Here’s what happens: We are always scouting and finding new material, year-round, but sometimes it comes faster than we can process it. Processing, in the case of Chinese books, involves a bit of translation and research, scanning pictures, reviewing and cataloguing. And when we get a lot of books at once, which we did as […]
Dec
20
2015
20
2015
Oct
28
2015
28
2015
Tai Chi: Wu and Hong styles
Today, we add the last installment of our selection on the Chen Tai Chi exclusive branch named Hong style. Chen style has a well-known “short fist” version. And this style, developed by teacher Hong JunSheng, presents a smaller frame, demonstrating a soft, slow elegance. This last DVD shows many throws and takedowns with high emphasis […]
Sep
20
2015
20
2015
Adam Hsu’s Basic Kung Fu Training Books
Much earlier in his career, Adam Hsu Sifu created a special series of three linking sets. Each of these were progressively designed to waste as little time as possible, getting that crucial fundamental information to the students. For instance, there are no repetitious sections. Also, each movement is a crucial basic. Two of these sets […]
Jul
31
2015
31
2015
Dragon (re)Emerges from the Sea
PLUM revives one of the most popular Kung Fu books of the 80’s, during the Golden Era of Kung Fu movies and practice. Dragon Form Boxing is a short book displaying form and function. The moves are big and easy to learn. This was one of a series that look liked a paste-up directly from […]
Jul
3
2015
3
2015
Xing Yi and Taijiquan: 2 New Items
There is such a diversity and quality of materials on all major Kung Fu styles, that we sometimes can’t keep up with the new postings. Here is a version of probably the most famous and popular of Xing Yi style two-person sets: An Shen Pao. Not only does it pair up the two players from […]
May
11
2015
11
2015
FINALLY! Books from Hong Kong are here
Here’s the short version: Last year, we re-ordered these wonderful titles from Hong Kong Chin Woo. It took 3 months and they arrived…sort of—one of the boxes from the order went missing in the US Postal System (it actually navigated the oceans but got lost between New Jersey and California.) It took a while but […]
May
1
2015
1
2015
Nov
25
2014
25
2014
The Second Special Lam Family Hung Kuen Book is Here!
Not to be missed if you are a Hung or related practitioner or you want to see a good example of “how Kung Fu ought to be” presented.
Nov
16
2014
16
2014
Now You Can Look It Up
If you’ve been around in the Chinese martial arts field for a while and have tried your hand at translation, you probably will think the same thing I did on first seeing teacher Andrea Falk’s wushu dictionary: “Not only could I have written this, but I probably did…more than once.” The difference is that Sifu […]
Oct
16
2014
16
2014
A Qigong sequence from Xing Yi
Xing Yi Quan: Tu Na Si Ba The Four Breathing Methods of Master Li Gui Chang Tom Bisio takes a little time off to present this book on the Xing Yi Qigong developed by Li Gui Chang (student of Dong Xiu Sheng.) His teacher Dong was the student of masters Geng Ji Shan, Li Cun […]
Oct
9
2014
9
2014
Snake, Cat, Crane Combined Fist: Hung Style
Not only does it contain the entire form, but it gives some great historical information on the creation of this set and, in the wider picture, the creative process that was occurring with many other teachers…
May
16
2014
16
2014
Two more “Facing” Books
We add two more entries in our “en face” collection. This is one of the most popular series, especially for learning one of its representative forms. After all, you get the text in Chinese AND in English, and then a self-contained VCD (in Chinese, with English subtitles) to watch the performance and check your own. […]
Jan
30
2014
30
2014
Shaolin and TongBei
We add to our ever-increasing selection of Shaolin style forms with a Shaolin Six Harmonies Partner Staff set. As we’ve said before, the Six Harmonies division of Shaolin seems dedicated to very solid and reasonably simple partner sets. This one, with its frenetic energy, would be a perfect companion form for young people; it moves […]
Jan
17
2014
17
2014
Three New (Old) Chinese Texts
a Shaolin trident set that looks a little like it was illustrated by a nephew of mine
Dec
16
2013
16
2013
Dec
13
2013
13
2013
Glance: Four-Star Bagua Book/DVD
When we have a moment we record these mini-video reviews to give you an inside look at the new arrivals and products on display. Browse for a minute. It’s like taking a book off the shelf… Reviews: Sun Zhi Jun’s You Shen (Swimming Body) Bagua Zhang Book/DVD
Nov
25
2013
25
2013
Nov
8
2013
8
2013
Buddhist Yoga and a Muslim Fist
If contrortionists make you twitch, and joints creating odd angles makes you wince, you might pass on this one…
Nov
5
2013
5
2013
The White Eyebrow style of Thomas Cheng
Here is yet another book on Pak Mei also known as Bak Mei and White Eyebrow style. These recent volumes all come from the same publishing company and there is a kind of correspondence among them. The forms and training and details are all from the same source but the coverage in this series attempts […]
Oct
25
2013
25
2013
Got Baji?
…there is the added attraction of hundreds of photos of his teacher—Grandmaster Liu Yun Chiao, considered one of the greatest of Baji Practitioners…
