Kung Fu Books

Being a student for 13 yrs, it was good to find a book that covered so many topics of wing chun and his approach to it all. While I may not agree with a lot the author had to write, too much outdated info, he stayed faithful to the minimal of the art...namely a good description of the forms. The photos and explanations may help someone who forgot how to do the forms. Otherwise not much else if you never practiced wing chun.

Not the best organization. Very detailed and covers lots of information. Doesnt cover dummy form...Odd

"Everything should be done as simple as possible, but not simpler"
The book starts with this Albert Einstein phrase, and Mr Belonoha does it very well when writing his book.

I am new to wing chun, I've been training since last september, and bought this book to get to know the background and philosophy of this art. It has been very helpful for learning the names of techniques, understanding the basis af a certain move or technique, where and how to employ it,
and to get a general view of this great martial art. GREAT BOOK

It is simply one of the best books on the market on Wing Chun style Kung Fu.
You cannot go wrong purchasing this book.

This is a very good reference book that breaks down the form very well. As learning martial arts from any book is hard, this is a great companion if you are taking lessons from a certified instructor. The author's insight and perspective are top notch.

Fred Neff wrote Lessons from the Art of Kempo, a book that is as much about a philosophy of life as it is about a martial art. According to the author, "the ultimate aim of Kempo practitioners is not only to grow in power, but to improve themselves and learn to live in harmony with others." Kempo, as explained by Fred Neff, is a beautiful method of harnessing a person's abilities to be in tune with nature. The author says, "Kempo teaches not only how to efficiently protect yourself, but also how to flexibly combine techniques in a smooth free flowing action that seems almost effortless to the viewer." The book explains Kempo as a form of continuous energy that changes as it flows. The Kempo practitioner's goal is to strive to perform in such a manner as to promote harmony. Implicit within Fred Neff's book is the message that energy can move in a linear manner, at an angle or a circular manner. While Lessons From The Art of Kempo shows linear and angular moves there is a definite underlying emphasis on softer circular movements that do not directly oppose force, but rather redirect it. The Kempo book has clear explanations and photo illustrations that make learning easier and more enjoyable. Consistent with the book's philosophic leanings that emphasize the use of the mind is the chapter on "Effective Kempo Strategy." The lessons on strategic approaches to the use of Kempo are easy to understand, practical and further solidify in the reader's mind potential uses of the fighting moves taught earlier in the book. Fred Neff's Lessons From The Art of Kempo is a thinking person's martial art book that transcends just teaching how to fight to that of a holistic approach to improving oneself through the study and practice of the Art of Kempo. The book's point that a Kempo practitioner should strive toward developing harmony with nature and other people is a positive social concept that appears consistent with the author's own approach. The author Fred Neff has done extensive community work as a teacher and lawyer, which has resulted in his receiving the city of St. Paul Citizen of the Month Award, a Commendation from the Sibley County Attorney's Office, the WCCO Good Neighbor Award, The HLS Justice Award, Lamp of Knowledge Award From The Twin Cities Lawyers Guild and the Presidential Medal of Merit. Fred Neff's Lessons from the Art of Kempo is a gem of a book that I very strongly recommend.

"Kempo is an art of philosophy, physical culture, and self-defense that develops the body, mind, and spirit. It includes meditation, punching, striking, kicking, throwing, and locking techniques. Also included are dodges, blocks, and sticking techniques for tying up an opponent with his or her own arms. Kempo moves are both linear and circular, allowing for a smooth flow of action from soft to hard movement. There is a continuity of action that make it exhilarating to practice, irresistible to watch, and difficult to defend against."

"Ultimate aim of kempo practioners is not only to grow in power, but to improve themselves and learn to live in harmony with others. Kempo teaches not only how to efficiently protect yourself, but also how to flexibly combine techniques in smooth, free-flowing action that seems almost effortless to the viewer."

Kempo principles: 1. Don't worry, instead focus on the solution. The byproduct of relaxation and comfort is the path to finding solutions. 2. You can do whatever you believe is possible. 3. Use your opponent's actions against him or her. Any action creates a weakness or an opening for counterattack. Even an opponent's strength can be manipulate and turn it to your advantage. 4. Concentrate on what you do well 5. Be flexible in your approach. Learn to use techniques that will work in a situation and discard anything that will not. A Kempo practitioner learns to expect the unexpected, and varies the self-defense to fit the situation. 6. Preserve. Fighting is not about show but perseverance to survive and win. 7. Dedicate yourself to continual self-improvement. The quality of your training determines the success of failure. Kempo philosophy teaches that knowledge is endless. Practitioners of kempo never become conceited because they know that kemp is an endless way. 8. Take advantage in adversity. Every crisis has two elements: danger and opportunity. If you do not despair, if you see the opportunity and work hard to overcome the difficulty, you will gain from every experience. You must overcome the feeling of doubt caused from self-seeking validation. A kempo practitioner stands alone in his skills. 9. Try to live in harmony with nature and its ways. Unity of action creates harmony and strength.

