Download or read book Bagua and Xingyi An Intersection of the Straight and Curved written by Michael DeMarco and published by Via Media Publishing. This book was released on 2016-08-17 with total page 219 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Baguaquan and xingyiquan are two styles that complement each other as yin does yang. Bagua is known for its circular movements and its practice of circle walking. Xingyi embodies characteristic linear movements said to be derived form the logical strategies for using spear and staff. How fortunate we are to include writings in this anthology by leading authorities on these styles. Separated into three sections, the first features bagua. Allen Pittman presents five variations of the single palm change, followed by an overview of the Yin Fun bagua lineage and an interview with He Jinbao focusing on training, fighting skills, teaching and learning. Travis Joern examines how a martial artist can apply the theoretical aspects of the Book of Changes to bagua training. Hong Dzehan (son of Hong Yixiang, stellar master of the three internal systems) then shares some of his personal experiences and favorite bagua techniques. Section two contains chapters on xingyi. The interview with Luo Dexiu questions the proper way to study xingyi from the beginning to the advanced levels. Robert Yu compares American boxing with xingyi's pragmatic fighting techniques and in the following chapter he recounts in detail how it was to study under Hong Yixiang in Taiwan nearly forty years ago. Stanley Henning gives a travelogue of a trip to Shanxi Province (the home of xingyi) and then discusses Che Style xingyi training methods as thought by Dr. Wu Chaoxiang, including the five element theory, twelve animal forms, two-person routines, and spear training. The third section presents some commonalities in what many refer to as the internal arts: bagua, xingyi, and taiji. The chapter on Fu family style beautifully details how they incorporated the essential elements of taiji, xingyi, and bagua into their majestic sixiangquan (four image boxing). Marcus Brinkman relates many of the unique insights and experiences he had during his extensive study with Lo Dexiu and Hong Yixiang, including internal development and fighting applications. Tim Cartmell provides the final chapter which explains the key concepts of “sticking and following” as they apply to the throwing methods of the Chinese internal martial arts. The rich content in this anthology comes from the rare academic and hands-on experience of those presented in chapters here. Readers will no doubt benefit from the practical practice tips as well as the other cultural details these wonderful authors share.
Download or read book The Best Fight A Memoir of a Martial Art Practitioner Publisher and Author written by Michael DeMarco and published by Via Media Publishing. This book was released on 2023-10-10 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A needle may draw a thread through printed pages to bind a book. In this little memoir, I feel like a needle that drew a common thread though a segment of martial art history. This book details three interrelated activities: (1) martial art studies, (2) involvement as founder of Via Media Publishing, producing a quarterly journal and books, and (3) teaching martial arts. Publishers, writers, researchers and serious martial art practitioners will benefit with the detailed overview of Via Media and its publications. Via Media produced the Journal of Asian Martial Arts, known for its high academic and aesthetic standards. Its contents reflect the history of two decades and provides rich information for practitioners and scholars, making The Best Fighta valuable reference work. In addition to reading, the primary way to learn a martial art is through instruction. In reading about my studies and teaching experience, readers can relate to their own involvement in martial arts. What is important here is the portrayal of my instructors, their teaching methods, and reasons for being involved in martial arts. Their accounts should offer insights and inspiration for others who study and practice any martial art.
