​This is the first of a trilogy of absolute classic fights! Jing Nan (竞楠) is known in the West as the "Punching Panda". A Panda Bear is known in the Chinese language as "Da Xiong Mao" (大熊猫) or "Great Bear Cat". It seems that the ideogram "熊" (Xiong) - or "Bear" - has been added as a prefix to her name. Angela Lee - although ethnically "Chinese" - was born in Singapore and has since migrated to the West - becoming steeped in the Western interpretation of Asian martial arts. Jing Nan, however, is from Mainland China and is steeped within the martial traditions of that country! ​Perhaps she is trained in "Bear" qigong - similar to the "Bear" being the animal spirit that permeates our Hakka family style. 

​Whatever the case, the idea of joints being strengthened so that no pain is felt when pressure is applied - exists in our style and the example seen above should be closely studied. Angela Lee expected her opponent to "give-in" once the arm-lock was applied (typical of the Western MMA attitude) - but seems to have psychologically and physically collapsed (despite a rest between rounds) when this was not the case! The Chinese diaspora spans the world. China, however, possesses over a billion people and is the spiritual and material source of ALL Chinese culture! ​Taiwan is a US colony that can be dismissed for the irrelevancy that it is.

A similar assessment can be applied to post-1945 Japan and South Korea. Mainland Chinese fighters are tough, hard and highly disruptive of the Western dominance of Asian martial arts. Indeed, China is an important statement of indigenous martial culture in the face of a racialised misrepresentation. Whatever the case, the Western attitudes (which include the Japanese influence in Brazilian Jiujitsu) imbued within the mind-set and physical technique demonstrated by Angela Lee is thoroughly overturned and defeated in this fight! Jing Nan is a credit to China and the martial arts world!

​Within the Movie ‘Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence’ a Japanese POW Camp Commandant decides that the prison population of European (military) inmates are ‘spiritually lazy’. When being beaten or made to stand for hours in the sun had not altered this situation, the Japanese Officer decided that the Camp population would undergo the Shinto ritual of ‘Misogi’ (禊) – in this instance – involving a 24-hour fast-period of no eating or drinking. This is despite the daily ration being intolerably low to start with. Most prisoners – even the stronger men – were on the brink of starvation. The Japanese Officer (Captain Yanoi) – by further depleting the starvation rations - would also adhere to this ritual of ‘fasting’ whilst traditionally dressed - and sat in meditation in the Camp ‘Dojo’. This is the pristine training hall used by the Japanese Officers for martial arts and spiritual practice (a mixture of Buddhist and Shinto spiritual traditions). 

​Similarly, in the book ‘Empire of the Sun’ written by JG Ballard – the (civilian) POW Camp (Assistant) Commandant (Sergeant Nagata) occasionally orders Chinese vagrants (often women and girls) to be ‘beaten to death’ by Japanese soldiers wielding wooden clubs. The actual 'Commandant' - Hyashi - was in fact a 'civilian' and a careerist diplomat who tended to only interfere in Camp daily activities if absolutely necessary. Obviously, Hyashi never interfered in Nagata's brutality. These starving Chinese people sit patiently outside the POW Camp waiting to see if they will be allowed in to receive a portion of the already meagre rations. The women and girls are often raped by the Japanese guards before the Camp populace of British people are assembled to watch the unfolding ritual of ‘despatch’. Sergeant Nagata believes the British POWs are ‘spiritually lazy’ and seeks to stimulate their individual (and collective) ‘ki’ (氣) flow. This ‘life force’ not only flows through each individual body – but also through the entire Camp. As Sergeant Nagata believes the Chinese people to be an ‘inferior race’ – their brutal murder (achieved through a demonstration of ‘Japanese’ manly vigour) – will ‘release’ the ‘ki’ from their (broken) bodies and supplement that available throughout the Camp.

​The two primary Shinto rituals on display in both of the above examples are:

​禊 (Misogi) – Purification (Cleansing) of the inside and outside of the mind and body.

​祓 (Harae) – Purification (Exorcism) of corruption out of the interior of the mind and body.

​As this ‘Kanji’ is in fact comprised of ‘Chinese’ ideograms, I can read these characters and give some type of explanation as to what these rituals are supposed to represent – at least in a historical context. I say this as the rubric of Japanese ‘spiritual’ fascism distorted (for decades) rituals and practices that would normally not have been so severe or murderously brutal. Bear in mind that within ten-years of WWII being over – Western students of Judo, Kendo and Karate-Do were avidly volunteering to undergo these rituals – albeit in a non-war setting. Nevertheless, the rituals that the Imperial Japanese used to torture and murder millions of Western and Asian people – are today routinely considered part and parcel of a legitimate Japanese martial arts practice. On the face of it, this is an extraordinary rehabilitation. As Chinese ideograms, these ‘Kanji’ characters can be read as follows: 

​a) 禊 (xi4) is comprised of an upper and lower particle:

​Upper Particle = 气 (qi4) – refers to ‘energy’, ‘breath’ and ‘vital force’

​Lower Particle = 米 (mi3) – denotes husked ‘rice’ that needs to be ‘cooked’ (transformed) in water

​Therefore, 禊 (xi4) suggests that the process of cooking rice in a cauldron (by lighting a fire underneath and boiling the water) not only produces nutritious food (which sustains all physical life) but also generates ‘steam’ as a useful and yet crucial by-product. This steam - through the (hidden) ‘pressure’ created - ‘lifts’ the lid of the cauldron with an effortless ease. It is this ‘unseen’ influence of a physical process that drives this concept. 

​b) 祓 (fu4) is comprised of of a left and a right particle:

​Left Particle = 礻(shi4) is a contraction of ‘示’ (which denotes an ‘altar’ and the ‘rituals’ associated with it) – and refers to structured acts of ‘instruction’, that require ‘attention’ and possess great ‘importance’. 

