discuss the texts respectively attributed to thesefigures as if they were the
authors, without further parsing of their authorial layers.
4. I use the translation“noble man”following Paul Goldin’s discussion of the
termjunzi君子, literally“the son of a lord.”See Paul Goldin,Rituals of the
Way, Chicago: Open Court, 1999 , vii–viii.
5. Confucius,Analects, 12.
6. Yang Hong,Weapons in Ancient China, Rego Park, NY: Science Press
New York, 1992 , 110.
7. Yang Hong,Weapons, 180.
8. An example of the magical qualities of bows and arrows was the mulberry bow
and six arrows provided for boys at birth. The arrows were to befired in the
four directions and up and down to drive off evil spirits and protect the boy
from harm.
9. Thefirst historical mention of crossbow use in a battle is in theShijiaccount of
the battle of Maling (341 bce). Sima Qian,Shiji, Taibei: Dingwen Shuju, 1999.
Bronze crossbow trigger mechanisms have been found from the Warring
States Period. It is possible that earlier mechanisms were made from less
durable material and simply disintegrated over time.
10. Confucius,Analects, 23. And Zhu Xi’s comment on the passage that follows.
11. Confucius,Analects, 24 and fn 10.
12. Confucius,Analects, 19.
13. Mencius,Mencius(D. C. Lau, trans.), New York: Penguin, 1978 ,[ 2 A 7 ] 83.
14 .Mencius,D.C. Lau (trans.), [ 5 B 1 ] 150 – 1.
15. Lieh-tzu (Eva Wong, trans.),Lieh-tzu, Boston: Shambala, 2001 , 58.
16. This discussion of strength and weight lifting follows Liu Gengguo,Zhongguo
Gudai Tiyu Shihua, Beijing: Wenwu Chubanshe, 1987 , 68 – 70.
17. Ruan Yuan (ed.),Liji,inShisanjing Zhushu,vol. 5 , Taibei: Yiwen Yinshuguan,
2001 , 17. 344. Legge translates角力as“trials of strength.”Han dynasty
sources make it clear that these are paired contests, and included strikes as
well. The section in theLijion music mentions the inclusion of weaponry in a
number of locations:“The combination of those modulated sounds, so as to
give pleasure, and the (direction in harmony with them of the) shields and axes,
and of the plumes and ox-tails, constitutes what we call music.”James Legge
(trans.),Li Chi, New York: University Books, 1967 , 92 , and,“By the bells,
drums, shields, and axes, they introduced harmony into their seasons of rest
and enjoyment.”Legge,LiChi, 97.
18 .“怒，搏閩公，絕其脰。”Gongyang Gao and Ruan Yuan (eds.),Gongyang
Zhuan,inShisanjingZhushu, vol. 7 , Taibei: Yiwen Yinshuguan, 2001 , 7. 91.
19. Liu Xiang (ed.),Xinxu新序, section 8 (Yiyong義勇), http://www.gutenberg.
org/cache/epub/ 23945 /pg 23945 .html
20. See Fan Ning’s commentary, 1 st year of Duke Xi:“搏，手搏也。”Ruan Yuan
(ed.),Guliang Zhuan,inShisanjing Zhushu,vol. 6 , Taibei: Yiwen Yinshuguan,
2001 , 7. 70.
21. Zuo Qiuming and Ruan Yuan (eds.),Zuozhuan,inShisanjing Zhushu, vol. 6 ,
Taibei: Yiwen Yinshuguan, 2001 , 16. 272.
22. Chapter 86 of theShijicontains the biographies of the“Assassin-Retainers”in
Burton Watson’s translation, 45 – 67 , Ssu-ma Ch’ien (Sima Qian) (Burton
Notes to Pages 33 – 47 247