Finalist 2008 IP's Book AwardThe Tai Chi Book is a detailed guide for students who've learned a Tai Chi form and want to know more. It also introduces beginners to the principles behind great Tai Chi, and answers common questions that all of us have.The Tai Chi Book shows you how to use Tai Chi to gain strength in your bones, muscles and vital organs, how to improve your balance and flexibility, and how to achieve remarkable vitality.The author also introduces complex elements of Tai Chi, including ways to develop the relaxed strength known as sung, how to cultivate and feel Chi, how to train mindfulness, and a helpful chapter on being a student.In addition, the author explores the debate over Tai Chi breathing patterns, explains in detail proper body alignment, and tells why Pushing Hands is more important than you might think.The Tai Chi Book is your guide to the fullest health benefits of Tai Chi and to higher levels of skill and ability.Like two books in one basic and advanced Tai Chi training.Find out how to choose and relate to a teacher.Develop remarkable vitality and longevity.Includes the Cheng Man-ch'ing short form.More than one hundred photos and illustrations."

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the historical, political, and technical evolution of taekwondo. Many of the supposedly 'traditional' and 'ancient' Korean cultural elements attached to taekwondo are, in fact, remnants of East Asia's modernization drive, and largely inherited from the Japanese martial arts. The current historical portrayal has created an obstacle to a clear understanding of the history of taekwondo, and presents problems and contradictions in philosophy and training methodology. Using rich empirical data, including interviews with leading figures in the field, this book brings together martial arts philosophy with an analysis of the technical aspects and the development of taekwondo, and provides a detailed comparison of karate and taekwondo techniques. It debunks nationalistic mythology surrounding taekwondo to provide a reinterpretation of taekwondo's evolution.

Qigong Massage, one of the oldest methods of healing, is built upon five thousand years of progress and a highly refined, solid theoretical foundation. Used to improve health, slow down aging, and treat many types of illnesses, Qigong massage is a wide and deep healing science, and the root of many other popular forms of massage therapy. This comprehensive text by world renowned Qigong scholar, Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming, presents the fundamental techniques and theory of Qigong massage that therapists can use to enhance their skills, and deepen their knowledge and application of Qi (energetic) healing. Not only for therapists! Novices will find the instruction and techniques in this book practical and useful for recovering from fatigue, aches & pains, tension and more. A special section on Self-Massage is presented to help those in need of massage treatment benefits, but who lack a partner or therapist. With over five hundred photographs and illustrations in this book, Dr. Yang will be your guide into the art and science of Chinese Qigong Massage.

Learn the ancient knowledge of how the body's vital points, the centers of the body's natural energy, can be exploited to gain an advantage over your opponent in martial combat or self-defense. In this detailed guide to pressure point fighting, martial arts expert Rick Clark describes how to target expertly placed blows which can defeat your opponent quickly and effectively. He offers a systematic introduction to this knowledge and to the tools needed to recognize vital points in the kata, hyung, or forms already in place. The lessons explain: Where the body's vital points are located and how to strike them for maximum effect How vital points can be targeted most efficiently to successfully defend oneself How targeting vital points can be used in conjunction with traditional martial arts to help meet a variety of threats With 230 photos and 25 detailed charts, Pressure Point Fighting teaches that success in this discipline is not dependent upon acceptance of the tenets of traditional Chinese medicine, or modern Western medicine, for that matter--solely on open-minded observation and willingness to try different approaches to martial arts training. Forewords written by pressure point combat expert Vince Morris and Tai Chi master Jane Hallander explain how this book's lessons are indispensable to anyone seeking to learn the elements of pressure point fighting.

108 Insights into Tai Chi ChuanA String of Pearls, focuses on important elements of Tai Chi: health, breathing, posture, body mechanics, visualization, Chi flow, Pushing Hands, and more. 108 Insights into Tai Chi Chuan is written by Michael Gilman, who has been teaching Tai Chi for more than twenty years. He is also a national Grand Champion competitor in Pushing Hands (Taste of China tournament, 1994). You'll discover how to get the fullest health benefits from Tai Chi, improve your Pushing Hands with simple exercises and visualizations, and learn tips to keep your body (especially the knees) in tune for a lifetime's worth of Tai Chi. * Have more fun with your practice!* Improve your skills!* Discover helpful insights on teaching others!* Enjoy the good health that Tai Chi brings!

