Plum is experiencing a plentiful Spring this year, starting with the reappearance of Sifu Bow Sim Mark’s early works; then the masterful new edition on White Crane from GM Lee and Master Bernard; and now the long-awaited second volume of Shifu Wing Lam’s compendium on Northern Shaolin (Bak Sil Lum). Although there is much here […]
Apr
1
2021
1
2021
Mar
28
2021
28
2021
NEW! Authentic White Crane Kung Fu Book
In traditional Kung Fu, we often talk about the shape of an Art, although that shape cannot always be easily defined. It might include a short list of specific qualities, a couple of hard-won principles, certain approaches to its qigong, methods learned from its secret songs…It is elusive and typically closely-held. The experienced eye might […]
Mar
21
2021
21
2021
Sifu Bow Sim Mark
I believe that I first saw Sifu Bow Sim Mark perform at Brendan Lai’s 1984 All Master’s Kung Fu Demonstration in San Francisco. Those were the pre-pre-youtube days and, other than pictures of her in the Kung Fu magazines, I had never seen her movement. I—along with the friends who accompanied me that night to […]
Dec
28
2020
28
2020
Xiantian Bagua Zhang: Gao Style Bagua Zhang Circle Form
This may be one of the Bagua books you did not know you were waiting for. C.S. Tang has produced another excellent and comprehensive text, this time on Gao Style Bagua Zhang. Tang Sifu, known and respected for his martial scholarship, has produced a large fine volume, inclusive of everything from origin stories to advanced […]
Oct
31
2020
31
2020
Bagua Zhang’s Ji Ben Gongs—Plum’s New Project
Here is a short interview with Ted Mancuso, Plum’s director, on his upcoming book/DVD project. Covid slowed us down, but now we are back at work again, and hope to have this finished in the new year. Q: Your new book is on Bagua Zhang Gongs. What is a Gong? Ted: In […]
May
25
2020
25
2020
Taijiquan Books & DVD, Spiced with a Touch of Xingyiquan
At Plum, we are always seeking the best of the best and rejecting those that really don’t have all that much to offer. Sadly, there are more than a few from that batch. But today’s offerings are already classics in their field—solid, innovative, in some cases path-defining. Click each image for much more information about […]
Mar
21
2020
21
2020
Chen Style Taijiquan—A Tangled History
Happy to announce the arrival of a new book to our Plum catalogue, Mark Chen’s Chen Style Taijiquan: Collected Masterworks—The History of a Martial Art. Chen has done wide and deep research on the origins of Chen Taiji, not an easy matter. His main focus is Chen ZhaoPi, but he incorporates other voices in the […]
Feb
12
2020
12
2020
Yue Family SanShou 18 Forms
A new translation for the New Year by Joseph Crandall, this one on Yue Family SanShou 18 Forms, one of the foundational styles from the ancient Yue Family Boxing. Yue Style is pretty much the Mixed Martial Art of its time, related to Chuo Jiao, Fanzi, and fundamental Shuai Jiao. Unvarnished.
Oct
22
2019
22
2019
Life is Too Short For Bad Kung Fu
Yes, it’s true! A new book in English by Adam Hsu. If this were Hollywood, Sifu Adam Hsu’s new book, “Life Is Too Short For Bad Kung Fu,” would be the tell-all on everyone’s reading list; not because it is gossipy—he names no names—but because it fulfills its promise to reveal the good, the bad, […]
Oct
2
2019
2
2019
Andrea Falk’s Masterful Martial Arts Dictionary: UPDATED, Hardcovers have arrived!
10/2/19: The Hardcover editions have arrived and they are big and beautiful. Two good things: There is a price drop down to $80, AND we are extending the 10% discount for the hardcovers purchased through October 31. Discount code is DictHC Limited supply at the moment, but we will get more. Yeah! The Dictionaries have […]
Sep
22
2019
22
2019
A Transformative Art—Tom Bisio on Xing Yi
Teacher Tom Bisio’s newest book, Xing Yi Quan: Art of Inner Transformation, is a well-balanced read on the fundamental ideas and goals of Xing Yi (Shape of the Will Boxing). It is a basics manual written by someone who has intimately absorbed the basics in his own training—in other words, he did not just learn […]
Sep
5
2019
5
2019
Excerpt from Falk’s Chinese Martial Arts Dictionary
In our excitement over the arrival of Andrea Falk’s Chinese Martial Arts dictionary, we neglected to post this generous sample from the text. These pages show, among other things, the thorough approach Ms Falk has taken in putting together this important resource. Order through September 30 to get a 10% discount on either the compact […]
Aug
27
2019
27
2019
Rare Hao Style, Hong Style, and Bagua Leg Techniques—Available Now!
Delighted to announce the addition of five strong books into the Plum library. These gems from Hong Kong, all with boh Chinese and English text, are beautifully designed and laid out with large, easy to read photos, on subjects we just never see in English. KH020 Hao Style Tai Ji Quan Developed by Master Liu […]
Aug
9
2019
9
2019
More, and Then Some
Continuing our summer of great titles, here are three new classics, the last, Shaolin Luo Han, being dual language (Chinese and English) and accompanied by a dual language VCD. These “en face” (two languages, face-to-face ) titles are scattered all over our site, giving practitioners additional opportunities to pick up a few Chinese terms by […]
Jul
19
2019
19
2019
Navigating Your Fate
We are thrilled to announce our newest publication, The Spirit of the Stars: Navigating your Fate with Pole Star Astrology, written by Plum’s resident astrologer, Narrye Caldwell, and published by Plum. There is much to say about Chinese Astrology, in general, and Pole Star, in particular—discover more about it in the longer description of the […]
Jun
21
2019
21
2019
Two Views of Sifu John Leong
At Plum, we are lucky to represent not one but two views of Hung Gar Kung Fu Sifu John Leong, in two new books added to our collection: Beginning Hung Gar Kung Fu, a classic text, and Living Kung Fu, a recently released photo collection of Sifu Leong’s martial journey. “Beginning Hung Gar Kung Fu” […]
Jun
16
2019
16
2019
System, Not Style
We are pleased to offer this presentation—long overdue by us—of Di Guoyong on Xingyiquan, Sifu Di’s systematic explanation of that deeply loved and appreciated style, Xing Yi Quan. Contained in these three volumes is a full roster of forms along with comprehensive descriptions, from basics all the way to weapons forms and partner practice. We […]
May
26
2019
26
2019
Jiang Rongqiao’s Bagua Zhang—Now in English AND Chinese
Andrea Falk is doing wonderful translations. Actually, she has been doing wonderful translations for a long time, but now she is going back, revising and improving on some of her earlier works to make them even better. We are still awaiting the massive expansion and rewrite of her earlier Wushu dictionary (this one promises to […]
Apr
11
2019
11
2019
Hit Medicine Revealed
There is a whole branch of Chinese medicine associated with the martial arts, and to say that much of the information is secret would be an understatement. But now, author Tom Bisio hands us an invaluable text, A Pearl From the Dragon’s Neck, comprehensively detailing revival methods, using vital points, cupping, moxibustion, massage, and pressure. […]
Mar
16
2019
16
2019
New Arrivals: Tai Chi Staff, Shaolin Fists
Trying to keep up with the tower of material stacked high here at Plum, waiting to be catalogued and made available to you! Today’s newest additions start off with the Yang Tai Chi 68 Staff DVD (2 parts) demonstrated by the popular Jiang Jiang Ye. This 68 move form is one of the longest sets […]
