Kung Fu and "Secret Scieties"

There are some kung fu people who proudly point out their association to the “secret societies”, while  many more are trying to connect their origin and history to same “secret societies”, which is really sad and does a lot harm to kung fu, historically and socially.

The term 'Triad' was given by the Hong Kong government to Chinese secret societies based on the triangular symbol which once represented such societies. The symbol is the Chinese character 'Hung,' encased in a triangle, representing the union of heaven, earth, and man. So Triads even today are sometimes referred to as the 'Hung Society' or the 'Heaven and Earth Society.'

The purpose of these societies, it is said, was the overthrow of the Qing empire and the restoration of the Ming. The character 'Hung,' in addition to meaning the most auspicious and lucky color 'red,' also alludes to the founder of the Ming Dynasty, Hung Wu. On top of that historically completely false claim and despite various crackdowns, triad culture continues to be ­ immortalized through films, artwork and video games giving the completely wrong picture what these “secret societies” actually are.

From historical point of view there tries to find roots of these organizations as far as 1000 BC but that is complete nonsense. Many people , even historians from Fujian are trying to connect beginning of the triads to Koshinga and middle 17^th century but that is also complete fabricated story and has foundation in reality.

 Triads them self have a rather “elaborate history: which is mostly based on myths. It involves not only a struggle against the Qing dynasty, but a retreat to the Shaolin monastery and the eventual famous burning of the monastery are an integral part. Only five monks survived the fire, and these are said to be the 'Five Ancestors' of modern triads. They go on to have a number of adventures which are still remembered by triad officials and sometimes represented in initiation rituals. Triad origin mythology holds that when they recruited thousands of people to their cause, including Sun Yat-Sen, the Qing Dynasty was finally defeated.

Historically speaking  fist mention of “secret societies” we can find in Qing dynasty official documents after 1876. Historians take as the starting point of Triad history the first appearance of “Heaven and Earth gathering”. First accounts of this organization can be found during Lin Shuang Wen uprising in Taiwan 1786-1787. All other sources about “Heaven and Earth” society are date after this time. Qing soldiers defeated the rebels and capture a lot of written material such as edict issued by rebel leadership, command notes and among other things a notes of the “blood oath” from which today’s Triads blood oath originated. 

So, what was the reason for forming “Heaven and Earth” Society? Lin family was very wealthy. Li Shunwen’s father came to Taiwan in 1749, bought land from aboriginals and then brought the rest of his family. In short time family became very rich and engage rice trades and loan business. Since the government control of the island was very loose people were force to organize them self in order to protect their lives, property and businesses. Like many other people , Li family organized “Heaven and Earth” association and Li Shuanwen became its leader. He got engaged with other similar organization and some illegal business which came to point that government sought to arrest Li Shuanwen. In order to avoid capture he sparked an uprising and for a year or so he fought successfully but eventually he got captured and executed and Li family also suffered serious consequences.   As we can see, there is no mention of anti Qing activities. Interestingly enough, 60 years later Li family will send their private militia to help Qing army to put down Taiping rebellion.

After Li Shuan Wen’s and other leaders death, followers of the uprising fled Taiwan and started to organize local Triad groups all over China. Although Qing police forces tried to stop spreading of Triads and they in deed captured and executed a large number of members every year Triads couldn’t be stopped.

Because of the treasonous nature of their enterprise they developed secret forms of communication and elaborate initiation ceremonies to impress upon new members the need for absolute loyalty and secrecy. The rites would take place at an altar with incense smoke and the sacrifice to the gods of a domestic animal, such as a chicken or a goat. After drinking a potion composed of wine and the blood of the animal or of the candidate, he would pass beneath an arch of swords while reciting the following oath: “If a member of this society finds himself in difficulty, all will rush to his aid. If I, as a future member of this association, break this oath, the swords will descend and kill me.” The oath-inscribed paper would be burned in the incense, on the altar, to confirm the candidate’s duties to the gods. Signifying the name of the association, three fingers of the left hand would be raised to the heavens as a secret and binding gesture.

The reason why Triads were so widely spread was the necessity of people to organize and help and protect themselves when government was unable to do so as well as opportunity to ern enough for living without too much effort. From the very beginning Triads were criminal enterprises engaged in all sort of activities. Of course not all the members of these groups were criminals, many joined for the benefit of being protected instead of regular “protection”(extortion) these groups provided. Also, on local level these group always had good connection with authorities and they could help their members in various ways.           Besides “protection business” Triads were involved in opium trade, smuggling, at the time organized immigration overseas and settling people in Chinese communities in foreign countries.

By 1820’s Triad spread all over Fujian and Guangdong provinces and were particularly strong among Cantonese and Hakka people.

After First Opium War much of the opium trade shifted to Shanghai leaving Triads without business. At the same time British navy pushed pirates inland and stopped their activities. Having no other source of business Triads in 1840’s and 1850’s organized themself into gangs and openly robed anyone and everyone making no difference between Manchus and domestic Han people. Because their high mobility and geography of Guanxi and Hunan regions these groups were hard to suppress.

At the beginning of Taiping rebellion many triad groups supported the rebels but very soon they left the rebellion because they could not follow strict discipline of Taiping army and their moral norms. There is only ONE triad leader who actually joined and stayed withTaiping rebellion. Luo Dagang became one of the generals of Taiping army. The rest of the Triads groups used situation to continue their usual activities and some of them even joined Qing in their fight against Taipings. 

The only rebellion that Triad organized was occupying old Shanghai in 1853 and many of the surrounding villages. Chinese gentry and merchants took refuge in the British and French concessions, which were regarded as the only safe places. The rebellion was suppressed and the society expelled from Shanghai in February 1855. The Small Knife society was Triad group organized by Triad leaders who came from Guangdong and their main business was “protection” of Chinese merchants. They took the opportunity while Taiping rebellion ravaged the county and occupied Chinese part of Shanghai. Their rebellion had no political nor any long term goals, they simply looted the city and terrorized local occupants until they were defeated and expelled from the area.

Besides this event there are no records that Triads did anything against Qing dynasty. Although Triad mythology claim that Sun Yat Sen was member of Triads and they played part in taking down the Qing dynasty that is actually not true, there are no historical evidence to support such claims.

After the establishment of the republic the Triad grew in numbers dramatically. Political and social circumstances of the period were extremely good for the development of triad activities. They no longer used cover of antidynastic movement and openly present them self for what they really are.

After the end of civil war in China in 1949, communists simply killed every Triad member they could find and successfully destroyed them. Many escaped to Hong Kong and during early 1950’s statistics say that one in six people in Hong Kong was a Triad member.

Today as in the past Triads base their activities on a variety of crimes, from fraud, extortion and money laundering to trafficking and prostitution, and are involved in smuggling and counterfeiting goods such as music, video, software, clothes, watches and money. 

There is nothing noble nor romantic about these crime syndicates. People who are trying to trace their roots or are members of Triads are nothing more than criminals. Kung Fu has historical connection to Triads. Some triad member did practiced kung fu but also were army personal , police, bodygurads, actors, merchants , doctors, sailors ect. If someone finds connection to Triads somehow important , consider being a member of a crime syndicate as some great achievement just think when next time someone die from heroin or some child disappear to end up in child’s brothels or be butchered for black organ market, a real life achievement isn’t it? And makes your Kung Fu so much better and more original?