Genuine karate is an Okinawan martial art for self-defense; its ongoing globalization has jeopardized its inherent effectiveness. “The changes made to karate in mainland Japan and in America have altered karate so intrinsically that it can no longer claim to be genuine karate.” Dr. Hermann Bayer, Ph.D., examines how Japan re-interpreted Okinawan karate to create its own unique style of karate-do, and how Japanese and American changes resulted in a modern karate-sport business. Practitioners of karate are often confused, misguided, and even led to believe that karate is just karate—this is far from the truth. Practitioners need a clear understanding of what their training can offer them. This can only be achieved by understanding karate's true purpose and by discerning misconceptions from facts. Contents include Okinawan karate’s “principle of never changing kata”. Karate as an Okinawan cultural heritage. Socio-cultural arguments to preserve Okinawa karate—as is. Japan—the karate reproducing country. Karate or Karate-do? The business of karate, karate-do, and karate-sport. Scientific proof of a peaceful karate mind. The laws of physics reveal weaknesses when kata are changed. This substantially researched work makes a compelling case for the socio-cultural and historic arguments to conserve genuine Okinawan karate. Supported by historical facts, scientific analysis, and public records, Dr. Bayer reveals, for all to see, the complex evolution of karate and the unsettled claims made upon it by the various stake-holders.

This is the first substantial academic book to lay out the philosophical terrain within the study of the martial arts and to explore the significance of this fascinating subject for contemporary philosophy.

The book is divided into three sections. The first section concerns what philosophical reflection can teach us about the martial arts, and especially the nature and value of its practice. The second section deals with the other direction of the dialectical interplay between philosophy and the martial arts: how the martial arts can inform philosophical issues important in their own right. Finally, because many of the notable martial arts are of Asian origin, there are particularly close links between the arts and Asian philosophies and Buddhism in particular and therefore the last section is devoted to this topic.

The essays in this collection deal with a wide range of philosophical issues: normative ethics, meta-ethics, aesthetics, phenomenology, the philosophy of mind, Ancient Greek and Buddhist thought. By demonstrating the very real nature of the engagement between the martial arts and philosophy, this book is essential reading for any serious student or scholar with an interest in the martial arts, Eastern philosophy, the philosophy of sport, or the study of physical culture."

This westerner's guide to Chinese astrology (Ba Zi) explains the basis on which charts are drawn up, how they work, and how they provide the tools to understand ourselves and our relationships with others. Ba Zi is the art of understanding the energies present in a person's life from birth to death and how these energies impact on their behaviour and interactions. As well as providing an explanation of how to draw up and interpret a basic chart, the book provides detailed information on the different character types and their strengths and weaknesses, including useful tips on likely health weaknesses and what can be done to address them. Foundational information on yin and yang and the five elements is also included, essential to understanding the principles of Ba Zi. Accessible for beginners and providing rich explanations for anyone more experienced, this book will be an intriguing and helpful read for anyone interested in the art of astrology.

For all students of tai chi, the 3rd edition of the best-selling book Tai Chi Theory & Martial Power includes a new and modern easy-to-follow layout. Each technique is presented in large photographs with detailed instructions. Motion arrows are used on the photographs as an important aid in performing the movements correctly. Sections offer a brief history of Tai Chi, the role of qi in tai chi, and detailed instructions on how to generate amazing "natural" physical power.

The Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do presents the teachings of legendary martial arts master Shoshin Nagamine, founder of the Matsubayashi school of Shorin-ryu karate-do. Used for generations as a practical and pictorial guide, it contains over 1,000 photographs to document eighteen classic karate kata (preset forms) and seven yakusoku kumite (prearranged partner exercises), as well as basic techniques. This book is a precise and easily accessible pictorial guide to performance and perfection of traditional karate. The only book in English with photos of one of the great prewar masters demonstrating the proper execution of Okinawan karate, The Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do is a bridge between karate's legendary past and the practitioners of today. This intelligent and imaginative text explains the historical landmarks in the development of style, vividly outlines its leading forms and techniques, and recalls noted Okinawan karate men of the past, including the author's teachers Ankichi Arakaki, Choki Motobu, and Chotoku Kyan.

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.

San Shou Kuai Jiao (Fast Wrestling for Fighting) is the Chinese martial art of throws and takedowns. A San Shou Kuai Jiao throw can cause tremendous damage to your opponent while keeping you safely on your feet. For centuries, fighters in China have valued this art for its speed and power. Today, China's police and military forces are trained in its techniques. Chinese Fast Wrestling for Fighting presents seventy-five throws and takedowns against punches, kicks, and grabs, and demonstrates basic training methods such as stances, footwork, and strength training. Written by a gold medal winner in Chinese wrestling (Liang), this book is a complete training guide to this powerful martial art. * Throw your opponent to the ground - fast!* Effective for competition and self-defense.*460 action photos detail every technique.* Includes a chapter on ground fighting.