Download or read book written by Shou-Yu Liang and published by Ymaa Publications. This book was released on 2008 with total page 535 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This revised edition includes a complete redesign with an emphasis on reader usability and modern Chinese typography.Packed with over nine hundred photographs, this comprehensive text offers theory, martial applications, sequences, Qigong exercises, weapon training, and is an indispensable resource for those serious about Chinese martial arts.Translation of ancient Baguazhang documentsBaguazhang QigongBasic TrainingBody ConditioningEight Palms sequence and fighting setSwimming Body sequence and martial applicationsBagua Deer Hook Sword sequence and martial applications
Download or read book The Cheng School Gao Style Baguazhang Manual written by Gao Yisheng and published by North Atlantic Books. This book was released on 2013-08-13 with total page 449 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In its first English-language edition, this detailed training manual is a complete guide to Gao baguazhang, as preserved through the lineage of Liu Fengcai. The youngest of the major bagua lineages, Gao bagua shows the influence of taiji quan, xingyi quan, and shuai jiao. It incorporates traditional bagua weapons, pre-heaven palms, and animal forms in addition to sixty-four individual post-heaven palms and their accompanying two-person forms. A unique synthesis of health-building techniques, Daoist theory, and practical fighting applications, Gao-style bagua is an example of the finest internal-arts traditions. The original manuscript for The Cheng School Gao Style Baguazhang Manual was completed by the art's founder, Gao Yisheng, in 1936. It was not published at the time, but handed down to his student Liu Fengcai, who edited and published the first Chinese edition in 1991 with the help of his own student Liu Shuhang. In 2005, Liu Shuhang published a revised and expanded version, and this was again expanded and reissued in a third edition in 2010. Now, the manual has been translated and fully updated for its first English-language edition. Including over 400 photos showing step-by-step techniques and forms, the manual documents the fundamentals of the art as well as detailed descriptions of techniques and empty-hand forms, laying the groundwork for advanced training. This edition includes rare photos of important masters in the Gao lineage, lineage charts, biographies, and other updates, making it the essential companion for anyone studying Gao style and a useful guide for any practitioner of baguazhang or other Chinese martial arts.
Download or read book Bagua Linked Palms written by Wang Shujin and published by Blue Snake Books. This book was released on 2009-06-02 with total page 113 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Master Wang Shujin (1904—1981) was one of the world’s foremost exponents of Chinese internal martial arts, with legendary expertise in the disciplines of Bagua Zhang, Taiji Quan, and Xingyi Quan. This book offers a lucid translation of Master Wang’s seminal work on Bagua Zhang and includes expanded instruction by co-translator and noted Bagua Zhang expert Kent Howard. It also introduces readers to a rarely seen personal side of Wang Shujin, who was not only a fighter but also a teacher and spiritual leader. Bagua Linked Palms includes a wealth of additional information useful to the practitioner of internal martial arts, including the story of Bagua Zhang’s development, the connection between the Bagua and the I Ching, and step-by-step instruction in the eight “changes” of Bagua Linked Palms, the first form in Master Wang’s style of Bagua Zhang. This comprehensive, richly annotated text makes it a must-have addition to every serious martial arts library.
Download or read book Pa kua written by Robert W. Smith and published by Tuttle Publishing. This book was released on 1990-07-15 with total page 106 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book outlines the history and techniques of Pa-kua—a style of boxing based on the eight (pa) trigrams (kua) of the I Ching. This martial arts guide gives a thorough account of the philosophy behind the art. It also presents to the West for the first the orthodox style of the last Chinese Pa-kua master Wang Shu-chin. Described in great detail and fully illustrated are the basic techniques, the eight palm shapes, and the eight traditional methods of "walking the circle." Guided by this easy-to-follow text, the student of Pa-kua can probe deeply into the hitherto hidden secrets of one of the most complete systems of self defense ever developed.
Download or read book Inside Zhan Zhuang written by Mark Cohen and published by . This book was released on 2013-02 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For the first time in print, the mysterious transformation process of Standing Meditation is revealed. Filled with tips and tricks to help get more out of training than most practitioners ever thought possible, this book contains a number of concepts and techniques presented for the first time in English. Drawing upon his 7th generation lineage in Chinese Medicine and using straightforward and simple language, Mr. Cohen fills in the missing pieces of the puzzle formerly absent in Zhan Zhuang literature. These include such elements as special masterpoints to relax and release large sections of the body, methods which rapidly create whole-body linkage for any posture; techniques for working with light in the higher energy centers, mechanisms to correct many crucial health problems and special training to develop truly effective martial power. A fast track for beginners. Highly recommended for seasoned practitioners. Take your Zhan Zhuang and Tai Chi to the next level.
