Sharpshooter in Chinese History: Ji Chang

"There are thirty-six military weapons, and the bow is the first; there are eighteen martial arts, and the bow is the first." In ancient China, archery, as a martial art with a high status, together with swordsmanship and boxing, constitutes the essence of Chinese martial arts. Starting from this issue, the editor will introduce to you the famous archers in ancient Chinese history.

In the pre-Qin period of China, archery should be highly developed, and it is easy to have excellent archers. Bows and arrows originated in the primitive hunting era, and long-term experience will accumulate rich archery skills. In "Liezi·Tangwen", there is a record of an archer named Ji Chang.

Ji Chang also learned archery from Fei Wei. Fei Wei said: "You first learn not to blink, and then you can talk about shooting." Ji Chang returned and lay down under his wife's machine, with his eyes stretched out. Two years later, even if the end of the cone is turned upside down, he will not blink. He told Fei Wei. Fei Wei said: "No, you must learn to see before you can. See the small as big, see the tiny as obvious, and then tell me." - "Liezi·Tangwen"

Ji Chang, a native of Handan, Zhao State during the Warring States Period, became Fei Wei's apprentice to learn archery. Fei Wei said to Ji Chang at the beginning: "You must first learn to stare at a target without blinking, and then you can talk about learning archery." After Ji Chang went back, he lay under his wife's loom and watched the shuttle shuttle back and forth from bottom to top. After two years of persistence, even if the tip of the awl touched Ji Chang's eye sockets, his eyes would not blink. Fei Wei said again: "This is not enough, you must also learn the skill of seeing things with your eyes. You must practice to be able to see small things as big things."

Ji Chang tied a louse with the hair of an ox's tail and hung it on the window, facing south and watching it from a distance. After ten days, the louse gradually grew bigger; after three years, the louse was as big as a wheel in his eyes. Turning his head to look at other things, they were as big as hills. Ji Chang used a bow decorated with ox horns from Yan and bamboo produced in the north as an arrow shaft to shoot the louse hanging on the window. He penetrated the louse's heart, but the hair of the ox's tail was not broken. When Fei Wei learned about it, he said, "You have learned the skill of archery!"

Learning archery requires a certain amount of energy and patience. To become an excellent archer, excellent eyesight is essential. Training eyesight is also training mental strength. Only when you can remain calm even if Mount Tai collapses in front of you and regard thousands of troops as nothing can you achieve a hundred steps of shooting and never miss a target.
When learning a skill, you must be serious and humble, and stick to it to the end. You must not be self-righteous, stop at a superficial level, or give up halfway.