World Baek Hop Wha Association

The Legend of Youn Wha
ACTION	SPEECH
A group of children gathers at the Narrator's feet. Youn Wha appears behind the Narrator with her back to the audience.	Narrator: Children, gather around. I am Sae Chong Wang, former teacher of Grand Master Han, and I want you to know the mysterious story of Youn Wha. Youn Wha, whose name means "water lily", was the mother of the greatest system of martial arts ever created.
Youn Wha executes some really impressive techniques. Still we have not seen her face.	Youn Wha was a legendary female martial artist who lived a very long time ago. She lived alone on a remote island in the Orient. She was known far and wide as a master of potions and alchemy. She was also famous as a very highly skilled martial artist.
The Narrator moves to one side. Youn Wha turns around. She is very beautiful. She sits on a stool and meditates. Four martial artists enter behind her. They kiss their loved ones and say goodbye before leaving on a long journey.	Youn Wha's beauty was extraordinary. It was as celebrated as her expertise in the martial arts. Many extremely accomplished martial artists from many nations, knowing of her acclaimed beauty and skill, embarked on journeys with hopes of seeing her and training with her.
Each of the martial artists encounters and defeats an obstacle or an ambush. One of them is killed.	On the way to Youn Wha's island, there were many traps set for the martial artists. These traps were very cleverly designed and placed throughout the countryside. They could kill anyone who was not alert enough to anticipate them and avoid or defeat them.
The three surviving martial artists arrive at Youn Wha's stool. She welcomes them, knowing they are the best of the best.	Therefore, it was only the best and the most highly skilled martial arts masters who were able to weather these pitfalls. They were the only ones who were rewarded with the opportunity to meet and study with the beautiful Youn Wha.
The martial artists humbly learn and train with Youn Wha. Then she dismisses them for the day.	Now, these masters were very honored to be able to learn from and train with Youn Wha. But they did not know that they would never again see their friends and family; they would never be able to leave Youn Wha's island.
They sleep. She produces a vial, looks at it, then looks at the martial artists. She then replaces it and smiles knowingly.	Youn Wha had used her great skills in alchemy to create a poison which she placed in the masters' food and drink. She was the only one who had the secret antidote for the poison, and the masters would die if they did not have some of the antidote every day.
The martial artists wake up and go to Youn Wha.	Those who tried to leave her island fortress did not survive the poison, or the traps.
She shows them the vial and gives them scrolls on which to write. They then each teach her a technique.	In this way, Youn Wha held the martial arts masters captive. In order for them to receive their daily antidote, she required the masters to write down the secrets of each of their martial arts systems, and train her in their techniques.
The teaching continues.	It is from these writings that the system of Youn Wha was formed. The Youn Wha system contains all of the high level techniques from each of those ancient masters' systems.
The martial artists bow to Youn Wha and exit. She sits on her stool and meditates.	It is unique because no other system includes so many high level principles in one training method.
The Narrator comes back to the center.	Listen well, my children, to your masters, for they are the students of Grandmaster Han. They have learned much of The Youn Wha Ryu from him, and they will share its secrets with you.
He addresses the children at his feet.	But be careful, my children. There is a lesson for you in this tale. Learn from the mistakes of the ancient masters. Even ones as skilled and learned as they were can lose sight of what is truly important.
He turns to the audience, delivers the line, then bows to the children. He motions for them to exit and then follows them out. Youn Wha then opens her eyes, rises, bows to the audience, and exits.	Never allow yourself to want anything so badly that you become its prisoner.
© 2007 Bethal Bird all rights reserved	(end)

THE LEGEND OF YOUN WHA