Stances: Natural Stance, Back Stance or Cat Stance, Front Stance (R or L Cover), Horse Stance, Reverse Cover

Hand positions: low guard, Mid guard, high guard (preferred)

Foot patterns: slide step (shuffle), step 45 degrees, side step, circle step, cross over (forward and back), and half turn (crescent step).

Blocks: Inward block, Outward block, downward block, upward block, upper and lower block, and fan block (parry and chop or parry and simultaneous backfist)

C1: L knife block, R vertical punch to solar plexus
C2: L knife block, L punch to the bridge of nose
C3: R cover, step forward R punch to groin (opponent left downward block), R backfist to face (R upward block), R grab and pull down trapping opponents L arm over R arm, finish with L punch to face.
C4 : Opponent throws a L and R punch. From a R cover, left outward block, grab, and pull and R outward block the opponents R punch, grab and cross Opponents R over L arm, finish with a L uppercut to the opponents R ribs.
C5: R cover, R rear kick plant back, L and R punch
C6: R cover, L front snap kick, R side kick thrust
C7: R cover, shuffle forward, L backfist, half step CC, R punch, R sweep kick to the legs
C8, R cover, L punch, L backfist, R punch
C9: R cover, L side kick, R round kick
C10: L cover, R backfist, left cross behind towards opponent, step behind, two hand sweep the opponent over the R knee
C11: L cover, L side kick, R round kick, L spinning backkick.
C12: R cover, L front snap kick, spinning R back kick
C13: R cover, L outward block, shuffle, R uppercut, L punch

Basic strategies:
1. Keep calm
2. Use your mind. Fight intelligently. Fight passionately. Feel the power and speed of the technique without thought. Fight with an empty mind. Fight without fighting.
3. Control the situation. Try to maneuver into a place where you can best take advantage of your skills and strengths. Close the gaps and Fight in close and decrease the chances the opponent will kick you from a distance systematically. Do fight for show or flash. Fancy techniques are abandoned as injury and risk increases. Use what works.
4. Watch the opponent's actions. Watch for the signals an attack is coming. Don't be presumptuous about the opponent's abilities or inabilities. Watch for shifts in weight that indicate the opponent is preparing to kick. Take the simple technique for protection, such as an inward block. An inward block by itself can break bones in the forearm. Less is more.
5. Consider range in select a technique. Be care not too seek demonstration of skill but think about why the technique will work and what gates it will open. The flow into the gate should be natural and predictable. Find the obvious opening.
6. Disrupt the opponent balance. The best technique is always to put the opponent on the ground on his back. This is the most vulnerable position to be in for the opponent.
7. Use movement as a defensive weapon.
8. Keep the techniques simple
9. Use the element of surprise.

Kempo is a passion of mine that has not abated in the fourteen years I have been practicing it. In my continuing quest for more knowledge I have tried to learn everything that I could on the subject. After reading numerous books on Kempo and other martial arts books with discussions of Kempo, I find that my favorite martial arts book is "Lessons from the Art of Kempo." This book in a straightforward and useable way lays out REAL Kempo--not what you see in the movies or the useless open hand waving movements that some have tried to pass off as Kempo. Lessons from the Art of Kempo shows you the fundamentals of REAL Kempo and how to apply them. Even after practicing Kempo for years, I still find this book has strong meaning and appeal for me. I enthusiatically recommend this book not only to others with a passion for learning Kempo, but for anyone who wants to learn about the REAL art of Kempo.

I am an avid student of Asian history and martial arts. For the last 12 years I have made a study of Asian fighting strategies such as described in Sun Tzu's masterpiece "Sun Tzu Bingfa" ("The Art of War"), which is the definitive work on strategy and Miyamoto Musashi's "Book of Five Rings." In "Lessons from the Art of Kempo" Neff has done an excellent job making practical use of Asian strategic fighting considerations. Chapter 12 of Neff's book on kempo strategy very favorably impresses me. This chapter includes principles from Sun Tzu, Miyamoto Musashi and others. The net effect of Neff's book kempo is that complex principles of strategy have been condensed into workable and usable ways for people to defend themselves. I applaud this book's easy to read straight forward manner. I highly recommend "Lessons from the Art of Kempo" by Fred Neff to anyone. It earns my most enthusiastic 5 star rating.

