# Rza

**URL:** <https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/rza/41683>\
**Category:** Martial Media and Popular Culture\
**Created:** [November 7, 2007, 6:40pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/rza/41683 "2007-11-07T18:40:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![diego](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.kungfumagazine.com/diego/32/124_2.png) [@diego](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/diego)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 6:40pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/rza/41683/1 "2007-11-07T18:40:31Z")

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[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu\_xILiH6P0](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu_xILiH6P0)

@ the 4 minute point he talks about yall trip to china and mentions something about being tripped out that general wu may have been a black man…rza black and fell in love with the wu symbol, gets famous and then sees that…i’d be tripped out if i was him and it’s true:)

Any historical info on what he is talking about?..i just found this interview and thought you could help as usual…pz

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**Author:** ![mickey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ccd318/32.png) [@mickey](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/mickey)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 7:34pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/rza/41683/2 "2007-11-07T19:34:40Z")

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Hi diego,

That was nice.

Black/African peoples in China and throughout Asia is not news. Some books that address this are:

The African Presence on Early Asia

Black Jade: African Presence in the Ancient East

The Nan-cho Kingdom, Tang China’s Southwestern Frontier

Ancient and Modern Britons (Europe is still Asia)

The Ancient Na-Khi Kingdom of Southwest China

Historical fiction:

Water Margin  
(some members of the this group were described as being black; for example, Timely Rain, the leader of this group, and Li Kuei, the Black Tornado)

mickey

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**Author:** ![diego](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.kungfumagazine.com/diego/32/124_2.png) [@diego](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/diego)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 9:08pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/rza/41683/3 "2007-11-07T21:08:46Z")

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Cool man, thanks for the info:)

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**Author:** ![GeneChing](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.kungfumagazine.com/geneching/32/96_2.png) [@GeneChing](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/GeneChing)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 10:21pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/rza/41683/4 "2007-11-07T22:21:44Z")

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Zhen Wu was a god…

… a BLACK god.  
🆒

Wudang gets it’s name from Zhen Wu (perfected warrior). Zhen Wu evolved from an earlier god named Xuan Wu (dark warrior). Xuan Wu dates back to the Han. If you really want the story, check out my old article Zhen Wu: The Dark and Perfected Warrior in our [2002 September/October issue](http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=235).

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**Author:** ![Shaolinlueb](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.kungfumagazine.com/shaolinlueb/32/425_2.png) [@Shaolinlueb](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/Shaolinlueb)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2007, 5:39am UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/rza/41683/5 "2007-11-08T05:39:10Z")

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aww yeah represent homeboys!!!

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**Author:** ![GeneChing](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.kungfumagazine.com/geneching/32/96_2.png) [@GeneChing](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/GeneChing)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2007, 5:13pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/rza/41683/6 "2007-11-08T17:13:54Z")

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Of course, this really begs the question…

…what color is god?

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**Author:** ![bodhitree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b782af/32.png) [@bodhitree](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/bodhitree)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2007, 5:19pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/rza/41683/7 "2007-11-08T17:19:29Z")

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[QUOTE=GeneChing;814855]…what color is god?[/QUOTE]

omnipotently clear or purple

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**Author:** ![mickey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ccd318/32.png) [@mickey](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/mickey)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2007, 7:20pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/rza/41683/8 "2007-11-08T19:20:41Z")

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Greetings,

I have to make a correction diego. The books I listed do not specifically answer your inquiry. They speak to the Black/African presence in Asia in such a way that the thought of General Wu being depicted as black would not be a stretch of the imagination.

There was a time when such a question as yours would generate a lot of heat. Times are changing.🙂

mickey

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**Author:** ![GeneChing](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.kungfumagazine.com/geneching/32/96_2.png) [@GeneChing](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/GeneChing)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2007, 10:05pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/rza/41683/9 "2007-11-08T22:05:28Z")

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Zhen Wu was part of several quartets

He’s one of the four Taoist saints, which include Tianpeng, Tianwu and Yisheng. Tianpeng was also dark, known as a dark marshal. What’s more, he had four to six arms. Do you think these Taoist deities might have actually been black aliens from another planet?  
:rolleyes:

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**Author:** ![mickey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ccd318/32.png) [@mickey](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/mickey)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 6:36pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/rza/41683/10 "2007-11-09T18:36:21Z")

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Hi Gene,

I never took the depiction of deities with multiple arms literally. I thuoght the addition of arms suggested talents and abilities. There may be an alchemical significance yet to be discovered.

