Library's review
from cover
While words and theory are not a subsititue for the physical and mantel trainng required to polish one's kung-fu, they are an essential part of the learning process, allowing the mind to porcess commands and concepts that help the body movein a special, kung-fu way.
The meaning of words,
The Sword Polisher's Record, originally a monthly column that appeared for fifteen years in three magazines, became a way of polishing the kung-fu sword, clearing up the misconceptions that are causing it to become dull and rusty.
Highlighted with over 60 illustrations, The Sword Polisher's Record: The Way of Kung-Fu, an anthology of the monthly column, is organized into eight interconnected sections, each examining a different aspect of kung-fu including its foundations, important concepts and principles related to kung-fu and it's place in our lives.
Adam Hsu spent twenty-five years living in Taiwan where he studied several northern kung-fu styles under the most respected kung-fu masters, including Sifu Han Ching Tan and the late Grandmaster Lin Yun Chiao. When he moved to the United States in 1978, he taught traditional kung-fu throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1990 he founded the non-profit Traditional Wushu Association, dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and perfection of traditional kung-fu. He has been featured on the cover of over a dozen martial arts magazines throughout the world, and his monthly columns have appeared in Black Belt, MA Training, and Wushu Kung-Fu magazines.
Preface
When I arrived in San Francisco from Taiwan in 1978, my dream was to help promote and preserve the ancient arts that had been handed down by my forebears. I have studied kung-fu since I was a young bay, learning from my father and then from the best teachers I could find in Taiwan, I feel fortunate to have been exposed to the ancient treasures of kung-fu, and view it as my duty to share those treasures with others in the United States and elsewhere.
In 1980, I went Los Angeles to discuss writing articles for Black Belt magazine with Jim Nail, who was editor of the publication at that time. He approached me about writing a monthly column for the martial arts magazine, When I returned to San Francisco, I felt unclear as to what direction to take with the column. Words and theory are not a substitute for the physical and mental training required to polish one's kung-fu. Yet, they are an essential part of the learning process, allowing the mind to process commands and concepts that help the body move in a special, kung-fu way.
The meaning of words, however, can be bent and distorted to have a detrimental effect on kung-fu, In fact, today kung-fu is like a sword of incomparable value that has lost its shine and sharpness - a result of the many misconceptions spawned from the words and images in books, movies, TV shows, and video games.
The errant teachings of unqualified instructors have also greatly contributed to the uncertainty of kung-fu's future. Students desiring the real kung-fu are unwittingly cheated by instructors promoting fraudulent histories, self-made family trees, and so-called 'secret' teachings.
In addition, mainland China's government-produced wushu (martial art) has jeopardized the future of traditional kung-fu. The movements in the popular wushu forms promoted throughout the world contradict almost all the fundamentals of kung-fu.
Based on kung-fu becoming an endangered discipline, it became obvious to me that the column needed to help restore kung-fu's definition, purity, principles, and basic theory. 'The Sword Polisher's Record,' as I named the column, became my way to polish the kung-fu sword, clearing up the misconceptions that are causing it to become dull and rusty.
This book includes many of the original 'The Sword Polisher's Record' columns printed in Black Belt and Wu Shu Kung-fu magazines. Additional articles that first appeared in Inside Kung-fu magazine are also included to provide more depth on some of the topics.
The book is organized into eight interconnected sections, each examining a different aspect of kung-fu. The first sections deal with the foundations of kung-fu. Without developing a true foundation, no matter the style, there is no kung-fu. In subsequent sections, I try to bring to light important concepts and principles related to kung-fu styles and forms, as well as usage and training. Finally, I discuss the future of kung-fu and its place in our lives.
I hope you find The Sword Polisher's Record useful. My dream will be fulfilled if we can restore this damaged treasure so that its beauty and power can enrich us today and in the generations to come.