Kempo is the "fist way" as shown in Lessons From The Art Of Kempo by Fred Neff. Too many books that claim to be on kempo are nothing more than a collection of flashy movements that are impractical and have no usefulness in a real fight. Lessons From The Art Of Kempo gets down to what you need to know and need to do in order to win a fight. It shows conditioning exercises, how to position your body in a fight, how to hit, where to hit and winning strategies. I like Lessons From The Art Of Kempo because it is reality based and does not waste space on flashy movements that have no value and are a waste of time to anyone serious about self-defense. If you want to learn to fight better and--more importantly--smart, a good first step is to read this outstanding book on kempo written by Fred Neff.

I put off writing a review on this book for a long time,...Since Mr. Wu is my teacher. I did not want anyone to think I was Jumping on the band wagon, when this first came to Paperback, So I waited to review it.
So here it is:

This book is probably the most needed book on Kung Fu, Gong Fu, Shaolin.
It is HUGE,.....I mean HUGE!!
It just doesn't get any better than this book.
This book is "SO" worth the money that it is ALMOST OBSCENE!!!
Buy it, I guarantee you will not regret it.

Very detailed book, exellent reference material, as well as gives some insites into different styles.I am very happy with it and it has helped me already. Highly recomended to anyone intrested in the martial arts of this type.

This book does not illustrate the visually captivating "flowery fist" kung fu often seen in the movies. It really addresses the root elements of kung fu.Not only does it cover the fighting elements but also the fitness and spiritual aspects as well. This is a must have for anyone interested in martial arts.

I think this is one of the most complete book on Wushu that I've came across.
It contains information on warmups, techniques, sanshou, chin na, and chi kung.
The appendix at the end of the book was very informative. It provides information about many of the Wushu figures and styles.
The only thing I was unclear on is how to actually apply the wushu techniques from forms in free sparring or fight. It seems that there is a disconnect between the techniques used in the forms and the techniques used in Sanshou. The technique used in Sanshou looked more like a combination of Kickboxing and throws or even jeet kune do.
Maybe for many people, it questions the usefulness of learning technique used in forms other than for training movements and calesnetics.

This volume is nothing but great. It covers all the things you'll need for your wushu training and is crammed with loads of extra information about styles, people, weapons and more.

I especially like the fact that it stresses jibengong, the fundamental excercises of wushu, and not taolu (form). The sanda applications are well explained and covers a lot of ground. A little bit more fighting strategy and tactics would be a good thing though. The explanations and presentation of neigong, the internal martial arts, are also very good. I think that neigong and qigong have to be felt and describing them in words is an impossible task that nobody ever will be able to do well, but Shou Yu Liang does a good job none the less. The glossary in the end is very impressive indeed. It has a LOT of entries of which many are illustrated. Very well.

My only real criticism of the work is that I don't think it covers wushu history well enough. It's too much of a runthrough and dosen't really give any in-depth information. It is a subject that is very dear to me so I guess I'm biased on that point. Also their explanation of the character wu (as in wushu)is not satisfactory. There are generally two mainstream theories in linguistic circles of the original meaning of the word (the most popular by far is Berhard Karlgrens) none of which is the one presented in this volume.

However, that is only a tiny complaint and it dosen't alter the fact that this is a very impressive book. It truly IS the best book on wushu in English. I live and train traditional wushu in Beijing and have trained for some 8-9 years. I am of the opinion that wushu cannot be learned from a book, no matter how good it is, but it can definitely help you improve and clarify things for you. This book is a very good reference, especially for beginners, but also for the advanced student. It offers a lot of information and is WELL worth the price.

Sifu Starr's book is an experience suitable for any martial art practioner. His vivid descriptions of training, when a youth with W.C.Chen are very special. I await the release of his next writing.

I had the good fortune to train under Sifu Starr for a couple of years in the early 90's before time and circumstance took my life in other directions. From personal experience, I can attest both to his great skill as a martial artist and healer, and to his teaching presence in the dojo. I will always remember him with great fondness and respect, which is odd when you consider that he spent most of my time in his school kicking my butt with old school traditional kung fu training protocols. I think that is what the Zen tradition calls "grandfatherly kindness" - where a lot of martial arts diploma mills just put you through the motions and handed you your black belt, Sifu Starr assumed that you were worth the investing the time and effort to really TRAIN.

This book brings back a lot of memories from that time; it is very much written in Mr. Starr's "voice", and it showcases his wry humor, zest for life and training, and his larger than life personality. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone interested in what really goes into the training of a real martial artist. I also hope that the book brings Sifu Starr some of the recognition and acclaim he deserves after a long, distinguished career.

Pete reminded me that it has been over 38 years we have know each other, and I stand corrected. On the third reading of the book I began to remember myself as one of Pete's students and how he taught us with the nearly same mannerisms of his teacher. I having no experience then in the arts, learned not only the physical rigors of the training but of the philosophical aspects as well. What age has taken from me, the knowledge still remains strong .