​Lower Particle = 犮 (ba2) denotes a ‘dog’ (犬 – quan3) that is ‘running’ (丿- pie3). The implied meaning is to perform a dramatic task with the appropriate amount of effort and required energy.

​This suggests that a religious ritual must be correctly performed (as if in a temple or at an altar) in the physical world - that opens a connecting door-way to the spiritual world. Once this channel has been correctly opened – the influence of the spiritual world is then allowed to positively flow (unseen) into the material world – thus influencing temporal events. Correct (disciplined) and timely action in the physical world is the basis of this concept. Success is defined as achieving an exact ritualistic replication that does not deviation from the accepted norm – as ‘deviation’ of any sort is tantamount to ‘ill-discipline’. 

​Conclusion

​Armed with this knowledge, it can be suggested that the Japanese concept of ‘禊’ (Misogi) refers to arduous physical activity that requires ‘sweating’. Through hard and continuous labour – a definite and positive metamorphosis is produced in the material world – that possesses definite (but ‘hidden’) implications for the inner world (almost as a side effect). By way of comparison, ‘祓’ (Harae) refers to a metaphysical ritual that although partly physical in its ritualistic content, remains nevertheless ‘metaphysical’ in nature and intent. This is because ‘祓’ (Harae) constitutes a ‘purifying’ spell achieved through words, actions, and a specific and certain state of mind. 

The official Karate-Do class was held by Master Mekura Kenichi (铭苅拳一) (b. 1947) in Shanghai during 1988 – after he had respectfully approached the government of Mainland China with diplomatic support from Japan and Brazil! He stayed in China for twenty-five years teaching the Kobayashi lineage of the Shorin Ryu Karate-Do style. After spending a quarter of a century moving around and teaching throughout China – he retired aged 66 years and left China in 2013 leaving behind a great reputation amongst the Chinese people!   ​

Just nineteen years after the unconditional surrender of the Imperial Japanese in 1945 – the British Authorities of the colony of Hong Kong permitted a rich Japanese business man named ‘Mr Harada’ to open a ‘private’ Dojo in 1964 (teaching the Japanese Goju Kai style of Karate-Do) within an exclusive health club located along the coastline of Hong Kong Island! In other words, well within the living memory of Chinese (and other people) who were the victims of Imperial Japanese atrocities – the British Authorities in Hong Kong allowed a previous vehicle of Imperial Japanese atrocities (I.e. ‘Karate-Do’) to be ‘sold’ to the general public as a ‘leisure’ activity! Although the British Colonial Authorities operated a strict ‘racial’ and ‘cultural’ segregation policy throughout Hong Kong (with Chinese men used as labourers and Chinese women as prostitutes)! The way these exclusive health clubs operated was that ‘Members’ had the right to ‘invite’ any friend or colleague they wished providing the other Members did not protest. Therefore, the Goju Kai Dojo was intended for ethnic ‘Japanese’ only – but this principle was short-circuited by the fact that a young Chinese man named ‘Lin Jingfeng’ (林竞峰) [1947-2018] - was invited into the classes by a Japanese Member. As none of the Japanese Members protested – Lin Jingfeng was allowed to stay and over the decades became a highly skilled (Japanese) Goju Kai and then (Okinawan) Goju Ryu Karate-Do practitioner.  ​

In 1979, the ‘International Okinawan Goju Ryo Karate-Do Federation’ (IOGKF) was founded in the UK. In 1980, the Head Instructor of the IOGKF – Higaonna Morio – appointed Lin Jingfeng the IOGKF Branch Supervisor of all Hong Kong AND Mainland China Dojos (registered with the IOGKF). As Lin Jingfeng was a Cantonese citizen of Hong Kong - and given that he was well-known as a high-ranking Goju Ryu practitioner amongst the many distinct Chinese ethnic groups that lived on Hong Kong island, the boats surrounding the Hong Kong coast (the Dan-Ka boat people), and all the different Chinese clans living throughout the New Territories – the idea that he was chosen as the official IOGKF Representative (or ‘Supervisor’) of all the IOGKF Dojos in and around the Hong Kong region that comprised the British colony and/or ‘Protectorate’ of Hong Kong was logical and legal. The IOGKF, however, possessed no political, cultural or legal right to appoint Lin Jingfeng as the IOGKF Representative of Mainland China! The British Authorities controlled Hong Kong only – and possessed no authority whatsoever anywhere in Mainland China! Placing Lin Jingfeng as the ‘Representative’ of Mainland China in 1980, then, was an ‘empty’ appointment that possessed no real substance. Lin Jingfeng only became (by default) the IOGKF Representative of Mainland China in 1997 – when the British Colonial Authorities ‘handed-back’ Hong Kong to direct Mainland Chinese control!  ​

The 1964 Goju Kai Dojo was established upon Chinese soil, but it was a part of China that had been artificially and viciously excised from the direct political control of the Chinese Mainland because of British imperialist greed and militarism during the 19th century! Hong Kong was a part of Mainland China – but was not under the direct political control of the Chinese people in 1964 - and so the Goju Kai Dojo does not qualify as the ‘first official’ Karate-Do class established within a fully independent and functioning Mainland China! As modern Japan (which is a close ally of the US) refuses to acknowledge its atrocities and war crimes throughout China (and Asia) committed during the 1930s and 1940s – it is doubtful that any genuine Chinese government would permit Japanese businesses and Japanese ‘militarised’ leisure activities at any time throughout the 1960s! Foreign powers aggressive toward Chinese interests, however, (such as the British, the Japanese and the ‘Nationalist’ Chinese), then it is more likely that activities such as Karate-Do would be taught! The Japanese invaded and brutally suppressed the Chinese and aboriginal people of the island of Taiwan during 1895. This resistance fighting carried on for about five years before the invading Japanese managed to turn Taiwan into a Japanese-controlled Police State controlled through the use of regular ‘mass’ public executions through beheadings! Chinese language, religion and martial arts practice were outlawed – and replaced with a full Japanese education syllabus typical of that found throughout Mainland Japan!  ​

