Kung Fu Books

As a Martial Artist and a Buddhist, I found this "book" by "Shifu" Nagaboshi (aka. Terry Dukes) to be both misleading and offensive. The information it contains regarding Buddhism and the Martial arts is completely false. The book is written in a poor, rambling and confusing style, profusely illustrated with ripped-off photos from other books. "Shifu" Nagaboshi is a well-known fraud in the Martial Arts world. His "Mushindo" is nothing more than a cult and has nothing to do either with either the real Martial Arts or Buddhism. Anyone seriously beginning studies in the path of either Budo or the Buddha would to well to steer clear of works by "Shifu" Nagaboshi-Dukes. There are dozens of wonderful books available at GREAT PRICES from Amazon.com. that will help your studies of Budo. Try reading, "Karate-do Kyohan" by Gichin Funakoshi (the title is Japanese, but the book is in english!) Or try Master Funakoshi's autobiography, "Karate-do, My Way of Life." For wonderful stories and legends about Chinese Kung Fu, nothing beats Robert Smith's classic "Chinese Boxing, Masters and Methods." Before you think of buying this "book" by Nagaboshi, consider something...in Japan you do not call your teacher "Shifu." "Sifu" is the Mandarin Chinese term for teacher. ("Shifu" is probably a Hong Kong/Cantonese corruption Dukes picked up somewhere.) In Japan, you always call your teacher "Sensei." Nagaboshi didn't even get his title right, so how can you trust his bogus book? If I can stop one serious young martial artist from getting into Nagaboshi's cult, my review will have served its purpose. In Gassho to all true students of the path.

The Bodhisattva Warriors is a highly intellectual, thought-provoking book and is not for the casual reader. Despite its length and the depth of information given, it is obvious that the book is meant as an introduction only for it deals with a vast amount of complex subject matters, most of which would take volumes to cover fully. Where applicable, the sources of photographs and illustrations are given, and the 124 pages of the notes and bibliography at the back indicate where information contained in the book came from.
For the serious student who is interested in gaining a wider knowledge and understanding of the martial arts, The Bodhisattva Warriors by Shifu Nagaboshi Tomio provides a solid base from which to carry out further research and study.
This book is highly recommended.

There are two sides to every coin and some martial arts practitioners dismiss this book out of hand and they are entitled to their views however in my humble opinion and that of many others in the martial arts world this book is a milestone in Martial Arts research. Nagaboshi/Dukes has oviously taken a lot of time in these 500 or so pages to investigate questions that many martial arts students would like to have answers to.

Although certainly not an easy read it is obvious after a while that Nagaboshi/Dukes is uncovering ideas that are rarely if ever mentioned in the local Shoalin/Zen/Budo martial arts dojo. Some of these questions are really quite simple like:

Why 'clobbering' each other is Buddhist?
What could be Buddhist about kata or forms?
Why does the Japanese term for the martial arts training hall 'dojo' have the same name as the meditation hall in a Zen monastery'?
What is the spiritual connection with the Shaolin Monastry or to Buddhism in general?
What did the patron of Buddhist Martial arts 'Bodhidhama' actually say and teach?

This book is certainly not going to be to everyone's taste but if you are seriously interested in what a Buddhist Martial art is and why, then this book cannot be overlooked. There are very few if any books to my knowledge that take this subject so seriously and if those who write it off were to write any books on the subject I would be happy to read them.

Bodhisattva Warriors has had an obvious impact, sending all the Shaolin/Zen perporting martial arts teachers diving to swat up on their Buddhism so that their students can't ask them awkward questions or on the other hand taking the easiest option in just dismissing Nagaboshi/Dukes as having made it all up! Which is obviously not the case if you read the book.

I've taken the time to read this book and come to my own conclusions. This is a very important book possibly a milestone in martial arts literature. Nagaboshi/Dukes has focused on the spiritual Buddhism in the Buddhist martial art rather than just paying lipservice to it with a few quipped Zen sayings. If your teacher doesn't know much about why his martial art is Buddhist, then this is the book to get and if he dimisses it you will know why. He hasn't read it!

Bodhisattva Warriors has obviously taken years of research to compile and probably the best part of a lifetime to write. It is a must even if like me you just use it as part of your research into martial arts history. I give it five stars.

I don't know what some of these reviewists talk about when they say that Shifu Nagaboshi Tomio's work is fabricated. Bodhisattva warriors has much quantifiable evidence in its 500 plus pages (I can only think that they have an ulterior motive to try suppress the writers' work).

