Chinese Martial Arts Training Manuals-A Historical Survey

Ming Dynasty generals wrote them, Qing Dynasty soldiers studied them, Repubican-era warlords pondered them, Shaolin monks consulted them, bodyguards and sports coaches took lessons from them-and they still line shelves in bookshops across China. They are training manuals, the do-it-yourself guides

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to Chinese martial arts.

Chinese martial arts masters of the past created special training manuals with text and images, somtime themselves appearing in the illustrations. These manuals now provide an invaluable glimpse into how various martial arts were practiced in the period spanning the mid-seventeenth through the mid-twentieth centuries. Along with biographical protraits of thirty of the most influential masters, Kennedy and Guo provide contextualizing information on the history of martial arts and martial artist manuals, including such topics a the history of Taiwanese martial arts, how Chinese martial artists made a living, the Imperial military exams, and the place of the Shaolin Temple in Chinese martial arts history. Beautifully designed, and illustrated with hundreds of photographs and drawings, this book presents a multifaceted portrait of Chinese martial arts and their place in Chinese culture.

Brian Kennedy, an attorney, has practiced Chinese martial arts since 197. His previous books, published in Chinese, include Witness Examination Skills and American Legal Ethics. This is his first martial arts book.

Elizabeth Nai-Jia Guo is a professional translator and practitioner of qi gong and hatha yoga. She has translated a wide range of books into Chinese, including titles on church architecture, the history of science, and criminal law.
Together, Guo and Kennedy write a regular column for the magazine Classical Fighting Arts.

Contents

Acknowledgments
Preface
Part I Background
1 Introduction: Sources for Chinese Martial arts training manuals
Romanization and Chinese names
2 The Chinese martial arts: An overview
Chinese martial arts systems
Martial arts culture: Old and new
The goals of Chinese martial arts
How Chinese martial arts are practiced
The wierd and the wonderful
3 A caveat aboiut Chinese martial arts history
4 Chnese martial arts historians
Tang Hao
Xu Zhen
Matsuda Ryuchi
Chou Chi Chun
Ma Ming Da
Kang Ge Wu
5 Westerners researeaving Chinese martial arts history
6 Shaolin Temple, Wudang Mountain, and other storied places
Stories, storybooks, and public images
7 Chinese martial arts classification schemes: Internal and external, Northern and Sioiuthern, Shaolin and Wudang
Internal versus external
Northern versus Southern
Shaolin versus Wudang
Religion, morality,and martial arts
8 Imperial military examinations
Government appoinitments
9 Professor Kang Ge Wu's top twelve Chinese martial arts classics
10 The history of Chinese martial arts training manuals
Legendary period
Early woodblock period
Hand copies period
Republican period
Modern period
11 Authorship, various editons, content of training manuals, and the audience
The problem of authorship
Different editons
Content of the manuals
Training manual as fine art
The audience
12 Liu Kang Yi: Keeping he traditions alive (or at least in print)
13 Boxing manuals in translation: Problems and perils
Good Chinese essay = Bad english essay
The perfect team
Overly great expectatons
14 How did Chinese martial artists make a living?
15 Taiwan martial arts history
Taiwan's importance
The Qing Dynasty
Koxinga, Ming soldiers, and fraternal organizations
Martial art of Qing-era Taiwan
Militias and martial arts
The Sung Chiang battle array
The Japanese era in Taiwan
The righteous thief
Politics and martial arts
Important modern figures
Part II The books
A note on sources
General Qi Ji Guang (1528-1587)
New bookon effective military techniques
Sun Lu Tang (1861-1933)
The Study of Xingyi Boxing
The Study of Bagua Boxing
The Study of Taiji Boxing
The True Essence of Boxing
The Study of Bagua Sword
Jiang Rong Qiao
Xingyi Mother Fists
Mizongquan
and numerous others
Xie Dien, Gao Zhi Jen, Chiang Xin Shan (editors)
Xingyi Training Materials
Shaolin monk Xuan Ji (original author)
Zhang Ming E and Zhang Kong Zhao (editors and comilers), Cao Huan Dou (editor, author, illustrator)
Fist Classics: Fist Method
Wu Shu (1611-1695)
Record of Arms
Chang Nai Zhou (1728-1783)
The Book of Chang Style Martial Techniques
Chen Zi Ming (died 1951)
Chen Family Taijiquan Passed Through Generations
Zhu Xia Tian
Quan Sheng (Boxing Book)
Huang Yuan Xiou (editor)
Li Jing Lin (teacher who provided source material)
The Main Points of Wudang Sword
Wan Lai Sheng (1903-1995)
The Common Basis of Martial Arts
Huang Bo Nien (1880-1954)
Xingyi Fist and Weaons Instruction
Dragon Body Bagua
Huang Wen Shu
The Essence of Yang Style Taijiquan
Miscellaneous Talks on Martial arts
Jin Ing Zhong (1904-?)
Shaolin 72 Arts Practice Meghod
Xu Yu Xin
Fist Methods Study Textbook
Tong Zhong Yi (1878-1963)
Chinese Wrestling
Li chu Yi (1847-1921) Dong Xiu sheng (1882-1939)
Yue Fei's Intent Boxing
Yin Yu Zhang (1890-1950)
A Brief Book of Baguazhang
Slashing Saber Practice
Huang Bao Ting
Shun Hand Boxing
Yang Kui Yuan
Complee Book of Guoshu
Sun Xi Kun (1883-1952)
The Real Teaching of Bagua Quan
Ren Zhi Cheng
Gao Zhi Kai
Study of Yin-Yang Eight Coiling Palms
Lam Sai Wing (1861-1942)
Taming the Tiger Fist
Tiger and Crane Fist
Iron Thread Form
Chen Wei Ming
Taijiquan
Taiji Sword
Taijiquan Questions and Answers
Shanghai City Police Training Center
Rope Techniques for Arrest
Tang Ji Ren (editor, compiler)
Tang Familiy External Big Hong Fist
Jin Yi MIng
The Basics of Boxing
Li Xian Wu
Taijiquan
Xu Yi Qian
Chuan Na Quan
Yan De Hua
Wall-Breaking Shaolin (also known as Bagua Palm Methods)
Liu Jin Sheng
Zhao Jiang
Chin Na Methods
Wang Xian Bin
A Detailed Explanation of Intent Qi Gong
Chen Ting Rui (translator and commentator)
Western Boxing
Epilogue
Glossary
Index

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