In 1901, the racist Japanese government changed the name of ‘Tang Hand’ (唐手 - Tang Shou) - referring to the various systems of ‘Chinese’ martial arts transmitted to (and preserved upon) the island of Okinawa - into ‘Empty Hand’ (空手 - Kong Shou) - a Japanese ‘joke’ which suggests a martial activity now ‘emptied’ of ALL Chinese historical influence and philosophical meaning! Later, the mediocre Okinawan Karate-Do practitioner Funakoshi Gichin (who was in the pay of the Imperial Japanese government) would invent the bizarre falsehood that this ‘empty hand’ Japanese art was somehow linked to the Heart Sutra – a text popular amongst a certain stratum of well-off Japanese people – which discusses the inherent ‘emptiness’ of all phenomena. As the Imperial Japanese Army had subdued the war-like Taiwanese (Chinese) people by 1900, and given that the mass atrocities had killed many of the most effective leaders and removed tens of thousands of Chinese militants, I suspect that the very first Japanese ‘Karate-Do’ class (albeit ‘enforced’) was held on the subjugated Chinese island of Taiwan at some point from 1901 onwards – the date that the Imperial Japanese government introduced Karate-Do training as a keep-fit sport into all Japanese schools! Certainly, photographic evidence suggests that the Japanese (colonial) social control mechanism not only involved the brutality of public executions (often using traditional martial arts to kill the condemned), but also mass exercise sessions in public – very similar to how Japanese business personnel still start their working shifts today! Although Japan controlled Taiwan for fifty brutal years – until 1945 – the criminality did not stop there as the brutality of the dregs of the ‘Nationalist’ regime ‘invaded’ Taiwan and started a massacre of ALL those Chinese people who supported the Revolutionary Forces that finally came to power in 1949! This is a further ‘Crime Against Humanity’ and a ‘War Crime’ similar in magnitude to anything the Japanese committed – who also paid so-called Karate-Do experts to ‘Reverse-Punch’ condemned people to death who were tied to posts! This is part of the ‘dark’ history of Japanese-controlled Karate-Do that requires exposing!  ​

​Chinese Language References:

http://k.sina.com.cn/article_6470899233_181b21621001005qlr.html#/
http://k.sina.com.cn/article_6420892685_p17eb70c0d0010027gi.html?cre=newspagepc&mod=f&loc=4&r=9&doct=0&rfunc=100#/
https://baike.baidu.com/item/台湾日据时期/19314241?fromtitle=日属台湾&fromid=22925746
http://news.sohu.com/20051024/n227289887.shtml
​https://www.krzzjn.com/show-1208-76563.html

Following the Meiji Restoration of 1868 – the Japanese Imperialist government embarked upon a rapid modernisation drive and an equally rapid expansion of Japanese political and cultural influence beyond its geographical borders! It is perhaps the greatest of ironies that Okinawa (Ryukyu) - an island nation politically and culturally associated with China for over a thousand years – possessed hundreds of highly trained martial artists (as well as thousands of amateur practitioners) - but did not possess a professional armed force dedicated to its own national defence! This is why the Japanese Imperial Army was able to land its forces unopposed in Okinawa in 1879 and the Japanese government was able to completely annex the island nation and separate and isolate its people from any and all Chinese cultural influence! The Japanese language replaced the Chinese language (and superseded the Okinawan dialect), and Japanese history replaced Chinese history. Despite these successes, however, the Japanese Authorities had to tread carefully as Qing Imperial China protested and threatened to send troops to the area – whilst the robust Okinawan people were more than capable of defending themselves against the over-zealous Japanese police and military! ​

According to conventual thinking, within the Okinawan dialect (which is a mixture of Chinese, Japanese and indigenous languages), the Chinese term ‘唐’ (Tang) used to refer to the Tang Dynasty and for centuries taken to mean the country of China – is pronounced ‘Kara’. The Japanese Authorities substituted the Chinese ‘唐’ (Tang-Kara) for the Kanji Japanese equivalent of ‘空’ (Kong-Kara). The name of the martial art appeared to stay the same on the surface – ‘Kara-Te' - but changed completely beneath the surface! This was an act of blatant imperialist domination on behalf of the Japanese themselves, and despite such people as Funakoshi Gichin playing along with it (pretending the change had something to do with the philosophy contained within the Buddhist Heart Sutra), its only purpose was the complete eradication of all Chinese cultural influence upon the island! This process saw ‘唐手’(Tang Shou – Kara Te) - or ‘China Open Hand Martial Art’ - become instead the Japanese art of ‘空手’ (Kong Shou – Kara-Te) or the ‘Empty Open Hand’ - despite these many martial systems often incorporating the extensive use of traditional martial arts weaponry! Despite this change, the problem the Japanese Authorities had was that very few of the prominent martial arts Masters on the island took any notice of the ‘new’ name and continued to teach their martial arts as being distinctly ‘Chinese’ in origin, nature and expression! ​

It was not until 1936 (the 11th year of the Showa era) that this matter was resolved. Japan had begun military hostilities in China during 1931 and was gearing-up for a more serious and widespread confrontation with China. To assist this process the Japanese government had been propagating extensive anti-China propaganda and informing the Japanese people not to associate themselves in anyway with Chinese culture. It did not take long for this negative attitude to infiltrate Okinawa and influence the martial arts community. In the Okinawan city of Naha, a symposium of many of the country’s leading martial artists was held to decide upon a distinctly ‘Japanese’ cultural expression for their respective martial arts. All the ‘Kara-Te’ Masters discussed this matter and unanimously decided to change the name of their martial art from ‘唐手’(Tang Shou – Kara Te) to ‘空手’ (Kong Shou – Kara-Te) - with each ‘denying’ or ‘rejecting’ any historical or cultural link with China! Despite Japan losing the Pacific War (1941-1945) it had started with the US, and the Second Sino-Japanese (1937-1945) it had started with China (Japan actually began hostilities in Manchuria during 1931) - the situation regarding ‘Kara-Te’ did not change. Indeed, the post-1945 US government facilitated the spread of ‘Kara-Te’ around the world as a means to eradicate and obscure all Chinese martial cultural influences throughout the West! Despite Japanese Imperialism killing millions throughout Asia during the 1930s and 1940s – the racially motivated change of ‘Chinese Hand’ to ‘Empty Hand’ was allowed to hold fast despite making no historical or logical sense whatsoever! This is even true amongst reasonably intelligent Westerners who would otherwise protest about any form of racism should they encounter it! Indeed, Okinawan people should throw-off the cloak of Japanese and US oppression and reclaim their martial arts as being ‘Chinese Hand’ - whilst remaining proud of this fact!  ​

