Product Description
Of the Drunkard kungfu forms, the most famous, besides the Drunken Eight Immortals Form, are the Drunken Monkey Form and the Drunken Monkey Pole Form. There are notable differences between the Drunken Monkey Form and the Drunken Eight Immortals form. The Drunken Eight Immortals Form imitates the movements of a ¡§drunken man¡¨; while the Drunken Monkey Form is a kungfu form presents the gestures of a ¡§drunken monkey¡¨. The movements develop into gestures of a drunken monkey in the middle section of the form when the performer simulates movements of a monkey having stolen draughts of wine. This book contains the description of Drunken Monkey Form and its applications. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

great book
i learned the form that was in this book within a few weeksand have been working on perfecting it since. The pictures in the book were helpfull for me, although i know not everyone can learn from a book.The only applications wpresented were mostly good others were "ehh i gues that could work" . Good book ... Read more

Product Description
The first form of wing chun, sil lum tao, is demonstrated with over 100 photographs. James Lee studied sil lum and wing chun before training with Bruce Lee in jeet kune do. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

simple and helpful but not fully statisfying
I have read the book andI think it is recommended for someone who is begginer in Wing Chun. Very good pictures help you learn the sil lim tao form, main theory of WT is explained and it includes trapping methods as well as defence tactics. This is not a book with the whole WT system neither have fully detailed descriptions of the tactics and this is the basic drawback but it is the one with the vary basics and it is simple and helpful.

A classic in every sense
I bought this book over 30 years ago & it remains THE ONE I refer to regarding preliminary technique, despite all subsequent purchases of high priced, tricked-out volumes.It is simple, to the point & a fine reference guide in case you've either forgotten or wish to confirm a concept.While you can't learn an art just from a book, no matter who the author studied/practiced with, you can refresh your recollections with this one.Buy 2, used, so you can carry one with you if the need to bone up on something becomes overwhelming while you're away from home.

Excellent Wing Chun resource for beginners.
This was the first of many publications on Wing Chun that I had recieved. It's a very thorough book on the foundations of Wing Chun. It's been awhile since I've picked my copy up, but the information sticks pretty well. The diagrams for the blocking zones come to mind, when learning the basic defence manuevers. It gives clear and concise instruction on learning the first form of Wing Chun, Siu Num Tao. The trappying hands exercises and drills are fun to do, and are very precise in the illustations.

The only thing I felt was missing was a better understanding of Chi-Sao (sticky hands) Most instuctors I've spoken with have said it's almost IMPOSSIBLE to learn sticky hands from a book. Perhaps a video series might be better in explaining the movements.

I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for the basic steps to a Wing Chun program. Perhaps followed by some of William Cheung's books as well. For a more complete beginner to advanced series, I'd recommend checking out Randy Williams textbook series on Wing Chun. They are a bit more pricy, but well worth it.

Back to basics
Don't under estimate the contents and value of information in this book.
After 20 years, I am still practicing the basics, because my
current sifu made me realize I didn't practice the basics thoroughly.
I didn't spend the time, as there were too many distractions in life.

Learn the punches, practice the punches, from 100 repetitions, work up to 1000 punches every day if you can.
Practice the blocks. My current wing chun sifu bruised my forearm with a light touch.

Practice the basics thoroughly, daily, it will serve you well.

GREAT WING CHUN SI LIM TAO
GREAT BOOCK ON THE FIRST FORM SI LIM TAO. THIS IS THE AUTHENTIC YIP MAN FORM. WITH SOME GOOD APLICATIONS TO. GREAT BOOK. IF YOU WANT THE REAL THING THIS IS IT. LOOK UP YIP MAN MPEG VIDIO CLIP THIS IS THE SAME FORM TOUGHT IN THIS BOOK! GET IT LERN IT APPLY IT! ... Read more

Product Description
Kung fu, China's martial arts legacy, stretches from thedistant past of the Shaolin temple to the strife torn decades of the20th century, and into the new millennium.It is a legacy filled withtales of great masters and incredible exploits.Here, in a revisedand expanded edition of this best-selling title, we survey the majorkung fu styles and masters of the present day.Long range and shortrange styles, internal and external power, and the living legends ofkung fu are all explored in great detail and with numerousphotographs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

mangelhaft

Dieses Buch ist weder von der geschichtlichen Darstellung noch von der technischen Seite empfehlenswert und reicht keineswegs an das Werk von Maik Albrecht o.ä. heran. Wenn man dieses Buch als Anfänger in die Hand bekommt, gewinnt man sehr leicht einen verzerrten Eindruck von dieser Materie. Als Fortgeschrittener wird man enttäuscht und als Profi wird man diese Arbeit als überflüssig empfinden. Immerhin ist nicht alles beklagenswert. Einige Passagen sind in Ordnung, weshalb das Buch von mir noch drei Sterne erhält.

Excellent intro to subject
A few readers have criticized this book for not being more comprehensive and for perhaps dealing more with kung-fu styles outside of China, but it's still a good introduction for the non-specialist in kung-fu. Some important styles have been left out, or are mentioned only in passing, such as some of the main animal styles such as snake, dragon, black tiger style, and so on, but they still get some attention in the discussions of some of the styles that incorporate their movements, such as Hung Gar and praying mantis. And the author does do a fine job discussing not just praying mantis, but at least five different praying mantis styles (northern praying mantis, 7-star praying mantis, 6-harmony praying mantis, tai mantis, and tai chi praying mantis (also known as the mayflower mantis style), and five monkey kung-fu styles.

