Good news! When we run out of stock on a book or VCD it is often the last time we see it. Alot of what we represent are in short supply. Some items have been around for years and we have found the last of the copies available. So when we are able to restock them, we are really happy! Here are a few that have just come back around…
There seems to be a growing and deepening interest in the legacy left by Liu Yun Chiao, one of the top martial artists to ever arrive in Taiwan. This is a complilation, in Chinese, of short articles giving the essence of Liu Yun Chiao’s teaching on a a very wide vriety of subjects.
Now, while the heat of the afternoon has not yet risen and the dust still lies there without tainting the air, they leave their huts, after tasting a bit of food and sipping their tea, and walk to the practice area.
He is a traditional Chinese character text of a classic on the sword. We haven’t had enough time to do much research on this on but have included a quick, informal translation from the book to give a taste.
Here is the most complete book we’ve ever seen on that fascinating kicking style Chuo Jiao or Penetrating Foot. This is probably the closest thing in Kung Fu to another great art, Capoeira, as seen in the film Black Orpheus. This Simplified Chinese edition covers forms, weapon, history and usage of this ancient but also renovated style.
Resources: On Chuo Jiao style
On consciousness and speed…
“Each of you is as fast as I am,” I often explain to my class despite the looks of some who only appear to believe me because I haven’t been caught in a lie – yet. “I know this because if you were snatching your hand out of the way of a slamming car door you’d move like lightning.” Continue reading INB #21 Fooling the Flash →
Appropriately, we add the Pouncing Tiger form (as well as the Big Six Harmony) to or Shaolin Gold collection to start this, the Year of the Metal Tiger. More from the historically documented series…
We have had this book in our private library for years and have always looked to bring it out for people to acquire. This “Seven Star” sword was created somewhere in the thirties probably by Wu Zhi Qing a student of the very famous Zhang Zhi Jiang mentioned in our book, Spring and Autumn. This is a no-nonsense set with great old pictures. We have finally located a supply which we think will assure keeping this collector’s book in stock.
OOOPS! We directed you to a page that didn’t have this book, but it should be there by now…
Last Saturday we closed the doors and practiced Tiger style to ring in the Chinese New Year. Click the pic below and get a glimpse of our school in Santa Cruz, California …
Sorry about the pun in the headline but I’ve been listing new books for a couple of hours! Cha Boxing is a large and popular art which has highly influenced the Kung Fu world. For those interested in this branch here is a book solely demonstrating Cha style self defense. There are a lot of knees, throws, etc. The pictures are clear as is the intent.
For a long time we’ve only been able to show a copy of this book in our free reference library (do you know about our reference library?). Finally, we’ve acquired copies to offer all you aspiring Kung Fu scholars. Here is the book discussed in Brian Kennedy’s invaluable reference (now unfortunately out of print but still available through us). This is The Common Basis of Wushu by Wan Lai Sheng, fighter, teacher of ZiRanMen and Six Harmonies, friend of such people as Gu Ru Zhang.
I just opened my mouth and out it came: I announced last week that in honor of the Year of the Tiger we would train this coming Saturday in Tiger Kung Fu. It didn’t take much time to realize that it has been years since had been years since I’ve performed Tiger style. What had I gotten into? On the other hand the tiger nature (oh, I was born in a Tiger year to compound all this) is very emotional. First it takes down the gazelle then it regrets eating such a pretty animal. Continue reading Training the Tiger →
Two new Chinese books we’ve never had before, one in traditional and one simplified, on the art of Bagua.
1. Wang Pei Sheng, that famous teacher, shows the 64 hand applicatons from the Liu style of Bagua.
2. A book on the combined art of Xing Yi and Bagua, showing, among other things, section on pole work and applicatons with some nice, cartoony illustrations.
Alright, I confess, Debbie and I are “book people” that seemingly vanishing group. We both love the thousands of books in our library. Continue reading Hurt: Tao of Gung Fu by Bruce Lee →
Some ideas challenge us because they are so counter-intuitive. On the one hand, for instance, we have to visualize an absolute speed of light while simultaneously conceiving of a totally relative thing like distance. But distance should be fixed, we try to reassure ourselves: implacable, stubborn and as dependable as a lawn troll. And yet it is not. Continue reading The Fragrance of Distance →
We get them when and where we can. Here are some books to plump up our shelves again. Just a reminder that in some cases we only keep two or three copies at a time.In this case all books 
are IN CHINESE…
A rather extensive Tai Chi book with old photographs
by Shi Diao Mei 施調梅 teacher of Canada’s Shifu Tchoung Ta Tchen.