Chinese Language Source: 
https://www.163.com/dy/article/CU71J3RP052597OI.html ​

The 37th year of the traditional lunar calendar of China (in the continuously repeating-cycle of 60-years of earthly branches and divine-sky stems) is termed ‘Gengzhi’ (庚子) and typically represents the year of the rat. Within traditional Chinese astrological thinking, this year is associated with disaster and calamity. In 1840, the year of Gengzi, Great Britain launched the First Opium War and the process of China beginning to lose its status as an independent, sovereign nation began. In 1900, the year of the Geng Zi, the Eight-Power Allied Forces launched a war of aggression against China, and the Chinese nation fell into a situation where it was at the mercy of others following the defeat of the Chinese Imperial Army and the volunteer ‘Boxer’ Armies of spiritually empowered peasantry. At this darkest hour, the curtain was mercilessly brought-down on the era of Classical China, with the blood of the setting sun soaking the city of Beijing. Many Westerners at the time saw all this with their own eyes. After a murderous outpouring of arrogance, ecstasy, and pity, these historically altering emotions finally returned to the normality of rational thinking. Although China is both ‘liberated’ and fully restored to its rightful ‘sovereign’ status, the history books of these terrible times can be accessed afresh, and the Western eye-witness accounts objectively and critically examined.  ​

The commander-in-chief of the Eight-Power Allied Forces - the German Field Marshal Alfred von Waldersee - said at the beginning of the ‘Discussion on the Partition of China" in "The Notes on the Boxers’: (A ‘Boxer’ is a peasant volunteer member of the ‘义和团’ [YiHeTuan] - ‘Righteous Harmonious Regiment’ empowered by folk martial arts). “In terms of the weakness of the military equipment, the exhaustion of financial resources, and the chaos of the political situation, it is a rare once in a thousand years opportunity for the implementation of the division of China." (Note: "Waldersee's Boxer Rebellion Notes" section is translated from "Waldersee's Memoirs", Wang Guangqi (王光祈) Translated, published by Zhonghua Book Company in 1928.) ​

On May 31st, 1900, the Eight-Power Allied Forces sent troops into Beijing "On the afternoon of May 28th, the diplomatic mission held a meeting again, decided to request troops to be sent to Beijing, and informed the Prime Minister's office." "On May 29th, when the mission asked the Prime Minister's Personal Secretary to allow troops to guard the embassy, it was rejected. They said that allowing foreign troops to enter Beijing would damage the reputation of the imperial court and the divine kingdom and anger the people. Later they gave in." "On May 31st, the first batch of coalition forces drove from Tianjin to Beijing by forcibly requisitioned trains." "The strange thing is that Dong Fuxiang's (董福祥) Muslim soldiers retreated from the station when they saw the train on the city wall of Beijing. The train arrived at 8 o'clock in the evening. When arriving at Yutingmen, the city gate opened and 337 coalition officers and soldiers successfully reached the embassy area. Three days later, another group including 52 German sailors and 37 Austrian sailors moved into Beijing without hindrance. At this time, the embassy area had a total of 426 soldiers." ([Italian] Adriano Madaro, "Beijing in 1900", based on the diary of the Marquis Giuseppe Salvago Laghi, Italian Minister Plenipotentiary to China from 1899 to 1901, Translated by Xiang Jiagu (项佳谷), published by Oriental Publishing House in 2006.) "The ministers demanded that the Marine Corps be sent to defend the embassy." "On May 29th, the Marine Corps composed of 72 sailors sent from the six ships reached Beijing on the 31st." "The soldiers predicted that they would take Beijing soon, and said that if they receive an order, they will go to conquer Manchuria and the whole of China.” ([Russian] "New Frontier" reporter Dmitry Yancivitsky "The Eyewitnesses of the Eight-Power Allied Forces", the book was originally titled " Inside and Outside the Stagnant Chinese City Wall" is a battlefield diary, translated by Xu Chongxin (许崇信) and others, published by Fujian People's Publishing House in 1983.)  ​

On June 10th, 1900, the Eight-Power Allied Forces invaded Beijing for the first time "On June 1st, the commander of the British Far East Fleet, Sir Edward Seymour, called from Dagu, the British Minister to China, Sir Claude Dunal, and assured him that the commander has 17 warships under his command and his military power will not be reduced by the year 1860." "On June 4th, the ministers of all countries unanimously requested the governments of all countries to order the warships moored in Dagu to take action." "On June 10th, 2129 officers and soldiers of the Eight-Nation Coalition set off from Tianjin Station. The coalition commander was Seymour. He once served in the British-French coalition as a junior navy officer. This unit had occupied Dagu and invaded 40 years ago. After passing through the city of Beijing, they razed the Old Summer Palace to the ground. Therefore, it can be said that he is a veteran of dealing with China." ([Italian] Madarao "Beijing in 1900") "A total of three trains departed this day, carrying 915 British, 450 Germans, 313 Russians, 158 French, 100 Americans, 52 Japanese, 40 Italians and 25 Austrians. This support army is led by Seymour." "The support army set off very hastily. The marines did not bring any luggage, but only two or three days of food, each of which was given 200 to 250 bullets." "June 11th. The fourth additional train was dispatched today. The second team of 212 Russian sailors departed. At the Zailuo station, they caught up with the Seymour troops." "I got news today that Seymour and his reinforcements didn’t even finish half of the journey, and it took a lot of effort to reach the Luofa station. The railway was destroyed everywhere, and the station was burned. The closer you get to Beijing, the more damaged the road." "June 12th. While building the road, the coalition forces moved forward slowly and finally arrived at Langfang Station." "June 14th. The troops arrived three and a half miles from Langfang Station. From then on, the railway was completely destroyed. There were no traces of the rails and sleepers. They were all pried out, burned or thrown away. The railway embankment where you can see has become a road." "June 15th. Luofa Station was surrounded by numerous regiments." "On June 16th. Seymour led the British Marines to retreat to Luofa. The other coalition forces stayed in Langfang." "June 17th. For the first time from Beijing, there was a Chinese official army carrying large and small flags. The one who appeared near Langfang was probably the forward of the troops led by Admiral Dong Fuxiang."  
​

