Customer Rating: Summary: A highly relevant guide for a beginner in wu shu Comment: I began training wu shu half a year ago so I am definitely a beginner in the area. My perspective may therefore be limited - on kung fu as well as any literature on the topic- but I would anyhow like to post some thoughts I have over this book.
The reason I bought it was to learn more about the origin, philosophy and any religious aspects of kung fu. And a believe I truly got what I was looking for! It was easily read and logically structured. It did not fear to go into some depth in areas such as Taoism and other philosophcal influences on kung fu. And it did - on top of that- give what I believe to be a good overview of the historical development and current day many different 'dialects' of kung fu.
I am happy I bought and would definitely do it again!
Customer Rating: Summary: A Classic in the Field Comment: Chow and Spangler's "Kung Fu: History, Philosophy, and Technique" broke new ground when it was first published, sharing many details about kung fu which were not available elsewhere. The foundational chapters of the book are the ones on Daoism, "external" styles, chin na (which features techniques), dynamics, kung fu and entertainment (movies), and the westernization of kung fu.
The section on Daoism is very good. The rest of the chapters are more overview-ish, but still contain good material. The dynamics chapter has a bunch of chi kung training drills which are illustrated and will evoke interest, if not hilarity. Chow's work on the television show "Kung Fu" shows in places, and even though the show was campy, Chow seems to be in tune with Shaolin philosophy - especially given his comments about training in the chin na chapter.
I highly recommend this book to those who don't know anything about Chinese martial arts, and wish to increase their exposure. Customer Rating: Summary: Very good info on Kung Fu Comment: This book was originally published in 1977 as a way to introduce Westerners to the complex history and traditions of Kung Fu. This book covers the history of the Chinese martial arts quite well, given the space they had to work with. The history goes all the way back to the bronze age, and is followed throught the centuries. Bodhidharma, the legendary figure who brought the movements of Kung Fu and the philosophy of Chan (Zen) to the Shaolin temple is given an entire chapter. The Taoist influence over the Chinese arts is mentioned, specifically when talking about the internal styles of T'ai Chi, Pa Kua, and H'sing Yi. The emphasis is on T'ai Chi. Several external styles of Kung Fu are featured as well: Northern Shaolin, Dragon, Wing Chun, White Crane, Praying Mantis, Monkey, Hung Gar, and Choy Lee Fut. Each style is given a one or two page description that includes history, techniques, fight strategy, and overall philosophy. There is also a chapter on Chin Na, but those familiar with other Chin Na works will find that the techniques covered here, while effective for self-defense, don't even come close to showing the complexities of the "seizing and controlling" art. There is also a chapter on how to perform amazing feats, with much of the text taken from an ancient Chinese book. I believe that this chapter has some value, though I can't verify the various Kungs that emphasise Chi power. The last bits of the book are on Kung Fu films, the Westernization of Kung Fu, and some neat little proverbs. Overall, this book is very good for introducing people to the Chinese martial arts, whith a very broad range of subjects covered. There are some weaknesses, though, notably that the text seems a little dated, and the photos are in awful condition. Still, the self-defense moves are fairly practical, and the insight into the history of Kung Fu and the different styles makes this book worth buying. Customer Rating: Summary: limited overview of chinese boxing culture Comment: This is a good book for someone just starting to explore martial arts. Chow gives historical information about the origins of chinese martial arts (legends included), brief overviews of the more mainstream internal and external chinese boxing styles, some chin na techniquue, chinese philosoophy and training methods and disciplines. Has a cool section on some obscure styles of martial chi kung. Also talks about the spread of martial arts into western pop culture. This book helped me get started in kung fu and provides a lot of information about chinese boxing. I only give it 3 stars because the information held within the book is limited and common place upon further study of chinese boxing. Customer Rating: Summary: EXCELLENT BOOK... Comment: This is a GREAT book. I originally picked up a copy half price in the bargain bin at a used bookstore. I would have purchased it sooner but didn't know if it was good or not. This is one of the greatest Kung Fu books I have ever found. It shows technique of defense/offense, talks about different arts origins (Hung Gar, Wing Chun, Mantis, Shaolin, Tai Chi, etc), media, and shows the old ways people trained years ago (digging a hole in the ground, punching sand, amongst others). I'd rate this higher if I could.
