KT057  Taiji, Xing Yi and BaguaQuan by Way of Our Modern Masters   
Mark Small
103 pages, $29.95, oversized

Sifu Mark Small brings the teachings of many instructors together in what might be called a book of comparative principles. Having studied over a forty year period with various instructors such as Chang Tsung-Sheng, “The Butterfly King”; Liang Shou-yu, a Shuai Jiao champion; JouTsung-Hwa, Chen Yun-Ching and Choy Kam Man, he can legitimately claim to know something about his subject.

For instance, here is one important and powerful example: Small shows that the basic fighting posture of all these arts is essentially the same. Further, he demonstrates that this meta-posture can be applied to many throws. He then goes on to enumerate the use of different energies in throwing, including well-known concepts like Warding, Pressing and Plucking. He also offers us a wealth of comparisons between the arts and the styles uncovering key principles used by the various methods. There are so many ideas tucked away in the middle of paragraphs and side notes that the reader will have to be attentive to break them out to apply them. This is a good text for intermediate and advanced martial students.

KX002  The Xing Yi Boxing Manual
Hebei Style Five Principles and Seven Words
Edited by Jin Yun Ting: Translated by John Groschwitz

A decent translation and introduction with many textural notes on the art of Xing Yi. If you are familiar with much translated so far the "head erect" and "six harmonies" explanations are pretty redundant. On the other hand no one translates a book because they feel it's unimportant. The many introductions, though, make this an essential to a well rounded Xing Yi library. Also the inclusion of the original Chinese is a plus. Groschwitz's translation is good. We just want people to understand that much of the writings in Kung Fu from the Qing are not really as important as they are made out to be. This is the shift from experiential to academic. A good tendency only if well tempered.

See this in the collector's Chinese reprint series.

KX005 Xing Yi of the Chinese Army

Note: This book has recently been republished in a nice edition by Blue Snake. The newer edition is softbound with 144 pages and contains, in addition to the original text, Huang's applications for Empty Hand (Five Fists) and Two-Handed Saber.

It's BACK! Plum's reprint of this important text...

KX004  Xing Yi Boxing Studies
by Sun Lu Tang, Translated by Albert Liu
Compiled and Edited by Dan Miller

Sun Lu Tang's treatise o n Xing Yi Boxing was published in 1915. His first book it is said to be the first text published publicly in China to integrate the theories of martial arts with Chinese philosophy and Taoist Ch'i cultivation. This started the designation of martial arts into the so-called "internal" schools which some have applauded and some deeply regretted. Nonetheless this is a true classic. This translation has detailed instructions on the Five Mother Fists and the Twelve Animal motions along with a linking set. Mr. Miller has done a service to English speaking students of Xing Yi by producing this work. Included are a detailed biography of Sun and an interview with his daughter Sun Jian Yun.

Click for collector's Chinese language reprint.

KX003 Xing Yi Nei Gong
Compiled/Edited by
Dan Miller and Tim Cartmell

Drawing on information from Zhang Bao Yang, Wang Ji Wu and He Yu Qi all students of Wang Ji Wu; Miller and Cartmell have created a text based on Xing Yi but geared toward Nei Gong (Internal Training). Few people today realize that "Chi Kung" is a neologism referring to what has generally been termed Nei Gong for centuries.

In other words "Breath work" was always called "Internal Work". What's the diff ? Nei Gong implies a greater discipline, more power and most importantly a more rigorous application of the principles with more formal structure. Chi Kung implies a watered down version one might teach one's grandmother if she's had no previous training. There is a place for either but, with the sudden popularity of "Chi Kung" it is refreshing to see this admittedly technical but basically sound text on the subject from a Xing Yi Boxing standpoint.

Included are sections on: Wang Ji Wu and his lineage
LiuHe (6 Harmony) Xing Yi written transmission
Xing Yi Standing Practice
Health and Strengthening Exercises from Xing Yi.

Take a look at Tim Cartmell's DVD  of this series.

KH002 Hsing Yi Quan Illustrated
Li Shuang

This book is very straight forward and cocked full of information. While the text is bare bones it has the advantage of everything being en face, that is to say English and traditional Chinese side by side. A number of forms are covered including Five Elements, 12 Animals, The Famous AN SHEN PAO Duet, Mutual Restraint Duet and the less common Three Hand Pao. Cut out photos floating on the page give the presentation a 70's look. No history, just instruction. Demonstrations of the movements is by Yeung Sin Kwan, a former Wushu coach in Suzhou.

KS002 The Science of Internal Strength
by Zhang Nai Qi,
Translated by Marcus Brinkman

This is a translation of a book originally published in 1933. It is a thin but very interesting volume: essentially an essay on the practice of internal arts. Most books in the martial field are instructional but there are a few such as Adam Hsu's and Daniel Furuya's which are reflective, based on an self-awareness of the nature of practice. This book is one of the best we've seen attempting to explain the rationale of standing practice, relaxation, internal studies etc. It originally garnered some ire from that other outspoken group, the Yi Quan members. But many of the ideas have been adopted since its initial publication. Still, there is much fresh and honest material here.

Excerpt: "In fact, the so called dan tian is neither a point of concentration or a point of tension. Disciples of the Tung Shan sect, while in sitting meditation concentrate upon the area between the eyes, therefore their dan tian is between the eyes. For others who practice cultivating qi and internal strength boxers who concentrate upon the tension of the abdomen, it is therefore located below the navel...."