A big book on Baji in simplified Chinese characters
This article briefly covers the differences between the two versions of the Green Dragon Form: That offered in my book, and that offered on the Kunlun Four Shapes VCD (VCD#1059). By the way, these VCD’s are very good, and Master Huang Shuangqing really knows his stuff. The applications sections are a little weak, but he discusses the energy and method of each movement as he teaches. Continue reading Differences between the two Green Dragon Forms →
Some books are interesting solely on their contents. This writer, Jin Yi Ming, was one of the first to try and really represent good quality Kung Fu to the public in the early part of the 20th century. Along with Jiang Rong Jiao and Wang Lai Sheng, he wrote a number of books all important in Kung Fu literature. Here is a subject which many people have approached over the years, one of Kung Fu’s more famous sets: The Six Harmony Spear shown with some wonderful old time illustrations.
We have just been able to drop the prices of our representative collection of ESPY DVDs by 33 %. Here are titles which might interest you….
These were some of the first books on Hung Gar Kung Fu and are still some of the best. The Tiger Crane book shows the famous form with some applications where the Hung Gar book shows animal usage and the Tiger Crane two-person sparring set. The photos were big enough in these early editons to actually be understandable and the Tiger/Crane sparring is an exciting and energetic partner practice. Significant discounts on these classics.
We can’t tell you how often people ask about ANY infomation on this branch of Bagua Zhang. Here is the first—and we feel what will remain a major— text directly from a student of Master Fu Zhen Song. If you are unfamiliar with Fu style check out the resources on this page for a little background.
I’m sitting here with a pile of photographs next to my coffee thinking how stupid I was.
In the early days of my martial training Kung Fu seemed to hide its application and self defense skills as though they were the family jewels. Maybe it was me; coming from the considerably more prosaic art of Kenpo I was used to a more explicit style where everything wasn’t just revealed it was calibrated, tweaked and signed for. Continue reading You Have to See for Yourself →
The book with the funny name!!
Our distributor told us it was out of print, but we hunted down some more copies of this practical approach to acupuncture and acupressure. See for yourself…definitely something you can try at home!
This is a comparison of the two versions of the Wisdom Fist/Wise Hammers form–the one in my book, and the one in the Imperial Yang VCD.
Firstly, I would like to answer a couple of questions I have been receiving since I first published this book. Continue reading Comparison of the two Wisdom Fists →
ZhaoBao is a style of Tai Chi little practiced world wide, at least so far. Here is a selection of Qigong associated with its practice. This is a demo-only tape but with tight camera shots and slow enough for the initiated to grasp much of what’s being done. Covering Zhaobao, Dragon Ball Rolling, NeiGong (the older term for Qigong and somewhat more martially oriented), and a special version of the Eight Pieces of Brocade: this is quite a package in one DVD.
We are happy to add even more of the China’s Living Treasures DVD series to our line up. This series, one of the first ever, is still going strong and adding some nice disks such as the heritage versions of both Yang Jian Hou and Yang Bah Hou Tai Chi. Peopled by such top instructors as George Xu, Ye Xiao Lin and Wang Hao Da, these are quality presentations of authentic traditional information. And we are adding the clips which One Hand Productions has already posted so you can get a sample of each DVD. Many new titles such as Ching Wu demonstrations, Chen style saber, Push Hands, Hua Shan Qigong and more…
A good story starts In the middle. Karlfried Graf. Durckheim, a German, spent 8 years in Japan before WWII. Years later he wrote a book entitled, HARA: The Vital Center of Man”. The “center” related here is synonymous with the Chinese idea of the Tan Tian (at least conceptually). Since the days when K.G.D. brought his attention to the vital center in question his book has become one of those classics passed from person to person, one book at a time and quite the opposite of the Amazon consensus-nonsensus system. Continue reading Excerpt: Hara, The Vital Center of Man →
Another offering in our English/Chinese VCD series. This is a two person version of the Shaolin Six Harmony Spear. Fast and changeable, strictly traditional…
February 27th and 28th Master Sam Hing Fai Chan is holding a two-day seminar on the Ip Man Wing Chun system. An expert in Wing Chun and Jow Gar, teacher Chan’s martial DVDs are offered here on PLUM. To find out more about the details of the seminar click here.