Bodhisattva Warriors to my mind goes beneath the surface of current historical facts but the key facts are still there with many more I had not read before pointing me in directions for further reading.

With regards this subject the most popular records are those of of Bodhidharma the 28th Patriarch of Buddhism in India, and the first Patriarch in China. Bodhidharma is traditionally held to be the founder of the Chaan school of Buddhism (known in Japan and the West as Zen), and the Shaolin school of Chinese martial arts. Bodhidharma is well known for teaching the ailing monks of Shaolin the moving arts, though Shifu Nagaboshi points out that having been an Indian Prince like the Buddha, Bodhidharma had been taught the warrior arts of the Kshatrya caste in his home country of India.

There is no question about the earliest reliable evidence of Buddhist monks engaging in military action, and therefore possibly using martial arts skills, from the celebrated attack on Wang Shih-ch'ung's forces, in support of the Tang forces of Li Shill-min, in 621 CE. Memorial tablets recording this and other military exploits of Shaolin monks are still preserved today. (DEMIEVILLE 1973, pp. 275-79)

Terry Dukes' sensible observation that many martial arts movements in China, Korea and Japan are derived from Buddhist 'mudra' (signs of the hand) are clearly not just his own fanciful ideas (as some like to suggest) as these mudras can be seen all over China in surviving Buddhist paintings and statues of Buddhas. Evidence is even greater in Buddhist temple guardians who are traditionally depicted in warrior like poses performing mudras which are easily recognised as martial arts movements. Just to give a couple of examples: the well known Buddhist mudra 'abhaya mudra', the 'mudra of fearlessness' which the Buddha is recorded as using to subdue a charging elephant, can be seen in many martial arts as it is a type of inner circling knife hand. 'Bhumisparsa mudra' the mudra of calling the earth to witness is depicted in images of temple guardians as a gesture of surpressing enemies of Buddhism. However these examples are just two of many that can be uncovered by any discerning martial arts enquirer.

I have myself checked that many of these images and statues date back to the early insurgence of Buddhist culture into China through the silk Road which opened in the Second Century BC so there is absolutely no historical dispute that Indian Buddhism had a massive impact on Chinese Culture from this date onwards and Terry Dukes helps make the cross connections between martial arts and Buddhism from this time onwards.

Again there are more sustainable facts with Zhang Qian (Hsuang Tsang) a Chinese explorer and imperial envoy of the 2nd century BCE, is recorded as the first official diplomat to bring back reliable information about Central Asia to the Chinese imperial court, then under Emperor Wu of Han. Zhang Qian is also credited with the translation of many important Buddhist texts (sutras) which layed down the foundations for Buddhism which was to rival and often dominate Taoism in the Chinese imperial court.

There is no disputing that Indian Buddhism was so widespread that it managed to reach the shores of Japan, and as we know very well was whole heartedly adopted by the Japanese, dramatically influencing Japanese culture and arts from the 7th Century to the present day.

There is of course a fundemental difference between Japan and China in that Japan had no forign intervention or civil wars which resulted in the suppression of Buddhism. In China however as Terry Dukes points out in Bodhisattva Warriors that Taoism and Buddhism vied for acceptance as the imperial courts religion and so inevitably Buddhism at different periods in Chinese history was outlawed and inevitably had to be taught secretly. It is only a small step to infer that to escape detection by the authorities Buddhism was easily codified into hand movements and dances (form, kata or hsing) where it has been passed down through Buddhist martial practices to the present day.

Shifu Nagaboshi's assertians of this are are easily verified by evidence of the codification of mudras (hand signs) in Buddhist practice because we can see the practices of Chen Yen monks of China, Shingon Monks of Japan and Vajryana lamas of Tibet who still ritually perform complicated hand movements to accompany verbal and meditational practices.

This is what is interesting about this book as just as in Buddhist Chuan Fa the mudra these monks use are not just simply mundane 'hand signs' but a 'phsyco-physical' gesture which (as this term suggests) involves not just the body but also the mind of the practitoner.

The practice of unifying mind and body within physical training is well established within martial arts systems and this Buddhist (yogacara) tradition as Shifu Nagaboshi (along with others)* correctly identifies is most certainly one of the roots of this practice. (See Keenan: Spontaneity in Western Martial Arts, A Yogacara Critique of Mushin [No-Mind]- a google search will find this)

Terry Dukes (who quite openly displays both his English and Budddhist name on the front cover) has obviously hit some raw nerves with people who would keep to their blinkered history of martial arts rather than engage with the facts that there are some aspects of the esoteric doctrines that just do not fit into martial arts based on commercial an egotistical gain.