On June 18th-28th, 1900, the Eight-Power Allied Forces were defeated and returned to Tianjin "On June 18th. The Seymour Expeditionary Army fought a tough battle with the Chinese officers for the first time. At 11 noon, the battle began. At 1 noon, the battle ended. The Russian 12th Regiment suffered the heaviest loss." "Seymour summoned the commanders of various countries and announced to them the decision to withdraw, because this is the only wise decision under the current conditions." "That night, the coalition forces began to retreat." "June 19th. The coalition forces continued their general retreat along the railway line. The closer they were to Tianjin, the more damaged the road was. It was impossible to retreat from the railway. So, they had to abandon the train, carry the wounded members, and retreat on foot. Everyone. Unanimously, it is impossible to walk with the Wounded, so he must retreat from the White River by barge." "June 21st. The Boxers followed the landing team in droves, not afraid of foreign guns or foreign cannon. The canned food was quickly eaten up, so they had to eat whatever God gave them: like the thrown rice, Pigs, calves and other animals that can be caught running around." "June 22nd. This is a very difficult day. The food is going to be eaten, and horses and mules are destined to be slaughtered and eaten." "June 23rd. The Marine Corps had to drop the barge, carry the wounded soldiers, and retreat to Tianjin under the cover of the nearest groves and mounds. The Chinese army that had previously chased the Marine Corps and the Chinese army that had retreated from Tianjin together, fired fiercely at the approaching Marines. The Marines’ situation is extremely critical." "June 24th. I received a letter from Seymour in Tianjin saying that he was surrounded by Chinese in the Xigu Arsenal three miles away from Tianjin. The letter was sent by a Chinese Christian." "Rescue troops ( 2000 people) set off at night and was led by the Chinese who led Seymour. The next day, they met at nine o'clock in the morning." "June 25th. The coalition has been transporting wounded soldiers all day and sending them to the opposite side of Baihe." "At three o'clock on the night of June 26th. The joint force returned to Tianjin smoothly. The Russian army lined up in front of the barracks shouting "Ula", welcoming the brave Seymour Expeditionary Army and his sad army carrying 238 wounded soldiers. Long stretcher team." ([Russian] Jancivitsky "The Eyewitnesses of the Eight-Power Allied Forces") "On July 1st. In Beijing, no one heard about the Seymour expedition. However, European newspapers published reports about Seymour, including his expedition diary, which recorded the number of casualties: dead 62 people injured 228 people.” ([Italian] Madara, "Beijing in 1900")  ​

On June 17th, 1900, the Eight-Power Allied Forces invaded and occupied the Dagu Fort "The four forts in Dagu extend three versts from south to north along the coastline. The forts are equipped with a powerful battery of 240 guns of different models and calibres, 54 of which are Armstrong's latest cannons." "At the last morning joint meeting on June 16, the admirals of the navy decided to submit an ultimatum to Zhili Governor Yulu and Dagu Fortress Admiral Luo Rongguang, requesting the fort to be handed over before 2 a.m. by the Chinese army. If the fort is not evacuated by then, the coalition forces will be forced to use force to capture." "The ultimatum will be handed over to Luoshoutai by the torpedo captain, Lieutenant Bach Metyev. At the same time, Navy Warrant Officer Shramchenko will be sent to Tianjin to deliver the ultimatum to Governor Yulu." "Taiwan Admiral Luo Rongguang received a telegram: No matter what happens, the Dagu Fort shall not be handed over to foreigners." "At one o'clock in the morning on the 17th, there was a flash of fire on the new turrets. There was a roar of artillery, and the shells rumbled over the 'Kiriyak'. The fire from the various turrets burst out. One round of shells continued to pass over the warship." "A boiler on the British warship "Battle" was destroyed by a Chinese five-inch shell." "Seventeen grenades fell on the German warship 'Iltis' and all of the upper deck of the ship was destroyed. Captain Landz was hit by 25 shrapnel and wood chips. He was seriously injured and saw off one leg. This was the first time that the Germans personally tasted the excellent effects of German grenades fired from Krupp cannons. A German officer and 7 soldiers were killed and 17 were injured." "A grenade exploded on the French warship "Leon" and caused a fire. One person on the ship was killed and 46 others were injured." "A Chinese grenade hit the Russian warship  'Kiriyak' ammunition depot and caused an explosion. A total of 8 people were killed and 48 people were injured on the ship." "At three o'clock in the morning, the first Chinese shell hit the hull of the Russian warship 'Korean.' The restaurant above the shell magazine burned. 2 officers, 9 sailors and 20 were injured on the ship." "At 3:30 in the morning, given that the gunboats did not cause any damage to the battery, and also expected that it would not be possible to take the Northwest Battery as an offensive target, the (Marine Corps) commanders decided to retreat." "The Chinese noticed that the Marines were heading for the fort, and they immediately fired at them with guns." "Fight against their own unshakable Japanese feud with fierce gunfire. The Japanese commander Hattori Sasa ran to the gate just a few steps away, was suddenly shot dead and fell down." "At 5:30 in the morning, when the coalition forces saw the British flag on the northwest fort, the cheers of 'Ula' resounded through all the warships like thunder." "After the Marines occupied the northwest fort, they rushed to attack the north fort. The Chinese were in a mess, abandoning the fort and fleeing. The fort was immediately occupied by the coalition forces." "At six o'clock in the morning, all the warships pulled their anchors and set sail down the river in order to bombard the South Fort and the New Fort." "At 6:30 in the morning, the Russian flag was placed on the South Fort, the German and Austrian flags were placed on the New Fort, the Japanese flag was placed on the North Fort, and the British and Italian flags were placed on the Northwest Fort." "Luo Shoutai (罗守台) tried his best to defend the fort entrusted to him. Near the cannons of all the captured forts, brave defenders with broken hands, feet, and heads were found. Chinese infantry and artillery were lying everywhere along the parapet." "Luo Shoutai saw that he was powerless, and at the same time he was unwilling to leave the fortress entrusted to him alive, and according to the duties of the Chinese military attache, he died in pain after swallowing gold." ([Russian] Jancivitsky "The Eyewitnesses of the Eight-Power Allied Forces") ​