I would have also liked some mention about which styles were important for later developments in karate. For example, a fusion of several styles from Fukien province, dragon, white crane, and tiger, became the basis of such famous Okinawan karate styles as Uechi-ryu. Others, such as Shorin-ryu, incorporate white crane influences and forms. But again, this is not a big deal and is perhaps not appropriate for an intro book.

Anyway, despite a few oversights, the book's strengths by far outweigh its shortcomings. Hollander writes with a nice style and also does a good job with much of the history. So overall, still a fine book on the subject.

Nice photos but...
shame about the text. The book covers a handful of the major styles (that are commonly taught in the USA)and very briefly touches on the history and some characteristics of these styles but says little else. The photos take up probably more space than they should but they are interesting nonetheless. Despite the title, there is nothing complete about this book.

Not bad but missing some major styles
This book promises to be the complete guide to kung fu styles, in some ways this is true, in other not at all.If we are comparing this book with most of the other variants knocking about then this probably is the complete guide! If we look into kung fu styles then this is not. At over 1000 in china no book can document all of them, and most of the family styles would not allow themselves to appear in such a book.This book should have been called 'The Complete Guide to Western Known Kung Fu Styles', as it gives pretty good if not broad information on most of the styles we know. I was very dispointed to find that some major animal styles were missing though.

Overall I would say an interesting read, and at around £10 you cant really complain about some styles missing,

Just Enough To Peak Your Interest
Jane Hollander follows the tradition of Draeger and Leung Ting. She writes about every art she can get her hands on, detailing it better than most of the instructors of the style can. Here, she gives a simple guide designed simply to introduce us to the myriad ways that kung fu can be applied. It is not a book for learning exact techniques, but for becoming familiar with basic principles and showing the relationship of various arts which share certain princples. This book gives us the means to see the difference and the similarity, based solely on the basic premises of the styles. To learn more about each art, one would have to get videos & books specifically dedicated to that one art, which would still provide less by way of separate perspectives. This is the type of book that Americans need to help them wade through the confusion of which Chinese art is best for them. ... Read more

Product Description
The first book to present the history, development, and fundamentals of Northern Shaolin kung-fu includes over 200 photos of various moves and techniques. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Shallow, weak
A fairly shallow and not so well backed-up look at an underappreciated martial arts discipline. Many of the pictures depict half hearted versions of the techniques, and honestly no serious martial artist should attempt to learn any style from a book. I picked it up on a whim hoping it would focus more on history and philosophy than picture-based instruction.

While not wholly terrible, I am not sure for whom this would be particularly beneficial.

Good job!
Thanks to Mark for telling me about this book.I am so excited to see Sifu Lai Hung's teachings in print.Preservation of Kung-Fu tradition is a very important task.Look forward to see more published on set 4, 5, 7, and spear set.

One can always brag own horse
I recently bought this book, and I must say emediately DON'T BUY IT ! Book has about 130 pages, and about half of these book is braging (hope that I used right word). It is possible that Sifu Lai Hung is real master, but this book is only moneymaker! There is only 40-50 pages of practical techniques, and very basic ones too. I would never recomend this book to anyone. There is much better boks like Shaolin Long fist etc.

Nice job
Great job on this book.Very interesting from a historical perspective.It's great seeing Sifu demonstrate, too.Brian, when does the next book with sets 4, 5, 7, and choy-lay fut come out?

Just another book on a basic set
This is a book on #6 of the northern shaolin style of kung fu. This basic set is usually taught first because of simplicity. The text and interpretation of the set is mediocre at the most. What is special about this book it that the person who is demonstrating the moves, is master Lai Hung himself. For those who know the man, you know what I mean. ... Read more

Product Description
Twenty-six-year-old Nicci Bradford doesn't exactly love her job fixing the grammar in company brochures, or living in Boston, or going on awkward fix-ups with men she barely knows. What she does love is Kung Fu movies...especially the ones starring Jackie Chan. Their timeless and inspired wisdom offers her a philosophy of life. The problem is she doesn't have much of a life to philosophize about. But Jackie Chan is also a pretty good action hero. And when opportunity-and risk-present themselves in unexpected ways, it's up to Nicci to follow her hero's example, focus on her goal, and strike... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (34)

More Depth than Typical Chick Lit
Nicci Bradford is an avid fan of Kung Fu movies.There were several snippets about Jackie Chan movies throughout the novel as Nicci tries to use those stories to make sense of her own life.The heroine in this novel isn't one of those outgoing, girly girls.She doesn't seem to make friends easily though they quickly begin to rack up in this story. She finds herself in a relationship with a man she doesn't really care for because it was easier that way than to talk about her feelings.But in the background is the man from the coffee shop whom intrigues her.Her parents seem a central part of her story, though she is shrugging off the morals and background she grew up with.When her grandfather becomes ill, Nicci will be faced with decisions to make and may have to finally the stir the waters and tell people how she feels.

Overall, the story moved too slow for my personal tastes.There were times it felt like the writer forgot what the plot was and delved off into mundane details that didn't capture my attention.Despite this, the story did have times where the pace quickened and left the reader turning page after page.The overall story prompted the reader to have a sense of curosity about where it was all going and how it would turn out for the heroine.

