Kung Fu Books

Graceffo has his moments, but this book reads like a prolonged griping session. The excerpts I had previously read in martial arts magazines suggested that this would be a wry perspective on the Shaolin experience, but reading the book is tough going. Graceffo finds most of the Chinese people he deals with annoying, and seems to resent their presence. This is somewhat odd since he chose to go there, and it is their country, after all. I would also have expected that his time in Taiwan would have prepared him for some of the attitudes he encountered on the mainland.
He chose to live in the school with the students, but then proceeded to detail the experience as an imposition. Of course two alternatives existed: leave, or at least move to some alternative housing. Traveling there without adequate cash reserves seems to have occasioned most of his misery and insecurity, but it was not as if he didn't have the resources. This failure to plan colors much of his perspective for the rest of the book. Some travel writers do a much better job of adapting to circumstances, so much of this reads like an extended experience of culture shock.
Not to dispute the author's experiences. I am sure they all happened, but I am not sure the students and many of the people he dealt with deserved some of the criticism they came under here.
If you are interested in kungfu, you won't find much here, aside from the author teaching his own brand of Brooklyn 'kungfu'. He was apparently not much impressed with techniques he saw there, and frequently made the observation that the kungfu practiced there wouldn't stand up in a street fight.
Other reviewers have stated that this would have been better suited to appear as a magazine article, and I would agree with that. Even as an article, the gist of this work would probably turn off most readers, except for convicted Sinophobes.
One would do better, I think, to read Matthew Polley's "American Shaolin", which does not gloss over the discomforts of life in China or shaolin training, but shows that Polley genuinely seems to have made an effort to bridge the cultural gap, rather than retreating into a fortress mentality.
I suppose that goes to say that both books are more about culture shock and how one deals with it, as opposed to being about the martial arts.
The other aspect of this book that is somewhat disagreeable is that the author often seems to be touting himself as superior to the Chinese, based upon his income, education, or worldliness. But I often felt as if the author was injecting that persona also to show his readers what a great guy he is. This self-promotion seemed very out-of-place to me, but maybe not to most readers.
Still, parts of this book are very amusing and interesting, so it certainly rates a look.

I'm not a boxer or Kung Fu expert, but I do enjoy travel stories, so I read this book hoping to get a little insight into what the Shaolin temple was really like. Antonio doesn't hold back with what he writes about. It is the brutal honest truth of one man's experience in a place not too many foreigners have visited. Perhaps if more people wrote about Asia in this manner, people wouldn't have a preconceived view of what the place was really like.

An interesting, informative and very funny book. You don't have to be a monk or kung fu fighter to get something out of this.

Antonio Graceffo deserves nothing but kudos for the risks he took leaving his corporate job and New York to spend more time on an adventurous journey for additional perspective with his journalistic eye, the creative craftmanship of his writing, and his backpack. The verdict on his voyage based on the insights derived from his narratives and his publications should give one brief pause before the resounding yes to purchasing his books.

From a personal perspective i found this book informative, humourous, energetic, and at times addictive.

A great story of one mans experiences of living at the shaolin temple, and left me curios to know where he went after arriving in Hong Kong.

Will be looking out for Antonios next book

Its my understanding that this book came to be from a series of articles that the author did and it certainly feels like one long article. In fact if one does a web search, you will find those articles online.

To be fair, this is a very addictive book and I wanted so much to like it. It is an interesting story and the author does come across as being charismatic, worldly and interesting. I did enjoy his insightful comments about Kung Fu. As I also study the martial arts and live in Brooklyn, I thought there was a lot for me to like but in the end I found it to be a very disappointing.

This book is incredibly repetitive. For example you are constantly reminded that the author feels that rural Chinese are filthy, backwards and self-centered people. That Chinese Kung Fu for the most part is so stuck in its past and glory that it cannot feasibly compete against many of the today's mix martial artists. That daily communication with rural Chinese is repetitive and frustrating and is indicative of their mental capabilities. While I have no problem with someone who tells it like it is after several times it starts to sound like constant complaining.

One of the most frustrating issues with this book is that you never really know who the author is nor his background. On my copy there is no brief biography on the author. It is left up to the reader to piece this together which I found frustrating. For example, you start to get hints that he has served in the arm forces and since he likes to talk about his favorite Navy watch cap, one can only assume he was in the Navy. Nope, turns out he was in Army. Part of the problem is that the format of this book is that of journal which explains why it is so repetitive. It's almost as though you found this diary on the street and are left to fill in the blanks on who this person is.