As a Buddhist this book explained a lot about the art I am practicing.

I don't know how anyone can possibly state that this book is any good. As a historical book, it doesn't have any historical authenticity to anything that the author has written in it. I bought this book because I thought I was going to learn something new - boy was I wrong. His take on history is not related to what is written by current historians and a lot of his conclusions about the origins of martial arts are just opinions that when one thinks about it makes no logical sense. Newsflash.... all major historians believe that organized martial arts were created by the military or by people involved in military/police affairs. They were not created by pacifistic monks or religious people who believe in pacifism. That is just illogical. His other attempts such as tying the birth of martial arts to buddhism is wrong in the face of the fact that there is defined martial arts in china, korea, and japan before the creation of buddhism or even the transport of buddhism to those countries. The Shaolin temple is the only Chan/Zen temple that has a martial arts tradition in all of china. Most historians believe that it harbored retired soldiers who possessed martial arts traditions from their military days and brought it into the temple. Further, most historians believe that the martial arts in china and japan took religion into it after the creation of the martial arts to try to lend a moral character to the immoral process of learning how to hurt and kill others (so that people wouldn't do it a totally immoral fashion). He also discounts the major contributions that Taoism/Confucianism/ and Sun Tzu's theories on warfare on the martial arts. His take on this seems to revolve around the Shaolin temple and the Bodhidharma legend (which is just a legend! - Historians aren't even sure that he existed as a real individual in connection with the Shaolin temple!) It's the same with European or Middle Eastern martial arts and warfare. Most soldiers of Europe and the Middle east were greatly influenced by priests and religious men for moral or religious fortitude in the face of the study of the art of self defense. That does not mean that Christianity or Islam created european/middle eastern swordplay. His illogic is similar to the illogic of stating that the Knights Templar of Europe invented fencing and sword play because they were religious people and many soldiers and swordsmen in Europe during the middle ages were religious and attended church... A totally illogical statement. All in all a horrible book. I'm peeved because I unfortunately actually spent my hard earned money on it at full price.

this is a piece of junk. dont waste your time or money on this worthless excuse of a book. the pictures of the wannabe power ranger should speak volumes alone for how bad this book is. if you are still unconvinced look at the diagrams done in western form instead of traditional asian style. the dumbest thing in this book has to be where it talks about driving the cartilage of the nose thru the brain causing death. when any person who knows anything about martial arts knows that is impossible to do that. what actually kills the person from that type of blow to the head is the impact causing the brain to slam back and forth in the skull which is what actually causes death. dont waste your time on this book it must have been written by some one who learned their martial arts from watching the power rangers.

Very comprehensive of vital, fragile, and pressure points throughout human body. Master Long sprung for a professional illustrator this time and it definitely improves understanding of context. Only complaint is that in all pictures of Master Long versus opponent, they are clad in shiny ninja uniforms that obscure immediate recognition of described technique

Mr.Long does not deserve the bad rap that he takes.Dragon Touch was way ahead of its time with releasing this much needed material.I agree he should have never wore those Ultra man costumes and done those techniques ,although the neck breaks are valid. This book along with Dragon Touch 2 are his most complete and comprehensive ones. Loads of info to be studied.The way I look at a book is if I can learn one or two things out of it.Then it was worth it.

As always, I will be frank about the book to the extent of my knowledge and not pretend I'm some incredible genius when it comes to the subject, as some reviewers appear to be sometimes...

So you might judge my bias or qualifications for yourself, I am a martial artist and I've been studying it for 6 and 1/2 years, though I don't consider myself the greatest source, but take my word for what it's worth. I am also a student in a pre-medical field (I haven't decided precisely which path I'll take, but I have an idea) and am fairly knowledgeable on the subject of human anatomy. The idea of combining human anatomy and martial arts seemed like an interesting concept to me, so I bought this book and began reading it.

Concerning the content itself, the targets are accurate and, to say the least, very painful if struck. All of the anatomy and results of strikes are as they are stated (as far as I am aware). The pictures usually give one or two ways of attacking a target area and are usually pretty useful ways. Seeing the targets being attacked on a human in a picture is very helpful in locating precisely where the pressure point is when combined with the indication in the anatomy diagrams (if there was any confusion). To be honest, however, if this book was truly for anyone to use for self defense (as it seemed to indicate in the introduction), it might have been useful for Master Hei Long not to use such obscure Kung Fu stances. Such stances are definitely not helpful to those who haven't taken Kung Fu and I don't think they help the reader learn where the targets are and how to attack them. These stances are the only cons I can think of for this book.