- Adam Hsu
October, 1997
Table Of Contents
Preface ix
Part 1: Knocking on the Kung-fu Door 11
The Contemporary Purpose of Kung-fu 12
Traditional Kung-fu: The Complete Exercise 16
The Simple Fact of Yin and Yang 20
Part 2: The Foundation of Kung-fu 25
Mapping Kung-fu's DNA 26
Drafting a Kung-fu Constitution 33
Stance Training 42
Kung-fu's Way to Power 46
How Much Flexibility is Enough for Kung-fu? 50
Part 3: Myth and Reality of Kung-fu Styles 53
The Real Difference Between Internal
and External Kung-fu 54
The Myth of Shaolin Kung-fu 59
The Internal Dilemma 66
The Dividing Line Between Northern
and Southern Styles 68
Should the Many Be One? 72
A Lifelong Commitment to One Style 76
Piecing Together the Kung-fu Puzzle 80
Counterfeit Kung-fu 84
Part 4: The Role of Forms in Kung-fu 89
Is It Necessary to Leam Forms? 90
Form Without Content 94
Analyze Your Beauty 98
Forms and Function 102
Two-Person Forms: Martial or Performing Art? 106
Part 5: Mind and Body Training 109
Starting with a Clean Slate 110
'Don't Tickle My Stomach' 113
Learning to See 116
Find Your Balance 120
Internal Training: Is It Necessary? 123
Kung-fu Mind, Multi-dimensional Mind 128
The Risk of Special Training 133
Adapting Western Methods to Kung-fu 136
Part 6: Usage: The Soul of Kung-fu 141
The Kung-fu Art of Fighting 142
Real Kung-fu: Use It or Lose It! 147
Use Your Head, Not Your Opponent's 153
The Continuous Fist 156
The Nine Doors of Kung-fu 159
Part 7: Masters and Students 165
How to Choose a Kung-fu Teacher 166
Only a Kung-fu Teacher 171
The Proper Kung-fu Attitude 175
Kung-fu's Age of Reason 178
The Senior Student 183
Belt Levels for Kung-fu 186
Salute! I'm Your Grandpa 189
Part 8: Kung-fu Today and Tomorrow 193
The Complete Kung-fu Practitioner 194
The True Lessons of Fighting 197
Pursuing the Ultimate Kung-fu Goals 200
About the Author 205
While words and theory are not a subsititue for the physical and mantel trainng required to polish one's kung-fu, they are an essential part of the learning process, allowing the mind to porcess commands and concepts that help the body movein a special, kung-fu way.
The meaning of words,
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however, can be bent and distorted to have a dertrimental effect on kkung-fu. In fact, today kung-fu is a like a sword of incomparable value that has lost its shine and shparness cevbause of the many misconceptions spawned from te word sna images in books and movies and theerrant teaachngs of unqualified insturctors.The Sword Polisher's Record, originally a monthly column that appeared for fifteen years in three magazines, became a way of polishing the kung-fu sword, clearing up the misconceptions that are causing it to become dull and rusty.
Highlighted with over 60 illustrations, The Sword Polisher's Record: The Way of Kung-Fu, an anthology of the monthly column, is organized into eight interconnected sections, each examining a different aspect of kung-fu including its foundations, important concepts and principles related to kung-fu and it's place in our lives.
Adam Hsu spent twenty-five years living in Taiwan where he studied several northern kung-fu styles under the most respected kung-fu masters, including Sifu Han Ching Tan and the late Grandmaster Lin Yun Chiao. When he moved to the United States in 1978, he taught traditional kung-fu throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1990 he founded the non-profit Traditional Wushu Association, dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and perfection of traditional kung-fu. He has been featured on the cover of over a dozen martial arts magazines throughout the world, and his monthly columns have appeared in Black Belt, MA Training, and Wushu Kung-Fu magazines.
Preface
When I arrived in San Francisco from Taiwan in 1978, my dream was to help promote and preserve the ancient arts that had been handed down by my forebears. I have studied kung-fu since I was a young bay, learning from my father and then from the best teachers I could find in Taiwan, I feel fortunate to have been exposed to the ancient treasures of kung-fu, and view it as my duty to share those treasures with others in the United States and elsewhere.
In 1980, I went Los Angeles to discuss writing articles for Black Belt magazine with Jim Nail, who was editor of the publication at that time. He approached me about writing a monthly column for the martial arts magazine, When I returned to San Francisco, I felt unclear as to what direction to take with the column. Words and theory are not a substitute for the physical and mental training required to polish one's kung-fu. Yet, they are an essential part of the learning process, allowing the mind to process commands and concepts that help the body move in a special, kung-fu way.