Download or read book Picturing the True Form written by Shih-shan Susan Huang and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2020-03-17 with total page 533 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Picturing the True Form investigates the long-neglected visual culture of Daoism, China’s primary indigenous religion, from the tenth through thirteenth centuries with references to both earlier and later times. In this richly illustrated book, Shih-shan Susan Huang provides a comprehensive mapping of Daoist images in various media, including Dunhuang manuscripts, funerary artifacts, and paintings, as well as other charts, illustrations, and talismans preserved in the fifteenth-century Daoist Canon. True form (zhenxing), the key concept behind Daoist visuality, is not static, but entails an active journey of seeing underlying and secret phenomena.This book’s structure mirrors the two-part Daoist journey from inner to outer. Part I focuses on inner images associated with meditation and visualization practices for self-cultivation and longevity. Part II investigates the visual and material dimensions of Daoist ritual. Interwoven through these discussions is the idea that the inner and outer mirror each other and the boundary demarcating the two is fluid. Huang also reveals three central modes of Daoist symbolism—aniconic, immaterial, and ephemeral—and shows how Daoist image-making goes beyond the traditional dichotomy of text and image to incorporate writings in image design. It is these particular features that distinguish Daoist visual culture from its Buddhist counterpart."
Download or read book Chinese Internal Boxing written by Robert W. Smith and published by Tuttle Publishing. This book was released on 2012-01-10 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Chinese Internal Boxing: Techniques of Hsing-I and Pa-kua is an illustrated martial arts guide to two soft-style Chinese martial arts. Chinese internal boxing and other internal martial arts do not depend on muscular strength. Instead, their power is drawn from the cultivation and practical application of internal energy, or ch'i, making them perfect for people of all ages and all levels of fitness. With clear, easy-to-follow instructions and over 380 black-and-white photos and diagrams, this indispensable martial arts book is ideal for both wushu beginners and advanced practitioners. It describes in detail and fully illustrates the basic techniques of Hsing-I and Pa-kua, including the five fists and twelve animal styles of Hsing-I and Pa-kua's eight palm shapes and eight traditional methods of walking the circle.
Download or read book The 64 Hands of Bagua Zhang written by Gao Jiwu and published by Blue Snake Books. This book was released on 2009-12-22 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The art of Bagua Zhang is best known for its circular forms, yet linear fighting techniques have been incorporated into Bagua practice by many renowned masters. Liu Dekuan, a student of Dong Haichuan (the founder of Bagua Zhang), was one such master, devising a set of 64 techniques performed in straight lines. These techniques were collected and preserved by Master Liu’s disciple Gao Wencheng and his family, passed down from generation to generation. In The 64 Hands of Bagua Zhang, author Gao Jiwu—the grandson of Gao Wencheng—brings these techniques to the English-speaking world. Well known for his expertise in the 64 Hands form, Master Gao explains the history of the art, his family’s place in it, and the key principles for practice. The heart of the book is the complete set of Liu Dekuan’s 64 techniques; the solo forms are each explained in detail and then elaborated on to demonstrate their practical applications. Clear photographs fully illustrate the movements of the complete form and practice drills. Translated by Nigel Sutton, who has studied with the Gao family since the early 1980s, The 64 Hands of Bagua Zhang helps readers fully understand this form of Bagua Zhang.
Download or read book Daily Life for the Common People of China 1850 to 1950 written by Ronald Stanley Suleski and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this book Ronald Suleski introduces a new category of source material, chaoben 抄本, for understanding the lives of China's semi-literate masses before 1950. It links the documents now flooding the antiques markets in China, with the hopes and fears of China's people at the end of the pre-modern era.