Ultimately I have to say that I found the ending disappointing and sad not because of what ultimately happened to Antonio but rather because the book ended as abruptly as it started. Again this is because you are reading someone's journal. Certainly the message here is that training at the Shaolin Temple should not be idealized because ultimately you are dealing with a system that is so corrupt, unsanitary, backward and so full of conflicts and paradoxes that it will wear down the most well-educated, open minded and well-traveled Westerner. I give kudos to Antonio for taking on this challenge but I can't say that the story telling was all that great for me to recommend it.

This book is seriously a very influential masterpiece brought to you mostly by Bruce Lee's essays, poems, quotes, and personal experiences throughout his existence with us. This all came together with the help of John Little too though, so some regards should be left to him as well. But as far as a compeling book goes this one should leap off the shelves into your arms! Don't miss this opportunity to read into who Bruce really was and not just another book on martial arts and how to become a so called, "Master!" This is one to read and fully grasp for sure!

This is just my 2 cents. I've always been interested in what else Bruce had to say, besides things of just in the martial way. This book is a great addition to anyone's library. You get to see what is going on in one of the Legends of our time. I thank you that the information was shared with us. It can bring positivity, inspiration and creativity. Thank you for your time.

This book is absolutely incredible. Contained in it are philosophical writings, letters, poems, and much more. This book shows an even "deeper," more intimate, if you will, look at Bruce Lee the man. When one picks up this book, there is little chance that one will put it down without having read through it entirely.

Note: I say this book is "almost flawless" because there are some spelling, grammar, and editing mistakes in it. Though such things are extremely disconcerting to me, the content of this book is nevertheless outstanding.

Bruce lee Artist of life

Bruce lee Artist of Life is probable the best book I have ever read for several reasons. For one it is written by probably the best know and most talented Martial Artist of the twentieth century. This book consist of personal journal entries made by Bruce Lee. It contains topics such as Gung fu, Philosophy, Psychology, Poetry, Jeet Kune Do, Acting, Self-Knowledge then it ends with personal letter written by Bruce Lee.

Gung Fu section lee begins the article by saying ,"Gung Fu is a special kind of skill, a fine art rather than just a physical exercise or defense." Couldn't agree more as a participate in the fine art of martial arts. Really if your some what intrigue by Bruce lees philosophy you should read this book. In the Gung fu chapter of this book ,taken from handwritten notes by Bruce lee, he cover such topics as The center of the Oriental arts were he goes into deep discussion about such things as philosophies of Taoism, Cha'an (Zen),Meanings of gung fu, and what they mean to him. Other articles deal with his personal reflections on how he views and interrupts Gung fu and it's teachings. The chapter goes on with other essays he's written such as
Reflections on Gung Fu - Deep views on the stages of a "Gun Fu Man"
Teach yourself self-defense -Tips on self defense, for example "expect to get hurt", "Ignore the pain, instead of giving up use it as a spur to counterattack and victory"
Psychology in defense and attack -Explain how to overcome the mental aspects of a fight and the advantages and disadvantages of size.
How to choose a martial arts instructor -"Believe half of what you see and definitely nothing that you here" Before choosing an instructor you must see if he has what it takes to back his statements.
The unity of Gentleness/firmness -What's necessary for combat in terms of gentleness to firmness ratio.
My (Bruce Lee's) views on Gung Fu -Essay on how he views Gung Fu.
The next chapter consist of essays regarding philosophy. Lee's philosophy are more refined than those of lets say Socrates. He tends to deal with more humanizing issues dealing with matters pertaining to the inner self of humans being. For example human understanding, then he gets into really advanced philosophy which ,you really must be quite intelligent to decipher the meaning. Some examples of that are his essay on "Living in the oneness of things" , The unity of firmness and softness, Taoism, Yin - Yang, Wu-Hsin(No-Mindedness),Wu We(non-action),The letting go(must read essay). He also goes into his opinion on Plato, Plato's "Gorgias" and Socrates. After that in this chapter there's a essay entitled The nature of human beings in which he is truly inspiring. To me Bruce Lee is much more than a martial arts superstar he's probable one of the most genius thinker of the 20th Century .After that he writes about meditation and what it means to him (how he applies it to his life). Part 3 is the psychology section which is as genius as the philosophy section with topics such as The Relationship of the Organism to its Environment. Not only is Bruce lee a brilliant thinker he's an excellent poet. Here's an example of one such poem :

The Dying Sun
The dying sun lies sadly in the far horizon
The autumn wind blows mercilessly.
The yellow leaves fall.