The strikes and targets themselves are excellent and, if the reader has any ability to strike, most of the targets would disable most attackers. There are, of course, no guarantees, since the knowledge of the targets will not help someone who does not attack or cannot strike with enough force to damage the target (some targets require substantial force to disable the attacker and some require very little force). These qualifiers are the responsibility of the reader. Nonetheless, if the reader is able and willing to strike, he/she will be able to use at least some of these targets no matter what the skill level or strength level.

To sum up, I highly suggest this book to any girl or woman who fears for her safety in a big city or college campus or any situation for that matter. I would also suggest, if you have no previous martial arts experience, you learn martial arts before, after, or while you read this book because the knowledge of these targets and the skills of the martial art will build off of each other and greatly increase your ability to defend yourself.

Master Long is the Kung Fu teacher you will never have the chance to train with and he is surely more dangerous than "randmeister" from Ohio.
As Master Long says, most school nowadays are run by the moto: A student is a fee, a test is a fee, a rank is a fee. Giving rank to an undeserving student is dishonorable yet I have seen it happen too often. The worst part is the student feels prepared for a violent encounter.
The book focuses on the 43 main anatomical targets. It contains 180 anatomical figures. There is one technique for each target.
Pros: Reminds me of human biology class. I would say this book is the Index of the human anatomy targets. When you know how something is built, you better understand how to take it apart. The 3 frames sequences are fairly simple and easy to understand.
Cons: The techniques have a rigid Kung Fu style. Some techniques involve high kicks, which I do not favor: high gravity level, 100% of the weight on 1 knee, good flexibility required.
To sum it up: if you want a crash course try the "Dirty 12" by Larry Jordan. If you are a serious martial artist then the $12 for this book are well worth it. Whatever your status is, check out "Attack Proof" by John Perkins.

This book is definitely a good book for Eagle Claw practitioners. It provides the frame work and training outline to become proficient in the art. For those who train in it, it is a good reference to found out what you need to train more in to develop as a martial artist.
For those who find it impractical, you should know that it takes at least 5 years of hard training to grasp the basic concepts of Chinese martial arts. This cannot be learned from a book, unlike many self defense techniques. However, the training provides enhanced reflexes, power, and conditioning which in combat will undoubtedly be essential for self defense. There is no exception to hard work. I find that many people who are looking for practicality in a martial art are essentially looking for a quick way of learning without the hard training. I have met many students who believe they are excellent and practical, but in my eyes are very poorly trained. Feeling that you are a good combatant and being one are totally different things. But let me finish with a line that many of my teachers have passed on to me "It is the student and not the art."

Nice illustrations, but I feel that the book leaves out too much. Perhaps I was expecting to read 10+ years of EClaw training in one volume, but did read it in one day. It sits on the shelf as a reference.

THe book does not give any practical information much. As the Title said, it only tells general information about the type of kungFu but contain not much useful information.
Don't expect to learn anything from the book.

Don't buy except you want to know what it is.

If you are looking for a book on self defense, you should probably pass on this one. It's got some interesting concepts, but the techniques shown would need heavy modification. Try grabbing a punch from someone who knows how to punch properly, and turning it into a complicated joint lock- that's a good way to get knocked out or worse. You can't fool around trying to look pretty when you're in real danger. I'm not knocking Eagle Claw, but this book is about all I've seen of it and it doesn't represent the effective self-defense that the style may very well have. The book looks like a forms reference for students, and for this purpose it's probably perfect, hence my giving it five stars before to calm down the students. The author's students are of course biased and they of course know the style for real. You can't blame us readers without Eagle Claw experience for thinking the art may be over complicated and ineffective, seeing the awkward stances and the false sense of distance (some pictures even showing the protagonist's strike over a foot away from the enemy). Taking a step back to block a punch with a kick, as shown in this book, is absolutely absurd. Yes, you read it right, someone throws a punch at your face and then you take a step back to block it with a high kick. Even if you don't get knocked out trying this, there's still no chance that punch will still be there when you've even finished the step. Wait a minute, with this style it looks like your're supposed to keep your punch extended so it can be kicked! Chambering your fist at your hip is a big no-no as well. I'm sure the author wouldn't want you to do this stuff in a real fight, he just seems to be representing the forms and history. I don't doubt his abilities as martial artist or teacher. The publisher is responsible for misrepresenting the book as real fighting techniques to sell it. This standpoint is where all the bad reviews come from and what the majority of customers would be concerned about.