Download or read book Shaolin Long Fist Kung Fu written by Jwing-Ming Yang and published by Action Pursuit Group. This book was released on 1981 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a comprehensive study guide to the fundamental and intermediate levels of Shaolin long fist kung-fu. In terms of showing and preserving knowledge for the students and instructors of long fist, this volume provides an invaluable aid for teaching sequences and explaining other aspects of the style. This book lays a foundation for beginning and advanced stages of long fist in terms of giving the student of kung-fu a grounding in fundamental and intermediate knowledge and skill.
Download or read book Xing Yi Quan Art of Inner Transformation written by Tom Bisio and published by Outskirts Press. This book was released on 2019-08-20 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Literally translated as "Form-Intention Boxing," Xing Yi Quan emphasizes internal movement within external stillness. Practicing Xing Yi trains the practitioner to actualize the instinctive, hair-trigger reactions of the human body in direct, powerful movements. Xing Yi training focuses on natural, integrated movement, whole body breathing, and the movement of Qi (vital energy), rather than external technique. Rooted in Daoist meditation and longevity practices, and Chinese medical and martial art traditions dating back into antiquity, Xing Yi Quan training draws upon ancient Daoist meditation and inner alchemical practices that transform the body's internal structure, while confronting and dispelling extraneous thoughts to actualize true Intention, thereby providing the practitioner with a comprehensive method of actualizing his or her own inherent potential. Xing Yi Quan: Art of Inner Transformation is not a how-to book. In this fascinating meditation on the art of Xing Yi Quan and its many applications to life and living, author Tom Bisio discusses the many facets of this ancient art: - What is Xing Yi Quan? - The Relationship of Xing Yi Quan to Daoism - Xing Yi Quan and the Five Elements - The Health Benefits of Xing Yi Quan - Xing Yi Quan Training - Suitability of Xing Yi Quan for Different Ages & Lifestyles - Xing Yi Quan as a Martial Art - Xing Yi Quan as a Psycho-Spiritual Path Xing Yi Quan has five key movements, known as The Five Elements, or The Five Fists. Each of the Five Fists has a specific internal action and intention that is simultaneously energy enhancing, combative, and strengthens and harmonizes the internal organs. Practicing the Five Fists cultivates Qi and develops practical fighting skills. In Xing Yi Quan: Art of Inner Transformation Tom Bisio explains how the postures and movements of Xing Yi Quan open the body's energy pathways (meridians), promoting health and well-being, while simultaneously arousing and enlivening the Qi, so that there is no gap between intention and action.
Download or read book The 24 7 Body written by Matt Morsia and published by Random House. This book was released on 2020-12-31 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first book by Matt Morsia, the UK's #1 Fitness Vlogger*** THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER AS SEEN IN BBC ONE'S GLADIATORS TV SERIES AS LEGEND 'Powerfully dispels myths with science and humour - every gym bag deserves a copy' ROSS EDGELY, #1 bestselling author of The Art of Resilience and The World's Fittest Book 'More fitness viewers than Joe Wicks . . . Matt Morsia trained for the Olympics, beat an eating disorder and overcame depression. Now he has published The 24/7 Body, a book based on cutting-edge science which dispels the myths about fad diets and workouts' THE SUN 'Shatters diet myths and clears up a wealth of misinformation' SUNDAY TIMES ______________________________________ Whatever your goals or your level of fitness, this book offers you a plan to make you look and feel great 24/7. I've tried every workout and fad diet so you don't have to. As a former PE teacher, athlete, personal trainer and now one of the biggest fitness YouTubers in the World (a.k.a an absolute weirdo who films themselves doing stuff), the most common question I get from followers and even people in the street is, 'How do I get a body like yours?' People will almost whisper it, as if I'm going to usher them into a dark alleyway and reply with some kind of mystical secret. Like they're expecting to be told that they need to drink 263ml of maple syrup three times a day whilst reading the complete works of Shakespeare to their dog. Other times they seem to want me to reveal a protocol of supplements, with an inference that I must be taking steroids or other drugs, because having a good body without chemicals is now seen by some as almost impossible. It's not. This book is my attempt to shatter all of those myths and give it to you entirely straight. It is about understanding how to live your life in a more healthy, sustainable and happy way-and how to maintain that forever. And I'm not talking about becoming a monk and only eating lettuce. If you want to eat McDonald's, go for it. Eating crappy food doesn't make you fat and by the time you're done with the book you'll understand why. I want to arm you with your own set of tools so that you can tailor my methods and experiences to you and your own unique situation.