From the mountain peak,
Two streams parted unwillingly

One to the West, one to the East
The sun will rise again in the morning
The leaves will be green again in spring.
But must we be like the mountain stream,
Never to meet again?
-Bruce Lee

His poems alone could have made him an incredible voice in the world of literature. However, Lees writing ability surpasses the creative mind to which poets need to write. Lee's genius transcends that of an average human being into the realm of a religious figure. Which is probable why he is worshiped in some tribes in the forest of Asian (True!).Part 5 is entitles Jeet Kune Do - The Liberation. It includes essays on the meaning of Jeet Kune Do: The way of the intercepting fist. It also contain multiply drafts of his essay entitled Toward Personal Liberation (Jeet Kune Do).Part 7 is on Acting. This is a list of essays in which Lee philosophies about the meanings, job, self-actualizing, self-made actualization, and the Art of Acting. Part 7 Self-Knowledge. It contains eight different draft of lee's personal essay entitled In My Own Process. The book ends with Part 8,Letters. There are six letter in this chapter written to

-Pearl Tso A friend of the lee family written in September 1962
-Taky Kimura An assistant instructor for Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do.
-2 to Jhoon Goo Rhee the farther of Tae Kwon Do in North America
-Larry Hartsell a student of Bruce Lee's Los Angeles Chinatown school.

If any of these topics interest you ,you should order this book right now. I was amazed at how philosophical lee was. The amount of detail and time it would of taken him to write all these essays on all of these topics to better understand himself. This is a man who truly wanted to get the deep meanings of his self ,Martial Arts, and the things in the environment around him. I have read this book 3 times straight through and I often pick it up to read certain essays which pertain to what I'm looking for. If you do decide to give this book a try I would suggest that you really take a thorough approach to reading this book. As in explore the meanings and how they apply to you and your life as an individual. Good bye until we meet again.

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Read this book recently and was amazed at the wealth of information available in it. Bruce Lee was a well rounded personality who was striving to be a complete human being and this book definitely helps in educating how far evolved he was not only as a martial artist but also as a person. As pointed out by other reviewers, some of the information in this book is already present in some previous publications of John Little, but this book is probably the most comprehensive collection of Bruce Lee's hand written poems, articles, letters and philosophy, some of his own and some of other philosophers like Hesse, Krishnamurthy, etc. I intend to read and re-read this book many times as I have found it truly inspiring and educational.

what a humble and truthful insight to the life and art of a real Chinese martial art master! love it.

it is one of the most essential books you should have , it is easy written and easely to study from.

Good introduction to Pa Kua. However, there is a lot missing. There is so much more to Pa Kua than what this book covers. It would also benifit greatly to have a video to supplement the illustrations.

~I'm finally glad they got Vol. 1 on this website. I'd written a review for Vol.2 awhile ago, but had to imply that there was a Vol.1 to be read, as well. It's been a while, and others have already gotten to it, but I thought I'd plug in my 2 cents...

WONDERFUL!

In retrospect, there is some mystery here. BaGua, as with many Chinese martial arts styles, is all about your instructor, your instructor's instructor, etc.. Your lineage is key. BaGua has a very complex geneaology, stemming~~ from Dong Hai Chuan (various phonetic spellings) the legendary Grandmaster. In fact, two key branches of BaGua (since Dong Hai Chuan only taught experienced martial artists-- most whom he purportedly defeated in combat) are those that seem very BaGua like, and those that seem Hsing-Yi-ified. Those are my terms. In my experience, you can take the forty or so BaGua styles, and classify them as fairly "pure" BaGua (circular, evasive, fine, intricate), and those that have integreated~~ significant Hsing-Yi principles-- linear, power, direct.

Park Bok Nam's style is more pure BaGua in terms of evasiveness, footwork, and hand-techniques. His teacher, the legendary Lu Shue-Tien, is a bit of an unknown... Even in this book, there is no real claim as to who taught Lu Shue-Tien. Other sources I have speculate...

That being said, this book is a wonderful, detailed work that describes basic techniques-- footwork, some foot-trapping, and elementary strikes down to the~~ smallest level of biomechanics. How to move your feet, knees, pelvis, abdoman, to generate power, for example. In more detail than in any other book on any other style I've ever read. Superb for anyone who is trying to understand the underlying principles of this art, or even for the advanced practitioner trying to compare this or that, or to glean insights.

This is not a forms book. Park Bok Nam gives some simple palm changes that are basically qi gong postures with circle walking. ~~ It's a mechanics book. A superb one.

Finally, the lineage is important. BaGua varies significantly from style to style. The techniques can be dramatically different, as can the mechanics at the more superficial level. But I think from a basic concepts level, the biomechanics are all pretty much the same. So this is an insight into one family, not all. But I think confining it to mechanics kept it manageable, and pure. No hullabaloo or flash. And eminently useful.

