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Thread: oldest english language kung fu book?

  1. #16
    Also, if anyone is interested in knowing, possibly the second oldest English-language Kung Fu manual would be the book "Kung-Fu, Original Sil Lum System" by T. Y. Wong, which was published in 1962. This is the companion volume to the previously mentioned book which Wong Sifu authored with James Lee. This one was published after Lee had left Wong's school to train with Bruce Lee.

    This volume concentrates on the combat applications of the art. It teaches the two-person forms for the seta which are taught in the first book (Lin Wan Kune and Mang Fu Har Shan), as well as staff fighting and "soft hand stunts" (breaking bricks with the palm).

    It's actually very surprising that Wong Sifu was so open and included so much in such great detail in his two volumes on this Sil Lum system. Since this particular system is really quite rare in the US, I for one am very glad that he did so....
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  2. #17
    Thanks much for all the help. I really appreciate people taking the time to help me out.

    Cerebus; thanks much for the information on Chinese Karate Kung-Fu, Original Sil Lum System" by Professor Tim Yuen Wong and Kein Her Lee and the information on V. E. Christensen. I too was under the impression that Christensen was an Ark Wong student. And I guess I got that idea from that student you mentioned. But I was quite interested to hear about the comparisons between the Tegner book and T.Y. Wong's Sil Lum book. Oh, how naughty to steal from someone else’s book, but Tegner probably figured no one will ever figure it out. But sharp eyed book collector and martial artist Cerebus did.

    On an somewhat related side note, Cerebus, you must have one of the most complete collections of english language martial arts books around! Over the years I have seen some of the stuff you put up for auction on e-Bay. You must have a very complete and in depth collection.

    Going back to Prof. T.Y. Wong, was he in Los Angeles or up in Northern California (or not in Cali at all)? The reason I am asking about that is, one of my friends has responsibility for the entry (in the same encyclopedia) on the history of Chinese martial arts in North America.

    In any event thanks so much to one and all. You folks are very helpful.

    Take care,
    Brian

  3. #18
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    and it only sells for 2,350.00 bucks !!

    http://www.amazon.com/Chinese-karate...2147473&sr=8-1
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  4. #19
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    whoever is dumb or rich enough to pay that deserves it.
    Kung Fu is good for you.

  5. #20
    Hi Brian. Thanks. Yeah, I've been collecting martial arts books (and other books on various subjects) since around 1978. Lately I've been selling quite a bit of my West Coast collection (my other collection is in storage on the East Coast).

    T.Y. Wong lived and taught in San Francisco. One of his former students, Al Novak, is still around here in the Bay Area (at least he was. He's somewhere in his '80s or '90s by now). Mr. Novak was originally one of James Lee's students and is featured prominently in Lee's book "Modern Kung-Fu Karate: Iron, Poison Hand Training" which Lee published shortly after leaving Wong's school, and which is another of the early Kung-Fu texts which is very rare these days. The 1980s re-print often sells for $250 and up. My West Coast copy is one of the rare originals with Al Novak on the cover breaking a HUGE brick. The other more common cover featured James Lee.
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  6. #21
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    Early mention of "Kung Fu" in english

    Here's one I just added to my collection, although whether it is too far removed to be called a Chinese art is problematical.

    Kenpo Karate: Law of the Fist and the Empty Hand
    by Ed Parker. Copyright 1960 by Iron Man Industries, Alliance, Nebraska. Hardcover.

    In it, Parker claims continuity with Chinese arts and credits his teacher, William K.S. Chow with "americanizing" a Chinese style of fighting. To be fair, he also notes the Ryukyu origins of his art. Mention is made of the Indian connection and the Bodhidharma myth, as well. The techniques shown look a lot like Mitose's Kenpo Jujitsu and probably represent Parker's style in the days before he commissioned Chinese-looking "sets" for his system.

    I learned a couple of interesting things from this book including the fact that "The coordination developed is such that three opponents can receive a blow at exactly the same moment." And, furthermore:"Using the many parts of the body as weapons, combined with the knowledge of maneuverability, a person with the knowledge of KENPO KARATE can be equivalent to five or more men.

    This book is not an early version of Parker's Secrets of Chinese Karate but appears to be intended as a training manual with hundreds of photographic illustrations.

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  7. #22
    Since your in taiwan check with the Kuoshu Group.

