Ng Mui

The legend persists because it fulvis-- fulfills symbolic needs rather than historical ones.

One of the most, uh, important legendary figures in Southern Chinese martial arts folklore is Ng Mui, uh, and, uh, her name is spelled capital N-G, capital M-U-I, Ng Mui.

Uh, in traditional...

And it's said to be the creator of, uh, Wing Chun Kung Fu.

Uh, Ng Mui is portrayed as one of the five elders who survived the destruction of Shaolin Temple during the, uh, Qing dynasty in the 18th century.

She is represented as a Buddhist nun, martial arts master, survival of persecution, and transmitter of secret martial knowledge.

In the oral traditions of Wan Hop Lun Chuan Kung Fu that I encountered as a martial arts student in Texas during the 1980s, however, her bio-- uh, her biography expands dramatically.

The monks refused, and the temple, uh, was destroyed in 650 CE.