Wonderful,~~ clearly written, adequate pictures (get the videos for better illustration of Park's technique). A must for the martial artist.~

Excellent! One of the best guide books on the art of Baguazhang. Also check out the book on the subject by Mr. Liang, Dr. Yang and Mr. Wu. Mr. Wu is my teacher here in RI and is one of the nicest men I have met in the martial arts world. He also very knowledgeable on the subject and has all the proper credentials to back up his teaching skills.
In this particular book though, it takes Baguazhang from a different point of view. It is more like a dance stepping graphic look at the stepping pattern. Which becomes extremely helpful when linked with Mr. Wu's book. The two complement each other really well.
So if you want to nail down the concept of Baguazhang, get the two volumes of this book and the book on Baguazhang by Mr. Liang. Dr. Yang and Mr. Wen-Ching Wu.

With a little tweaking the back kick can become a formidable kick in anyones arsenal. Fotunately Shawn Kovacich is showing you how to tweak your back kick.
The back kick is broken down into its basic parts so that you can duplicate them. Taking it step by step you can learn or re-learn the correct execution of the back kick.
The back kick is a staple of the martial arts just like the front, roundhouse and side kicks. It was only a matter of time before someone took all of that kicking knowledge and put it into one book. Not just one book but a series of books(10).
You will learn how to stand, which part of the foot to use. How to add strength and power to your kick. Where your target is and when to look for it. You will also learn drills and exercises designed to help you perfect your back kick.
By the time you are finished with this book you will not only have a better back kick but several different ways to execute that same kick. Also, at the end of each book is a preview of the next book so you will know what is in store for you.
Thanks Shawn, for taking the time to put all this knowledge into a series of books that I would recommend to anyone who hopes to excel at kicking. Add this book and the entire series to your personal library and refer to them often.
The "Professor of kicking", has done an admirable job in bringing the knowledge and skills of kicking to whoever wants to learn them.

Having studied various martial arts for over 30 years, I've seen quite a few books on kicking. Whereas most books have a page or 2 on the back kick, here is a whole volume devoted to the kick. The detail that the book goes into is amazing. I especially liked the anatomy section & different variations of the kick (some of which I had never seen before!).
The only reason I didn't rate the book a "5" was the practical application section. Every application had a flaw in it that the reader is supposed to find. I would have rather had the applications shown properly & maybe put a quiz at the end of the book.
Do not, however, let this minor detail keep you from buying this great book, You will not be disappointed!!

Back Kick (Achieving Kicking Excellence, Vol. 1) is an incredibly scholarly work which details the Back Kick technique common to many martial arts.

I own many books on martial arts, and never have I seen one so detailed on one specific technique. In many books, more than one technique is presented per page. In this excellent manual, over 200 pages are dedicated to the Back Kick and its most common variations.

The pictures throughout the book are clear, and the diagrams of muscle/bone relationships and how they relate to the kick are very informative and helpful.

This title could have benefited from better editing - poor spelling and grammar abound, and are frequent enough to be distracting while reading. Nevertheless, the value of the book is outstanding, given the level of technical detail included. I highly recommend it.

(This review based on a final copy of the book provided by the publisher)

If you are looking to improve your ushiro geri, "Back Kick, Achieving Kicking Excellence", is a great resource for the beginner to the advanced practitioner alike. I wish this book was out when I started practicing martial arts. I have been practicing the martial arts for over ten years and although I have been practicing Karate and Jujutsu for the past six years, I started out in Hapkido. Practitioners of Korean and Japanese/Okinawan martial arts will find the description and photos of the back kick and its variations very informative.
I especially liked the way the author explained the basic principles of the back kick and the anatomy of the back kick, the photos are better than the drawings in my Gray's Anatomy. Although the chapter on the variations of the turning back kick would be of limited value to me, if you are a practitioner that utilizes kicking to a greater degree than I do (such as practitioners of Hapkido or TKD), I believe it would be of great assistance.

I started my training in Martial Arts about two months ago. I am not an athlete and never been into sports. However, as I started the TKD training I became more and more excited about the Art that I really wanted to get into it. I ran into this book by chance. I realized that my kicks needed some help so I did a search on amazon. This was the first one on the list. I contacted the author who answered immediately and gave me some very good advice. My review, therefore, is from this point of view - not that of an expert but of a beginner who is eager to achieve Kicking excellence.

As a beginner I am amazed at what I do not know about Kicking. What concerns me is that what I do not know can seriously hurt me - I have read about the many injuries that beginners, with their sophomoric attitude, may get.

I began to read the book with trepidation (203 pages on one single type of Kick!), but after a while I realized what I had in my hands - a resource that will last not only until I become black belt but beyond.

It is written for the common student and contains no special jargon. The MANY pictures, though in Black and White, are taken from many angles and contains arrows and other reference signs. The text refers to the pictures closely; in the end, not only I can easily see what I am supposed to do and how my kick is supposed to look like but also learning the fundamentals in an intelligent way. There is also enough "background" information (about muscles and bones) to keep me interested but not bored (as though I was reading a medical book), information that, once again, will allow me to practice more safely. There are also diagrams for feet movement and stances, which at first look like those used in a ballroom dance studio.

