SHAOLIN TEMPLE BOXING-Page 1

The saying goes, "Under Heaven Shaolin is the Mother of Martial Arts" and "One Hundred Flowers come from Shaolin." It's a wonderful thought and we studied Shaolin for many years but it isn't true. Shaolin is now such a generic phrase and so overused as to be of very little use. Still there are some indications of styles which are probably "closer" to the core and meaning of the system. Shaolin is, in reality, a Middle Fist not a Long Fist though it is generally categorized as such. It is a huge style with over 200 staff sets and the temple itself was more of a repository for centuries of martial artists: sort of a living library of Alexandria. In this sense Shaolin is indeed an important and historically significant style. It is also often beautiful and "honest"; a style of contrasts and movements known throughout the world. See Shaolin Page Two.


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#ESL86 Secrets of the Shaolin Masters
Five Element Fist with 2 two-man matching sets
Paul Koh
147 pages, Oversized, Photographs, US $17.95

This new book by Paul Koh is, as he says, a contemporary approach that maintains a traditional attitude. "Secrets" introduces a basic view of the Five Element Theory and its application to martial practice, a section on Shaolin history, a photo essay on the basic stance. Next is a long practice partner set for Three Star conditioning exercises. This is followed by Koh's short and recombined "Five Elements" fist. Finally there is a two person Five Elements sparring section. While not exactly classical sets there is a distinct classical structure here with obvious influence from the Five Elements of the Hung Gar style. This short form is easily learned and the photos are exceptionally clear. As we've said before, though original these contributions partake of the rigor and structure of the traditional forms and are strong additions to the work. It's not a matter of just being "classical" but much more as we'll discuss some day. Our only wish here is that Mr. Koh gaves fuller verbal instructions on the breakdowns of the sets. Directions are relatively sparse though, for an experienced practitoner, it is learnable.

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#ESL88 Shaolin Kung Fu
Li Ying Jie
127 pages, Oversized, Published 1988, Photographs, US $12.95

This large book starts out with color plates including those famous murals from the Shaolin Temple walls. The rest of the book is done in the "cut out" photo sequences popular in the Sixties and Seventies. It starts with basics then proceeds to a short Southern style Bridge Set. Next is a partner set which, according to the text, has the essences of Tan Tui, Mantis, Eagle Claw, and LuoHan. The major set given is Nian Shou Quan or "Sticky Hand Boxing". This form is said to have been handed down from Sun Yu Feng, a great master of LuoHan Shaolin. The moves, obviously emphasize contact between the two partners. Many photos.

#ESL99 Martial Skill: Shaolin Road #5
by Rick L. Wing
216 pages, softbound, photographs
US $ 19.95

"There is an actual system known as "Northern Shaolin." The main proponent of this system in the Twentieth century was GM Gu Ru Zhang. The director of Plum Publications own heritage through Wing Lam is from this lineage. Another branch of the school is through the teacher Wong Jack Man, well known in San Francisco Chinatown. One of his students, Rick Wing, has produced a book on a key form out of the Northern Shaolin lineage: #5 or Martial Skill.

This is a good choice. First, it has never been exhibited in an English language edition. It comes from the "first half" of the system which is composed of sets around 40 movements long. But it is generally regarded as the most complex and interesting of this group. It is a great exhibition form and we've had a number of students win tournaments with it. It shows more of the Shaolin skills than a number of the other forms. Wing himself is enthusiastic about the system. He is also quite limber and that "sells" the Northern kicks a bit.He has a lot of style and shows a practiced skill with the sets. The book is layed out with form explanantions shown in large and small photos. It shows both back and front views. He also discusses all the other forms in the core system and their practice and meaning.

There is a nice history in the front and applications in the back. There are also sections on Gu Ru Zhang and Yim Shan Wu. Notes on the arrangement and meaning of the famous "ten core sets" help to give a feeling for the plan of the Northern Shaolin system. There are historical notes that will be useful to those researching Shaolin. If you are an enthusiast of Bei Pai Shaolin then this is a good addition to your library. Our only real criticism is that the photographs are a bit small. The applications section, for instance, is really too abbreviated to show much detail.