Download or read book Whatever Happened to Tradition written by Tim Stanley and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2021-10-14 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The West feels lost. Brexit, Trump, the coronavirus: we hurtle from one crisis to another, lacking definition, terrified that our best days are behind us. The central argument of this book is that we can only face the future with hope if we have a proper sense of tradition – political, social and religious. We ignore our past at our peril. The problem, argues Tim Stanley, is that the Western tradition is anti-tradition, that we have a habit of discarding old ways and old knowledge, leaving us uncertain how to act or, even, of who we really are. In this wide-ranging book, we see how tradition can be both beautiful and useful, from the deserts of Australia to the court of nineteenth-century Japan. Some of the concepts defended here are highly controversial in the modern West: authority, nostalgia, rejection of self and the hunt for spiritual transcendence. We'll even meet a tribe who dress up their dead relatives and invite them to tea. Stanley illustrates how apparently eccentric yet universal principles can nurture the individual from birth to death, plugging them into the wider community, and creating a bond between generations. He also demonstrates that tradition, far from being pretentious or rigid, survives through clever adaptation, that it can be surprisingly egalitarian. The good news, he argues, is that it can also be rebuilt. It's been done before. The process is fraught with danger, but the ultimate prize of rediscovering tradition is self-knowledge and freedom.
Download or read book Martial Art Essays from Beijing 1760 written by Michael A. DeMarco, MA and published by Via Media Publishing. This book was released on 2021-10-02 with total page 145 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The themes in this book—drawn from Chinese history, culture, and martial arts experience—are entwined in a fictional narrative to animate events envisaged to have occurred during the mid-eighteenth century. From the outset, a thin veil separates fact from fiction. Our story starts with a discovery. While conducting research at the Vatican Library on the Jesuit missions in China, two scholars find a folder of papers written in Chinese among documents belonging to Giuseppe Castiglione (1688–1766), a painter at the royal court in Beijing. The papers turn out to be written by a fellow court painter, Yang Mingbin (c. 1664–1765). Yang’s handwritten essays provide revelations vital for understanding the ingenuity of Chinese martial arts. Yang’s text is organized under sixty-four subheadings. The author elucidates theory and practice methods in a fashion unlike any other writings on this subject. This is a rare early text written during a transitional period for martial arts. It is the time when the Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1912) was at its peak of cultural splendor and expanding its borders by military expeditions. Cannons and smaller firearms show the Western influence, but traditional martial arts were ubiquitous in the village, province, and national levels. Master Yang offers fascinating reading on all aspects of the Chinese fighting traditions. He places great emphasis on the importance of the “martial arts family” and the role of secrecy in lethal arts. The arts are also adapted for health and entertainment. All reflect an infusion of philosophy and practices from Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism. How one thinks affects how one practices martial arts. Yang describes the qualities associated with different skill levels, from beginner to most advanced. As he does this, we learn secrets that set forth key ways for improving defensive and offensive applications. These topics include body alignment, coordination, spontaneity, naturalness, balance, distancing, relaxation, and power. The same principles apply to bare-hand and weapons practice, as well as martial arts for health. Yang’s learning methodology for studying martial arts can be useful in other areas, as in his work as a master painter at court.
Download or read book Liang Zhen Pu Eight Diagram Palm written by Li Zi Ming and published by . This book was released on 1993 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