The meaning of words, however, can be bent and distorted to have a detrimental effect on kung-fu, In fact, today kung-fu is like a sword of incomparable value that has lost its shine and sharpness - a result of the many misconceptions spawned from the words and images in books, movies, TV shows, and video games.
The errant teachings of unqualified instructors have also greatly contributed to the uncertainty of kung-fu's future. Students desiring the real kung-fu are unwittingly cheated by instructors promoting fraudulent histories, self-made family trees, and so-called 'secret' teachings.
In addition, mainland China's government-produced wushu (martial art) has jeopardized the future of traditional kung-fu. The movements in the popular wushu forms promoted throughout the world contradict almost all the fundamentals of kung-fu.
Based on kung-fu becoming an endangered discipline, it became obvious to me that the column needed to help restore kung-fu's definition, purity, principles, and basic theory. 'The Sword Polisher's Record,' as I named the column, became my way to polish the kung-fu sword, clearing up the misconceptions that are causing it to become dull and rusty.
This book includes many of the original 'The Sword Polisher's Record' columns printed in Black Belt and Wu Shu Kung-fu magazines. Additional articles that first appeared in Inside Kung-fu magazine are also included to provide more depth on some of the topics.
The book is organized into eight interconnected sections, each examining a different aspect of kung-fu. The first sections deal with the foundations of kung-fu. Without developing a true foundation, no matter the style, there is no kung-fu. In subsequent sections, I try to bring to light important concepts and principles related to kung-fu styles and forms, as well as usage and training. Finally, I discuss the future of kung-fu and its place in our lives.
I hope you find The Sword Polisher's Record useful. My dream will be fulfilled if we can restore this damaged treasure so that its beauty and power can enrich us today and in the generations to come.
- Adam Hsu
October, 1997
Table Of Contents
Preface ix
Part 1: Knocking on the Kung-fu Door 11
The Contemporary Purpose of Kung-fu 12
Traditional Kung-fu: The Complete Exercise 16
The Simple Fact of Yin and Yang 20
Part 2: The Foundation of Kung-fu 25
Mapping Kung-fu's DNA 26
Drafting a Kung-fu Constitution 33
Stance Training 42
Kung-fu's Way to Power 46
How Much Flexibility is Enough for Kung-fu? 50
Part 3: Myth and Reality of Kung-fu Styles 53
The Real Difference Between Internal
and External Kung-fu 54
The Myth of Shaolin Kung-fu 59
The Internal Dilemma 66
The Dividing Line Between Northern
and Southern Styles 68
Should the Many Be One? 72
A Lifelong Commitment to One Style 76
Piecing Together the Kung-fu Puzzle 80
Counterfeit Kung-fu 84
Part 4: The Role of Forms in Kung-fu 89
Is It Necessary to Leam Forms? 90
Form Without Content 94
Analyze Your Beauty 98
Forms and Function 102
Two-Person Forms: Martial or Performing Art? 106
Part 5: Mind and Body Training 109
Starting with a Clean Slate 110
'Don't Tickle My Stomach' 113
Learning to See 116
Find Your Balance 120
Internal Training: Is It Necessary? 123
Kung-fu Mind, Multi-dimensional Mind 128
The Risk of Special Training 133
Adapting Western Methods to Kung-fu 136
Part 6: Usage: The Soul of Kung-fu 141
The Kung-fu Art of Fighting 142
Real Kung-fu: Use It or Lose It! 147
Use Your Head, Not Your Opponent's 153
The Continuous Fist 156
The Nine Doors of Kung-fu 159
Part 7: Masters and Students 165
How to Choose a Kung-fu Teacher 166
Only a Kung-fu Teacher 171
The Proper Kung-fu Attitude 175
Kung-fu's Age of Reason 178
The Senior Student 183
Belt Levels for Kung-fu 186
Salute! I'm Your Grandpa 189
Part 8: Kung-fu Today and Tomorrow 193
The Complete Kung-fu Practitioner 194
The True Lessons of Fighting 197
Pursuing the Ultimate Kung-fu Goals 200
About the Author 205
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ISBN
804831386
Publication
Tuttle Publishing Boston Rutland, Vermont Tokyo