As for coming from another planet. Please have your notebook ready when you view the following. You will be tested:

[http://www.amazon.com/Brother-Another-Planet-Caroline-Aaron/dp/B000055XLV/ref=pd\_bbs\_sr\_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1194633267&sr=8-2](http://www.amazon.com/Brother-Another-Planet-Caroline-Aaron/dp/B000055XLV/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1194633267&sr=8-2)

mickey

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**Author:** ![GeneChing](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.kungfumagazine.com/geneching/32/96_2.png) [@GeneChing](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/GeneChing)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 6:41pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/rza/41683/11 "2007-11-09T18:41:31Z")

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I almost posted a link to that vid, mickey

The addition of extra limbs, as well as skin colors, are surely symbolic. Or are they? [Been keeping up with the news lately?](http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=70276)

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**Author:** ![mickey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ccd318/32.png) [@mickey](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/mickey)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 11:07pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/rza/41683/12 "2007-11-09T23:07:43Z")

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Hi Gene,

I do agree that the issue of skin colors became symbolic over time and I believe it is due the gradual disappearance of black peoples from the area. Blackness can conceptually mean mysterious, dark, and primordial. Even chaotic fits in with the conceptualization. Can you imagine what the people whose responsibility was to transcribe the books had to deal with over generations?

Were there highly melaninated peoples in China? Most definitely. As early as the Shang dynasty. And possibly earlier than that.

mickey

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**Author:** ![doug\_maverick](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.kungfumagazine.com/doug_maverick/32/72_2.png) [@doug\_maverick](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/doug_maverick)\
**Post date:** [November 10, 2007, 12:34am UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/rza/41683/13 "2007-11-10T00:34:51Z")

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that was an interesting interview. i wonder who was the one who disagreed with him and called him racist? do you know gene? well anyway he said at the end of the interview he didn;t know if it was real or myth it was just his observation because all the other statues were asian looking and general wu’s and his parents were black. i think i would’ve thought the same thing

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**Author:** ![diego](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.kungfumagazine.com/diego/32/124_2.png) [@diego](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/diego)\
**Post date:** [November 10, 2007, 9:01pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/rza/41683/14 "2007-11-10T21:01:00Z")

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[QUOTE=GeneChing;815063]He’s one of the four Taoist saints, which include Tianpeng, Tianwu and Yisheng. Tianpeng was also dark, known as a dark marshal. What’s more, he had four to six arms. Do you think these Taoist deities might have actually been black aliens from another planet?  
:rolleyes:[/QUOTE]

well if you know anything about yacub and the nation of islam…🙂

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**Author:** ![GeneChing](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.kungfumagazine.com/geneching/32/96_2.png) [@GeneChing](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/GeneChing)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 12:14am UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/rza/41683/15 "2009-03-19T00:14:28Z")

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ttt with a new e-zine piece

Check out [RZA on Breath Control, Martial Arts and Being a Student](http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=808), the final chapter in my RZA interview trilogy.

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**Author:** ![Zenshiite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8c91f0/32.png) [@Zenshiite](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/Zenshiite)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 5:54am UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/rza/41683/16 "2009-03-19T05:54:12Z")

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[QUOTE=GeneChing;924271]Check out [RZA on Breath Control, Martial Arts and Being a Student](http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=808), the final chapter in my RZA interview trilogy.[/QUOTE]

I say that stuff about the salah all the time. That’s cool. There’s breath control stuff built into the recitation of the Qur’an.

Great interview.

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**Author:** ![doug\_maverick](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.kungfumagazine.com/doug_maverick/32/72_2.png) [@doug\_maverick](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/doug_maverick)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 5:20pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/rza/41683/17 "2009-03-19T17:20:28Z")

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[QUOTE=mickey;814498]Hi diego,

That was nice.

Black/African peoples in China and throughout Asia is not news. Some books that address this are:

The African Presence on Early Asia

Black Jade: African Presence in the Ancient East

The Nan-cho Kingdom, Tang China’s Southwestern Frontier

Ancient and Modern Britons (Europe is still Asia)

The Ancient Na-Khi Kingdom of Southwest China

Historical fiction:

Water Margin  
(some members of the this group were described as being black; for example, Timely Rain, the leader of this group, and Li Kuei, the Black Tornado)

mickey[/QUOTE]

also xuan hao, the ugly son in law was also described as black.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GeneChing](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.kungfumagazine.com/geneching/32/96_2.png) [@GeneChing](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/GeneChing)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 11:21pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/rza/41683/18 "2009-07-01T23:21:11Z")

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life is hot in cracktown

[official website](http://www.lifeishotincracktownthemovie.com/). anyone see this?

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**Author:** ![mickey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ccd318/32.png) [@mickey](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/mickey)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 5:06pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/rza/41683/19 "2009-07-02T17:06:49Z")

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Hi Gene,

I haven’t heard about this flick. But I would love to have the opportunity to “help” that sista throw her head back like that, again, again, and again.

mickey

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**Author:** ![mickey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ccd318/32.png) [@mickey](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/mickey)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 5:10pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/rza/41683/20 "2009-07-02T17:10:49Z")

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Oh, yes. I forgot to add..

and again, and again, and again (yeah, let me hear ya, baybee), and again, and again…

mickey

[Next page](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/rza/41683.md?page=2)
