Dung's novels associate the image of the Nga Mi sect with women - Photo: PT

Because both happened thousands of years ago, both sources of information about the real "founder" of the Nga Mi sect are not officially recognized.

Because of that, Kim Dung has more opportunities to create more information through his great pen.

In the novel "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber", Kim Dung built the Nga Mi sect as a "symbol of feminism", the only sect in the six major sects that focuses on women.

For a long time, Chinese historians have assessed that this creative feature of Jin Yong was only to create balance for the novel. The Shaolin and Wudang sects did not have women, so they needed a martial arts sect of equal stature to compete.

The "Nga Mi kung fu girls" group attracts a large audience to their performances - Photo: XN

Jin Yong’s creation is not without foundation. In his work, scholar Wang Delin admitted that the fighting techniques of the Emei school are based on flexibility, agility and dexterity, which are very suitable for women.

Unique martial arts of Nga Mi

Emei martial arts focus on speed, using flexible footwork, focusing on short, low blows and acupressure points.

Some of Emei's forms imitate animals such as butterflies, snakes, and toads, creating a soft yet dangerous feeling. Unlike Shaolin or Hung Ga which are more focused on muscle strength, Emei combines internal and external energy, emphasizing balance and flexibility.

The famous weapon of the Emei sect - the Emei sword, is taken from the image of a traditional Chinese hairpin.

However, that does not mean that Emei martial arts are only suitable for women. Many modern Emei branches have male students who study and achieve high levels.

In traditional martial arts tournaments, Emei forms are often performed by both men and women, without any distinction between genders. And the male ratio is still generally overwhelming.

Many men today study Nga Mi martial arts - Photo: XN

In recent years, a group of female martial artists called “Emei Kung Fu Girls” has appeared on Chinese and international social media. They have attracted attention for performing Emei Kung Fu in a style that combines tradition and artistic expression.

This group of martial artists actually came from the Nga Mi martial arts training centers. And made a big splash with their attractive appearance, costumes imbued with the "heroine" style in the novel, combined with eye-catching performance video clips.

"Emei Kung Fu Girls" have performed in France and Japan, and attracted large crowds to the events they held on Mount Emei.

The appearance of this group helps recreate the image of female knights in novels, and further increases the recognition of women in traditional Chinese martial arts.

However, the truth is that Emei includes both men and women. And although Emei martial arts tend to be more about finesse, martial arts training is generally still male-dominated.

HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/phai-nga-mi-co-thuc-su-danh-cho-nu-gioi-20250826222654708.htm