On June 19th, 1900, the Qing government decided to declare war "June 19. The news of the occupation of the Dagu Fort angered the Qing court. After a heatedly debated meeting, the Prime Minister’s Yamen was ordered to submit an ultimatum to the ministers of various countries in China. This is very shocking. No one in the embassy area expected this, and no one knew that Tianjin was besieged and Dagu Fort was occupied." "In the afternoon, 12 large red envelopes were delivered by the Prime Minister’s national affairs office to the ministers of the 11 countries and Sir Robert Hurd, the General Taxation Department of the Imperial Customs. The letter is an ultimatum. The 12 letters clearly marked the time limit: 4 pm. At the same time the next day, the embassy staff must be evacuated, and all their guests will be evacuated to Tianjin. The ultimatum is succinctly written, mentioning the coalition’s ultimatum and the occupation of the fort: ‘I was surprised to learn that the fort was occupied. This is actually a deliberate destruction of peace by Western countries and is an enemy of China’s Qing Dynasty. The Boxers disturbed the capital, The people are in turmoil. Your Excellencies, your family, and the embassy are in dire straits. The Qing court is in a difficult situation and it is difficult to provide effective protection. In view of this, this Prime Minister’s Personal Secretary hereby invites you to leave Beijing as soon as possible and be escorted by the embassy guard to Tianjin to avoid disasters. The embassy guard must be effectively restrained. ’Everything must be carried out under the escort of court guards." "The ministers of various countries held an emergency meeting in the Spanish embassy because the Spanish minister Ge Luogan is the head of the mission. Everyone's first reaction was to condemn the stupid actions of the soldiers. The decision to submit an ultimatum to the Chinese government should be made by diplomats, not soldiers. "The proposal of the Marquis of Raj was adopted, and it was considered the most appropriate plan. ‘The meeting decided to give the following reply based on my suggestion: Once Commander Seymour arrives in Beijing, we will immediately withdraw. If the court provides convenience, they can arrive at the capital within two days. The reply also stated that it was difficult to evacuate within 24 hours due to the inability to find enough means of transportation. With the insistence of the French Minister, the requirements of the Dagu Fort were extremely difficult to understand. "" "This is the testimony of the Italian Minister-it has never been mentioned by historians who have studied the Boxer Movement and the embassy besieged. "([Italian] Madara "Beijing in 1900") ​

On September 7th, 1900, military parade in the Imperial Palace of the Russian Army. The Russian army camped in the imperial city: partly in the tents around Meishan, partly in the palace houses. The luxurious "Summer Palace" is guarded by several companies of our army. On September 6th, Vice Admiral Alekseyev, commander-in-chief of the Russian army, arrived in Beijing in a troika. This is the first Russian troika to drive into Beijing. On September 7th, General Alekseyev inspected the Russian troops camping in the imperial palace. All of our troops who have conquered Beijing bravely put on clean white shirts, beaming tanned faces, and saw their commander-in-chief with vigour. The commander-in-chief paid tribute to all the troops one by one as he inspected the entire army. Then, the Lieutenant General stood in the middle of the entire army and delivered a loud speech full of patriotism. The speech commended the brave, courageous and tenacious spirit of the Russian army and thanked them for their dedication in marching and conquering Beijing. And hail long live for the honour of His Majesty and the holy family. The 4,000 Russian soldiers of His Majesty the Tsar honoured His Majesty the Emperor of Russia: it was the first to occupy Beijing. Their enthusiastic cheers and national anthem resounded throughout the imperial garden and palace for a long time. General Linevich received cheers as the commander responsible for the successes in the two vast theatres from Beijing to Fengtian. A celebration was held at the end of the military parade. ([Russian] Jancivitsky "Eight-Power Allied Forces Witnesses") On December 27th, 1900, New Year's Day, 1901, the military parade at Tiananmen Square in Wade West. ​

"On August 18th, 1900, the hostilities began on a larger scale. In Berlin, Germany publicly issued a speech when the Kaiser sent off the German Expeditionary Force: 'You should retaliate for unjust acts. The way of implication is mocking the sacredness of foreign envoys. If you encounter an enemy, don't be merciful and do not spare life. With the weapons in your hands, the Chinese will not dare to look at the Germans even after a thousand years. Let us open a permanent channel for civilization!'" ([Italian] Madarao "Beijing in 1900") On August 23rd, 1900, Wadsey led the German Expeditionary Force to China. "At 11:30 on September 21st, I arrived at Wusong Bay and was welcomed by the many warships moored there... In the French concession of Shanghai, the British General Creagh ordered the armies of various countries to gather and hold a grand event. Military salute... and the general asks Yu Shen (余深) to review the entire army the next day... If Yu goes to the military parade, he wears the Black Eagle Medal belt, and is master of the marshal’s command, followed by one of his majesty’s guards holding a handsome flag, and dozens of officers. There are also countless Indian cavalry with splendid costumes and brave appearances, and they disperse the crowded Chinese visiting. It is inevitable that there is a sense of stage acting. But Yu Shen knows that this kind of acting method is not for Asian residents. It should be there." ([Germany] Wadsey "Boxer Rebellion Notes")  ​