The book also contains information for training and improve the skill; this section, which is becoming my favorite, includes different kinds of Practice (that one can do at home), training for Strength and Speed and Power. Because of these exercises I am feeling more and more confident when I go to the school and even my instructor noticed my improvements.

The book has two other sections which I enjoyed tremendously - the Trouble shooting guide (done in Q&A format) and the Kicking Applications. In the Application part there are some photographs of the author and another person doing Back Kicks. The Q&A that follows is very informative (the questions I like the most are those like "what's wrong with that picture?" because it allows me to pay attention to the mistake and (try to) avoid it in my own practices).

Mr. Kovacich has done an incredible job researching and explaining the material. The whole series will eventually end up on my bookshelf and stay there permanently. It's like having an encyclopedia on of the most fundamental part of Martial Arts.

Shawn: keep up the good work! And thanks for being such a dedicated teacher.

I am currently a Green Belt studying San Soo Kung Fu in Huntsville, Texas. This book is an amplified version of everything I have learned so far, and then some. The insight and techniques given in this book can be directly applied to any self defense situation.
I highly recommend both books by this author,though they are not the type of books to be left lying around for just anyone to read.

Anyone who wants to learn how to protect themselves should seriously buy this book! It has alot of material to go through and pictures that aid as well, buy this book you wont be sorry!

Author Greg Jones presents the style of Jimmy Woo (not to be confused with James Wing Woo) in a practical and complete light. A brief history of Jimmy Woo's San Soo Kung Fu is offered, with indepth handling of topics such as striking, leverage, balance, etc. There is a lot of writing in this book, it is not a picture how-to book. You will find a detailed explanation of how to understand why these methods work. Jones offers detailed reasoning behind all of the major theories of San Soo, and professionally shot photos give examples which help explain concepts. Jimmy Woo's San Soo is a descendent of Choi Li Fut kung fu, stripped down to its most practical elements. Woo was a strong believer in using what was effective and winning the battle without delay. Jones does an excellent job of explaining that message to those of us who haven't studied Woo's San Soo Kung Fu but would like to understand the concepts of the art and gain an insight into how a fighter and survivor like Jimmy Woo thought.

It is a book that is barbaric Judo. It does not get intermediate or advanced, it is a bigginer Judo book with no technique. Little can be learned from this except how to injure a groin or poke out eyes.

Wow, this book is awesome. If you want to learn how to injure someone fast and efficient then buy this book. I'm glad that not a lot of people know about this style of kung-fu because then everybody on the streets would be deadly. So please don't buy this book and leave me, and me alone, with this priceless knowledge of how to inflict excruciating pain with minimal force.

This book of essays is the distillation of years of columns in martial arts magazines. The original features made Adam Hsu a famous writer and martial thinker in the Kung Fu world (he was already very well known in Taiwan and the mainland). These essays show a wide understanding of the very core concepts of martial arts yet they definitely show Hsu's character and interests. With humor, humanity and insight he cuts through much of the myth. But the truth he reveals is completely different from the simplified stuff most people say. He sees Kung Fu as essentially functional but the level of skill and types of skills needed as completely different from the straight street fighting orientation most people have. In truth some of his points are so educated and culturally informed that many people won't be able to understand him. That's why his newer text--Lone Sword Against the Cold, Cold Sky-- is even more appropriately named. Not just a good book, a must have book for any thinking martial artist.

P.S. Another reviewer wished he had cited more examples from his many unusual Kung Fu styles such as Baji, Pigua, Mantis and Bagua: Lone Sword Against the Cold Cold Sky goes more deeply into these.

In your quest to find good and traditional kung fu begin with this book. After you have completed this book begin to search for an artform that you will believe in and use your head and other resources to find what you have been looking for - real kung fu.

An excellent collection of articles from start to finish.

After reading this book, I got a sinking feeling in my stomach that I might just be "playing around". I've been to different schools and practiced on my own, never thinking quite as deeply as I needed to about Kung Fu. Mind you, I thought pretty deeply about it, but after reading Polishing the Sword, I think maybe I need to spend MORE time training and less time "playing" Kung Fu.

His articles are dead-on, he politely skewers myths, delusions, phoney Kung Fu and detrimental Kung Fu practices. Not many books on Kung Fu take the time to analyze what the Kung Fu student must BECOME in order to achieve Kung Fu.

Not many books focus on finding the right school, choosing the right style and developing the proper attitude and respect for the art.

