Here it is! Our Second Annual Boxing Day sale at Plum. OK, we know Boxing Day does not refer to the boxing (拳, Quan) we practice as martial artists. But the name so perfectly lends itself to our purposes, that we borrow it to create a Boxing Day Sale (节礼日特卖, Jiélǐ rì tèmài) for martial […]
Dec
24
2022
24
2022
Dec
16
2022
16
2022
Pak Mei Kung Fu: A Rare Find
Well, how excited are we about this? Today marks the return of Pak Mei Kung Fu White Eyebrow, a book so long gone that we cannot remember when we last had copies of this to sell. As a matter of fact, we may NEVER have had this collector’s item. All of HB Un’s books are […]
Nov
10
2022
10
2022
Tiger Claw’s Wooden Master
Just added to our collection an exciting new book, Tiger Claw’s Wooden Master, from Sifu Paul Koh, who is brilliantly carrying on the lineage from his teacher, Sifu Tak Wah Eng. This new title is, like all of Sifu Koh’s books, a labor of both love and color. He outlines Tiger Claw’s system of using […]
Oct
28
2022
28
2022
ChaQuan and Its TanTui
We at Plum freely admit that we are big fans of Andrea Falk, in her roles as martial artist, writer and translator. It is this last role that we celebrate today. When we started Plum, almost 30 years ago, there were so many important texts available in Chinese that we never thought we would see […]
Oct
12
2022
12
2022
Sep
15
2022
15
2022
Newest Excitements
Well, we won’t be able to use our “Summer of Stars” cliche much longer, so we have a mixed bag of new titles today. There is still a short but powerful stack of books yet to catalogue, so keep a close watch for those. Today’s batch mostly centers around Tai Chi, with a nod to […]
Aug
28
2022
28
2022
Jimmy Lee’s Poison Hand, and some Clean Staff Techniques from China
Continuing our Summer of Stars, we have two new offerings today. If your jaw drops on this first one you are not alone: Plum’s was on the floor when this book came to us: Jimmy Lee’s classic on Iron and Poison Hand Training, “Modern Kung-Fu Karate.” We have been in business for almost 30 years, […]
Aug
24
2022
24
2022
Yiquan Seminar with Sifu Ken Cohen
We want to make sure that you all know about an upcoming 7 week online seminar on Yiquan, taught by the inestimable Sifu Ken Cohen. These classes, which can be viewed live through Zoom and/or downloaded after each session, will approach Yiquan as foundational to Qigong practice. Please read the catalogue description below, and click […]
Aug
14
2022
14
2022
Ten Essential Techniques of the Tiger
Continuing our Summer of the Stars lineup of new material, we are happy to announce the arrival of a major book in the Fu Jow Pai system, Sifu Paul Koh’s Ten Essential Techniques of the Tiger. Sifu Koh, along with his teacher Sifu Tak Wah Eng, has set himself the difficult task of preserving the […]
Aug
5
2022
5
2022
Jul
13
2022
13
2022
Taijiquan, Martial Power and Andrew Townsend’s Fine Books
Some business problems are ones you want to have: too much good stuff coming in at one time; too many customers ordering; too much media attention. The six new books we have just added from Andrew Townsend present a different (good) problem: although he is essentially teaching and writing about Taijiquan, these volumes cross categories, […]
Jul
13
2022
13
2022
The Similarities Among the Various Styles of Taijiquan (revised to include images!)
This is an excerpt from Andrew Townsend’s The Art of Taijiquan: An Examination of Five Family Styles. You can find this and several other books from Andrew on the Principles and Practice of Taijiquan by clicking the book image. Plum represents 6 of his fine volumes on Taijiquan, Martial power and Applications, Pushing Hands and […]
Jul
1
2022
1
2022
The Excitement That is Meihuaquan
You’ve probably noticed that we have a hard time containing our enthusiasm when we add special items to our catalogue. As many know, we hand-pick each title that we represent, so by the time we offer it to you we already have a good assessment. But face it: some books and DVDs are even MORE […]
Jun
11
2022
11
2022
Jun
5
2022
5
2022
Formation of a Wushu Student: Andrea Falk’s New Book
Plum represents a LOT of books, among them some real treasures. Typically, when we talk about the best ones, they usually share certain qualities having to do with technical information: a teacher generous enough to reveal principles, methods, even “secrets.” Andrea Falk’s newest book, Beijing Bittersweet, certainly includes gems of instruction from her own teachers, […]
May
13
2022
13
2022
The Role of Continuous Movement in Yang Style T’ai Chi Chuan
~Reprinted from T’ai Chi Magazine Millennial Issue, February 2000 At one time T’ai Chi was known as River Boxing (He Quan). The reason is obvious, even to the non-player. T’ai Chi’s smooth, continuous flowing motions move along like a gentle mountain stream turning and tumbling occasionally but never halting its fluid progress. And to make […]
Apr
30
2022
30
2022
Going, Going, Gone
At least monthly, we discover that Kung Fu books and videos that were previously abundant and available are now out of print. Unfortunately, we rarely hear about these things BEFORE they disappear. Back in the day, Unique Publications was one of the two main American publishers of martial arts books, along with Ohara (Kodansha and […]
Apr
8
2022
8
2022
Our First Love
Although we are smitten by many truly wonderful contemporary texts we represent on Plum, our first love was the older manuals: dusty copies found on the bottom shelves of poorly lit bookstores in Chinatown. These books telescoped us back to earlier times and teachers. Now, more than 50 years later, some of what was contemporary […]
Mar
20
2022
20
2022
Why Practice the Tai Chi Sword?
If you are learning the art of TC sword, or even just want to appreciate the style, you have picked one of the great martial arts weapons. This double-bladed instrument — whether wooden practice or combat steel — is unlike any other in the Tai Chi arsenal. It encourages direct concentration aligned with movement — […]
Mar
5
2022
5
2022
Spinning Bagua
When we think of Kung Fu and its long history, we tend to think of its venerable age, lineage, and established methods. But everything in Kung Fu was new once — VERY NEW — and innovative. Responding to environment, population and, most influentially, technology, these impulses sparked revolutionary changes, as well as temporary (and sometimes, […]
