Mention Huo Yuanjia, I think everyone is familiar with it. He was not only a generation of masters, but also a famous patriotic martial artist in the late Qing Dynasty. Many directors have made many inspiring works based on his deeds. Huo Yuanjia in the movie not only struck at little Japan, but also defeated the strong Russian Hercules under him, which greatly enhanced the national self-confidence of the Chinese people. On top of Huo Yuanjia, there are many hidden martial arts masters in China, such as this one, Cixi's bodyguard Li Ruidong.
Li Ruidong was born in a family of officials and eunuchs, and his family was wealthy, not only three generations of ancestors as officials, but also had a long-established pharmacy "Jishengtang" that had been operating for three hundred years. His father, Li Xiaolian, served in the Wuqing County Bureau and was known as "Miscellaneous Guest Li". Due to his family's superior wealth, Li Ruidong began to enter a private school at the age of 5 and opened a martial arts school at the age of 7. Initially, he studied martial arts with the "Great Dao Sun", and at the age of 12, he studied Shaolin martial arts with Han Daochang, the Guandi Temple of the Eastern Mafang. After that, he followed Li Laosui to poke his feet under the recommendation of Han Daochang.
In Li Ruidong's life, the teacher who had the greatest influence on him was Wang Lanting. Wang Lanting was a disciple of Yang Lucia, and because Li Ruidong was both literate and martial, reading the scriptures and reciting history, and zen Buddhism, Wang Lanting believed that it would be this son who could carry forward the master in the future. Therefore, he successively took Li Ruidong to visit Yue Fei's descendants Yue Qingshan, Dong Haichuan, Songshan Shaolin Temple Haichuan senior monks and other martial arts masters, under the guidance of these people, Li Ruidong gradually grew into a generation of martial arts masters.
After Wang Lanting disappeared, Wang Zaiyi of Duan Commandery worshiped Li Ruidong as his teacher. In the twentieth year of Qing Guangxu, Empress Dowager Cixi celebrated her sixtieth birthday, and Zai Yi and her teacher Li Ruidong wished Cixi a happy birthday. In order to help cheer, after practicing a set of auxiliary fists, Li Ruidong also performed a light skill, flying on the top beam of the Summer Palace Hall with "white crane bright wings". Cixi exclaimed, "Zhen Nai Shen Ying Ye!" Since then, Li Ruidong has had the nickname of "Condor Lee". Later, Cixi left Li Ruidong in the palace and served as a bodyguard with a sword and a martial arts instructor.
In 1901, after Cixi returned to Beijing from Xi'an, she was forced to punish the officials who had originally advocated the confrontation against the coalition forces under pressure from the Eight-Nation Alliance, and Zaiyi was exiled to Xinjiang. Li Ruidong, who had been recommended by Zaiyi, was also implicated and forced to leave the palace and return to Wuqing's hometown. At that time, Huo Yuanjia was working at the Tianjin docks and had just broken through to make a name for himself. At the instigation of some people, he went to Li Ruidong's home to challenge.
When Huo Yuanjia explained his intentions, Li Ruidong was not angry, but smiled and asked him about the number of shimen and martial arts paths. Although Huo Yuanjia was young, he did not hide his secrets, but instead revealed his martial arts path number and disk. Li Ruidong saw that Huo Yuanjia was so sincere, so he accepted his challenge. In order not to hurt and be angry, Li Ruidong proposed a test method: he stood still, and Huo Yuanjia kicked him three times with full force. If he moves half a point, he loses.
Huo Yuanjia felt that he was being underestimated, so he did his best to kick Li Ruidong's upper body. As a result, Li Ruidong bent his body into a bow shape, and really took Huo Yuanjia's foot, and did not move. After the first kick, Huo Yuanjia put away his contempt and began to gather all his strength on his feet, specializing in Li Ruidong's next set. Unexpectedly, this kick was like a kick on a steel plate, and the kick made his leg hurt. After recovering for a moment, when Huo Yuanjia concentrated on preparing to kick the third kick, Li Ruidong said: "Be careful, kick out this third kick, but you can't get it back!" Huo Yuanjia was also a person who had experienced hundreds of battles, knowing that the senior in front of him did not say a big word, and after repeated hesitation, he still gave up the third foot. And Li Ruidong also achieved the goal of "a soldier who yields without a fight."