#EXY86 The Xing Yi of the Chinese Army (vol. 2)
Rifle and Bayonet Training and Applications
Written by Dennis Rovere: Additional translation by Chow Hon Huen
106 pages, US $ 34.95with enclosed DVD demonstrating moves

This takes its basis from Huang Po Nien's famous "Xing Yi and Weapon Instruction" which, in chapter three, contains the first attempt in writing to apply Chinese martial methods to modern military weapons. It is in this book that Xing Yi is applied to bayonet practice. The author of this book takes this as a beginning. His own experience includes teaching military units, and operating in high threat environments and war zones. He was trained by Col. Chang Hsiang Wu a former chief instructor of military strategy and XIng Yi at Whampoa Central Military Academy. THIS VOLUME contains translation of Huang original instructions, Rovere's demonstration of the technique a nice section of the original Xing Yi Spear techniques with somewhat restored photographs. All this and a DVD demonstrating the applications of the bayonet techniques. Also there are interesting notes on the entire structuring of Chinese techniques to meet modern needs and threats such as the Japanese invasion.         

OUT OF STOCK! Please place me on your WANT LIST for this item.

#EXY95 The Xing Yi Boxing manual
Hebei Style Five Principles and Seven Words
Edited by Jin Yun Ting: Translated by John Groschwitz
68 pages, US $ 16.95         

"Written in the 1920's, published in 1931, and now available for the first time in English, {this book} clearly explains the concepts and images behind the five elements of XingYi. Compiled by Jun Yun Ting, student of Shang Yun Xiang and Sun Lu Tang and a grand-student of Li Cun Yi, the true boxing classic provides a wealth of information for practically every practitioner including:
Images of each posture • Songs and images of the five elements • the guidelines for practice contained in Xing Yi's "Seven Words" • Essential points of the Six Harmonies and the extremities • Historical notes and biographies..."

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.

#EXY98 Xing Yi Boxing Studies
by Sun Lu Tang, Translated by Albert Liu
Compiled and Edited by Dan Miller
310 pages, US $ 19.95

former cover

Sun Lu Tang's treatise on Xing Yi Boxing was published in 1915. His first book it is said to be the first text published publically 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 daugher Sun Jian Yun.

The collector's Chinese language reprint.

#EXY99 Xing Yi Nei Gong
Compiled/Edited by
Dan Miller and Tim Cartmell
Softbound, 200 pages, US $19.95

Drawing on information from Zhang Bao Yang, Wang jin Yu 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 JiWu 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.

#EXY96 Xing Yi Boxing
Li Shuang
213 pages, US $14.95         

This is a 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.

OUT OF STOCK! Please place me on your WANT LIST for this item.

#EXY97 The Science of Internal Strength
by Zhang Nai Qi,
Translated by Marcus Brinkman
72 pages, US $ 24.95

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 dantian 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 dantian 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...."