Eagle claw kung fu has always been known for its grabbing techniques and this book is revealing to some extent. It would be even be better to share the remaing grabbing techniques in another book. Leung Shum Sifu might want to think about sharing his expertise on this style of kung fu through a series of books.

This reads more like an introduction to the art of Wing Chun ratehr than a book covering the "principles". So much is left out. It would be better presented as Vol I, and then have the authors do a more comprehensive series. Just a suggestion.

This book had a lot about nothing. Knowing that Wing Chun has lots of color and depth this book really doesn't do Wing Chun justice.

I wanted to learn and was expecting to learn Sil Lum Tao. I could not learn it from this book. Intellectually it was a good read and I truly like the translation of the Confucius Art of Mean. But if you want to learn to perform Sil Lum Tao purchase Wing Chun: The Science of In-Fighting DVD (excellent) and "Wing chun kung fu: traditional Chinese kung fu for self defense and health" by Ip chun (very good). These are much better introductory resources. I am still glad I own the book.

I am a Wing Chun student. My master learned Wing Chun from a student of Yip Man. This book shows the way Wing Chun is practiced by Yip Man. It is a very technical book and has to be studied carefully to understand it. No one that has never practiced the art should try to understand the book without first having hands on experience. It is a very complicated art. To the reader from Kennesaw, GA United States: You probably were taught that the style you are practicing is the best. Regardless of what style anyone practice we have to recognize one of the best expositioners of the art: Sifu Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee was a student of Yip Man and it was his first martial art. From it he developed Yun Fan Kung Fu or Jeet Kun Do. Do not say that any style is sloppy. Remember the best fighters are always obscure. This book is great if you know the basics of Wing Chun taught by a master.

Though this book provides a thourough demonstration of the Wing Chun form, it lacks detail and technique. The technique demonstrated by Yip Chun is sloppy at best (like all students of the Yip Man branch of Wing Chun). His stance is lazy, waek, and provides a poor foundation to build apon. His hand work is sloppy and ineffective. I'd hate to see what would happen to him if he fought against a well trained master of Wing Chun. This is an OK book to use as a reference to learn the sequence of the Wing Chun forms and the theories of the style, but the techniques demonstrated in the book are junk. His hands are not in proper positions most of the time, causing him to lose the structure that forms the foundation of Wing Chun. I was very disappointed with how poor the details of his form were in this book. Check out the videos "Wing Chun Today by Jason Lau" part I and II. Sifu Lau is probably the most talented and most well respected Grand Master of Wing Chun. His form is the best in the world and his videos show the proper use of the form.

Not much of assistance with the form in the pictures but it is an excellent training aid when Mr. Wong describes the various aspects and the training needed with the strength for each animal.
A must for any 5 Animal student

This book seemed more geared towards learning a form, and introducing the "Five Animals" principles, than presenting an entire art. However, the form itself is fairly complex, as it is in essence five different forms strung togeather in a logical manner. The first chapter is just a couple of pages long, giving a brief history on developement of Chinese fighting specific to the animals style. The following five chapters detail the five animals one by one: the dragon, tiger, snake, crane, and leopard, with no apparent order. Those chapters cover the physical and mental/spiritual/psychological characteristics of the different styles. Then there is a short chapter on the stages of learning the form, and finally a chapter showing the complete form. I'd say that this part was pretty easy to follow, with the main problems being that some possitions were only shown from behind. Each photo has text describing it's actions underneath it. It is an eye-opening and physically challenging form, and is great at least for developing ballance and endurence. The last chapter shows applications of some of the movements. All in all, I'd say that someone with a background in most striking arts ought to be able to grasp what's going on. The chapter on the form itself is the meat of the text, with the rest of the book being a good intro into the Five Animals form, but nothing extrordinary stands out to me.

only a true lover of kung fu
see the beauty in it.
Thank you
Master Doc Fai Wong
your student
Leo Nguyen

I am a black belt in Kempo, and TKD with an Instructor Sash in Kung Fu who learned the whole form as best as I could from just using the book. I found it clear and easy to follow. It took a couple of months to learn, after which I ordered Doc-Fai Wong's instructional video on the same 5 animal form later. I found that I'd done a fairly decent job on learning the form by book. I'd missed about 10% of it, which were mostly circling movements transitioning from one step to the other. One problem I had, which eventually led me to discontinue practicing the form is that it's seriously unbalanced. If you practice it regularly, you will have very uneven muscle development, especially in your legs. There is a big stress on jumps and standing on one leg using your right only. To alleviate this problem, you'd have to learn how to do the whole form with the opposite side and if you are just starting, it could easily take you half a year to learn this extremely long form both ways. Once you do learn it, it'll take you about 12-14 minutes to practice it just once on each side. To become really proficient at learning a martial art form, you should practice it several times each session. For a form such as this one, you would need a significant time committment to practice enough to do it justice. If you like to train in other ways such as running, weights, other martial arts, etc., be prepared to commit a lot of time.

