Teacher Ma XuZhou begins this DVD training series with an in-depth discussion on the origin and diagnosis of eye problems from the standpoint of a Chinese Medical practitioner. All methods are related to opening and controlling meridians (an energetic network in the body) and you do not have to know these precisely. The eyes are […]
Sep
11
2017
11
2017
Aug
29
2017
29
2017
3 Southern Styles
Southern Kung Fu styles are under-represented in martial literature, as almost any Southern practitioner can tell you. So we make a special effort at Plum to seek out the best material we can offer. Which is why an announcement of two new products and a long-waited restock is a bit of a celebration: A […]
Aug
27
2017
27
2017
Mei Flower Boxing
Here’s a reprint of a popular article on Mei Hua Quan I wrote for Kung Fu Wushu magazine. The Mei flower is a delicate thing. The slightest breeze stirs its petals. Against the hardness of bark its softness shines like spots of moonlight. Its delicacy is a dab of beauty in the world. But sometimes […]
Aug
27
2017
27
2017
More on the Mei Hua Kung Fu style
More notes on Mei Hua Quan •Some Forms of Mei Hua Style: Mai Fu (Ambush Fist) Shi Zi Tang (Cross Forms) Mei Hua Tai Zu Chang Quan Mei Hua Quan Five Tigers Grab the Sheep Penetrating Forest Palm Eight Directions Boxing Mei Hua Spear Green Dragon Sword •Our Mei Hua VCDs •Some sources indicate MeiHua […]
Aug
13
2017
13
2017
Aug
4
2017
4
2017
Muslim Kung Fu: The Fist of the Bodyguards
Comment: Of the over 700 articles and opinion pieces on the martial arts I’ve published, this one on Muslim Kung Fu has probably gotten the most reactions. Letters and question from all over the world have flooded in. There is a lot of interest there in Jiao Men, Islamic martial arts. Here is the first […]
Jul
14
2017
14
2017
Major New Bagua book
I’ll be honest with you: I have not yet finished Andrea Falk’s new book, “A Shadow on Fallen Blossoms: The 36 and 48 Traditional Verses of Baguazhang,” but we were so excited about the book we wanted to announce it as soon as we received copies. I can’t imagine anyone interested in Bagua not wanting […]
Jul
4
2017
4
2017
Jun
7
2017
7
2017
Liu Xiao Ling’s Presentation of Wu Tai Chi Sword
Pound for pound, Liu Xiao Ling is one of the most popular teachers on our site, especially considering the small number of DVDs he has produced from his wide range of styles and systems. The reasons are simple. His movements are accurate and simultaneously explicit. He contends himself with the “internal” arts such as Qigong, […]
May
26
2017
26
2017
Hung Gar Boxing: Clarity and Effectiveness
Here is another fine “workshop” session DVD from Sifu Don Hamby. This time his Hung style takes him to the topic of classical form and fighting. And he responds with sequences taken directly from Hung’s famous forms applied to unarmed combat. As is characteristic of the style, there are some powerful blows and even a […]
May
16
2017
16
2017
Appreciation: Double Swords, Flying Blades
There is at least one weapon in Kung Fu practice that is generally taught only to women. In fact, I have never—that I recall—taught this to a male practitioner. Leaving aside the irony of a male teaching a “female only” weapon (I’ll discuss how THAT works at the end of this article), I think it […]
May
11
2017
11
2017
Iron Wire Fist Book Has Arrived
Finally. At last. The wait is over. Lam Chun Fai’s Iron Wire Fist book/DVD, Tid Sin Kuen, has JUST arrived. The 240 page book is bound in a heavy, textured paper wrapped cover, with both black-and-white and color interior pages. It also contains a bonus 9 minute DVD of Sifu Lam performing key movements from […]
Mar
19
2017
19
2017
Random Circles—The Synergy of Taiji Quan
by Jason Tsou and Art Schonfeld By necessity, there are many levels of martial arts training. A person must develop foundational work before he can go on to more advanced work. One essential training method often overlooked today is that of Random Circle training. While this is not the highest level of training, it provides […]
Mar
6
2017
6
2017
Feb
17
2017
17
2017
Jan
27
2017
27
2017
Jan
16
2017
16
2017
Dec
28
2016
28
2016
The Karate/Kung Fu Connection: Bubishi
Just arrived, TWO books: the premier translation of the martial-world famous Bubishi by Patrick McCarthy; AND more stock on the gorgeous hardcover edition of The General Tian Wubeizhi: The Bubishi in Chinese Martial Arts. The convergence of these two—the translation (Bubishi) and the commentary (General Tian’s Wubeizhi)—mirror the revelations contained in these two texts concerning […]
Dec
10
2016
10
2016
A Welcome Guest: The Hakka Fist
I have a friend, Tek Young Lin, who is a born storyteller. He can weave a tale with every nuance—the smell, the expressions, the details—all brought to life. He can twist a yarn about anything or nothing. In fact, he tells a wonderful Daoist story about collecting holes, and how his best friend almost tumbled […]
Nov
8
2016
8
2016