This title offers a thorough guide to the weapon forms in Wing Chun kung fu. It gives a clear, concise explanation of the shape, structure and movements of each form, as well as their appropiate applications.

Mixed martial arts (MMA) is an emergent sport where competitors in a ring or cage utilize strikes (punches, kicks, elbows and knees) as well as submission techniques to defeat opponents. This book explores the carnal experience of fighting through a sensory ethnography of MMA, and how it transgresses the cultural scripts of masculinity in popular culture. Based on four years of participant observation in a local MMA club and in-depth interviews with amateur and professional MMA fighters, Spencer documents fighters' training regimes and the meanings they attach to participation in the sport. Drawing from the philosophical phenomenology of Martin Heidegger, Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Jean-Luc Nancy, this book develops bodies-centered ontological and epistemological grounding for this study. Guided by such a position, it places bodies at the center of analysis of MMA and elucidates the embodied experience of pain and injury, and the sense and rhythms of fighting.

Walking should be one of the most natural things we do. Most of us have been walking almost all of our lives. However, many have learned walking in a haphazard way. Wearing improper shoes, modeling ourselves after others whose walking is inefficient, and wrong ideas about how our body works are all factors that take their toll on us over time. Because walking is natural, it is not hard to improve it to the point where it becomes meditation and improves our health at the same time. For Tai Chi practitioners, walking provides an excellent opportunity to augment, refine, and reinforce Tai Chi principles and bridge the gap between formal practice and everyday life. For non-practitioners, Tai Chi Walking trains us in walking concepts for improving health, balance, peace-of-mind and safety. *If you hurt after a long day on your feet, this book is for you.*Learn how to walk properly and naturally.*Discover why poor walking posture can damage your health.*Understand how proper walking can increase longevity and vitality.

This book focuses on the philosophy of Chinese martial arts film, arguing that philosophy provides a key to understanding the whole genre. It draws on Chinese philosophical ideas derived from, or based on, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, and other schools of thought such as Mohism and Legalism, examines a cluster of recent Chinese martial arts films centering on the figure of the xia-the heroic protagonist, the Chinese equivalent of medieval Europe's knight-errant-and outlines the philosophical principles and themes undergirding the actions of xia and their narratives. Overall, the author argues that the genre, apart from being an action-oriented entertainment medium, is inherently moral and ethical.

The Ultimate Chinese Martial Art - The Science of the Weaving Stance Bagua 64 Forms and the Wellness Applications has three well integrated parts. Part One describes the cultural, historical and scientific background of the mysterious inner style martial art - Bagua Palm - which used to be taught in a small circle of the Royal families in China. Part Two gives a brief and yet detailed instructions on the techniques and step by step exercises of Bagua Palms with illustrations, including the example of the famous Weaving Stance Bagua 64 Forms. Part Three summarizes the wellness applications of the Bagua Palms as an inner style Chinese martial art.The aim of this book is to help all people on this planet to have a better understanding about wellness and the most effective way to achieve it. The book will thus ultimately make its way to the short list of books which truly leave their marks on the progress of human civilization. The less than sophisticated style of writing makes this book an easy and helpful reading for people from all walks of life.This book is not just about Chinese martial art. It is also about the link between Chinese culture and martial art. With practical instructions on the actual exercise, this book will benefit not just practitioners and trainers in Chinese martial art but effectively all people who read it. This book is not only going to be the martial art book of the year, but the martial art book of the 21st century.This is the first martial art book written by martial art practitioners who have thorough understanding of both physics and actual fighting, with a solid background in Chinese culture. All the three authors of the book have over 40 years of extensive experience each in Chinese martial art. In contrast to conventional Chinese martial art scripts, this book is written by three Chinese authors in plain and vivid English, which is both filled with true understanding of the unique part of Chinese culture and tuned to the cognitive habits of the westerners.

Qigong (Chi Kung), the Chinese study of life energy, is an ancient fitness and healing practice. This book presents two complete sets of simple, invigorating Qigong exercises that improve the flow of Qi (Chi) in your body, tone and stretch the major muscle groups, increase your energy, and help you relax. Unlike many Western exercises that center on mindless repetition and aggressive movements, Qigong is an effective fitness alternative that involves the mind as much as the body. You will learn to gently focus your attention on Qi, breathing, posture, and simple, revitalizing movements. This book also explains the basic concepts of Qigong and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Today, thousands of people throughout China practice Qigong every day to stay fit, and more and more Westerners are discovering the value of this timeless practice. * Enjoy improved health and increased energy.* Relieve mental and physical stress.* Discover this refreshing alternative to Western exercise.* Includes more than 250 photographs to help you practice.