Nicci as a person reminded me of the generation right underneath me in age as she showed a lot of slacker tendancies.She wouldn't face her feelings or problems head on until she was forced to by the fates.She remained far too long in situations she wasn't even entirely happy or comfortable with.When she finally begins to stand up for herself rather than sit back and fall asleep or daze out a window, the reader is applauding, "it's about time!"

Despite the few critiscms in this review, this was much deeper than the average chick lit genre.Sure there was humor, the protoganist was young and single, and there were sexual scenes but that is about where the resemblances will end.This almost falls more into the category of "women's fiction" except our character is so obviously still growing into the role of "woman" throughout most of this book.
Fans of both of these genres may enjoy reading this novel.

Beach Read
This book opens up a great new category in 'chic lit'. Smart and interesting. Finially heroine who is willing to think and act for herself. It's refreshing to read a book with a smart, independent woman who doesn't sacrifice everything she is just to get the guy.
Nicci's character is perfect. She could be anyone we know, even ourselves. I liked that about the story, I liked that it was easy to imagine Nicci in her every day life.
Karen Brichoux is a wonderful writer. I hope she is planning a sequel, or just more books.

Another Fun Read
A fun read about an unconventional single girl trying to find herself while dealing with society's expectations of what her life plan should look like.

Coffee & Kung Fu
Light read, the main character can really get on your nerves, she just needs to get over herself.

Made me feel broody and cranky
Don't be fooled by the fancy-pants pink cover with the kitschy coffee cup on the front - C&KF is no chick-lit offering.Brooding, sad, frustrated, unhappy, disgruntled - all adjectives which describe the main character, who is going through a shift in her life where she is being forced to finally decide what she wants and needs to be fulfilled.

Most readers will see the end coming, and there are no surprises here, other than the fact that I'm surprised I was able to finish this dry novel.Not particularly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
An introduction to the ancient Kung Fu practice designed to unify physical, mental, and spiritual health

• Describes the unique Iron Shirt air-packing techniques that protect vital organs from injuries

• Explains the rooting practice exercises necessary to stabilize and center oneself

• Includes guidelines for building an Iron Shirt Chi Kung daily practice

Long before the advent of firearms, Iron Shirt Chi Kung, a form of Kung Fu, built powerful bodies able to withstand hand-to-hand combat. Even then, however, martial use was only one aspect of Iron Shirt Chi Kung, and today its other aspects remain vitally significant for anyone seeking better health, a sound mind, and spiritual growth.

In Iron Shirt Chi Kung Master Mantak Chia introduces this ancient practice that strengthens the internal organs, establishes roots to the earth’s energy, and unifies physical, mental, and spiritual health. Through a unique system of breathing exercises, he demonstrates how to permanently pack concentrated air into the connective tissues (the fasciae) surrounding vital organs, making them nearly impervious to injuries--a great benefit to athletes and other performers. He shows readers how once they root themselves in the earth they can direct its gravitational and healing power throughout their bone structure. Additionally, Master Chia presents postural forms, muscle-tendon meridians, and guidelines for developing a daily practice routine. After becoming rooted and responsive, practitioners of Iron Shirt Chi Kung can then focus on higher spiritual work.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Best Chi Kung book
I am fairly new to Chi Kung and Tai chi, but I have purchased and worked with many books and DVDs. Iron Shirt Chi Kung book and its companion DVD are my favorite
instruction tools so far.

I particularly love the instructions on Golden Urn, Golden Turtle and Water Buffalo.

Also love the instructions on the tendon changing exercises.Great Book and DVD.

The way ones body and mind changes is just phenomenal.

An advanced book with lots of goodies
An advanced book on Chi-Kung and Chinese internal martial art.The main part (iron-shirt chi-kung postures) has been explained in great details, some of the postures (like Golden Turtle) are regarded as among the most important postures of advanced Wu style Tai Chi, and Iron Bar is an advanced practice in many Chinese MA systems - all explained in good details.The practice of rooting and chi-packing are elements not to be missed, again all explained in good details."Bonus" materials include exercises to enhance structural alignment and microcosmic circulation are also included, though I think the latter can be practiced more safely with crossed legs postures as in meditation (I mean unless one's sacrum can be aligned medially, a classic requirement of sound tai-chi practice, then one can safely practice microcosmic orbit circulation in standing position).

This book is an essential reference for advanced practice, and I recommend every advanced Chinese internal MA practitioners should get a copy.However, it is definitely not a book for beginners.Say for junior practitioners of Tai-Chi (say within one year of guided practice), I would recommend to supplement their practice with Zhen Zhuang (stand-like-a-tree) as taught by Grandmaster Wang of Yi-style (check up books like,The Way of Energy:Mastering the Chinese Art of Internal Strength with Chi Kung Exercise (A Gaia Original)). Easier and safer.

Authentic Information
I believe that Mr. Chia's book is the clearest explanation of the legendary Iron Shirt technique (and how to train it) ever presented in written form.Ignore some of the new-age froo-froo stuff and dig into the meat of the book.It's all there...the real information you've been seeking.

good introduction to structural chi kung
still going thru this book; takes a while to get the principles down; learn something every time i read it.