Now it has been almost 40 years later and I still can visualize the teachings, both mental, spirtual as well as physical. This book is valuable for the stylist as well as a parent wishing to know how to work with or understand their teenagers. The method and learning is the same nurturing Chen gave to Pete, and Pete sharing it with us.

I gave a copy of it to one of the people I work with and it is a copy in my classroom as well for my more difficult students to read as well.

This was an absolutely wonderful text. It really drives home what the martial arts teach. The stories are thought provoking, entertaining, humorous and motivational. Thanks Sifu Starr!

As a ShoDan-level assistant karate instructor, I'm always looking for good books to help me become a better teacher and practitioner. I've found martial arts-based memoirs to be particularly helpful and encouraging. I recently stumbled across "The Making of A Butterfly," and it was no exception.

Phillip Starr began his martial arts journey in the 1950s. His family moved a lot due to military service, so he studied at a couple of different clubs. In 1961, his parents finally settled into a more permanent living situation in McLean, Virginia. There, the author began looking for yet another dojo (they weren't easy to find back then). He finally found a karate school and resumed his training. However, Mr. Starr was fascinated by kung-fu, and so after more searching he discovered a Chinese Sifu (master) who taught out of his home.

Mr. Starr approached Sifu Chen and respectfully asked for instruction. After some initial rebuffs to test his resolve, he was taken on as Sifu Chen's only Caucasian student. Sifu Chen demanded much from his students, so the training sessions were often physically and mentally challenging. Despite some resentment from the other Asian students, Mr. Starr eventually earned their grudging respect. And more importantly, he became a surrogate son to Sifu Chen and his wife Mei. He often learned as much at their dinner table as he would during a typical class.

Mr. Starr writes well - the book is an easy and informative read. Each chapter encapsulates a principle learned from Sifu Chen, such as chi, discipline, and courtesy. Of course, these lessons were usually learned the hard way. Sifu Chen used many methods to impart both his knowledge and his character to the author. I found the inclusion of Mr. Starr's thought responses toward his teacher (denoted by italics) to be quite fascinating. It was easy to identify with his honest internal expressions of incredulity, or appreciate ah-ha! moments when a lesson hit home.

Unfortunately, Sifu Chen passed away in 1971 from a kidney ailment. But in 1982 Mr. Starr took what he learned from Sifu Chen and created another martial art called Yilichuan (One Principle Boxing), thereby continuing his teacher's legacy. "The Making of A Butterfly" lets us in on Sifu Chen's timeless martial arts principles, and provides insight into a good student's mentality. It's a recommended addition to every martial artist's library.

Fantastic work by Frank and Tina. Many years of research and practice has made Frank Allen one of America's foremost authorities on the art of Ba Gua Zhang. He has put together a great manual for practitioners to draw inspiration from. The form details will show any Ba Gua students some of the classical Cheng style movements, and will help all Ba Gua practitioners compare and contrast the moves they have in common. The weapons form is great too, giving much needed information on the notorious Deerhorn Knives. My favorite part is the work on Taoist meditation and I Ching internal alchemy. Great stuff and very thought provoking. Thanks you guys!

Sincerely,

Jess O'Brien

"Whirling Circles" has answered many questions I had about Ba Gua Zhang's history. I was unaware about its origins before this book. The illustrations are nicely rendered. The book is filled with many wonderful photographs displaying posture, techniques and high level practitioners. I especially liked the explanations of the classics. They are thorough, enlightening and enjoyable to read.

"The Whirling Circles of Ba Gua Zhang" is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the Taoist martial arts. It addresses a broad spectrum of issues relating to the art of Ba Gua Zhang, thus it has much to offer both the pure beginner and the more advanced practitioner. Topics covered range from the Taoist philosophy at the core of the art to detailed information about the deerhorn knives set to the poetic yet pragmatic sayings of the art's founder. I particularly enjoyed the first 50 pages which are devoted entirely to discussing the history of Ba Gua Zhang and the colorful cast of characters who helped it evolve into what it is today. In short, I would highly recommend this book.

This is a clearly written, basic overview of BaGua. Essentially, it's written like an introduction of the subject to the Western culture-- a useful book for those who know little about BaGuaZhang. In the first part, we are treated to a very wide overview of BaGua's history, with a number of stories-- many with mystical flavor still intact. Given that BaGua is a relatively new martial art, the authors can go into some detail in a fairly short space-- roughly 15% of this book is history. They also, I think, fairly, speculate that the reason for much of BaGua's obscurity is the relative youth of this art-- what few masters that developed subsequently saw their skills lost over generations in the many Chinese cultural revolutions that ensued.

This is followed by instruction on basic concepts-- circle walking, stances, palm training, VERY rudimentary energetics. I guess I was hoping for more. For much more on biomechanics, see the books by Park Bok Nam. That being said, the instruction in this book is clearly stated.

