WU WEI THIEN USED A COMBAT SEQUENCE FROM FLOWER SET
Lift Pot Offers Wine
Wu Wei Thien took off his outer coat then drove a punch straight at Ngow Fa Kow using the pattern “Fierce Tiger Speeds through Valley”. Ngow Fa Kow warded off the attack, and countered with “Poisonous Snake Enters Hole” to strike Wu Wei Thien’s abdomen.
Wu Wei Thien brushed away the strike, and attacked with “Single Dragon Emerges from Sea” to strike the opponent’s ribs. Ngow Fa Kow lowered his body to avoid, then swept his leg at Wu Wei Thien using “Iron Bloom Sweeps Floor”.
Wu Wei Thien jumped up to avoid the leg sweep, then used “Sweep a Thousand Army” to attack Ngow Fa Kow as he stood up. Ngow Fa Kow warded off the attack and struck at Wu Wei Thien’s throat with “Poisonous Snake Shoots Venom”.
The two combatants exchanged many encounters. The more Ngow Fa Kow fought, the more valiant he became. Wu Wei Thien thought that in this way he would not have any advantage over his opponent. So he decided to use the specialty that his sifu, the Venerable Chee Seen, had taught him, the Flower Set.
After a few exchanges to lead the way, Wu Wei Thien attacked the left temple of Ngow Fa Kow using his right horn-punch, “Golden Star Hangs at a Corner”. Ngow Fa Kow intercepted the attack with his left hand. But it was a feign move. As soon as Ngow Fa Kow intercepted, Wu Wei Thien thread his left hand under Ngow Fa Kow’s left hand, and executed a diagonal chop with his right hand also at the opponent’s temple, using “Singly Chop the Hua Mountain”.
Ngow Fa Kow quickly used his right hand to ward off the attack. This was exactly what Wu Wei Thien expected. Instantly, he used his left hand to lift Ngow Fa Kow’s both hands, thus blocking the opponent’s sight, and thrust a cup fist into Ngow Fa Kow’s solar plexus, using the pattern “Lift Pot Offers Wine”. Ngow Fa Kow could not defend. He was thrown many feet backward and fell down the lei-tai.
Ngow Fa Kow’s students wanted to rush up the stage with their weapons. But before they could do so, Leong Zong shouted, Don’t move. Whoever moves, I shall take his life. You all draw up the rules for the lei-tai match, and state that this lei-tai is for Wu Wei Thien and Ngow Fa Kow only. No one else can take part. Now you all want to go against the rules. “
His voice was loud and firm, and demonstrated valour and courage. No one dared to move. They could only see Wu Wei Thien and the others walk away briskly.
Ngow Fa Kow was carried back to his own martial art school. His students invited a doctor to treat their master, but the injury was serious and no medicine could help.
Ngow Fa Kow knew that his time was up. He called all his students together and said.
“I don’t have any wife or children, so life and death does not matter. But this rascal Wu Wei Thien, I hate him to my bones. If you still remember your sifu, go to the District of Siew Heng, and tell my story to my siheng (i.e. elder kungfu brother), Lu Yin Pou. His kungfu is better than mine. “
Then he turned to Cheong Harng Ming, Pak On Fook and other cloth-making workers. “I’ve no worry to go. I just have this smelly skin container (i.e. his body). Then he died.
The Cloth-Making Association gave Ngow Fa Kow a big funeral. The next day, Pak On Fook told his students, “You all have not forgotten the last words of your sifu. When will you leave for Siew Heng?”
His most senior student replied, “To avenge my sifu is greater than heaven. We shall leave tomorrow.”
Pak On Fook stroke his beard and nodded his head. He told another important office-bearer of the association, “Get ready one hundred pieces of silver for the expenses of various sifus.”
(Pak On Fook was courteous. Although the students of Ngow Fa Kow might not be very good at kungfu, he addressed them as sifus, meaning kungfu teachers.)
Wong Kiew Kit,
11th January 2018, Sungai Petani
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