Excellent intro to subject
As a practitioner of old style Yang tai chi I found this book invaluable in extending my knowledge of iron shirt chi gung. Technically, tai chi can be considered a combination of medium and small circle martial chi gung, but it also includes a lot of iron shirt practices as well. Essentially a form of Taoist yoga, it is finally being discovered and is receiving the attention it deserves in the west.Whether you ascribe to the more esoteric aspects of chi theory or not, the physical and and health benefits of iron shirt chi kung are substantial and can be enjoyed by anyone willing to put some effort into it. Overall, a fine book and worth your time and money. ... Read more

Product Description
Have you ever seen an action-packed kung fu movie? Have you seen people moving their bodies in the calm motions of tai chi in a park on a Saturday morning? You might not think these two practices have much in common, but they do. They are both styles of the ancient Chinese martial arts of wushu. Discover the sports in which the "hard and stron ... Read more

Product Description
Five Animal Kung Fu - Tiger Matching Set The art of Kung Fu is known as one of the most powerful and graceful forms of self defense. Many systems of Kung Fu have developed over the centuries, all having sprung from sources of great inspiration. The Five Animal System of Kung Fu is patterned after the movements of the Dragon, Snake, Tiger, Leopard, and Crane. This book presents a comprehensive study of the spiritual and physical attributes of the Tiger System. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

training
If you still know Shaolin Gong Fu and you want to learn a new form, this small book is a good choice. If you are a beginner, take the money for the first lesson in a good martial arts school.

Not as traditional as it may seem.
This book is okay if you are a kung fu enthusiast trying to learn about different styles out there.The reason being is due to the fact that this book isn't about a traditional shaolin form nor is it original hung gar.The author of the book has created this style by being influenced by Fu Jow Pai so don't expect to find any ancient forms here.The only read I enjoyed in this book was the introduction which gives good historical insight into how the animal forms came to be.

Tiger in the Moonlight
Good book on this powerful system of kung fu. However, the form is rather short and no proper explaination is given even though the pictures are clear. But any information on the tiger claw system is like discovering a rare gem. More publication on this system would benefit the martial art community.

A beautifully illustrated manual
"Tiger in the Moonlight" beautifully illustrates the esoteric fighting style of this powerful animal.So little information is published about five animal kung fu forms, and this book gives a brief history of the system and the form itself in addition to excellent photographs of each move.The clear, concise instruction provided by Sifu Paul Koh provides an introduction to the tiger matching set for martial artists who want to know more about this form.But it also captures the attention of the curious and will certainly encourage them to study kung fu and truly learn the techniques behind "Tiger in the Moonlight."There aren't many martial arts manuals that are so well designed and this book should be in the library of any serious kung fu practioner. ... Read more

Product Description
A book fully describes the fighting methods, mottos, theories and many different branches and styles of northern Praying Mantis Kung Fu. The book also contains the rich materials of the different sources, variations, stories and developments of all the other branch-styles from the northern Praying Mantis. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Interesting, but...
This book gets three stars because the techniques are accurate and highly illustrated, but the book also has a number of frustrating aspects, which I'll talk about shortly.It has an old style charm, as it was written in a time when martial arts books were not well edited. There are numerous cases of broken English in the intros.It was never re-edited in later editions.In a way this adds to the allure of the book, but its also distracting.Thankfully, most of the book is pictures. :)

I get the feeling this book would be much better if they took all the photos and made a flip book.Seriously.It can be very difficult to follow the forms here, based on these static images, no matter how many there are.They need to be seen in motion.I'd rather see this on DVD, than in a book.As a book, its lacking, despite it's authenticity.A book is a training tool, and it gets three stars because it falls short of the many solid, modern texts on martial arts that exist today.

Excellent overview of Mantis Kung Fu
The book here written by Leung Ting through collaberation with other mantis practitioners (specifically 7 stars style) is a good one. The work is readable and thorough enough for a basic overview of all the major techniques and powers of the 7 stars system. Of course there could be more depth but for a person trying to get the gist of Praying Mantis northern style it is a good reference. The techniques within the book are all easily learned and executable with a partner with some work. Since I learned some praying mantis from my sifu in a different style I was very pleased to see a book that actually had some knowledge within it rather than some fancy techniques and no base. This is not a flashy book or filled with forms, but has the good solid workings of martial arts. I would reccomend this book to anyone trying to get a look at some praying mantis kung fu, but remember unless you have a LOT of previous experience it is downright dangerous to try and learn your martial arts from a book, a starting point perhaps, and addition of knowledge of course, but to treat a text as your teacher is a very misconcieved notion.

Good overview of Mantis
This book has a good overview of all the basic theories and techniques of the Mantis system (7*'s). The wooden man form is no good in the book though if you don't know a wooden man set this would be a very good beginner set to start with. All the keywords are translated and explained in detail as to what they refer to, this is a real treat as most martial arts books will not even mention the keywords that are present in almost every system. I would say it is a good book to start out your knowledge with, though it is not in depth enough to learn from alone. If you are stuck only learning from media be sure to cross reference with a few other books and videos. Look up Jon Funk for decent, quality videos on 7*'s Mantis. Between a few video sets and this book you should be able to attain some skill. Watch for another Mantis book coming out in early 2005 by Neil Ripski on the Eight Shadow Mantis Boxing, a different style of Mantis but with these basics it could be assimilated easily.

NOt recommend
It is only introduction. Not much about Mantis itself. The book isactually teach wing Tsun because the author is expert in Wing Tsun.

