Zouhuo Rumo
走火入魔
The phrase Zou-huo-ru-mo can be found in a great number of Wuxia novels and movies. Often it depicts a great warrior who did something wrong with their training leading to some bizarre effects, suffering agonizing pain and even death. However very few people, both common and martial artist alike knows really what this phrase means. The phrase itself implies that something has indeed gone wrong with one’s training and can be split into two parts. Zouhuo (走火) and Rumo (入魔) I shall explain both separately.

Zouhuo by direct translation means an outbreak of fire. What it actually implies is the physical damage one’s body can suffer from their training. The reason why a fire outbreak is used is because of the fact that the bodily damage through training can be interpreted as the misplacement of energy. The basic form of zouhuo is overtraining. Simple things like stretching too much in one go or pushing one’s body beyond the current limit will often result in a number a physical problems such as muscle strains. This form of problems isn’t as much of a misunderstanding of the training technique as oppose being too reckless in applying them. The more serious form of zouhuo occurs when one is training gongs (功, power training) including Qigongs (氣功). There are numerous gongs in Chinese martial arts which will not be discussed here. What one should bear in mind though is that many of them are not a simple matter. Most of them are a complex balance of the body which may have serious repercussions if not handled with care. For example, when training gongs that develop strength through the use of muscle training supported by special breathing methods, the disruption of the breathing rhythm may damage both the muscle groups one is training and the respiratory system. In addition, if one’s breathing methods are not performed correctly in the first place, then prolonged training will certain have negative effects on the body. Circulatory problems, breathing difficulty, digestive trouble and even nerve disruption are all possible when one experience zouhuo when training.

Rumo (入魔), which means to enter the demonic state of mind, is attempting to describe a psychological state. What rumo is actually trying to describe is one’s need to use their martial arts. The common picture of one experiencing rumo is when they keep fighting a person and can only snap out of ‘combat mood’ should the opponent be defeated and some form of interruption. Rumo can come in two main forms. The first is the general increase in aggression triggering violent outbursts on either a more frequent rate or higher intensity during each occurrence. Similar to a form of obsessive compulsion, some describe this as the adrenaline rush of fighting, while others see it as the thrill of battle. The second is the need to use what one has learnt. Having empowered by this skill yet unable to use it can be frustrating for some people. Indeed, it is very common for anyone to feel it and secretly, most martial artist pray for some form of situation where they can put their skills to the test. Ancient martial artists call this desire Xinmo (心魔), the darker side of us. Yet there is a world of differences between letting this Xinmo taking control over our mind and driving us into combat. In any case, these people are normally unable to shake their desire to fight. Rather than being a human that uses their skills, they become more of a tool to implement martial arts. It is not hard to understand why the ancients consider this as some kind of possession. Not by demons, but by their desires. Hence, the ‘entering of the demon state’.

On the whole, Zouhuo Rumo is a generic term used to describe a situation where one’s cultivation as a martial artist has gone wrong somewhere. This can range from minute sprains, internal organ damages to borderline insanity.