Plum has seen an upsurge in English language texts for Chinese Martial Arts. Great! However, this has taken some energy from the site’s mirror-side of Chinese texts. Not that we don’t have a pile of those, too, to catalogue, but they take a little more time due to translation, acquisition, etc. Still, we will try to energize our presentation of these interesting—and, increasingly, en face (English and Chinese)—offerings.
This week we talk about three books, two of which are entirely new, with one rejoining us in traditional characters (the previous being in simplified characters).
This first outlines the work of Wan Lai Sheng, a reality-combat proponent dating back almost one hundred years. Wan is best known for Ziranman and LiuHe, and also as a no-nonsense fierce fighter. This text contains great old photos of Wan.
There follows a traditional Xing Yi sword text in the Li Cun Yi lineage—also well-photographed—teaching a set which contains a lot of dropping and angular movements. Good sword work, with a lot of lower level attacks.
Finally, a small book on Tang Lang (Praying Mantis), which we feel to be an under-appreciated style. This rendition of the Lan Jie set, represented in photos by a teacher and his son alternately posing, is slight but solid; an unusual presentation in this world-popular style.
