Annotation

Backing up the claim made on its cover to be ‘The only martial arts magazine in the entire nation’, Chinese Boxing Stories has a list on a page inside the magazine of 30-odd martial arts masters serving as advisors. Its contributions were mostly from renowned jiji xiaoshuo (martial arts combat fiction) authors and established Kung Fu masters, both from the Guangdong region. Other articles offered coverage of martial arts and martial arts masters, also mostly of the Cantonese school, exemplified by pieces on Wing Chun masters such as Lam Sai Wing (Lin Shirong) and Leung Jan (Liang zan) and Hung Ga masters such as ‘Iron Bridge Three’ (Leung Kwan).

Other articles included training manuals (quanpu), with explanatory notes from the renowned master Ip Man (Ye Wen). The magazine’s creative writing included fiction featuring legendary martial arts figures from Guangdong, such as Hung Hei Gun (Hong Xiguan), the ‘Hidden Swordsmen of Lingnan’ (lingnan yinxia) and tales about the Choy Family (‘Choy Gar’/Caijia Quan). These works emphasised actual techniques such as the movements of fists and kicks involved in the fighting.

Copies kept in private collections show that the magazine was renamed Chinese Boxing Magazine (Wushu zazhi) starting either from Issue 169 dated 12 June 1954 or possibly even earlier. Its new subtitle was ‘The only Chinese Boxing Stories of the entire nation’. From Issue 300 (8 December 1956) onwards, its chief-editor was Leung Kwok Wah (Liang Guohua), with Chen Jing, its first chief-editor, becoming its manager. The contents page of Issue 444  (17 October 1959) shows fewer pieces by Cantonese novelists and less coverage of Cantonese masters and jiji xiaoshuo. The last known issue of the magazine was Issue 503, published on 3 December 1960.

Regularly appearing every Saturday for at least nine years made Chinese Boxing Stories a long-lived magazine. Its serious approach to its subject matter and its focus on Cantonese martial arts, particularly during its early years, offers a wealth of insight into Cantonese martial arts and jiji xiaoshuo. It is unfortunate that only two issues of this magazine are available for public access.