Authentic qi gong as practiced in the Shaolin Temple where this discipline originated centuries ago
- Reveals the fundamental spiritual principles and includes both a short and long form of the daily exercises
- Explains the benefits of mastering energy in the body, such as organ strengthening
- Includes a 53-minute DVD of exercises performed by the author, a Shaolin monk
The great teacher Bodhidharma is credited with the creation of Shaolin Temple qi gong and kung fu in the 6th century CE. Motivated by the terrible physical condition of the monks who spent all their time meditating or copying scrolls, his two-part system promoted physical as well as spiritual fitness and became the basis for all the martial and meditative arts taught in the Shaolin Temple. These ancient practices increase physical health and vitality, enhance creativity, and can be practiced well into old age.
Author Shi Xinggui, a Shaolin monk, explains the fundamental principle of qi gong--the art of mastering energy (qi) and moving it through the body--and provides clear demonstrations of all the positions and movements. In order to develop qi attentively, it is necessary to cultivate the art of slowness in both movement and breathwork. Shi Xinggui provides both a short form and a long form of the daily exercises, with lessons on heart centering, organ strengthening, and balancing the energy using the three dantians--the three energy centers of the body. A 53-minute DVD of the exercises performed by the author is also included.

The "Wing Chun Compendium" explains the theory of wing chun from a technical, lifestyle, and philosophical perspective. Written by Wayne Belonoha--a certified Ving Tsun Instructor and National Certified Coach, 7th Level, Master Degree--the compendium offers hundreds of tips and techniques specifically designed to help readers advance to the next stage. The Wing Chun Compendium is divided into eight sections, including Theory, Techniques, Drills, Chi Sau (Sticky Hands), Forms, Pressure Points, Health and Fitness, and Terminology.
Students of all levels will find tips for improving technique and gaining benefits from the book's instruction in over 20 of the top skill-building drills and exercises, such as the Maai Sang Jong and Bong Guek (Sticky Legs) drills. Covering all three hand forms (Siu Nim Tau, Cham Kiu, and Biu Ji), it also provides a detailed examination of each movement and application and features an extensive terminology section that includes the Chinese characters and both Cantonese and Mandarin pronunciations for over 200 of the most common wing chun terms. The compendium concludes with Grandmaster Sunny Tang's special article, "Reflections of Siu Nim Tau After 30 Years."

Master the wooden weapons used in Aikido with this comprehensive martial arts training manual. Although aikido is often thought of as a nonviolent, noncompetitive martial art, the use of weapons was introduced by the art's founder O'Sensei Morihei Ueshiba. In fact, aikido techniques that use wooden weapons can enrich all aspects of your practice, helping you to understand both basic and advanced aikido technical tactics as well as conceptual strategies and skills. Building on the authors' belief that no empty-hand system is complete without weapons training, Aikido Weapons Techniques: The Wooden Sword, Stick, and Knife of Aikido demonstrates weapon use both as a training tool to better illustrate aikido principles, and as a self-defense against weapon attacks. It focuses on the three primary weapons used in aikido: Ken--the wooden sword Jo--the wooden staff Tanto--the wooden knife A complete discussion of each armament is included, with descriptions of the stances, grips, techniques, forms, defenses, and training appropriate for each. With over 200 step-by-step photographs and detailed instructions, this aikido book provides an in-depth exploration of weapons use in aikido--from its spiritual implications to technical theory and practical application.

Qigong, a holistic approach to health and wellness, focuses on gentle movement, breathing, and meditation. Qigong Basics teaches you all the fundamentals of this ancient Chinese discipline in a clear and easy-to-understand manner. Related to tai chi, this practice engages the mind and body, while helping to strengthen muscles, find balance, and reduce stress. This introductory book contains the following vital information: The origins of Qigong--its philosophy, history, and different styles How to find a teacher and a class that are right for you Getting ready for your first class--what happens in a Qigong class? The essential elements--breathing, stances, grounding and expansions How to complement your Qigong training with meditation and qi exercises Powerful ways to promote health and well-being through specific sequences Resources to help you develop your knowledge and understanding of Qigong Whether you're just getting started, or you've already been training for a year or two, Qigong Basics offers an easy to read, yet comprehensive introduction to the sport.