This should be required reading for any Kung Fu student. It teaches no forms, tells no fairy tales, it is for the modern, Western Kung Fu student to study and re-study in his/her quest for authentic Kung Fu.

Also, it approaches the MUCH needed subject of Martial Arts vs. Fighting Ability. That alone was worth the price of the book.

Are you Wu Shu or are you a Poseur?

Graydon Webster Northern Shaolin Student

I understood when I bought the book that it was a compilation of Sifu Hsu's articles but I thought that the breadth of his articles would be more substantial. Like the other reviewer said, it stated a lot about what isn't Kung Fu, and not so much on what is. I wish he went deeper into principles instead of alluding to them. There were a few choice chapters, but it was funny that everything he refereced was to Chen Style Taiji/Tai Chi. I would have thought he'd reference some of his other styles he knew such as Mantis, Baji or even piqua. Some times he touched on Changquan or Long fist but that was it. I thought it would have been more beneficial if he referenced his other styles or just stuck to body mechanics.

Mr. Hsu takes a lot of time describing false Kung Fu, but as mentioned in other reviews here, he only sometimes tells us what true Kung Fu is. Is it what he does and only what he does? How does he know what he does isn't fake? He tackles issues about mixing styles and such (that it is not for the serious practioner), but does he realize that's what people have done for centuries? No! Praying Mantis blends monkey and mantis moves, White Crane mixes birds with the ape,etc. I've looked a long time for a good non-instructional Kung Fu book(with in- depth history and philosophy), and this proves to be a disappointment. Kung fu is way too diverse to generalize into a certain "way" like other martial arts. Mr. Hsu attempts to do way too much in so few pages. A noble attempt, yes, but the many flavors of Kung Fu are best left exposed by the many practioners of it.

I tried to read this book with an open mind, but I'd only gotten a few pages in before my BS detector redlined.

The fact that this has received any positive reviews, let alone christian book awards, simply blows my mind. No one involved in the production of this book appears to have applied any critical thinking to reviewing this book. Did the editor fact check any of the authors claims? Including things that should be easy to verify (such as winning a World Kung Fu championship three times).

It just reads like total BS. Petting wild tigers in the jungle, Kumitai death matches, winning world titles for non-existant Kungfu organisations who also sponsor basketball players? Much of what the author claims as personal experience seems to be thinly veiled borrowings from martial arts and action movies.

You would need a massive suspension of disbelief to enjoy this book.

I am a Christian and I usually do not read Christian books as to be honest they aren't my cup of tea! Also, I don't read that many books and when I do they take me months! This book I read in 4 days, during lunchtimes in work! If you are a Christian it will astound and amaze you how God can change and improve people's lives, especially people you think can never change. If you aren't a Christian at the very least it's an incredible read, and hopefully you'll find much more within it too.
Enjoy!

"Taming the Tiger" is an incredible biography of a very interesting man, Tony Anthony. As you begin reading this book, you won't want to put it down. Right from the start, Tony captivates you with a suspenseful situation that leads the reader into exciting episodes of heart pounding action. Tony's ability to provide the reader with visual imagery is second to none, placing the reader there with him during his amazing account of his life events. Worthy of being made into a Hollywood action movie, Tony's life story will leave you in awe.
"Taming the Tiger" is a very enjoyable read from start to finish, and worth every penny. I would encourage you to do yourself a favor and purchase this book. It will not only entertain you, it will empower you with optimism for the future.

This really is an amazing account of an extraordinary life. Its not 'preachy', it just tells how Tony Anthony went from Kung Fu champion, to international bodyguard, to being an inmate in prison in Cyprus, to becoming a Christian and having his entire life transformed.
And its not one of those 'happy ending/everyone goes off into the sunset' books either. We see him in his life as a Christian and the battles he faces - especially in jail.

Whether you're a Christian or not this is an amazing book and well worth reading.

one of the most amazing books i have read to-date. the whole book was great but for the life changing events god put tony's way in is awsome. this book is a must read for christian or non-christian. it just shows that through the grace of god anyone can have freedom, everlasting life.
it's made me think whats more important in life.

The book Bruce Lee the Tao of Gung Fu was a good book because Bruce Lee hiself teaches you how to protect yourself from dangerous people. Also the style is gung fu a weapon to becoming a great skill fighter. Bruce Lee is one of the best in teaching
When and where to srike a person that is trying to take you down. But Bruce Lee doesent want his learners to just be using the style on any body just use it when needed. Their is three types of Gung Fu you can learn but to do so you have to be very fucus to learn step by step. Reading this book told me alot I didnt know.

I recomend this book to anybody or everybody because this book was good it taught me stuff that I never knew befor. I now that if somebody read this book they will feel the same way as me. If you like book that teaches you things then I recomend that you just give this book a try beacuse Bruce hisself puts hard work in makeing the reader's relax and enjoy the book. So yes I would recomend this book once again.

