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, […]
Jun
5
2022
5
2022
Oct
12
2021
12
2021
Jul
23
2020
23
2020
Heads & Tails: Adam Hsu on Martial Marketing
Plum’s new series, Heads & Tails, presents the thoughts, experiences and points of view from top martial teachers and practitioners (CMA). It is not meant to be a passive offering—these are ideas to wrangle, consider, argue for and against. This first excerpt comes from Sifu Adam Hsu’s newest book, “Life Is Too Short For Bad […]
Jan
9
2020
9
2020
Book Review: Adam Hsu’s “Life Is Too Short For Bad Kung Fu”
Traditional Chinese Kung Fu is dying. When it dies it won’t be a homicide but a suicide. Shifus are peddling tricks to kids. Shifus that are preserving Kung Fu can’t find students to undergo the hardship of practice. Students that are willing to undergo the traditional training can’t find a Shifu to train them. Kung […]
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
17
2019
17
2019
Drunken Boxing, Chicken Boxing, Duck Boxing, and so on
After our recent article on Drunken Boxing, a friend sent us a Q & A he had synchronistically seen on the subject, from Sifu Mike Sigman. We were not only in agreement with Sifu Sigman, but were also impressed by the way he had handled the question concerning reeling silk in Drunken Boxing, so we […]
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 […]
Dec
11
2017
11
2017
Dec
22
2014
22
2014
Traditions that Could Go Away
Yet if I were captured and tortured by Ninjas I would have to admit that I harbor doubts about certain things
Aug
12
2014
12
2014
Tradition: The Mother of Innovation
Tradition, real tradition, inspires innovation.
Jun
5
2012
5
2012
What is jibengong? What would be a good DVD for some examples?
Dear Ted, Recently in the online community RumSoaked Fist, Dr. Kenneth Fish has expressed a lament in the lack of jibengong being taught to new students. Dr. Fish then goes on to elaborate that there needs to be more leg lifts, goblet and pistol squats, crescent kicks and so forth for any martial arts foundation. […]
Feb
5
2012
5
2012
Why Are the Forms on Your DVDs different …
At Plum we get this question all the time. On one level the answer is obvious as a spinning heel hook; different people teach differently. But that is not the whole story.
Sep
27
2011
27
2011
Folksy Kung Fu
I’m not even sure which style this comes from, Shun maybe. It doesn’t matter. Kung Fu like this preceded styles as such. Here we have an old instructor, Liu ShuiJie, who is a little bit infirm at 76, stumbles here and there, loves to yell when he takes his students down. In other words village […]
