At Plum, we keep a wantlist for things that go out of stock, out of print, or just disappear into the ether. This is such a common occurrence with the traditional material that we represent, that despite our sincere collecting of customer lists, even we must admit that many books and dvds never return. But […]
Aug
5
2022
5
2022
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 […]
Feb
6
2022
6
2022
No One Is Perfect: Books That Go Bump In the Shipping
Honestly, considering the amount of shipping we do, both sending and receiving, it is remarkable how few bumped corners we have to report. But things DO go wrong, every once in a while. Take, for instance, a recent order from Taiwan. A few lovelies received minor bruises, hardly anything to rise up over but still, […]
Dec
3
2021
3
2021
Kittens, Newbies, and an Old Favorite
Sort of hard to believe it is already December. In-between projects and cataloguing and writing articles, we have been keeping an eye on our two new wrestlers, Uxmal and Notte, a 6 month old (kitten) sister act who have taken up permanent residence in our home (and hearts). When they are not sleeping or eating, […]
Aug
24
2021
24
2021
Forthcoming, and Then Some
A brief pause in our cataloguing work to tell you about a few items coming up that would be here sooner if we didn’t keep pausing to tell you about them…well, you get the picture. Anyway, a little while back we added a gorgeous new Chinese book from Sifu Adam Hsu on Tan Tui, this […]
Dec
9
2020
9
2020
Aug
8
2020
8
2020
Adam Hsu Tan Tui
Decades ago, when I taught franchise information to a group of fledgling martial school owners, I was exposed to a process known as “total immersion.” This was an unstructured method of training where a manager might be awakened at 3:00 am by “some potential student” pretending to want information in the middle of the night. […]
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.
Jul
8
2019
8
2019
May
30
2019
30
2019
The Faces and Fists of Wong Jack Man
Since posting the sad announcement at the beginning of this year, of Sifu Wong Jack Man’s death, we’ve had the opportunity to speak to and hear from several of his students, each with his own story. For instance we—along with, apparently, many other people—did not know that Wong Sifu practiced the additional styles of Xing […]
Dec
28
2018
28
2018
Five of Five: New Books
We welcome five new texts, three of them in both Chinese and English. Among the lot we have a nicely done 5 Animals routine. We also have something very unusual: a duet set where spear battles…another spear. Do not try this at home. Happy New Year to all of you from all of us—Ted, Linda […]
Aug
30
2018
30
2018
Help Us Help You
We got an email from a kind customer, who wanted to alert us to the fact that a link he was clicking did not bring up the intended information. After a few minutes’ investigation, I would say he was putting it mildly: we had provided clips—many clips!—for each of the DVDs in China’s Living Treasures […]
Aug
28
2018
28
2018
Listening to the Wind: On Internal Practice
About a week ago I asked my Tai Chi class if they ever get bored doing the form. They unanimously answered “No,” their explanation being that the form always provides new material to concentrate on, things to master. This suggests that the act of repetition can be either boring or freeing, and leads me to […]
Aug
16
2018
16
2018
Four Books, Five Elements: Tong Bi With a Dash of Qigong
Announcing FOUR new books in our Traditional Chinese Section! The first three display an abundance of riches; all are on Wu Xing Tong Bi, or Five Elements Through the Arm Boxing, a style of ancient moves and modern popularity. Like Bajiquan, attention to this style is growing rapidly. Distinctive, fast, elegant and powerful, Tong Bi […]
Jan
28
2018
28
2018
Review: Essence of Lien Bu Chuan
We want to congratulate Artie Aviles, James Man Chin and Nelson Tsou on two excellent reviews they have received for their book “The Essence of Lien Bu Chuan.” We are especially grateful to both Nick Scrima at The Journal of Chinese Martial Arts, and Nancy Fiano, from the Xinyi Dao Academy and the World Fighting […]
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
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 […]
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 […]
Mar
24
2016
24
2016
Northern, Southern, Inside and Out
A few restocks for your reading pleasure–click images for more info Hung Kuen Fundamentals: Gung Gee Fook Fu (English/Chinese)This exceptional first volume of the Lam family Hung Kuen series is back in stock! We cannot say enough good things about this beautiful and comprehensive treatment on Hung Gar Fundamentals. We are so pleased to be […]
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 […]