Fame brings out jaleousy in some people. Bruce Lee was one of the greatest martial art authority and expert known to the world. Anyone with at least some basic spiritual understanding of chinese Kung Fu could just not write with total disrespect about Lee no matter what he/she has to say. In fact the reviewer below despite his belief of the contrary and maybe years of training betrays in his own words his own frustration and a total lack of measure. He sadly belongs with the novices.
One thing indeniable about Bruce Lee is that he got something right and beware if you only look at the surface you might simply miss it. Real skills lie deep beneath the surface. I recommend reading this book

Bruce Lee was an amazing person, able to blend the physical beauty of the body with the philosophical beauty of the mind and create the true essence of martial art. In the Tao of Gung Fu, Bruce Lee devotes individual attention to philosophical and physical aspects of his form. His main attention is on Wing Chung, the style of Gung Fu that he himself studied under a Chinese master. Bruce devotes most of the first part of the book to basics and philosophical principles of Gung Fu, including the redirecting of the opponents energy to use it against him.
I would recommend this book to most practitioners, and those that are considering getting into martial arts. The second half of the book covers some basic techniques, stances, stretches, exercises, and practices, while the last twenty or thirty pages include personal quotes, answered questions, and biographies of some of the old masters.
This book is good for beginners because it gives them an insight into the art and some of the things it will take to be successful. It also allows them to understand some of the basic philosophies of the martial arts.
Those with practice will enjoy this book because it goes into some of the more interesting aspects of the art and is written eloquently by one of the greatest martial artists in history.
This should be added to most martial art libraries. I've practiced multiple styles for nearly ten years and find that this book is an invaluable resource to study and train with.

how even toilet paper with Bruce Lee's name on it would sell to some people. Take this book for example. In your everyday life, would you consider a 24 y/o an "authority" on anything? Nooooo -so why consider one an authority on a 4000 y/o art? Because he had great pecs and abs and was lucky enough to die in his early thirties, right? The book contains nothing (I repeat NOTHING) that can't be found in "Tao Te Ching", so if you want to read real Taoism philosophy go get that.

In TTOGF, Bruce displays his understanding (or lack thereof) of the aforementioned "Tao Te Ching", Chinese martial arts, the life, the universe and everything in the half-a$$ed way normally associated with youngsters trying to show off their "deep understanding" of profound matters. Pix are scarse and are the ones usually recycled in the other books of the series, although the, ahem, author's "Gung Fu Scrapbook" at the last pages, has to be seen to be believed.

He should had stuck with cha-cha. And, BTW, if you really, really have to buy a book on the MA, consider something written by a real martial artist e.g. Donn F. Draeger. Buying a book on MA written by Bruce Lee is like buying a book on archaeology written by Harrison Ford. Or, maybe more appropriate, Angelina Jolie.

Sheesh...

This is a good book in that a reader can get a clearer idea of who Bruce Lee was. One reviewer was quite rude and unfair to Bruce Lee, took offense to the man as though he had written the book. Bruce Lee's writings were made into a book, Bruce Lee did not write nor construct the book. So appreciating that fact, it's fair to say that a reader gets a pretty good idea as to what type of prerson Bruce Lee was. Bruce Lee did study philosphy and he shared a lot of what he learned from others as well as his own personal views and opinions. Any true Bruce Lee fan knows Bruce never presented himself as "the one who knew everything" he tried to inspire and/or guide people to be themselves, find the true meaning of themselves an not be fixed, labeled, a copy, tied to any set thing or boxed into something with no way for self expression. And not just to be applied to the Martial Arts but in life as well. I think the insulting reader was confused by the deeper meaning of Bruce's writings and what he preceived to be "Bruce the great philosopher". The reader didn't get the real message, that if there is value in any book, as there is with this book (better insight and inspiration)then it should be recommended. Bruce Lee's writings should be appreciated for the content of what was originally from Bruce, his writings in this book should be looked upon to help people gain a better understanding of the thoughts and principles that guided him-Bruce Lee. If some people are inspired to follow his principles or those of whom he learned from, I think that's the point. If a reader has already made up in his or her mind that Bruce Lee's writings are not "real philosophy" or at least based on "real philosophy" then don't buy the book. In my opinion, this book would still be a good book no matter whose writings they were.

I agree. I have trained under Dana and Chueng and I was appalled when I read that person's degrading comments.

There is always a rotten apple, it is unfortunate...

If you are a student of TWC (Cheung's Wing Chun) This book is highly recommended. It reinforced what you have learned in Class and provides a handy reference.

