What a year the monkey has been!

Now, we have so much good stuff coming in we can act like the Rooster Year is already here, and can start to crow a bit. In the next couple of months, we’re looking forward to adding more and more top quality books and DVDs, often in English. 

For instance, we have scheduled a beautiful book on Hakka masters; an original english translation of a new history and analysis of the Bubishi (Wubeizhi), plus a never-before-seen color edition of the essential text; an entirely new English language book and DVD on the Lost Track style and its key form; our own text in the Grandfather weapons series, this one on the Kung Fu Saber; not to mention recently posted items like Sifu Adam Hsu’s DVD course on Bagua Zhang. The Year of the Rooster is a good time for concentration and getting some important things done and that will be our goal and focus from this point on: more top-notch material on this great art, and more in-depth discussion about the core of the arts and each teacher’s response to it.

Another event enhanced this past month: we finally met one of our most popular instructors, Terry Dunn, after all these years. In four hours of non-stop talk we discussed everything martial, from our mutual Kenpo experiences to LiuHeBaFa; the skills of the Cheng Man Qing teachers; the proliferation of pseudo-Qi Gong; and much more. Known for his clarity of presentation on the subjects of Tai Chi and Qigong, you may expect more new materials onPlum, from Terry, in the coming months.

Another project just coming to publication is a rare event indeed: the Lam Family Hung Gar (Hung Kuen) version of the famous Iron Wire form, one of the pinnacles of Southern Kung Fu. This is the Lam family’s first presentation–in book and on DVD–of the knowledge locked in this exceptional form. Just to whet your appetite, take a look at the Table of Contents (you are the first to see this):

Part One

Chapter One: The history of Tid Sin Kuen

1. Origins

Chapter Two: Lam Family Hung Kuen

1. Lam Sai Wing
2. Lam Cho
3. Lam Chun Fai

Part Two: Techniques & Training

Chapter Three: Four Pillars of Hung Kuen

Chapter Four: Definition of Tid Sin Kuen

1. Breathing and Tones
2. Stances and Posture

Chapter Five: Introduction to 12 Bridges

1. The 12 bridge hands

Chapter Six: The Secrets of Tid Sin Kuen

1. Training Guidelines
2. the Benefits of Tid Sin Kuen

Part Three: 

Tid Sin Kuen Manual (Photos and instructions of the complete set)

Chapter Seven: Tid Sin Kuen by Lam Chun Fai

Part Four:

Memorial dedications to Master Lam Cho

1. Glossary of Terms
2. Appendix
3. Tid Sin Kuen DVD

Anyone who has seen the Iron Thread knows that they are watching something far beyond Qi Gong–rather, martial Nei Gong–that is, internal training, not just breath training. Everything else that has been produced by this family has been of superior quality. I am expecting no less here.