Later, we are introduced to the Old Eight Palms of Cheng Shi family BaGua as interpreted by Liu Jing Ru. Some photos of Liu doing his stuff are included. Unfortunately, most of the photos are of the authors, and unlike on the cover, in the photos inside they are wearing very loose "tradiitonal" kung fu outfits that make it very difficult to discern what they are truly doing-- even basic spinal alignment. Me, I love going to seminars where the masters come out in sweats and a T-shirt. George Xu, for example, is famous for letting you put your hands practically anywhere on his body to feel what he is doing. The text of this book, while clear, is very basic.

Similarly, a basic overview of weapons, and a presentation of the Deer Horns Set (which is very similar to the empty hands set entitled "Cascading Palms" form, aka "Flexible Chain Palms" depending on your source-- which is a more advanced form in the system. Again, my same comments about clothing and content apply.

Incidentally, Grandmaste Liu has his own VCDs/DVDs and books now (all but one book in Chinese--available via Internet-- I got mine in SF Chinatown), and one can see him in action. He is quite good, and gives a fairly "pure" BaGua flavor. It is sometimes hard to find this flavor-- George Xu himself, for example, will admit his forms are all blends at this stage-- and his BaGua is heavily influenced by Hsing-I and Lan Shou, among others.

There is an overview of applications that is basic concepts but not really applications. Despite being familiar with BaGua applications myself, I had a hard time discerning what was really happening in the photos-- usually one or two stills for each application, and an explanation that basically said: "Thunder techniques have the quality of a shockwave..." Basically, not very helpful outside a a philosophical understanding of intention, but not the mechanics.

Finally, there is a translation of the Songs of BaGua-- historically the classic means of transmitting the basic principles of BaGua from generation to generation. Again, the translation is basic-- that is, without a lot of more in-depth discussion exploring details and experiences that might help the intermediate-advanced student.

This book did blend in concepts of BK Frantzis' water meditation techniques into circle walking to a more advanced levels-- concepts that I did not get even from Frantzis' two books on the subject. That alone gave me something to work on, and made this books worth it to me.

In summary, a good book as a reference to sequence for these particular forms, and especially good as a basic basic introduction to the BaGua concept, but not a hard core martial artist's book.

Most martial arts books are passionless. My library is full of books that have lots of interesting content but little real human interest to me. Until recently the only martial arts books I loved were T.T. Liang's books on Tai Chi. Somehow the energy, the slyness of character, his love of his art came through. You knew Tai Ji was worth doing because it meant something to Liang. That was it until Frank Allen and Tina Zhang started publishing their internal martial arts series. These books are full of the love and passion that they have for these arts. I've reviewed the Tai Ji book before and will talk about the Ba Gua book now. The thing both books have in common is the completeness of the discussion of the art. In the Ba Gua book we have a detailed history of the arts beginnings and its subsequent development to our time. Frank and Tina don't pass on or make up fantastic tales. Where Dong Hai Chuan got his art isn't known they tell us; describing the tales that have been told but making clear in the end that Dong himself never said how he found or developed the art. But the history since Dong has been well researched and carefully presented so that we clearly understand the development strands that have developed. The best thing about all of this is that the authors own interest in the material comes through and helps in riveting our attention and memory of it. Next the book describes the basic training of a Ba Gua student. This is often neglected in standard books which is a shame because students need this kind of reference when they are practicing and need to remember how to hold the hands or a particular stance. There is discussion and demonstration of basic circle walking a la the Cheng style. Next the Cheng style eight palm changes are shown and discussed and these discussions are an excellent reference for someone who has been through the basic training in the Cheng style. After this the authors discuss the applications of Ba Gua for fighting and then the weapons of Ba Gua are shown and discussed. The next 3 chapters are for me the most important part of the book. In here are discussions of how to train, the philosophic and spiritual content of Ba Gua, Ba Gua's relationship to Taoism and to the I Ching. All of these are important and they are discussed with much care but not in a way to confuse or in attempt to make the authors seem to be above the reader. These issues are important for the student because they help connect you to the reasons for why we do the internal arts - the joy that rises up in us as we learn to connect to the Tao. The translations of the Ba Gua Zhang classics are, like the translations in the Tai Ji book, very practical and down to earth - making clear the principals of the art of Ba Gua Zhang. This book should be on your shelf if you consider yourself a sincere student of the internal arts - no matter what your level. And you should be hoping that the authors are writing a third book to finish their explications of the internal arts - a book on Xing Yi. We owe Frank and Tina much thanks for their passion and devotion to their art.

After seeing the movie I just knew I had to get the "Art of" book. Amazing. 5 stars easy.