The book begins by giving a brief history of the animal styles, and then describes the differences between the five styles and the intent on which you should attack. Although I found this information very interesting, I found the same information on the internet shortly after purchasing the book.

In addition, it is safe to assume that the author believed in the saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words" because they included very vague details on how the form should be executed. I am used to books that give very good instruction on how each movement should be performed and at times provides pictures showing the same move but from various angles. This book does not! Moreover, I prefer books that go into detail on the direction in which your internal energy should flow as well as when to breathe (there are some books that give you this information). I was very disappointed that they did not even attempt this considering that some of the animal styles are supposedly internal styles. Furthermore, the book does not give detail on the applications of all the techniques.

This might have been a very good book, but they tried to fit too much into a small amount of space; thereby, omitting much needed detail.

This is a good book for understanding what Wing Tsun (WT) is all about. This book explains where it originated why it was developed, who developed it, when it was deveoloped basically the history of WT. It also gives a little hindsight into how it has morphed into the WT the we have come to know through Bruce Lee and also how it has further developed into our day and age.

...one might correct a few mistakes by following this book, notwithstanding the form being taught a little differently in every school. Good enough for a book, in my book. :-) The two photos on page 86 are in reverse order. Michael Tse brings a welcome combination of fluent English and unquestionable Wing Chun lineage. I also enjoyed the stories about the legendary Yip Man.

A good read and good illustration of Sil Lum Tao. It was most helpful with Wing Chun: The Science of In-Fighting DVD. With out the DVD I would not have been able to learn Sil Lum Tao. A fun read. I am glad I own it.

This was my Very First Kung Fu Book. It was what made me fall in love with Wing Chun. This is a great book for the beginner student. There are other books that go well beyond this one as it pertains to Wing Chun. But this book has a soft quality about it that gives the reader a pathway of Wing Chun that other books do not. If you are exploring Marital arts and want a "Taste" of Wing Chun, this is a very, very Good start.

Suggested Books to read after this are:
Mastering Kung Fu, by Garrett Gee and Benny Ming (DVD's of a MAJOR help also).

Wing Chun Compendium by Wayne B.

And any book on Wing Chun By Randy Williams.

At first, I thought this book was kind of "basic". Having studied wing chun for a while under a competent sifu, I went back and the book has some really good stuff in it. First of all, it details the first form well. It also contains clear photos, and explanations from people who obviously have spent YEARS with this art (I can tell, because many of their insights can only be won after long study). I also liked the final section, which shows you the real "street fight" applications of the art, and of the techniques shown in the first form. I liked the discussion of Bruce Lee and his relationship with wing chun (to put it in a nutshell: Bruce never gave up on wing chun, and his Jeet Kune Do had wing chun as its core !). I liked the historical information on Yip Man in Hong Kong. This book really packs a lot into a short book. I really recommend it.

'Where's the chi?' is what I constantly ask myself as I flick through the pages of another one of Cheung's hundred books.

Though there are many photographs of fancy hand positions to look at, Cheung fails to answer the title of his book sufficiently at all.

Wing Chun is an internal system in which Chi comes from within. Chi certainly does not come from copying hundreds of Cheung's hand movements.

It's a picture book of hand movements. Don't expect to know anything more about chi after reading this book.

i am wing chun stundent. and this book is perfect for anybody who wants to learn the shil lum tao form. in wing chun we use such forms, to develop qi, aswell as to practice are techniques. this form is a great qigong excersice. i recomend it to all martial arts practitioners

The main problem with the book is that the title is misleading. If you are thinking about purchasing this book to learn about chi or how to develop it then this book only deserves a one star, and you will be better off finding another book. However, if you are looking for a book that goes in to detail on the Sil Lum Tao form and diagrams how your internal energy should flow, then this book is for you.

Despite it's misleading title this is a good book to own, especially if you are studying Wing Chun.

The main problem with the book is that the title is misleading. If you are thinking about purchasing this book to learn about chi or how to develop this then this book only deserves a one star, and you will be better off finding another book. However, if you are looking for a book that goes in to detail on the Sil Lum Tao form and diagrams how your internal energy should flow, then this book is for you.

Despite it's misleading title this is a good book to own, especially if you are studying Wing Chun.