Only buy if you want to learn Wing Tsun
Not worth if want real knowledge about Mantis kung fu

Detailed but understandable.
I have only had this book for 2 weeks, and prior to this I have had about a month and a half of basic karate and tae kwon do training.The forms are difficult to learn in the sense that unlike the "hard" forms of karate, the forms illustrated consist of several movements one must learn and then connect them smoothly.Therefore it may take 8 or so moves to deliver just one punch, but in the process you are also blocking and grabbing and pulling with each move.I highly recommend this book for those who earnestly wish to learn the basics of Seven Star Mantis.If you are unsure of which martial art is best suited for your body and mindset, this style is primarliy based on agility and flexibility.Evading all attacks to quickly defeat an opponent as well as reading every movement they make and "feeling" where they will move is the guiding force for Seven Star Praying Mantis ... Read more

Product Description
This book for the budding martial artist under 12 yearsold presents the history and techniques of kung fu. Fully illustratedby Frank Hill. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Good book for 7 years and up
This is a great learning book for kids, it has illustrated pictures,like a comic book and very good lessons of honor and respect. The fundamentals of kung fu are there. I would recommend this book for 7 and up.

Some useful information, but the format is dated and campy
I bought this book to teach my kids some self-defense basics, and to give them a healthy form of practical exercise.

I haven't begun going through the book with them, but I read through a lot of it so I could be more adeptat helping them with the topics.

I have taken some brief training infencing, kara te, and more in akido. So, I am not totally unaware of thegoals of such training.

What I saw so far in the book looked practical,it was nice to see some moves used from a position of being on the ground,i.e. in case you get knocked down by an attacker.It had some good tipsfor getting limber and building strength.

However, the cartoons and"storybook" approach in the some of the text are very dated andperhaps even useless as a way of entertaining a reader approaching teenageyears (to whom I suspect this book is aiming) given the exposure to so muchmulti-media junk these days.

A more simple, and instructive format ofimage data would allow the book to be more timeless and applicable, whilebeing less "entertaining".

Still, what I read of the stances,kicks, and so forth lead me to believe there were some good moves to belearned from applying this book.It is nice to find a book that gets tothe point, for the most part, on such a topic and that allows me to teachmy children. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

The Chinese Connection
As far as I know, this is the first book on Five Ancestor Fist kung-fu to be published in English, and I think many of those who practice Okinawan karate, particularly Uechi-ryu and Goju-ryu, will find it of great interest.Even a cursory glance will establish many points in common with Okinawan karate: the sam chien/sanchin stances and forms, the technique known as "holding the shield" in Ngo Cho and as "tiger mouth' or tora guchi/mawashi uke in karate, and the use of the weapon known as the sang te pi in Ngo Cho and the sai in Okinawa, to give just a few examples.

Mr. Co tells us that the art of Ngo Cho kun is a "Shaolin" martial art from Fukien province on Chinafs east coast, and we know many famous Okinawan masters traveled to Fukien to study Chinese martial arts, among them Higashionna Kanryo, and later his pupil Miyagi Chojun (who later founded Goju-ryu ), as well as Uechi Kanei of the Uechi-ryu. The author states that Miyagi probably settled in the central or southern region of China, where he studied Ngo Cho kun. As far as I know, Miyagi Chojun never actually lived in China, although he did make several trips. His teacher, Higashionna Kanryo, did spend many years in Fukien. Perhaps Mr Co has confused the two.
Miyagi Sensei is believed to have visited Fukien in an unsuccessful attempt to make contact with Higashionna's teacher, and also to have visited the Tsing Wu Athletic Association in Shanghai, which was founded by the legendary Huo Yuan-chia. I, too, have heard the story that Miyagi Sensei was exposed to Pa Kua (aka Ba Gua - Eight Trigrams Boxing), and like Mr. Co, I tend to discount it. Mr. Patrick McCarthy, in his recently published Bubishi, states that he believes that Higashionna's teacher, Ryuru Ko, was a shoemaker named Xie Zhongxlang and the founder of Whooping Crane gongfu.

I have also heard it suggested that Ryuru Ko practiced Tai Cho (Grand Ancestor Boxing), and an elderly Chinese practitioner of Tai Cho interviewed in Penang, Malaysia in 1979 by the International Hoplology Society's field research team gave a genealogy which seemed to confirm this. I personally believe that there was probably a fair amount of overlap involved, in that the same person may well have practised several styles, either consecutively or simultaneously. Cross- training is nothing new, and styles from a certain area may well have shared many characteristics in common, as the result of local customs and culture, not to mention the physical environment itself.

According to Mr. Co, Ngo Cho Kun is derived from five different styles (including White Crane and Grand Ancestor/Emperor boxing) and consists of 44 empty~hand forms, 12 weapons, strength and conditioning training, prearranged fighting drills, and free-sparring practices. Later he explains that the forms are divided into two categories; either chien (tension) or kun (fist) forms. (A similar division exists in Goju-ryu karate, between sanchin and tensho on the one hand, and the other traditional forms).

The book shows a representative form from each category. On the technical side, the most interesting thing that I noted was the use of a waist twisting movement in the sam chien form, presumably done so as to lend more power to the subsequent strike. I have not encountered this movement in my practice of Gojuryu, nor have I observed it in Uechiryu, though since my knowledge of Uechi-ryu is limited, I suppose I could have missed it. But this is, I think, a point of technical difference. My whole image of Goju-ryu and Uechi-ryu is of styles which keep the upper body facing toward the opponent. I'd be interested to learn more about the rationale involved here.

