Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #33630 in Books
• Published on: 2004-09-28
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 150 pages

Synopsis
This treatise was written in China during the 1930s. A product of generations of bodyguard and mercenary fighting academies, this book recorded the training phrases and poems that guided the students of these fighting schools. The martial art of Xingyi was famous for its clear-minded but unstoppable practitioners, many of whom graduated to become leading caravan guards or enter into the private security business of pre-war China, where police services were virtually non-existent.

Customer Reviews

Nice quick reference for five elements
Good little book quick and easy to read; original chinese characters are provided alongside translation which is nice. The material covered is not uncommon to hebei stylists, I had come across almost all of the information before from my teacher or other sources. There is no major attempt to interpret the "songs" of the five elements but all the information is there for you to make your own interpretations. Some nice straightforward info on six harmonies and some good biographies of former hebei stylists. Also includes some interesting forewords from Jim Yunting's students. All in all it's worth reading, but not recommended for someone wanting to learn Xing Yi as this is more suited to someone familiar with Hebei Xing Yi who wants to know a little bit more about basic principles and history of the art.

Invaluable addition to any collection.
An excellent and facinating document that gives us the chance to see Xing Yi Quan in an authentic form.
The poems and writings are great and beautifully translated.
The drawings, although not photographic quality show clearly the correct stance positions as they are really meant to be performed.
We could not originally get the book in the UK, so I ordered it from the USA, and after showing it to my Xing Yi Sifu I now have to order another copy for myself!