Taekwondo Kids - From White Belt to Yellow/Green Belt provides you with the first practical guide to the Korean Martial Arts System of Taekwondo and has been specially written with children and youths in mind. It serves as an accompaniment to training as well as providing an introduction to this particular sport. Using simple, easily understood language and numerous appropriate illustrations suitable for children and youths, all the exercises can be carried out or practiced further without any difficulty. Taekwondo Kids is written in the form of a course textbook. The individual sections of the book are arranged according to belt grade, and in addition to the comprehensive lead into the sport itself, all the respective techniques and exercise forms in Taekwondo are included for advancement to the next belt grade in the WTF (World Taekwondo Federation) System.

The Ultimate Chinese Martial Art - The Science of the Weaving Stance Bagua 64 Forms and the Wellness Applications has three well integrated parts. Part One describes the cultural, historical and scientific background of the mysterious inner style martial art - Bagua Palm - which used to be taught in a small circle of the Royal families in China. Part Two gives a brief and yet detailed instructions on the techniques and step by step exercises of Bagua Palms with illustrations, including the example of the famous Weaving Stance Bagua 64 Forms. Part Three summarizes the wellness applications of the Bagua Palms as an inner style Chinese martial art.The aim of this book is to help all people on this planet to have a better understanding about wellness and the most effective way to achieve it. The book will thus ultimately make its way to the short list of books which truly leave their marks on the progress of human civilization. The less than sophisticated style of writing makes this book an easy and helpful reading for people from all walks of life.This book is not just about Chinese martial art. It is also about the link between Chinese culture and martial art. With practical instructions on the actual exercise, this book will benefit not just practitioners and trainers in Chinese martial art but effectively all people who read it. This book is not only going to be the martial art book of the year, but the martial art book of the 21st century.This is the first martial art book written by martial art practitioners who have thorough understanding of both physics and actual fighting, with a solid background in Chinese culture. All the three authors of the book have over 40 years of extensive experience each in Chinese martial art. In contrast to conventional Chinese martial art scripts, this book is written by three Chinese authors in plain and vivid English, which is both filled with true understanding of the unique part of Chinese culture and tuned to the cognitive habits of the westerners.

The first long-term historical-sociological analysis of the development of Japanese martial arts. Uses the theoretical framework of figurational sociology and draws on rich empirical data. A new contribution to our understanding of the socio-cultural dynamics of state formation. Considers the neglected role of women in martial arts.

Douglas Wiles translates and analyzes four collections of recently released nineteenth-century manuscripts on T'ai-chi ch'uan. These writings of Wu's older brothers Ch'eng-ch'ing and Ju-ch'ing, and his nephew Li I-yu, together with the transmissions of Yang Pan-hou, represent a significant addition to the seminal literature. The rich new texts allow us to make a fresh survey of longstanding issues in T'ai-chi history: the origins of the art; the authorship of the 'classics'; the differences between We, Yang, and Li; and the roles of Chang San-feng. Wang Tsung-yueh, Chiang Fa, and the formerly missing link, Ch'ang Nai-chou. The original Chinese texts of the four new sets of classics have been appended for the convenience of Chinese readers and scholars.

Increase your strength, improve your health, and develop explosive martial power with Qigong - the cultivation of your body's internal energy. Renown Qigong and martial arts master Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming explains how and why Qigong can improve your martial training, and presents ten complete sets of proven Qigong exercises for martial artists and health seekers. You'll gain muscular strength and vitality, increase your fighting power, and learn meditation training for improved concentration and longevity. This book also includes healing Qigong exercises and soothing massage techniques to help you recover more quickly from injury. In addition, Dr. Yang discusses Qigong and health, and charts the major cavities used in the martial arts. * Develop explosive martial power. * Recover quickly from injury. * Choose from ten Qigong training sets. * Easily integrated with any martial style. * Over 200 photographs and illustrations.

The indigenous martial arts of the Philippines archipelago are known by a variety of names including Arnis, Arnis de Mano, Eskrima or Escrima, and are widely respected for the development of combat-effective defensive strategies and skills. The Filipino martial arts are fast and dynamic and utilise a diverse range of training methods to augment the journey towards achieving advance abilities in defending against weapons-based or empty-hand encounters. Supplemented by over 320 colour photographs, this exciting book explores the fundamental, intermediate and advanced techniques of double and single stick categories that are standard across many systems of the Filipino martial arts.