The Art of Kung Fu Panda I purchased this as a birthday present for my niece who recently graduated with a degree in graphics design. She and her boyfriend, who is also a graphics designer, really liked the book.

First of all, a confenssion - Kung Fu Panda is probably my favorite movie of 2008. I ordered this book on a whim, thinking it would be a nice little book to look over and remember the movie. Boy was I wrong! This book is stuffed to the gills with the history of each and every character in the movie, as well as those that didn't make the final cut. It's awesome to read the different directions the characters took before they settled on what would appear in the movie. It's also cool to read some of the background of the characters that I didn't know, like Oogway being from the Galapagoes and traveling the world before settling in China. It only adds to the depth and richness of a great story of a great movie. And the art is beautiful to look at - I've taken hours just staring at the detail of all the pictures. To quote Master Oogway, "Yesterday's history, tomorrow's a mystery. Today's a gift - that's why they call it the present." Do yourself a favor and give yourself the present of this book - Today!!!

Firstly, I really cannot stress enough how beautiful Nicolas Marlet's illustrations are, he creates wonderful characters and anyone who loves character art cannot help but enjoy the mans illustrative comic talent. I would have bought the book alone for his drawings and if Dreamworks had had the insight to print all his sketch books relating to Kung Fu Panda I would have bought that also. I love his work, free and inspirational and anyone who can make others laugh in a few simple lines has a gift. So I highly recommend this book to all you illustrators and animators, a beautiful drawing can say more about how a character is to be animated than any text and Marlet's work must have been very influential to the films evolution.

Ever since I was a kid, I'd buy an animation art book almost yearly. The Art of The Lion King was probably the first art book of this type I ever had given to me and it kindled my love of animation art all the more, finally in these pages were beautiful concept illustrations, story board art works, inspirational paintings and final prints from the film, all of which were bound up in beautifully presented cloth covered large scale folio editions (originally printed by Hyperion). Books like these emphasised the storytelling process the Disney studios believed in and presented imagery which spoke volumes above the text, since the key to all great artistic works be it in animation, illustration, theatre design or film is the artists ability to simply draw from life, observe it, relish it and understand it -- and from that process you have great storytelling, you need imagination naturally and that's the art part, how you see marks you out ........... these books just need to show us more art when the film was evolving as that is inspirational and they could be designed better.

This is a fine book but doesn't really live up to my expectations when compared to what came before. It is smaller, I can't see the point in printing images which are the size of postage stamps on these pages and I want to see more final, well chosen film prints and pencil, painterly, illustrations than any image which has a digital smooth feel, ultimately this lack texture and evokes little.

But buy the book for Nicolas Marlet's illustrations, they live up to the films impact!

I really love this book. I loved the art style of the move; the backgrounds, the character designs, everything. This book just gave me more to love about the movie. Definitely worth it if you loved the movie and the style.

Of all the books I own on this subject (more than I can list), this is the 'Best' one. There are many aspects of taiji and other martial arts that extend far beyond the mere physical motions of the form. There are two main sections to this book. The first section explains the principles of Chinese martial arts, Taiji single form, and two person practice. Chen Pan-ling explains in depth his Yang form (steps, etc) with words and pictures, as well as common mistakes, advanced steps, and ways to improve - in the latter section.
Chen Pan-ling was one of the most knowledgeable and practiced Taiji players of his time. With this book, he has made it possible for even beginners to understand Taiji philosophy and to further one's own development as both a Martial Artist and an influential member of world society.

A Must Have for anyone in this game.

There're lots of "New Age Tai Chi Crap"out there. This is one of the "rare" books that deals with what Tai Chi Chuan is: A MARTIAL ART!. Chen Pan Ling was one of the finest "old guard" MASTERS of the Internal Arts. He is the ONLY disciple of Yang Shao Hou (His brother Yang Cheng Fu changed the original form into an smooth EXERCISE taking away every martial aspect like Fa-jing and Dim Mak) who was skilled in the real Yang Lu Chan's Tai Chi. I'm fed up of coming accross with fake masters and "soft and sweet" Tai Chi materials. The real Tai Chi CHUAN (Fist) is a devastating martial art that requires hard practice. In the West, only Mr. Erle Montaigue (you like it or not) keeps the Internal and Martial Tai Chi way. If you want to have a book on REAL TAI CHI CHUAN this is THE ONE.

Chen pan Ling was one of a few students of Yang Shou Hou (the elder brother of Yang Cheng Fu)who taught the same fighting style of Taiji as the one created by his Grandfather,Yang Luchan.This makes the book a rare pictorial record of the "Old" Yang Style,or something very close to it as there are a few changes made to the form that reflect Chens varied martial arts experience,but all in all a good reference book for the serious Taiji practitioner.The only issue not addressed is the different "ways" to perform the form other than the standard basic slow way.