The Book of Ninja, the ultimate ninjutsu manual, was penned in 1676 by a ninja known as Fujibayashi. Born in the post-civil war era of Japan, Fujibayashi collected and combined information from the ninja clans of Iga - regarded to be the homeland of the ninja - and compiled it into an authoritative book. Known as The Bansenhukai, this book has now been translated into English by the Historical Ninjutsu Research Team. It is widely considered to be the 'bible' of 'ninjutsu', the arts of the ninja. The Book of Ninja begins with an in-depth introduction to the history of Fujibayashi's scripture. Then the teachings themselves, appealingly rendered in this translation, take us into the secrets of guerilla warfare and espionage. We learn how to become the ultimate spy, whether through a network of spies or by hiding in plain sight. Through the stealth and concealment tactics of night-time infiltration and through weapon and tool building skills, as well as mission planning, we can learn much both about warfare and about adopting the right mindset for tackling our own inner and outer enemies. Adding to the mix for the spycraft lover, there are sections on capturing criminals, performing night raids, making secret codes and signs, and even techniques for predicting the weather and using an esoteric Buddhist system of divination. An exciting and engaging tome of lost knowledge, The Book of the Ninja is the final say in the world of the ninja and the ultimate classic for samurai and ninja enthusiasts alike.

Olympic gold medalist. Two-time world heavyweight champion. Hall of Famer. Infomercial and reality TV star. George Foreman’s fighting ability is matched only by his acumen for selling. Yet the complete story of Foreman’s rise from urban poverty to global celebrity has never been told until now. Raised in Houston’s “Bloody Fifth” Ward, battling against scarcity in housing and food, young Foreman fought sometimes for survival and other times just for fun. But when a government program rescued him from poverty and introduced him to the sport of boxing, his life changed forever. In No Way but to Fight, Andrew R. M. Smith traces Foreman’s life and career from the Great Migration to the Great Society, through the Cold War and culture wars, out of urban Houston and onto the world stage where he discovered that fame brought new challenges. Drawing on new interviews with George Foreman and declassified government documents, as well as more than fifty domestic and international newspapers and magazines, Smith brings to life the exhilarating story of a true American icon. No Way but to Fight is an epic worthy of a champion.

Can training in the martial arts help you in everyday life? In Pragmatic Karate Mark Jennings argues that it certainly can. Provided you have a thorough grounding in the principles of this ancient fighting art and take the right approach, both physically and mentally, the karate moves you learn in the dojo can prove invaluable in a confrontation, or threatened confrontation, in ways more subtle that most people realise. Your karate training can even change the way you look at the safety of your family and your home. This is a detailed, authoritative work from a karate practitioner with 35 years' experience who is also a long-serving police officer.

Theodore 'Tiger' Flowers rose above the racist bigotry of the Deep South to become the first African-American middleweight champion of the world. To do it, this Christian family man beat a boxing legend, Harry Greb, in the first of the great sporting cathedrals, Madison Square Garden. It was a victory that stunned the sporting world and made him a household name. Yet within a year he had lost his championship on a decision some said was influenced by Al Capone - and within another year was dead, following a seemingly innocuous operation, in the clinic of a controversial surgeon, to remove lumps and scars above his eyes. Was his death, at the age of 34, an accident, a result of negligence, or something more sinister? And what was behind his white manager's attempt to throw Tiger's widow into an asylum and their daughter into an orphanage? Flowers' inspiring, harrowing story, set against an horrific backdrop of lynchings and routine prejudice, is largely forgotten now but he paved the way for black sporting heroes like Joe Louis, Jesse Owens and Jackie Robinson.

Qigong is an aspect of traditional Chinese medicine that involves coordinating breathing patterns with physical postures to maintain health and well-being. Wu Qin Xi: Five-Animal Qigong Exercises is an accessible, fully-illustrated guide to a particular qigong exercise that imitates the movements of animals and birds. The book explores the development of the five-animal exercises from the work of Hua Tua, a leading physician of the Eastern Han Dynasty whose inspiration came from the observation of tigers, deer, bears, monkeys and birds. He came to the conclusion that wild creatures regularly performed certain exercises which can be replicated in order to build up the constitution and improve life skills. Each routine is described step-by-step, and is illustrated with photographs and key points. The authors also point out common mistakes and offer advice on how to correct these. Complemented by an appendix of acupuncture points and accompanied by online content, this book will be of interest to Qigong and Tai Chi practitioners at all levels, students of martial arts and anyone interested in Chinese culture.