As for the weight training exercises, the iron or stone weights known as chio so seem to be the exact equivalentof the Okinawan sashi. A list of the weapons used in ngo cho kun is given, and there are photographs of some of the weapons. The sailsang te pi is shown, as are a variety of staff weapons, the straight sword, and the plum spear, as well as a weapon with the intriguing name of the "horse cutting knife", which seems to be the equivalent of the Japanese nagamaki.

To sum up, this book would probably be of most interest to those practising Okinawan karate or perhaps a related Fukien province fighting art such as White Crane. It certainly helps fill a gap in our knowledge of the fighting arts which originated in Fukien, among which we can clearly count Uechi-ryu and Goju-ryu.

Good overview of the style, but with one drawback
This book provides a good overview of the Ngo Cho style, and is generally well-written. My only real complaint is in the author's insistence on, and the number of pages he devotes to, the idea that Ngo Cho is "believed to be the root of the Goju-ryu and Uechi-ryu Okinawan karate systems." The only ones claiming this belief are certain Ngo Cho practitioners. While Goju Ryu and Uechi Ryu have their origins in the Chinese martial arts, and in fact originate in the same part of China as Ngo Cho did, it only takes a brief glance at the accepted histories of these styles to realize that the timelines don't match up. The histories of Goju Ryu and Uechi Ryu can be traced back to the same time period as when Ngo Cho was being created (mid-1800s), and there is no mention of anything related to Ngo Cho's history or of any Ngo Cho teachers in those histories. Plus in China there are currently practioners who trace their lineage back to the Chinese teacher who taught Kanbun Uechi, and they do not refer to their style as Ngo Cho but merely call it "tiger fist". Finally, you cannot draw much from the fact that Ngo Cho, Goju Ryu, and Uechi Ryu all have a form of the Sam Chien/Sanchin kata because many different styles in southern China practised various forms of Sam Chien in the 1800s. What seems far more likely is all three of these styles had similar origins and influences, rather than one being the "parent style" of the other two.

A typical intro book for the system
From my perspective, the book offers an intro to the Five- Ancestors kung fu system of Fujian province, southern China, and not what you would prefer a training guide for the reader. Because of this fact, I would say the bookis satisfactory.

As a synthesis of the five systems of White Crane,Taizu (First Emperor kung fu), Lohan, Monkey, and Damo (Bodhidharma kungfu, in honour of the first patriarch of Shaolin kung fu), the system placesmore emphasis on the hand techniques of the crane, and the footwork ofLohan. Because many Japanese masters fled to Fujian province to furthertheir training, Wuzu kung fu has greatly influenced Japanese karate.

Ofthe 44 sets that comprise the syllabus of the system, only 2 are displayedin the book, the movements, themes, etc., the San Zhan (Three Battles) set,the core form, and the Entwining Kick fist set (in tit tat). The authorshave not done a great deal to express the kicking techniques and footworkin the system.

I chose to select this book because it's the only book onthis rare system of martial arts hailing from Fujian province.

not bad
The book is well written, and contains some interesting historical information regarding the relationship between this unusual system and some of the karates. It is no substitution for an instructor, but it isinformative and a good intro to this particular variant of wuzuchuan.

Does all it should
I was given this book by my stepdad, a grandmaster in the Five Ancestor Fist system.It very clearly gives the history, principles and a good idea of what is involved in the art.For such an obscure art to the westernworld (though so popular in malaysia, and Fukien) this book provides anexcellent introduction to the art.Though, of course, no substitute forfinding an instructor. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Brief review of "Police Kung Fu: The Personal Combat Handbook of the Taiwan National Police"
The book shows an interesting mixture of Wing Chun, Aikido & Judo techniques that can be applied in a self-defense setting.
It gives the reader or those who train in the above styles, some insight on possible direct & practical application of those styles. Or at least examples of how they can be applied more practically.
Aside from that, the book is a quick read but filled with plenty of step by step photos.
It would have been nicer if they showed some more knife defense scenarios with the attacker holding onto the defender at knife point, cornered, or up against the wall.
The same goes for the Unarmed Combat section: they could have included more defense situations vs various unarmed attacks (ie: kicks, bear hugs, tackles, multiple attackers, etc.).
Despite the lacking bits, all in all it's still a good read.

Fascinating but incomplete
I imagine that the author presumes a certain level of prior martial arts and/or law enforcement experience by readers of this interesting book. While it is well written it's only 123 pages, barely scratching the surface of the subject. His perspectives about combat and the nature thereof are quite valid, focusing on proactive movement, fluidity, martial power, and solid tactical execution. The individual applications, on the other hand, are a bit narrow considering the wide range of potential encounters and scenarios one might stumble upon in the field. Contents include how to train for hand-to-hand combat, techniques for fighting unarmed perpetrators as well as against those armed with a knife, gun, club, or bat, and police baton applications designed to work against individual suspects as well as for crowd control.

The principles are generally good, yet a few of the assumptions are suspect. For example, officers are taught to predict the type of attack a suspect will launch with a knife based on the type of blade used. The challenge with that approach is that most perpetrators are untrained individuals operating outside their normal mental state. In other words, an enraged, deranged, or otherwise unstable individual will act in unpredictable ways. Consequently focusing on the type of knife used is more often than not a waste of time, particularly when the knife-wielder is unlikely to know how to use it "properly" in the first place. And, anyone who has ever been assaulted by a knife knows that there is not much time for thinking anyway. The author does state to prepare for the unexpected because the bad guys rarely follow a script, but disassociation between these two concepts is a good example of a shortcoming in the text (which could easily be a result of the translation rather than a flaw in the original document).