    If my memory doesn't fail me I believe I saw a hand to hand military training manual from the Kuomintang/Kuoshu (?) that was in english.

    a fellow classmate was in the marines and had collected various combat training manuals from around the world.

    Haven't seen him in over 11 years so .....


    also had heard from a teacher in HK that the Chin Woo had produced books/pamphlets in english. don't know what they contained though.

    PS: Had downloaded the TW Wong book from the internet a year or so back. It mightstill be on there.

  8. #23
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    Chinese Gung Fu: Philosophical Art of Self-Defense by Bruce Lee (1963).

    Secrets of Shaolin Temple Boxing (I think that's the title) by R.W. Smith...which, if I remember, is translated from an old Chinese text.

    I have some of the Lee Ying-Arng ones from the '60s, including Iron Palm in 100 Days, Chinese Leg Maneuvers, and some others. Bought during the late '70s for novelty purposes.

    I had a whole bunch of Tegner's books, including the Kung Fu/Tai Chi one. I even have one he wrote about Savate, but the postures Tegner shows are probably not very good by real Savate standards. He even wrote a book called Jukado, supposedly his own combination of JUdo, KArate, and AikiDO. As a kid, I bought the books for about $1 to $1.25 a piece, as they were the size of small paperback novels.

    R.W. Smith wrote a book under the pen name of John F. Gilbey called Secret Fighting Arts of the World (I think from 1963). A lot of fiction and myth, with some truth mixed in. It does mention Hsing-I, Crane style, and Shaolin, etc. Bruce Lee actually copied a few drawings out of it in his Tao of JKD. I suspect BL's trademark shuffling-in side kick was influenced a lot by the diagrams taken from the chapter on the Savate man, as his side kick movement and posture in the BL Fighting Method books mirrors it exactly when he kicked the hand-held shield/heavy bag.

    Not that early a book, but R.W. Smith also wrote Chinese Boxing: Masters and Methods (1974). IMO, it's one of his more interesting books. His writings often rub some people the wrong way, but he is biased, just like everybody else is.

    I had all of the kung fu books published by Ohara Publications. Of the lot, I liked Bucksam Kong's Hung Gar Kung Fu: Chinese Art of Self-Defense (1973). The Choy Lay Fut book by Leo Fong wasn't great, IMO, but when I bought it, it was the first time I ever heard of CLF in any way (I bought it in 1978).

    Around 1977, Donn F. Draeger wrote some Chinese MA books on Malaysian(?) masters. One was called Phoenix-Eye Fist, another was on Lohan Kung Fu, and the other was Black Tiger Kung Fu.
    Last edited by Jimbo; 05-27-2009 at 02:17 PM.

  9. #24
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    James Wing Woo (in Los Angeles) told me that Wong, Tim Yuen's book on Northern Shaolin was the oldest English language American book on Kung Fu. He trained with him in the late 50's in San Francisco Chinatown. He showed me his old copy, looked like a pretty decent book.

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  10. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by brianlkennedy View Post
    Chinese Leg Maneuvers ) by Lee Ying-Arng
    I used to have that book! I sold it on eBay years ago, tho. It was totally old school, from the 70s at the latest.
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  11. #26
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    Ok, looking at my bookcase (yes, these books are still sitting in my bookcase) I see:

    Hsing-i Kung-fu by Tim Tacket - 1975

    Asian Fighting Arts by Donn F. Dreager & Robert W. Smith - 1974 (text & photos 1969)

    Bruce Tegner's Book Of Kung Fu & Tai Chi: Chinese Karate & Classical Exercises - original published 1968 (must be Shaolin Do - Chinese Karate)

    Original publishing date on his Karate book is 1966 but you want Kung Fu.

    Nope, mostly have Karate. Thought I still had the Judo book from when I was about 10 which would have been around 1964.

    Shaolin Long Fist Kung Fu by Yang Jwing-Ming & Jeffrey A. Bolt - 1982.

    Bruce Lee's 1 & 3 inch Power Punch but I don't see a date in it. It's a thin red book and inside the front cover is a stamp that says "Wing Chun Do Instructors Seminar" with more text and an address "2912-C S. Skagit Hwy. Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284". Is that one of BL's schools?

    Hey SD guys - Shaolin Do, Wing Chun Do - seems to be 60s or 70s thing?
    Last edited by Yao Sing; 05-28-2009 at 12:07 AM.
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