Wen Ji Qi Wu originally means to get up early and dance a sword. Later, it acquired the connotations of people wanting to serve their country rise up immediately. This idiom also comes from a historical story in China.
Zuti, a native of Fanyangqiu County in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (now Laishui, Hebei Province), was a man with a broad mind and great ambition. But when he was a child, he was a naughty boy who didn’t like reading. In his youth, he realized his lack of knowledge and felt that he could not serve his country without reading, so he began to study very hard. He read books extensively and studied history conscientiously, from which he drew rich knowledge and managed to make great progress. He had been in and out of Kyoto and Luoyang several times, and people who had contact with him said that Zuti was a bright talent who could help the emperor govern the country.
When Zuti was 24 years old, someone recommended him to be an official, but he didn’t agree. He still strived to study more and work hard. It was only later that Zuti and his childhood friend Liu Kun served as the governor of the state. He and Liu Kun shared deep feelings. They not only often lie in the same bed and slept together, they also shared the same lofty ideal: to make contributions, revive the state of Jin, and become the pillars of the country. Once, in the middle of the night, Zuti heard a rooster crow in his sleep. He kicked Liu Kun up and said to him, “do you hear the rooster crow?”. Liu Kun said, “it’s bad luck to hear the rooster crow in the middle of the night.” Zuti said, “I don’t think so. Why don’t we just get up and practice sword when we hear the rooster crow?” Liu Kun agreed. So every day after the rooster crowed, they got up to practice their swords.
The light of the sword is flying and the sound of the sword is sonorous. Spring comes and winter comes, cold comes and summer goes, it never stops. After a long period of hard study and training, they have finally become all-round talents. Zuti was appointed as the general of Zhenxi, realizing his desire to serve the country; Liu Kun became the general of Zhonglang in the northern expedition, and took charge of the military affairs of Bingzhou, Jizhou and Youzhou, giving full play to his literary talent and military strategy.
Through this story, we learn the worth of the struggle of living a down-to-earth life every day, doing a good job of every little thing in hand, avoiding procrastination and complaint, steering away from shirking and laziness. Every day, bit by bit, through strife and effort, leads you to where you want to go, takes you to complete your dream.
Author: He Zhong
He Zhong is a master of traditional sports in Beijing Sport University. She won the national second level athlete of Wushu and the national first level referee of Wushu routine. She loves martial arts, and hopes to carry it forward and share the love for the discipline with others, so that more people are introduced to, appreciate and practice martial arts.