There is a lot of good stuff in here about dealing with armed and unarmed assailants. Keep in mind that no book, no matter how well written, can ever be a substitute for competent hands-on training. Having said that, however, this really is an interesting tome.

Lawrence Kane
Author of Surviving Armed Assaults, The Way of Kata, and Martial Arts Instruction

Good Reference for Wing Chun/Kenpo/Etc. Practitioners
This book is very well translated and lays out the various techniques clearly (with a couple of exceptions). Students of Kung Fu, Kenpo, Ninjitsu, and similar styles will find much familiar material here, with some twists. Provides a good range of weapons defenses, from blades to handguns, and is quite comprehensive for its size. ... Read more

Product Description
Here comes Po! Kids will love to read the story of this comical panda, who, through a series of amazing events, is chosen to be the country's top jung-fu fighter - The Dragon Warrior. But can Po complete the challenging training to defeat Tai Lung, the deadliest enemy in the land?

This book comes with a viewer shaped like a Chinese pagoda and four double-sided cartridges. Each cartridge features eight action scenes from the movie. As kids read the story, they can look at the different images on the scrolls to enhance their experience. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not a very good hsing-i book.
For devout collectors this is a rare one, but it is not very descriptive on hsing-i. Tackett basically ignores the Internal basis of Hsing - I Chuan and presents it like it was some kind of Karate. Bottom line - you arent going to get a whole lot out of this. For reference, that is if you already know Hsing -I then I guess it would have some value. ... Read more

Product Description
When Po, a chubby panda working in his parent's noodle shop, discovers that he is the "Chosen One" to fend off evil enemies, it takes a number of Kung Fu masters to whip him into shape. The main characters are hilariously voiced by Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, and Dustin Hoffman.

With more than 60 stickers, readers can learn all about the Kung Fu characters, and recreate their favorite scenes.

Kung Fu Panda TM & (c) DreamWorks Animation L.L.C ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

My nephew loved it!
My nephew loves Kung-Fu Panda.He was so excited when he got this
sticker book.He spent hours looking through it. ... Read more

Product Description
The reader's decisions control the course of an adventure in China, where a boy named Billy has disappeared while on a kung fu tour. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

First in Richard Brightfield's "Master" series
I enjoyed Frank Bolle's art as much. In later books, Frank Bolle's artwork looks greater.

I like reading about basic Kung Fu techniques and meeting with Ling.

However, there are some mistakes Richard Brightfield has made. For example Chinese surnames came first, not last.

Confusing book
This storyline leads to great adventures but some confusing endings. For example, in one ending when you were waked up from your dream by Billy who was supposed to be stay kidnapped. And another ending has put the reader and Billy in a plane after waking up from a dream. If that is so, then the other endings were part of a dream?

But the Frank Bolle's artwork is wonderful and crisp as always. I loved his artwork in other books. I liked Ling very much. I enjoyed having an interactive relationship with Ling. I was hoping for a romance with Ling.

Master of Kung Fu - Cool!
This book, is my favourite Choose Your Own Adventure book. You can become a Kung Fu master or even a Ninja. It's great! It has a great story line and great pictures. If you like Choose Your Own Adventure books, martial art novels, or even juse great adventure books, then get it. I totally recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
The new edition of Bruce Lee's classic Chinese Gung Fu: The Philosophical Art of Self-Defense rejuvenates the authority, insight and charm of the master's original 1963 publication for modern audiences. It seamlessly brings together Lee's original language, descriptions and demonstrations with new material for readers, martial arts enthusiasts and collectors that want Lee in his purest form.
The new edition includes digitally enhanced vintage photographs, previously unpublished pictures with Lee's original handwritten notes, Chinese characters written by the author and painstakingly scanned for this book, and contemporary introductions by Lee's widow Linda Lee Cadwell and daughter Shannon Lee.
This timeless work preserves the integrity of Lee's hand-drawn diagrams and captioned photo sequences in which he demonstrates a variety of training exercises and fighting techniques, ranging from gung fu stances and leg training to single- and multiple- opponent scenarios. Thought-provoking essays on the history of gung fu, the theory of yin and yang, and personal, first-edition testimonials by James Y. Lee, the legendary Ed Parker and jujutsu icon Wally Jay round out this one and only book by Lee on the Chinese martial arts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

View this as a historic document.
The significance of this book is it's historical value in the development and growth of Bruce Lee and of the martial arts community in America. In a modern context, some of the discussion and techniques may be outmoded, but the book serves as a historical reference for everything that came after it.

Bruce Lee A True Master
A lot of people have their opinions on Bruce Lee books. Some are fans and some read the books for the wealth of knowledge you can tap into on martial arts and self defense. I belong to that second group! Bruce Lee is a true master in the martial arts. His fighting skills are incomparable, and his way of life, is one that we wish we could all live. "Chinese Gung Fu: The Philosophical Art of Self Defense" is a treasure that all martial artists should have on their book shelves. Bruce kept with his simplistic style while writing this book, making the basic techniques you learn in this book, executable by anyone who reads the book. You will also get this basic crash course on Chinese Gung Fu, without the ego that some other martial artist authors seem to have. Those people are more interested in plugging their art/system, than they are in actually teaching it. You won't get any of this with Bruce Lee! I was very happy to learn that this book was made available to the public again, after it was pulled off the shelves, after Bruce's unfortunate death. The information in this book is well written, and worth learning. This book is more than one you put on your coffee table to collect dust and do nothing else. This book will teach you the basics of an ancient art, that may well be extinct in the world of martial arts today. All I've got left to say now is....