Today (New Year's Day in 1901) is the military parade of the British garrison, most of which is composed of Indian soldiers. Indian custom often celebrates the Queen’s birthday on this day. The (British) General Gaselee, on behalf of the (British) Queen’s grandson, went to hold a military parade, commanded the Union Jack raised during the salute, and chanted long live the Queen. It's something that has never happened since ancient times! It's really a lot of experience here. Under the command of a Prussian marshal, the British and Indian troops saluted and shouted Hep hep Hurrah! I dare not forget to thank the Queen. The military parade was excellent. During the period, the style of the military uniform and the flesh colour of the soldiers actually showed a resplendent image, with spectacle only visible in the Eastern Kingdom. The ride is on beautiful brown horse. "([Germany] Wadsey "Boxer Rebellion Notes") "On June 5th, Vardesi left China. To be sure, he left an unforgettable mark in 9 months. The newspaper wrote: China was calmed down. On July 29th, the Forbidden City was destroyed. Returned to the Chinese authorities." ([Italian] Madara, "Beijing in 1900") ​

On September 7th, 1901, the "Xin Chou [辛丑] Treaty" was formally signed "For this expedition, the emperor has the greatest hope for the development of our East Asian business. The emperor has also made Yu remember: to demand China's compensation to the highest limit, and must thoroughly implement the proposition. Because the emperor urgently needs this money to produce Battleships, so it is. Later I learned more that the emperor wanted to expand our rights in Shandong. In order to achieve this project, I hope to put it on Yantai." ([Germany] Wadesi "Bpxer Rebellion Notes") "On October 26th, 1900, the peace negotiations began. Li Hongzhang (李鸿章) was sitting next to Prince Qing (庆)." "Because Spanish Ambassador Ge Luogan was the head of the mission, the negotiations were held at the Spanish Embassy. The meeting was very lengthy and exhausting, everyone. Not wanting to lose face, but the Chinese must pay a high price for peace." ([Italian] Madarao "Beijing in 1900") ​

The indemnity involved in the "Xin Chou Treaty" is called Boxer Indemnity because 1900 is the Year of the Boxer. The compensation was calculated based on the population of China at that time, one tael per person, totalling 450 million taels. Among them, Russia 130,371,120 taels, Germany 900,705,15 taels, France 708,782,40 taels, Britain 506,205,45 taels, Japan 347.931,00 taels, the United States 329,390,55 taels, Italy 329,390,55 taels, Belgium 848,4345 taels, Austria-Hungary 400,3920 taels, Netherlands 782,100 taels, and the remaining 430,000 taels Shared by Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Norway and other countries. The annual interest is 4%, which is paid off in 39 years, with the interest being 532,238,150 taels. The principal and interest totalled 982,238,150 taels. There are still more than 20 million taels of "local compensation" in various provinces. Therefore, the total amount is more than 1 billion taels of silver. This huge sum of money is equivalent to 12 times the Qing government's annual fiscal revenue. "Until the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, the Qing government's annual fiscal revenue was generally stable at around 80 million taels. But by 1903, the annual revenue had reached 104.92 million taels; by 1908, the annual revenue reached 234.8 million taels." ([日] Mingshui "Japanese on China's Fiscal Management Policy") ​

Chinese Language Reference: 
https://zj.zjol.com.cn/news.html?id=1431755 
1900庚子年，西方人亲历的中华至暗时刻 
2020-04-17 15:00中必兴 ​

Mr and Mrs Chan did initially live in a privately-purchased house not far from here - but this property was lost in a business-deal gone wrong. Master Chan Tin Sang (1924-1993) came to the UK in 1956 - and settled in 'Sutton' - then in 'Surrey' - because this is where a number of the Chan Clan had previously settled after making the journey from the British Colony of Hong Kong to the British Mainland as 'British Citizens'. A number of British governments had requested Colonial Subjects to migrate to an economically 'booming' UK to carry-out all the menial employment tasks - such as 'sweeping' and 'cleaning toilets', etc. Maser Chan left his wife and Hong Kong and came to the UK on his own where he got a job washing-up in London's Chinatown. In his diary he records that whilst travelling on a bus in Sutton - he was 'spat at' by a British person. He worked hard for ten years until he had earned enough to bring his wife and two young daughters from Hong Kong (all of whom arrived in the UK in 1966)! Initially, the Chan Family lived in a comfortable three-bedroomed house in Orchard Road (next to the local school). From between 1966-1980, the Chan Family (two parents and two daughters) ran the very successful 'King Wah' Chinese Take-Away situated in Grove Road (believed to be the 'first' such Chinese Take-Away in the Sutton area). It was through cooking and selling their Hakka-Chinese food to the general public that the Chan Family made their fortune in the West! Due to a business deal going wrong around the early 1980s, however, the 'King Wah' Chinese Take-Away had to be sold - meaning that the family had to move-out of their home in Orchard Road. They were re-housed by Sutton Council (now a Borough of Greater [South] London), in 'Killick House' - a high-rise Council Estate completed in 1966 as part of the money given to Sutton Council to house the local working-class. This is typical of a number of similar structures built all over Sutton - with many being 'sold' into private hands since the mid-1980s. Killick House consists of each individual living-structure consisting of a two-floored flat with the bedrooms on the ground-floor and a livingroom and kitchen on the upper floor. There was a shared utility room next door where we would hold ad hoc gongfu classes when no one was making use of the washing-machines that used to be stored there. Master Chan's two daughters, until about 1972, used to attend the nearby 'Crown Road Council School' (now closed) when they lived in both Orchard Road and Killick House. This name for the school has been given to me by a Librarian working for Sutton Library Services - although I seem to remember the school as being called 'Sutton District', or something similar. After this, Master Chan's two daughters secured professional employment - one in accountancy and the other in insurance. 