The book is written without any speculation. It just tells you "how to do" even for what regarding the deep internal feeling during the tai chi practice. Much more great are the flow charts of the several tai chi skills development. (first that , then that, then that......) .In the initial chapters it looks like a great "Tai Chi Classic" written in modern (and concise) language.
No one word more, no one word less.
The sequence, very well illustrated in the book (with photos, foot diagrams, applications), is Chen's own stile. The footwork shows a Bagua Chuan influence that makes much more interesting and exciting to study the form. In addition there are clear and deep explanations of the applications (movement by movement during all the form description) and the self feeling on executing each posture.
This is really an excellent book. Even though I can not say it is a book for beginners It contains alone almost everything you need to practice and further study Tai Chi Chuan.
I teach Tai Chi and I own a huge amount of Tai Chi books, anyway, if it could happen I got lost in a faraway desert island, that's the Tai Chi book I'd like to have with me.

...Chen Pan-ling was a practical martial artist who had a background in not only Tai Chi (Yang & Wu), but also Hsing Yi and Bagua. The book not only includes clear photos (clearer than in my original Chinese version of this book) and precise descriptions of the proper movements and applications, but also descriptions of how you should feel. This is Tai Chi at it's most practical, not a new-agey easy to learn sequence.

Chen was a pioneer in that he did away with a lot of the superstition and ritual associated with martial arts teachers at the time. His attempt at educated scientific study of this martial art is a welcome addition to the mibrary of the scholarly martial artist.

This was a great comic book, It shows you Yoh when he was 4, he was so cute! I say, if you like shaman king, buy it!

I love Shaman King and everything but this book was just one long fight, even though the fight was really kool and everything it got boring after a while so if you like loooooonnnnngggg battles then this is a good book

Ok, here in the latino paradise I live in, there are no comics or books or nothing of Shaman King, only T.V series. Are there T.V series os SK in the states? Anyways, the names are somewhat different too, what you all call Asakura Yoh is "Io Asakura", his spirit that's with him, which in spanish is called "espiritu acompa?ante", is named "amidamaru". Then what's his face, no idea what his english name is, the dude with the the one-spike on his head, his name is "Len Tao", spirit? "Baz-n". Blue haired guy, "Horo Horo" (dont know what name his spirit holds but she keeps saying: cucurucu!), the gay guy, "Ryu". 'Lizer", the green haired guy, fairy's name is "Morfin". "Ana", "Io"'s girlfriend. "Manta", "Io"'s best friend, the little guy. And the cheetah kid, the one that tells jokes, "Chocolo" is his name, and he wants to bring: "la brisa de la risa". 'Jun Tao", "Len"'s siter. "Horo Horo"'s sister? no idea. And anyways, there weren't anymore series after Io finished with Hao (twin brother). So! not really sure what the other characters are! except for "Los soldados X", the group Lizer joined ages ago, with the leader princess character, "La Doncella"!

I am the frickn biggest fan of shaman king i have read every single shonen jump until i forgot about the 2nd volume when i read this i thought that it was awsome pretty long fight but interesting this volume has yoh,len.bai long,and a couple of more people but it is awsome it also tells you about bai longs kung fu master shalin (joto one).

If you haven't experienced the power of Shaman King yet, this second volume may or may not be a good place to start, but for all you action-buffs out there, Volume Two is right up your ally.

Starting after Yoh's fight with Ren, the reader is treated to a flashback to when Yoh was a young child and how he becomes obbsessed with his goal to becoming the Shaman King. We also get two new characters added to the already likeable cast: Anna, Yoh's strict and bossy fiancee and Jun, Ren's older sister who controls the corpse of famed action star Lee Bailong. Again, we are treated to another impressive battle with lots of hard punches, kicks and ghostly matches.

While this volume is basicly one big action-packed fight, a lesson is taught and learned (a common theme, no?). Still, one cannot admire and praise the art, story and characters that has put Shaman King on the map. More of the main character's personalities are revealed and Manta truly outshines Yoh in this department. While in the first volume he is shown as a wet blanket, he proves that this wet blanket has a strong backbone and will do anything for his friends! He proves this by risking his own safety while requiring a replacement sord for Yoh by getting into a fight with Ryu. Hey, what are friends for?

For anyone who became a fan through the anime, give the manga a go and see what you have been missing. For those who are already a fan of the manga, sit back and relax and take in all the action of this volume!

This book really doesn't look all that special on the outside, but it is a true gem on the inside! Set to the tune of Little Bunny Foo Foo it tells the story of a little karate chopping bunny intent on destroying the bamboo forrest with his kicks and chops. There is a nice subtle moral lesson here about respecting others and respecting the environment, but it's not heavy handed. The drawings are wonderful - simple and elegant asian-inspired b&w images that really capture the action of the story. My 4 year old LOVED it and as soon as the story was over she was hopping around the house singing the song and doing her own little karate chops. I'm really eagerly awaiting this author/illustrator's next book!