If your already a wing chun enthusiast, you will appreciate this book provided that your not a small, closed minded, slandering, negative self-promoting a*s like Leung Ting and his students who take every possible opportunity like this book review, that has nothing to do with "Boztepe" or "Leung Thing", and use it to show just how infantile and petty they truly are in their relentless use of twisted half truth (EDITED!) smear campaign against Cheung. Surely this book will not show you how to fight or more importantly the intricate details of the art itself. This Book or any other is not a subtitute for an actual instructor, nor does it claim to be, but it is an excellent REFERENCE manual for those that are already in the system (Beginner, Intermediate, or advance) learning from a qualified instructor!

As for Ving Tsung people, grow up! Your sending a bad message to would be wing chungers and Ving Tsungers alike. It hurts us all in the end. Peace be with you!

As an instructor of William Cheung's art of Traditional Wing Chun, I find this book to be a useful resource tool for all my students. In fact, it is required reading material. Although it is difficult to learn any martial art solely from books and tapes, such tools are indispensable in both documenting the unique qualities of a particular style and providing specific techniques and sequences for training purposes. Advanced Wing Chun presents for the first time in print the Cham Kil, or Chum Kiu, intermediate form as passed down from 5th Generation Grandmaster Leung Jun to William Cheung via Leung Bik and Yip Man. Other useful sections include various single-handed and double-handed Chi Sau techniques and drills as well as sections on this lineage's unique footwork and combat techniques. This book is a MUST for all Wing Chun enthusiasts of any family line!

The "truth" about William Cheung is probably somewhere in the middle, between Boztepe's rabid rant and others' overstated praise. I read this book after just a few months of studying Wing Chun, and personally found his photos and descriptions impossible to follow. For one thing, your Sifu will probably teach at least a slight variation from Cheung's chum kil; Cheung's claim that his version is exactly as taught by Yip Man is probably false. Any Sifu worth his salt will provide his own unique interpretation of each form. Second, unless you already know Wing Chun maneuvers inside and out, it is impossible to learn a three-dimensional form from a two-dimensional sequence of pictures. As the title suggests, this book is probably best for advanced students who wish to compare their own techniques with another's.

One thing Boztepe has right is that Cheung's claims of being the sole successor to Yip Man are a crock. Many masters claim that, and none of them are correct. Can't they all just get along?

If you plan to learn wing chun only from books then this book is a good introduction. However, if you are a wing chun student and you have a sifu then this book will not help you.

The book covers each technique very briefly. It gives you just enough instruction to perform each technique and that is all.

This book was written for wing chun outsiders.

Due to my geographic location I have to rely on books and other such means if I want to study anything martial arts related that isn't TKD or Karate.

Since book learning isn't the most desirable way to study any martial art I have to be pretty selective in what materials I choose to learn from.

As my first book on this system I can say i'm quite satisfied with it. The material is laid out very well, covering basic foundations first and applications later on.

Large photographs and fairly clear descriptions line the volume as well making it easy to interpret the material being covered.

This book goes through hand positions, Si Lum Tao form, stances, punching and kicking drills, and basic applications. It does not go through Chi Sao practice, wooden dummy practice, or anything else more advanced so those looking for these kinds of things should look elsewhere.

An honest and thorough exposition of Wing Chun. John covers aspects of Wing Chun seldom revealed to the public by the Chinese people. This is the main reason I enjoy books written by the western teachers - no withholding the techniques that make the sytem works. Looking forward to more of John's works.

This is a very clear introduction to wing chun, and one of the best books on wing chun I have seen. I like this book because it explains wing chun to American readers or western readers, and doesn't assume we know chinese or the "mystical" origins of their arts. It just explains things plainly and simply. The photos are well done and clearly help explain the art. The only minor thing is, I think a book cannot show how dynamic and explosive wing chun can be. You have to really see someone exploding a kick into someone's abdomen to really see how wing chun works. But this book is excellent. I would suggest to anyone interested in wing chun to get this book, and also get one of the DVDs, like that from Michael Wong, that shows the "explosiveness" of wing chun.

The two most highly rated books on Wing Chun are this one and The Wing Chun Compendium by Belonoha. I have both, and for anyone new to Wing Chun, this is by far a more rewarding book.
No doubt Belonoha's book contains more material...it reminds me of a reference source.

But Sifu Wahnish's effort is far more useful. For example, Chapter 3 covers stances and footwork. In 12 pages, the stances are clearly defined, and more importantly, he gives simple drills for movement between the stances and how they apply to positioning against your opponent. After reading the material, you 'get it', so to speak. I find in the other work, you don't.

Everything here seems to be geared at one goal...proper formation of the elemental techniques of Wing Chun. Nothing fancy. Like building a house with a rock solid foundation. Simplicity and economy....the essence of Wing Chun.