The school ran across the bottom of the four roads mentioned above, with the Main-Gate being situated at the end of Sydney Road. After it was closed, this land was used to build a number of high-rise Council Estates in what is now called the 'St James' area of Sutton. Again, many of these Council Flats have been sold into private hands. Although life was generally good in the area, around 1970, a tragedy occurred, which saw a young teenage Chinese boy (who had been subjected to months of racist bullying at this school) one day took a knife into the classroom and stabbed the main protangonist to death (a single blow to the heart)! Master Chan's youngest daughter (herself about fourteen years old at the time) had to accompany the police when they went to the young boy's parents to explain (in their local Hakka-Cantonese dialect) what had happened and what their son had done (the mother collapsed in absolute grief). After this, life went on as before with good memories obscuring the bad. Racism definitely existed then as it does now - but there was also many good people who refused to sink to these depths. Generally speaking, everyone helped one another get on - and this is why another place for gongfu practice was outside on the 'concourse' near the main entrance (c. 1983-1993)! 

It is a peculiar reality that a number of Westerners practice Chinese martial arts to make money – whilst denigrating a) the Chinese people b) Chinese culture and c) the ‘right’ (both ‘moral’ and ‘legal’) of the Chinese people to decide to their own destiny and political system! As someone of Anglo-Chinese extraction (and who lives within the UK Chinese community), I have even witnessed Westerners travel to Mainland China to study at university or at a Gongfu College – only to return to the West with Certificates and Teaching Qualifications after having experienced a fully enjoyable and productive visit – only to continue to hold and express anti-China racist views when in the presence of their fellow Westerners! This also occurs after these individuals have experienced generous reductions in their flight and accommodation costs, reductions in their education fees and benefitting from ‘free’ student travel whilst living in China! Who pays for all this? Certainly not the Western countries from where these people originate – but rather the average Chinese–taxpayer through their hard-earned pay-cheques!  ​

Through the agency of US anti-intellectualism, many lies are told about China in the West and this is why the average Westerner remains both ‘ignorant’ and ‘racist’. China is a ‘Socialist’ country – which means its form of democracy is much more inclusive, regular and empowering to the average Chinese citizen than its Western counter-part. The Chinese people are working hard to build a Socialist society. Throughout the 20th century, the Chinese people fought against the tyranny of Chinese feudalism, Japanese and Western imperialism – and they did this successfully through the auspices of the Communist Party of China CPC)! Chinese people were killed in their millions by the Chinese Imperial (Qing) Government (from 1644 until its overthrow in 1911), by the corrupt Western-backed ‘Nationalist Government’ (192-1949), the Western imperialists (for hundreds of years until 1949) and the Japanese Imperial Kwantung Army (destroyed by the Soviet Red Army in 1945). It is the CPC that has built a strong China out of these ruins and saved the Chinese people from further pain and suffering at the hands of others!  ​

Through the Chinese ‘Socialist’ education system, it is the CPC which teaches that ALL foreigners should be treated with respect and financially assisted whilst visiting China! It is interesting, therefore, that on a website I help to administer regarding the practice of Chinese Ch’an Buddhism (which is flourishing within ‘Communist’ China) I receive the following communication affixed to the bottom of a blog post I made (this response has no relevance to the topic): 

By: Howard Johnson ([email protected]) Commented On: Seated Transforma... Date Commented: 07/03/20 03:26PM  

Howard Johnson said:  

Some good information in this blog but why the promotion of communism ? You do realise that this murderous ideology is responsible at least 100 million deaths.  

Commenter IP: 46.69.52.108 

Interestingly, a reader can tell the far-right political affiliation of a Westerner who nevertheless presents himself as an authority upon ‘Xingyi’ and ‘Tongbei’ whilst expressing disinformed rhetoric that only appears upon right-wing websites and within fascistic literature! By way of contrast to this the above nonsense – as no one in Russia or China believe that any ‘mass’ killings occurred that were perpetuated by the CPC – a recent academic report in the US states that since 1945 to now (excluding WWII), the US military has killed or murdered between 20-30 million people around the world in defence of its own capitalist system!  ​

Many of these murders were perpetuated within Asia and involved US capitalist soldiers killing Asians within Communist countries. Furthermore, during the US (capitalist) invasion of the USSR (1918-1921) - the US, UK, Germany and their (capitalist) allies killed hundreds of thousands (perhaps millions) of Russians who were fighting for Socialism! Eventually, the US military was defeated by the Soviet Red Army and was forced to retreat. Another academic report states that when European (capitalists) settled the America – by around 1610 some 60 million indigenous Indians had been cleared from their ancestral lands and murdered! If we add the killings associated with WWI and WWII we do, indeed, approach the figure of ‘100 million’ documented deaths – but all committed by representatives of the capitalist system – and often aimed at ‘Communists’ whilst NOT being committed by Communists! If United Nations (UN) records are checked - the average reader will discover the true extent of far-right, racist lying as contained in Howard Johnson’s supposed ‘factual comment – as absolutely NO official or reliable records exist that ‘prove’ that any massacres ever happened in any Communist country! This is the triumph of ‘fact’ over US ‘anti-intellectualism’! ​

References: 
US Military Murdered 20-30 Million Since 1945 
https://www.voltairenet.org/article204021.html 
European Colonisation of the Americas Killed 60 Million 
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277379118307261 
WWI Deaths – 21 million (23 million Wounded) 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I_casualties 
WWII Deaths – 75 million Deaths 
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hccc-worldhistory2/chapter/casualties-of-world-war-ii/ 
Russian Civil War Deaths – 10 million Deaths 
https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/highest-death-toll-from-a-civil-war ​