Real-life 'female knights' of Nga Mi sect cause a stir in the martial arts world

The Nga Mi martial arts group was once invited to perform in France - Photo: IOC

The Emei sect does not only exist in Jin Yong's stories.

Beautiful Nga Mi girls in eye-catching martial arts costumes, holding swords, sabers, and spears, roaming in front of the Arc de Triomphe, on the streets of glamorous Paris, or along the poetic Seine River...

It's not a movie, but one of the recent hot performances of the Nga Mi sect.

Readers of Kim Dung's novels are obviously familiar with the name "Emei Sect", a martial arts sect with a thousand years of history located on Mount Emei, Sichuan province.

In 2008, the Emei sect was recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage in China, on par with famous martial arts schools such as Shaolin, Wudang, Wing Chun...

Group of 9 girls of Nga Mi sect - Photo: BT

In Jin Yong's novels, the Emei sect is famous for being a female sect, from its overwhelming numbers to the fact that most of its sect leaders are female. In real life, Emei is similar to many other martial arts sects, with a balanced male-to-female ratio.

But a group of Nga Mi martial arts students recently took full advantage of the "female knight" image associated with Kim Dung's novels to promote their sect.

In late April 2024, a video went viral on social media showing nine girls in green uniforms, coordinating and performing many beautiful kung fu techniques. The setting was Mount Emei, with majestic scenery and impressive footage.

That is "Emei Kung Fu Girls", consisting of 9 female members. They quickly created a fever when they continuously posted videos of martial arts performances.

Nga Mi girls go through hours of hard training every day - Photo: BT

“Unlike in movies or TV shows, our training is rooted in real Emei skills,” said Chen Yufei, 23, one of the group members. She is proficient in double whips, swords and sticks.

Emei Kung Fu Girls is the first all-female martial arts group in China, a country famous for its traditional martial arts with a strong performance element.

"We want to go beyond the image of conventional idol groups and inspire more young people to embrace traditional Chinese culture through martial arts," Ling Yun, one of the group's co-founders, told the Global Times .

In Jin Yong's novels, the founder of the Emei sect was Guo Xiang, who lived at the end of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1297). But historical documents show that this martial art sect was born much earlier, during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC).

Over 3,000 years of history, the Emei sect now has 68 branches, with 1,093 forms, 518 weapon exercises, 41 pair exercises and 276 other training methods.

Cultural ambassadors

One of the famous weapons originating from the Emei sect is the Emei sword. With a shape similar to a woman's hairpin, the Emei sword has become a unique, powerful weapon, a symbol of martial arts that emphasizes dexterity, and is associated with women.

Emei Shi, the trademark weapon of the Emei sect, is also the group's performance trump card - Photo: KOW

"Emei martial arts emphasize dexterity and flexibility, which is very suitable for women. But it is not for performance. The typical exercises of our school bring health benefits," Chen Yufei shared.

According to Chen, the group's daily training regimen includes two hours of basic exercises every morning, followed by practice of Emei techniques. In addition to martial arts, they also receive intensive training in performance skills.

"The current team was formed after many rounds of selection. The best female students in the sect were selected, and went through arduous training over the past few years," Ling shared.

Although only 26 years old, Ling has 22 years of martial arts experience. The idea for the group originally came from idol groups.

Doan Ruru (left) practices on Mount Emei - Photo: STANDARD

"We wanted to prove that martial arts can still thrive and attract fans like this. We started posting videos on social media, and touring to many places," said Duan Ruru, one of the group's founding members.

Former Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin once shared one of these videos, with the caption: "Heroines from Chinese martial arts novels! Watch the Emei kung fu girls perform martial arts."

Over the past half year, "Emei girls" quickly became a popular keyword on social media in China, and has increasingly spread to many other countries.

Ahead of the 2024 Olympics, the group was invited to Paris to perform and record, a significant recognition. And over the past several months, the Emei girls have continued to stir the world .

As beautiful as Zhou Zhiruo in Jin Yong's novel - Photo: STANDARD

Vuong Sieu, one of the elders of the Nga Mi sect, shared that this group of nine girls is helping the 3,000-year-old sect have more funds to operate.

"To be honest, it's not easy to maintain the existence of such historical martial arts schools. Today's audiences are no longer very fond of traditional martial arts schools, and we still have to rely on government subsidies.

But the group of 9 girls is bringing a new face to the sect. Now, the name of Nga Mi sect is reviving," Vuong Sieu shared.

Although there are many controversies about its practicality, kung fu - especially the thousand-year-old martial arts - is always a fascinating topic for those who love martial arts.

And among the forest of names that have become classics thanks to Kim Dung's pen, the Nga Mi sect has a special place. A martial arts sect for women.

"No matter where you are, as long as you have a passion for martial arts in your heart, you can start your martial arts journey. The door to Emei martial arts is always open," Ling shared.

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HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nhung-nu-hiep-phai-nga-mi-ngoai-doi-that-gay-sot-lang-vo-20250325211725468.htm