It took me a long time to write this article because I just kept diving deep into the story of [**Ng Mui**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ng_Mui), the kung fu nun. She was a baddie supreme.

What I thought was going to be an article on self-defense for women ended up a deep history dive about real ass homies.

I recently visited Richmond’s [**Moy Yat Kung Fu Academy**](https://www.instagram.com/richmondkungfu/) to take a women’s intro class in Wing Chun kung fu and chat with Ryan Marsh, one of their sifus (teachers), about the benefits of this system of kung fu and its bad ass bitch history. I went in to learn some self-defense, but I also developed a deep fascination with the woman that created the art form.

Ng Mui was a noble in the [**Ming dynasty**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ming_dynasty). When the Manchu warriors took over the Ming in 1644, Mui was only 18 years old. Her entire family was killed, but she escaped into the woods, and it was there she studied nature and how different animals fought, most famously a snake vs. a crane.

Based on those observations, she began to develop a fighting style designed for smaller opponents to take down larger ones. She eventually made her way to the [**Shaolin Temple**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaolin_Monastery) (yes, the one [**Wu-Tang**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEnwXYJcSZc)shouts out). This was not any monastery. These were warrior monks. The temple also served as a camp for Ming loyalists who were extremely trained fighters. The temple would become the birthplace of martial arts, and they welcomed Mui to the temple.

Before long, she was sparring with the most skilled warrior at the temple and, over time, became one of the five masters of the Shaolin Temple. It was there that she perfected her style, which consisted of rapid, constant, and specific attacks that used the least amount of effort. This would give the smaller opponent the ability to strike more frequently without tiring out.

One night, the temple was set on fire and attacked by the Manchu. Almost all the monks were killed, while the masters were able to escape, but not before Mui saw her sparring partner with the Manchu. He was a traitor.

She vowed revenge, as one does.

She trained harder, perfecting her technique and working with the other masters to practice their specialties. She tracked down the traitor and they battled while balancing on top of tall poles over spikes. This fight sounds insane. And, of course, she murks him.

via [**RVA Magazine**](https://www.reddit.com/r/RVAmag/)

Read more, see more: [https://rvamag.com/community/when-your-best-friend-is-a-baddie-learning-to-fight-like-a-girl-in-richmond.html](https://rvamag.com/community/when-your-best-friend-is-a-baddie-learning-to-fight-like-a-girl-in-richmond.html)

When Your Best Friend Is a Baddie: Learning to Fight Like a Girl in Richmond