Warrior Women: Yuenu

Our second ‘Warrior Woman’ is Yuenu and although her story is steeped in legend and folklore, references to her can be found in ancient Chinese documents. Her influence, particularly in the field of swordsmanship, is still felt today.

Yuenu was renowned as the most famous and greatest swordfighter of her day. Her actual name is not recorded in history but she was known as the Lady of Yue or the Maiden of the Southern Forest. She first appears in the masterpiece chronicle “Commentary of Zuo” which was written by the blind historian Zuo Qiuming in about 400 BC. She is also recorded in a ten-volume book entitled the “Spring and Autumn Annals of Southern States Wu and Yue”.

Yuenu was born in 497 BC in the state of Yuene in the modern Chinese province of Zhejiang. She lived during the reign of Gujian of Yue (496 to 465 BC), who held Court in the northern capital of Wu, which is present day Suzhou.

Yuene lived in the Southern Forest of Yue and as a young girl, she learned archery and swordsmanship whilst hunting with her father. The forest was wild and sparsely populated, so hunting skills were essential for those who lived there.

Yuenu taught herself to use the sword by firstly, using sticks of bamboo. She practised for many years without ever holding a sword, but she developed techniques that used lightning speed and subtle but powerful and effective moves. She would train alone in the forest and perfected a style of swirling, leaping, parrying and slashing against multiple opponents, represented by saplings and bamboo plants.

The Spring and Autumn Annals of Southern States Wu and Yue recount that King Goujian planned to wage a war of revenge against the state of Wu. He had many ships and chariots at his disposal but he lacked skilled fighters, who could use both long and short blades. He asked his Prime Minister, Fan Li for advice. Fan Li told the King that he would need a strong army if he were to succeed but they would have to be trained by the best warriors.

First, a famous archer from the western state of Chu was summoned to assist in training the army. Fan Li also mentioned that he had heard of a maiden who lived south of the King’s castle, and who was renowned for both her archery and swordsmanship. The King accordingly sent an emissary to invite Yuenu to the castle so that he could consult her on the art of weaponry.

Legend has it that Yuenu was challenged along her journey northward by a magical gibbon or ape, who had taken on the form of an old master swordsman. The swordsman told Yuenu that he had heard she fought well with a sword and asked for a demonstration. Yuenu agreed and the old man brought out a length of bamboo. The bamboo was rotten at one end and the end fell to the ground as Yuenu grabbed it. The old man wielded the top end of the staff and thrust it towards Yuenu, but she parried it and thrust three times, driving home her attack against the old man. The old man hopped off up a tree, changing into a white ape. They each went their separate ways, Yuenu continuing her journey to the King’s Court.

There is an alternative version of this duel, in which the old man challenged Yuenu to a match with bamboo staves. He snapped off a Linyu bamboo branch and stripped it, but before the leaves fell to the ground, Yuenu swiftly closed the distance between them, and, with a single slash of her sword, she cleaved the falling leaves in two, and the old man’s bamboo stave into three parts. The old man congratulated Yuenu on her skill, hopped up a tree and transformed into his true form of a white gibbon. Yuenu’s reputation as an invincible swordswoman then spread throughout the land.

When Yuenu reached the King’s Court, she had an audience with the King. He ordered her to demonstrate her skills and face several of his soldiers all at once. Yuenu defeated her attackers easily. The “Annals” state that the King was very impressed and asked her where she learnt her mastery of the sword. Yuenu explained to the King that she had had no formal teacher and that she developed her own style for protection in her native forest.

In her words, “I was born in the depths of the forest and I grew up in the wilds where no other people ever ventured. So there was no ‘method’ for me and I followed no course of instruction, for I never ventured into the feudal fiefs. Secretly I yearned for a true method of fighting and I practised endlessly. I never learned it from anyone: I just realised one day that I could do it.”

Although not an image of Yuenu, this picture from the Qing dynasty is titled 'Ladies with Swords' and is often associated with legendary figures.

When the King asked her about the fundamental techniques of her swordsmanship, she compared them to the opening and closing of small and large doors, which could be divided into yin and yang energy (the principle of complementary opposites). The doors both allowed and cut off opportunities for attack. Her techniques were simple yet powerful, based on a philosophy of strengthening the spirit whilst staying calm during combat.

She further explained that her techniques were designed for fighting multiple opponents. The King asked Yuenu what method she currently practised. She replied, “The method involves great mystery and depth. The method involves ‘front doors’ and ‘back doors’ as well as hard and soft elements. Opening the ‘front door’ and closing the ‘back door’ closes off the soft aspect and brings the hard aspect to the fore.” Yuenu went on, “Whenever you have hand-to-hand combat, you need to have nerves of steel on the inside, but be totally calm on the outside. I must look like a demure young lady and fight like a startled tiger. My profile changes with the action of my body, and both follow my subconscious.”

Yuenu continued, “Overshadow your adversary like the sun; but scuttle like a flushed hare. Become a whirl of silhouettes and shadows; shimmer like a mirage, inhale, exhausting, move in, moving back out, keeping yourself out of reach, using your strategy to block the adversary, vertical, horizontal, resisting, following, straight, devious, and all without sound. With a method like this, one man can match a hundred; a hundred men can match ten thousand.”

Moved by these words, the King gave Yuenu the title, “The Lady of Yue”. He also decreed that she instruct his chief officers. He ordered the divisional commanders and special forces to practice the new method so that they could pass on their skills to the troops. From then on, the method was known as ‘The Daughter of Yue’s Swordsmanship’.

Another account tells of a sword tournament organised by the reigning King of the Zhou dynasty. Over three thousand swordfighters came from every state to compete. Yuenu was among the competitors. The contest spanned seven days and Yuenu was the winner. The King of Zhou asked Yuenu why she had been so successful.

She replied, “The Way is very small and easy, and the meaning is very secluded and deep. Tao has a door, but also Yin and Yang. Open the door and close the door, the Yin declines and the Yang rises.” This answer illustrates Yuenu’s approach to combat, which was to avoid direct confrontation and maintain the element of surprise. She was in favour of using agility and fluidity to offset superior physical strength.

Yuenu’s sword techniques and principles are the earliest known explanation on the art of swordsmanship in China and were handed down for a thousand years. Her writings present timeless principles which helped shape martial arts styles, such as Northern Shaolin. Yuenu is also given credit for developing a new type of metallurgy that produced untarnishable bronze swords with flexible cores and extremely sharp edges. These blades were called ‘Yuenu swords’.

The following are quotations attributed to Yuenu, which clearly illustrate her fighting method.

Quotation 1

“When fencing, though highly alert

The appearance is as calm as a fair lady’s

But when in action, a vicious tiger emerges.”

Quotation 2

“Weak and exposed in appearance;

But powerful when unleashed,

One’s reactions may start afterwards

But the response arrives there first.”

Quotation 3

“One person can fight one hundred,

An army of one hundred can fight an army of one thousand.”