MY HOBBIES

MY HOBBIES

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The only surviving source on the life of Sun Tzu is the biography written in the 2nd century BC by the historian Sima Qian, who describes him as a general who lived in the state of Wu in the 6th century BC, and therefore a contemporary of one of the great Chinese thinkers of ancient times—Confucius. However, both the form and content of The Art of War suggest it may have been written between 400 BC and 320 BC.

Sun Tzu's own work, The Art of War, labeled bing fa or "military strategy", provides some clues to the period in which he may have lived.

Some scholars have concluded that Sun Tzu's work was actually authored by unknown Chinese philosophers and that Sun Tzu did not actually exist as a historical figure. There is more evidence to support this theory than the traditional one of Sun Tzu as an individual historical figure--an idea which was developed by contemporary military analysts and writers. In Lionel Giles' introduction to his 1910 translation of The Art of War, Giles expands on the doubt and confusion which has surrounded the historicity of Sun Tzu.

In 1972 a set of bamboo engraved texts were discovered in a grave near Linyi in Shandong [1]. These have helped to confirm parts of the text which were already known and have also added new sections [2]. This version has been dated to between 134-118 BCE [3], and so rules out older theories that parts of the text had been written much later.

Sun Bin, also known as Sun the Mutilated, allegedly a crippled descendent of Sun Tzu, also wrote a text known as the Art of War. A more accurate title might be the Art of Warfare since this was more directly concerned with the practical matters of warfare, rather than military strategy. [4] At least one translator has used the title The Lost Art of War, referring to the long period of time during which Sun Bin's book was, quite literally, lost. There is, however, no coincidence between the content or writing style in Sun Bin and Sun Tzu.

Sun Tzu also is rumored to be an ancestor of Sun Quan, the founder of the Wu Kingdom, which was one of the three competing super-dynasties during the Three Kingdoms era.

The Ancient Secrets

Each martial art has its own history and goals. Some focus on tournament competition, while others focus on self-defense, or the preservation of an ancient tradition.

The history of martial arts around the world is complex. Most groups of people have had to defend themselves at some time and have developed fighting techniques for that purpose. However, many of those techniques have been rendered technologically obsolete over the centuries. Even at an individual, rural level, the threat to the safety of a group of people is now more likely to come from modern weaponry such as automatic rifles than from men with swords. Furthermore, the preservation of a martial art requires many years of teaching at the hands of a good teacher to pass on the art for a single generation. So it is relatively unlikely that a particular martial art would survive and become popular in today's culture, and each art that has done so has a unique history.

Bruce Jun Fan Lee (November 27, 1940 — July 20, 1973) was a Chinese born martial artist and martial arts actor widely regarded as one of the most influential martial artists of the 20th century. Lee's films, especially his performance in the Hollywood-produced Enter the Dragon, elevated the traditional Hong Kong martial arts film to a new level of quality and popularity. His pioneering efforts paved the way for future martial artists and actors such as Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and Chuck Norris.

Lee's movies sparked the first major surge of interest in Chinese martial arts in the West. The direction and tone of his films changed and influenced martial arts and martial arts films in Hong Kong, China, and the rest of the world. Lee became an iconic figure particularly to Chinese; as he portrayed Chinese national pride and Chinese nationalism in his movies.^[1]

Many see Lee as a model blueprint for acquiring a strong and efficient body as well as developing a mastery of martial arts and hand to hand combat skills. Bruce Lee's evaluation of the traditional martial arts doctrines is nowadays seen as the first step into the modern style of hybrid martial arts.

ECLIPSE

Ultimate Victory

EXCITING MARTIAL ARTS

"Upon the burdens of the thick black smoke enters a Hero. There he downtakes his foes one by one to save a handful of people and unite them with loved ones"

Taher Syed