Smart, relevant, well constructed, and beautifully versed, LITTLE BUNNY KING FU is an instant classic. It's glorious black and white illustrations are a big plus as well. The book is sure to set many young minds to thinking on a good path, reaching them by entertaining unforcefully. Reagan Johnson is a talent to watch for.

Giggle inducing story. Captivating artwork - ink drawings . Really clever book. This will make an excellent gift.

Regan Johnson is an incredible author and artist. Little Bunny Kung Fu is a must have for your child or grandchild's library. I look forward to many more fine books by her. This book is pure delight for any age!

Little Bunny Kung Fu is a rhyming children's picturebook with an underlying theme about respect for others and the environment. Little Bunny Kung Fu loves to practice martial arts among the bamboo, cutting stalks in half with his attacks and his throwing stars. But what are the creatures who eat, live in, or hide in the bamboo to do in the wake of Little Bunny Kung Fu's destruction? One by one they ask the bunny not to harm their bamboo; he disregards them all, until at last a visit from the Great Dragon sets Little Bunny Kung Fu straight. The black-and-white artwork, drawn with a Chinese theme - the Great Dragon is clearly an Asian dragon, and Little Bunny Kung Fu wears a traditional Chinese shirt - brims with enthusiasm in this delightful tale.

Superb book! Unlike the majority of Wing Chun books which focus on specific techniques, lineage, and "trapping tricks" or "secrets" this book concisely and in my opinion accurately cuts to the heart of Wing Chun-- what makes it alive, devastating and flexible as a martial art. Rawcliffe writes clearly and eloquently, not trying to build himself up or impress. 5 stars for the information, plus another 1 star for the brevity, and yet another 1 star for the enjoyable style in which it's written. Not often you find a well deserving 7 star book!

With over 40 years experience as student and teacher, I have not seen a better presentation of technique and philosophy. I am not a Wing Chun practitioner but Mr. Rawcliffe's diagrams and explanations have given me an excellent insight to this style.

You will NOT learn Wing Chun from this book; you need a teacher for that. But if you are a Wing Chun student, I cannot think of a better reference volume to supplement your training. Other martial arts stylists can also gain valuable insights into there own brand of self-defense by a good reading of this book. Highly recommended and Mr. Rawcliffe is to be commended for setting a high standard for martial arts books.

I am deeply impressed by the format and content of this book. It manages to cover all the key aspects of Ving Tsun Kuen in great depth and detail without promoting one 'family' style or approach.
As a Dit Dar doctor (bone healer), I am also very impressed by the depth of knowledge and understanding shown by the author and by the articles he included by 3 of his students. It is rare to find a westerner who can appreciate and understand the complexity of Qi energy, let alone it's use within Gung Fu.

The publication of this book gives great reassurance that the teachings of Man Gung are at last being fully appreciated and passed on correctly abroad.
Rawcliffe Sifu is a credit to his teacher, himself and to his Wing Chun brothers. His obvious years of studies, research and dedication plus his openness and willingness to share his acquired knowledge, without the need for self promotion is indeed a rare commodity.
I am honoured to be able to review this book.

Cheung
Tai Po, NT, Hong Kong (SAR)

I have been studying Ving Tsun (Wing Chun) in Hong Kong for over 30 years and this is the first book in English that has managed to explain the essence of Ving Tsun. My Si-Fu, even my Si-Kung, Ip Man, would have been proud that Ving Tsun is being taught and explained so well around the world. This book embodies the teachings of my Si-Fu and his Ving Tsun To Dai (Kung Fu brothers), probably due to Rawcliffe Sifu's studies in Hong Kong and incompasses the simple complexity that is Ving Tsun Kuen. Understanding the structure to Ving Tsun is key to understanding how Ving Tsun works so effectively and efficiently and a book like this was long over due. Including the Ving Tsun Kuen Kuit elevates the book even further by embracing the philosophy of all that is Ving Tsun.
Leo T K Wong. Hong Kong 2003.

At last a book on Wing Chun rather than a book about the person behind the book. Sifu Shaun Rawcliffe has managed to do what so many others have failed to do, write a clear and concise book about the system of Wing Chun. So many other books seem to be promotional literature about the authors who happen to do Wing Chun. I found this book went in to great depth about the basics of the Wing Chun system and therefore will remain a great source of reference for students at all levels. It thankfully avoids the usual " this is how I do it" approach and refreshingly addresses the "this is what is behind whoever does it" approach.
Excellent, I shall be recommending this to all my students.