BUY!!!!!! BUY!!!!!! BUY!!!!!!

Be Water...
There are quite a few books out there about Bruce Lee. This one was authored by him in 1963. The original book had a yellow cover, and was quite understated in it's design.This was because the book was meant to have its pages ripped out, put up on the wall of your workout area and practiced repeatedly. It is simple, and easy to follow. Bruce Lee provides step-by-step instructions through photo's and drawings (his own). I suggest finding a work out partner and recreating the moves outlined in the book. Stretches, exercises and more are included. Everything except the dedication required to learn...

"Be water my friend" - Bruce Lee

First Edition- bought it, don't want it.
I bought this book a few months ago. It's a first Edition from 1963, not a reprint.It's not too informative. What's it worth?

A few comments
Compared to the books out now on kung fu this book probably wouldn't rate much of a mention if it weren't for the fact that it's Lee's first published work, at least in the west. It gives a basic overview of kung fu, including some philosophy, exercises, basic style info, and a number of techniques. As far as technical knowledge goes, probably the most interesting thing there is the photo sequences showing Lee defending against multiple assailants, which are good.

But at just under 100 pages, it's small although the overall quality for the time was probably pretty decent considering this was probably one of the few books in English on kung fu at the time. But by current standards it's more than a bit on the light side. Even so no doubt Bruce Lee fans will want to acquire the book to have a complete collection of his works, since he only wrote six or seven books.

Probably the most interesting thing about it is Lee says the material and techniques in the book derive from the period before he started studying Wing Chun. In that sense the book is more important for its historical value in showing an earlier phase of Lee's kung fu development. Danny Inosanto also said Lee had studied northern long fist and learned all the empty-handed forms there (of which there are about a dozen), so this material could have been drawn from that.

Many of the photos are a little dark and lacking in contrast but they're still viewable and not bad. You can still see what's going on. But they're not up to the quality of more recent books.

One thing Lee says that still resonates today is his statement that a good martial artist will take all the knowledge that he's acquired and simplify it to get the true, distilled essence of the art. At the most advanced levels, the principles and techniques then become "simple" after being "complicated." Of course, it takes a very advanced and knowledgeable martial artist to be able to see and accomplish that, and perhaps most of us will never get to that point, but Bruce Lee did, which is why he was and still is one of the greats.

By the way, many people aren't aware that Lee combined both karate and kung fu techniques (not to mention Indonesian Pentjak Silat, which most people in this country have still never heard of, although there are at least 300 different styles), so his style is truly synthetic and eclectic. However, because of that many traditional and classical kung fu masters don't consider Lee a true kung fu practitioner. Whether that is true or not I leave up to the reader to decide, although Lee himself once stated that, "There is nothing traditional in my kung fu."

So overall, not a bad book for its time although at this point it looks sort of old-fashioned and dated and will probably be mostly of interest to amateur martial arts historians like myself or serious Bruce Lee fans. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Difficult Read, Not For Beginners
The material seems authentic enough, with a number of sources provided in the introduction (although hard to trace and verify.) The illustrations seem genuine, originating from old Chinese medical texts. However, the author's statement that this material is not well known in China either, set off something of a red flag.

Another issue has the author omitting certain information, such as times of day for certain postures, as well as their relation to the five elements. (This was stated in the introduction.) This makes certain sections of the text incomplete, and of questionable value to someone trying to get complete information.

The text descriptions accompanying the illustrations are either very obscure, and seem like more of a direct translation than an actual explanation of the subject depicted. An author's commentary, or if the author is not qualified, a TCM doctor's notes would have made this book more readable and understandable.

To the familiar, you will find descriptions of the Yijin Jing, the sitting Eight Pieces of Brocade, the 5 Animal forms, and several others. Unless already familiar, as I stated earlier, the text will be very confusing.

As it stands, the text is very obscure, some of the grammar is on the verge of confusing, and the terminology at times needs explanation (some of it is non-standard, and some outright archaic, even for qi gong practitioners.) As such, this book only gets 3 stars. A lot could have been done to make this book a genuine treasure to Qi Gong/TCM practitioner, but it seems the effort was not put in.

I would only recommend this for the most hard-core qi gong practitioners/historians, and the curious. Although in itself a valuable book, for the average reader, this will be of very little use.

Good for the price
This book contains a lot of interesting concepts, though I wish some terms were explained better.For example, it tells you to 'press the vertex' but doesn't explain what that means.The "Heavenly Drum" is defined as "the occiput" and I have no idea what that is (and it wasn't in my dictionary).Some things are worded as if literally translated such as 'closing the breath.'But not all items have these flaws and it has some very interesting techniques, drawings and diagrams.I'd say it's a good buy for the price.

This is the greatest book on Internal exercises ever!
This book is really great.It is an english version of an ancient chinese book.I love it because it has almost all of the internal workouts for strength, speed, and ch'i cultivation.If you want a great book at anawesome price get this one. ... Read more