This book is not for someone wanting general information and basic chi kung exercises. This book details the flow of chi in doing the first form of Wing Chun, the Sil Lum Tao form. Briefly describes chi meridians, five element theory, and some other chinese medical ideas. Good section on breathing and self massage of some important acupoints on the arms that stimulate the organs through their respective channels. Shows proper Wing Chun blocks and strikes, showing transitional movements and direction of energy. Demonstates complete Sil Lum Tao form, showing chi direction. Ends with a chapter on chi sao techniques and applications. A great book for those interested in Wing Chun, has the best description of the Sil Lum Tao I've seen, compared to about 5 other books. If you want a chi kung book, don't buy this, get Way of Energy by Lam, or his other book, Chi Kung.

As previously mentioned this book is not intended to teach you a whole system. It does not follow the Chan Family lineage as well. However, if you do follow Choy Li Fut it does show you all of the basic movements. Obviously it can not compare to receiving actual training and hands-on instruction, but it is a great reference and an excellent guide. Authentic martial arts are passed down from generations with hands on training and with written manuals and scripts. This book is a manual/script! I agree that the photos aren't the best, but look at when this was originally published. It has obviously sold plenty of copies to still be in print.

This book gives a great overview of Choy Li Fut Kung Fu! It talks about the lineage and history which I find fascinating. The book also covers ALL the basics which is the true art of Choy Li Fut. As a practitioner I use this as a reference guide on a frequent basis. The book is very elusive and I find a little bit more hidden in these pages each time I pick it up. Laid out before you are the true secrets of the art. To most they don't know what they are reading so they simply glaze over the words. Those are the ones who truly miss out.

This is an OK book on choy li fut gung fu by the grandmaster of this style. Yes, its impossible to become a gung fu master without a teacher, training and effort. However I expected far more from this book than what it delivers. Its so so on basics and concepts but lacks critical details on how to do footwork, punches and kicks as well as no form or technique instruction on the huge arsenal of choy li fut weapons such as the plum blosson spear and kwan do. For a better gung fu book, check out Bruce Lee's books on JKD as well as the Hung Gar Kung Fu books by Bucksam Kong. The photos in this Choy Li Fut book are difficult at best to follow. I just hope that grandmaster Doc Fai-Wong rewrites and updates this book to make it worthy.

I think this book gives a good introduction to CLF and it's basic s but if you as me study the chans family style, I suggest you don't buy the book! I bought it and found out that many of the movements we practice are not the same as the ones in this book! This can confuse both you and your sifu! For example the basic movement Ng Lun Ma that we practice is not the same as the one in the book at all.

This is one of the few books I've been able to find on CLF, and found it incredably lacking. If it weren't for two forms presented inside the book, it would be little more than a pamphlet. The reader gets an introduction into Choy Li Fut, but not enough to really learn anything. Liniage is presented, weapons used are named, and you get to see a couple of poorly-shot photos of finnished techniques. I don't really recomend that anyone get this book, unless you want to learn CLF's first two forms and have no teacher.

this book was very good. i like the mental training the most. my only problem with this book is that, i wish he would tell us how to focus our abilities more. read the book and you'll know what im talking about.

Unfortunately, this book suffers from the general malaise of most Unique Publications books- many poor quality pictures and not enough in depth information to make it truly useful. It is all the more disappointing in that, contrary to what tengu151 says in the previous review, Douglas Wong is the real deal. Having had the opportunity to train with him, I can tell you that he is both truthful and honorable, as well as one of the few traditional stylists who has a strong practical background in streetfighting. If you're looking for something with useful training principals, you're better off checking out his Kung Fu: Way of Life, or Kung Fu: An Endless Journey. Or better yet, leave the how to manuals to the wannabees and find a reliable instructor in your town that will teach you how to apply the principles in a meaningful way, or like tengu151 says, you will get yourself killed. Another thought on buying ANY martial arts books: no self respecting (Chinese) sifu is going to give you the good stuff in a book. That is reserved for dedicated students behind closed doors.