Martial Arts expert Antony Cummins reveals the hitherto hidden world of Viking hand-to-hand combat, employing the sword, the spear, the axe and the shield. Based upon a careful analysis of the Norse Sagas, the techniques described are recreated precisely, from knocking down a spear in mid-flight to the shield cleave. Illustrated with over 250 images, The Illustrated Guide to Viking Martial Arts in effect represents the earliest combat manual in the world. This insight into the warriors who were the scourge of Dark Age Europe is a feat of textual interpretation - and imagination.

Shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction Shortlisted for the Wellcome Book Prize In this groundbreaking new book, Thomas Page McBee, a trans man, trains to fight in a charity match at Madison Square Garden while struggling to untangle the vexed relationship between masculinity and violence. Through his experience of boxing - learning to get hit, and to hit back; wrestling with the camaraderie of the gym; confronting the betrayals and strength of his own body - McBee examines the weight of male violence, the pervasiveness of gender stereotypes and the limitations of conventional masculinity. A wide-ranging exploration of gender in our society, Amateur is ultimately a story of hope, as McBee traces a way forward: a new masculinity, inside the ring and out of it. A graceful and uncompromising exploration of living, fighting and healing, in Amateur we gain insight into the stereotypes and shifting realities of masculinity today through the eyes of a new man.

A handbook of the classical Chinese literature on which the art of t'ai chi is based. First English translation of the classic texts of T'ai Chi Ch'uan. This is required reading for practitioners of every style.

One of the few real self-protection guides on the market today, this book will teach you first and foremost how to avoid violent situations. But should you find yourself in one, it will also show you how to control yourself and your emotions so you can function on a physical level to defend yourself.

The only American heir to W. C. Chen, Phillip Starr continues the master's teachings in this useful guide that also profiles the exciting early years when martial arts were still new in America. Through this entertaining collection of personal anecdotes involving Master Chen, the author, and his classmates, readers learn a particular aspect of the traditional martial arts. Included are explanations of the importance and meaning of courtesy and the custom of bowing, the significance of training with weapons and how it impacts bare-handed skills, and the value of traditional forms and how they relate to actual combat.

A History of the Samurai tells the complete story of Japan's legendary warrior class from beginning to end--an epic tale of intrigue, bloodshed and bravery that is central to an understanding of the Japanese character and of Japanese history. It describes in detail the core Samurai philosophy of Bushido--"the way of the warrior"--a complex code of conduct embracing ideals of honor and loyalty that continues to govern the Japanese way of life today. Historian Jonathan Lopez-Vera offers a compelling look at these enigmatic warriors including: The lives of famous Samurai--Miyamoto Musashi, Japan's greatest swordsman; Tomoe Gozen, the woman who became a Samurai; Tokugawa Ieyasu, the last Shogun; and many more The tragic tale of the 47 Ronin who chose honor over their own lives and were forced to commit ritual suicide after avenging their fallen master The philosophy of Bushido, "the Way of the Warrior," the code of conduct that embraced the ideals of honor and loyalty and governed the Samurai way of living The decline of the Samurai and their transformation from rough, battle-hardened warriors to highly educated philosopher-poets Illustrated with 125 archival prints and photos, the nobility and grandeur of the Samurai is brilliantly showcased in this book. Readers will enjoy immersing themselves in the Samurai's world, as historian Jonathan Lopez-Vera traces the fascinating story of the rise and fall of these enigmatic warriors throughout Japanese history.

Boxing is well-known for its training regime, which produces some of the strongest, fittest athletes in the world. 'Boxing fitness', a recent development in personal fitness, has adapted elements of this training into a safe, enjoyable and effective workout. A non-contact discipline, it's fun and suitable for everyone.
In essence, it's a great cardiovascular workout that also helps develop strength, speed, coordination, balance and flexibility. In this book, two experts describe the techniques involved - a circuit that includes shadow boxing, skipping, punch bag and focus-pad work - and explain how a regime can be tailored to address each individual's fitness goals, whether it be weight loss, general toning, increased stamina or improved strength.
The unique structure of a boxing fitness session evokes the traditional boxing experience, adding an authentic touch to a modern exercise regime that's suitable for men and women, young and old. Whether you're a cross-training athlete or simply want to enjoy a great workout, this clear and well-illustrated guide will help you reach the top of your game.