Recommend some books (not "how to" books please!)

[kal]

Hi,

I'm looking for some recommendations for books about CMA (including Shaolin). I'm not looking for technique or "how to" books, but rather books that are discussions about the various arts as well as history. Definitely only want books that are supported by proper research and are free of the typical BS and hyperbole.

For example, the best one I have read to date is "Chinese Martial Arts Training Manuals" by Brian Kennedy and Elizabeth Guo. I've also liked the online articles I've read by Stanley Henning, Jarek Szymanski and Sal Canzonieri. I also like Adam Hsu's books.

Any recommendations of books that are in a similar vein would be much appreciated.

[Takuan]

The Making of a Butterfly - Phillip Starr

Great book! :)

[kal]

Already got it! And yes it is a great book.

What I'm really looking for are books that deal more with history of the various arts.

[MasterKiller]

Chinese Martial Arts Training Manuals: A Historical Survey

http://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Martial-Arts-Training-Manuals/dp/1556435576

[Ben Gash]

He lists that one in the OP.

[kal]

Chinese Martial Arts Training Manuals: A Historical Survey

http://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Martial-Arts-Training-Manuals/dp/1556435576

Thanks, but I have got that one too. It is definitely brilliant and I hope it's an indication of the "new generation" of CMA books that we can expect -- I'm looking for similar books.

[MasterKiller]

He lists that one in the OP.

My bad. I just skimmed the post.

[kal]

I've heard that a Prof. Meir Shahar will be publishing a book on Shaolin later this year. Does anyone know anything about it?

[TenTigers]

The Sword Polisher's record-Adam Hsu
Chinese Masters and Methods-Robert W. Smith

[ittokaos]

I don't think anyone really knows the status of that book. I would really love to know when and how much.

[sanjuro_ronin]

Martial Musings by Robert Smith.

While alot of it is, well...bias, there are some very good anecdotes in there.

[BruceSteveRoy]

not sure what anyone else has to say about it but i found the "art of shaolin kung fu" by wong kiew kit to be an interesting read. i don't remember a whole lot about it other than that at the time i liked it but then again i read it when i was still very new to CMA. I wonder if my perspective of the book would change after all this time.

[PangQuan]

not sure what anyone else has to say about it but i found the "art of shaolin kung fu" by wong kiew kit to be an interesting read. i don't remember a whole lot about it other than that at the time i liked it but then again i read it when i was still very new to CMA. I wonder if my perspective of the book would change after all this time.

Thats always a fun thing to do.

Re-read books on the subject when you are no longer a beginner.

I've re-read all of the books I read when I first started kungfu. Each one is looked at in a different light later on, by my experience anyway.

its a fun thing to do though.

[msg]

dunn.F as some good books him and robert smith have writen books together .that book asian fighting arts is a good one by dunn.F it has good history

[kal]

not sure what anyone else has to say about it but i found the "art of shaolin kung fu" by wong kiew kit to be an interesting read. i don't remember a whole lot about it other than that at the time i liked it but then again i read it when i was still very new to CMA. I wonder if my perspective of the book would change after all this time.


I had that book, but I tossed it in the bin when I saw Chang San Feng mentioned in the section in taijiquan.

[BlueTravesty]

I picked up Nei Jia Quan: Internal Martial Arts last week. It contains various stories and anecdotes from Tim Cartmell, Fong Ha, James Wing Woo, Luo De Xiu, Paul Gale, Bruce K. Frantzis, Tony Yang, and others. It's published by North Atlantic Books (I think that's the same publisher as Chinese Martial Arts Training Manuals: An Historical Survey)

If nothing else, it's an interesting look at the opinions of those who teach the internal martial arts. I like Tim Cartmell and Tony Yang's sections the best, though James Wing Woo's rant about Bruce Lee is pretty funny.

Gabriel Chin's section highlights some of the outright bitterness and infighting that seems to rear its ugly head every once in a while in the IMA community (just like any other martial arts subcommunity.) I was simultaneously amused :rolleyes: and appalled :eek: by his assertion that Chen Style Taiji is a sham created by the Communists. Uhhh, right... to his credit though, he taught/teaches free of charge.

[sanjuro_ronin]

dunn.F as some good books him and robert smith have writen books together .that book asian fighting arts is a good one by dunn.F it has good history

You mean Donn Draeger.