If you don't already know, you can't really learn martial arts by reading. I've bought books on taekwondo, ninjitsu, and kung-fu and it finally hit me when I got this third book that I'm wasting my money. If you really want to learn the art, take classes. I have gotten my black belt in taekwondo this way (another point: can't get your black belt through reading) and even after accomplishing this feat, I still have to continue taking the classes or else I forget everything. Unlike learning to ride a bike, this stuff goes strictly on the maxim, "Lose it, if you don't use it". The pictures are not as bad as other reviewers say. I can follow them. Whether the fighting sequences actually work, I'm somewhat doubtful but some of them are hilariously funny. The other part that was funny was about the ESP power some instructors possess but very few are willing to teach it for fear of misuse. And then the part on "dim muk" that you can freeze a person with a touch of the hand. That sounds like a load of you-know-what. I lose some credibility of the author when he mentioned these things. I'm sure he can probably break concrete or rocks or whatever. This is no magic. Through repetition this can be trained just like I can train my pecs to be bigger through weight-training. The only interesting part in this book is on the history of kung-fu, but then you can get that off the web.

Douglas Wong is one of those writers who simply rehashes what others have already said in far fewer words and maybe more pictures. He gives little tib-bits about each area, but never any scientific or practical rationalization to justify what he says. He is one those kung fu stylists that claims to have experience in d--n near style and thereby proposes that he can teach you any style.---He is one those people that makes the martial arts look bad by never being the solid example of what one should be, truthful and honorable.

1. Very poor quality edition: the book has a lot of pictures. The quality of pictures is unacceptable. You can hardly see the details. 2. Content: They do not give the whole theory or complete description of principles, just a lot of pictures with brief comments. Summary: about 5% of the book you may consider useful.

After paying $50 for this cd-rom and thoroughly absorbing its contents I felt cheated in many ways. The first thing that bothers me is that no person takes credit for authoring it. And, insane and irrelevant as it sounds, the unknown creator claims that the U.S. civil war didn't really happen, it was just a scene from "gone with the wind", and that Americans have been brainwashed. Hmmm... seems like someone's blown a gasket... anyway... the essence of the cd-rom is basically a multi-angle video clip of an unknown unnamed person poorly performing his bastardized version of "crushing step." It is about 45 seconds in length (I didn't time it, maybe it's 20 seconds or possibly a minute), and that is just about all you get. No audio, nothing. The written explanations, stories, etc. are so pathetic and unprofessional, I just couldn't believe it. Very skimpy. I was expecting detailed explanations, decent graphics, in-depth theory... sadly, it failed to deliver. Anyway, I could go into the many details concerning why this product is a total joke but, if you want to buy it go ahead, just remember this: you WILL be disappointed. Let my mistake help you to not make the same mistake. I wish someone had been kind enough to write an intelligent review of this cd-rom before I bought it, then I would never have wasted my money and time. I really feel like a sucker. Consider this review a public service to the serious martial artist.

The Northern Praying Mantis edition of the "Shaolin Interactive Instructional Series" is an excellent learning tool that should be considered by anyone with a desire to learn the basics of the style. Obviously the CD ROM cannot replace the hawklike eyes of an expert instructor standing attentively by your side. However, the program proves to be the perfect blend of an ancient art and the brilliant technological ingenuity of modern times. In other words, the interactive nature of the program (including but not limited to, multi angle viewing of techniques, an excellent slow motion feature and in depth investigation of "real world" applications of the basic techniques) brings this program to the cutting edge of martial arts instruction. Without access to professional instruction, this CD ROM is as close as one can get to the multi faceted, in depth knowlege of a seasoned (in the flesh) teacher. The CD ROM is way ahead of the archaic learning curve of other instructional media (with a nervous shudder, I hark back to the days of rewinding martial arts instructional videos much more than I could unwind through the enjoyment of an ancient discipline.) This program's intrinsic adaptability will provide much more quality instuction in that it can be easily tailored to the specific needs of the student. One needs only to click on the link to view a technique from multi angle, multi speed observation points second only to actually being there. In other words, buy it.

They are not kidding when they say you need a sifu and this is only a suplemental tool. For $50 I expected a ton more than what was offered. You are better off putting your money into extra class time with a certified instructor. I would not recomend this item unless your sifu has specificly told you to get it.

I found the CD an excellent overview of the northern praying mantis style. There is a wide range of technique, and the applications span the gamut of readily apparent to surprising.

I must disagree with Mr.Ortiz' evaluation of the CD, as I have seen his work as well and can compare the two. The fact that he may not be familiar with some of the applications in the CD does not make them incorrect, merely unknown to him.

While not having a sifu at your arm is a disadvantage, the methodical teaching style in the CD and the multiple angle format make it as close to the real thing as can be obtained.

Please take the one-star review below with a grain of salt. This is the publisher of the Shaolin series here, taking the opportunity to point out that the author of that review is the producer of competing mantis videos.

We apologize for having to respond in this review, but we think it only fair. We agree with the other reviewers that this is quite an excellent learning tool.

Thanks everyone.