Fa Mun Lau - a higher martial arts potential than most realize?

[Ken Cheng]

It's been shown time and again in wuxia fiction that those who attain the very pinnacles of martial arts tend be those who are humble and have no ambition to be great martial artists. We see this with Jin Yong's Janitor Monk, Hui Juk, Deun Yu, and Cheung Mo Gei, among others. Not to say the ambitious don't become great martial artists as well (they frequently do), but the humble, selfless ones tend to end up transcending mere greatness.

I wonder if Fa Mun Lau from Gu Long's LUK SIU FUNG was such a character who would eventually, in his old age, become one of those supreme enlightened masters (with martial arts far beyond such peers as Luk Siu Fung or Sai Mun Chui Sheut). Fa Mun Lau was one of the most humble, pure characters in all of wuxia fiction. He seemed to be especially enlightened, and there was an extraordinary spirit of calmness and benevolence within him. Even though he was quite young during the LUK SIU FUNG saga (most likely mid-20s and certainly not more than early-30s), he had already attained the insight that there is really only one sword art (a principle that one of his opponents, the Ngor Mei Sect's Soo Siu Ying, could not comprehend). This leads me to believe that an older Fa Mun Lau might have been able to ascend to the highest levels of martial arts.

[patricia n]

fa mun lau was hot! too bad he was blind. i think this handicap was a reason for his modesty and humbleness (is that even a word?) but it also likely prevents him from having a higher martial arts potential similar to janitor monk.

[Allen D]

humbleness = humility

[patricia n]

humbleness = humility

i couldn't recall if humbleness is an actual word, but humility doesn't have quite the effect i was looking for.

[Ken Cheng]

fa mun lau was hot! too bad he was blind. i think this handicap was a reason for his modesty and humbleness (is that even a word?) but it also likely prevents him from having a higher martial arts potential similar to janitor monk.

His blindness wasn't much of a handicap, however. If anything, it enhanced his other senses to superhuman levels (he was the wuxia equivalent of the superhero Daredevil). He was so attuned with the world around him that he could sense danger up to a mile away.

[patricia n]

i also would like to believe that he could achieve the status of enlightened supreme master because he was personally my favorite character in lsf given his generosity, kindness, patience, and other virtueous qualities. and you're right that his blindness lead to his other heightened senses (be it auditory, olfactory). but heightened senses cannot fully compensate for the loss of probably the greatest sense which is sight. his other heightened senses make him a better fighter but if he had sight and these heightened senses i think it would be more possible for him to attain the status of enlightened supreme master.

and all of the mentioned supreme masters have sight.

[danshu_]

He said something pretty profound when whats-his-name from emei attacked him at that dinner party

Something about "all you guys think about different styles, etc, but all sword strokes are the same to a blind man"

[kidd]

Hua Man Lou always have something profound to say.

[kidd]

i also would like to believe that he could achieve the status of enlightened supreme master because he was personally my favorite character in lsf given his generosity, kindness, patience, and other virtueous qualities. and you're right that his blindness lead to his other heightened senses (be it auditory, olfactory). but heightened sensations cannot fully compensate for the loss of probably the greatest sense which is sight. his other heightened sensations make him a better fighter but if he had sight and these heightened sensations i think it would be more possible for him to attain the status of enlightened supreme master.

and all of the mentioned supreme masters have sight.

If he has sight, he other senses won't be that heighten anymore.

I don't think his blindess will hinder him in attaining enlightened supreme master status. He seems to be doing perfectly fine without his sense of sight and is more powerful than many fighters.

[patricia n]

If he has sight, he other senses won't be that heighten anymore.

I don't think his blindess will hinder him in attaining enlightened supreme master status. He seems to be doing perfectly fine without his sense of sight and is more powerful than many fighters.

you're right. there's no denying that if he had sight, he would most likely not have his other senses heightened.

but i said it would be more possible if he had sight and his heightened senses to achieve a greater status in wulin. he is more powerful than many fighters, but in jy and gl universes there are many many fighters who are more powerful than many fighters. but not many enlightened supreme masters which i think is a status that is beyond fa man lau's potential. if i'm wrong then i don't mind because i really like the guy. he really is wise beyond his years and that's a HUGE turnON for me.

[kidd]

Hei! Hua Man Lou has great potential. How dare u look down on him and say he has limited potential.

If YG can become a powerful with his handcapped, I don't see how HML cannot.

[patricia n]

Hei! Hua Man Lou has great potential. How dare u look down on him and say he has limited potential.

If YG can become a powerful with his handcapped, I don't see how HML cannot.

i was going to use yg as an excellent example for how his handicap actually decreases his potential. i don't really consider yg as a great but that's another story; yg is no janitor monk! and i'm not looking down on hua man lou. i love the guy, but i'm also trying to be objective and not let my bias influence me. like i said, if he can achieve the highest status possible then good for him because he deserves it.

[kidd]

My opinion is, if one is very enlightened like Sweeps, handicaps won't hinder him.

Especially in Gu Long's story where people always talk about sword in heart or something like that.

When he is enlightened, he can see with his heart.

[strife_au]

they use hearing to see, and feeling to adjudge distances?

[patricia n]

Hua Man Lou always have something profound to say.

He said something pretty profound when whats-his-name from emei attacked him at that dinner party

Something about "all you guys think about different styles, etc, but all sword strokes are the same to a blind man"

i'd like to attribute that to the brillance of gu long's one liners. i aspire to be that witty.

[CC]

Possibly, if his inner cultivation reaches a level where his qi reaches out and senses objects like a 360 degree scan radar, then he would actually have something much stronger and reliable then visual sight.

My own pet fanfic has such a character. A swordsman who blindfolds himself almost perpetually so that he can train his 'radar' to the point where it can overcome visual sight.

The guy who toyed with HML in the dark. Obviously his skill was great enough that he was also not reliant on plain visual sight.

[Han Solo]

You're talking about DareDevil.

[Siven]

As I remember all this guy did was hang around near the peripheral of the story and appear enlightened, so everyone else can go: "Wow, even a blind man can appreciate the beauty of a blooming flower in the spring...that's so...um, inspirational." However because GL was so successful at carving out a flesh and blood character with a minimal of strokes his popularity outweights the part he actually plays in the story.

[kidd]

By your reasoning, only the main characters can be the most popular? Popularity should be proportionary to the amount of things or screentime the character do/have in story? We cannot like people who appear little in the story, we can only like the main characters who do alot of stuff in a story?

I always thought popularity depends on how likable and appealing a character is.

I guess I am wrong. Popularity should not depend on how likable a character it. It should depends on

a) how much contribution the character give to the story
b) how much face time the character has in the story
c) how much a character did in a story

Likability should not be counted. We should like Huo Xiu, Ye Gu Cheng and the Embrodery thief more since they contribute more to the story.

[kidd]

The guy who toyed with HML in the dark. Obviously his skill was great enough that he was also not reliant on plain visual sight.

Maybe he has the lights on while toying with HML. He did have his maids/underlings carried all those torches when he made his entrance after HML and XLN discovered his ploy.