#ESL92 The Complete Book of Shaolin
Wong Kiew Kit
340 pages softbound,
US $ 21.95 PLUM Price 18% off: $17.95

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#ESL97 MOI FAH:The Plum Flower Fist of Shaolin
Kwong Wing Lam & Ted Mancuso
90 pages softbound,
US $ 8.95

#ESL96 Secrets of SHAOLIN TEMPLE BOXING
Robert W. Smith
Editor
70 pages, US $9.95

This is the first major book on Shaolin Temple Boxing in the English language. With this book Robert W. Smith, already a well known writer on Judo, established himself as a major authority on Chinese martial Arts. Actually a translation of a Chinese text on Shaolin, this book is abundantly and attractively illustrated with typical early Tuttle good taste and nice art direction. Not an instruction manual per se Secrets gives the true flavor of a Chinese boxing text. It contains, among other things, the 18 Shaolin Monk exercises, photos of a Chin Nah expert demonstrating basic hands and a little background on Shaolin history and philosophy. A fundamental book.

#ESL72 72 Consummate Skills of the SHAOLIN Temple
Compiled by Wu JiaMing
Translated by Rou Gang, Revised by Yang Yin Rong
286 pages, softbound, illustrated
US $ 19.95

This book is a compilation of different training methods such as you might see in some of the early Jackie Chan films while the Shihfu is taking a small break and a nap. Some of these are tradition methods from the Shaolin Temple. Some may be the inventions of novelist from the Ming Dynasty. Some defy the principles of physics and some are excellent specialty training methods. The original sources for this book, pamphlets often distributed from Shihfu to student, copied down, redrawn and rewritten are famous throughout the martial world. This is where Iron Skull, Chi Projection, Whip Strength and other methods were first shown to the public.

#ESL98 Shaolin Long Fist
Yang Jwing-Ming
and Jeffrey Bolt
238 pages, US $14.95

Still a good, serviceable introduction to Shaolin Kung Fu and Wushu in general. Published twenty years ago this is one of the books I recommend for people entering the Kung Fu world. Oversized and thick it gives a lot of information for the money. While sometimes light on distinguishing legend from fact, theory from practice; it is nonetheless a compendium of information covering basics, exercises, general fighting theory and form. A lot of concern went into this book. It also sports a lot of forms for the price (FIVE), demonstrating and showing applications for Lien Bu Chuan, Gung Li Chuan, Mai Fu Chuan (Ambush Fist), Shih Tzu Chuan and Shawn Fu Ien. Though these are only generically Shaolin they do represent the general category (Mai Fu is associated with Mei Hua style as is Shih Tzu Chuan, Shawn Fu is a praying mantis form and both Lien Bu and Gung Li are off the rack training forms or "linked fists."). You can't get hurt with this one.

#ESL91 108 Movements of the Shaolin Wooden Dummy Hall
compiled by Winnie Cheng    
English: 94 pages each, softbound
US $ 4.95 for each book                                                       

This is a translation into English of applications supposedly related to the famous Wooden Dummy Hall of the Shaolin Temple. This was handed from well-known Wing Tsun practitioner Leung Ting to compiler Winnie Cheng as a very old manuscript from his library. It is illustrated with simple line drawings showing applications against an opponent of 108 different movements like:
• Old Tree with Knotty Roots
•Peacock Opening its Tail Feathers
•General Reining His Horse

We strongly suggest buying both of these since they run in sequence.
A neat collector's item reproduction of an old manuscript.

#ESL87 Shaolin Luohan Kung Fu
compiled by P'ng Chye Khim and Donn F. Draeger
English: 169 pages each, softbound $ 14.95 PLUM price $ 11.95

For many years Tuttle was one of the finest martial arts and generally Japanese culture publishers on the planet. Split between Japan and their kitchen table in Vermont, this family- owned company uncannily produced great books while Ohara-Rainbow was reducing itself to formula publishing and Unique Publiscations was still a glint in Curtis Wong's eye. From this time great texts like this one on the Luohan system are still being republished. Basically anything by Draeger, whose main study was Japanese martial arts and who, we believe, developed an academic study of weapons known as Hopology, is worth collecting. Well thought out and presented.