One of the art's earliest and most complete training manuals, The Method of Chinese Wrestling explores all aspects of this ancient fighting system, including solo training, training with equipment, constructing training apparatus, application of techniques, and the rules of competition. Throwing, gripping, and falling techniques are revealed in minute detail, and in accompanying photographs, the author and his top students illustrate the methods described. Both a fascinating historical document and a practical training guide, the book is an essential reference for anyone interested in the martial arts.
Secret training manuals, magic swords, and flying kung fu masters—these are staples of Chinese martial arts movies and novels, but only secret manuals have a basis in reality. Chinese martial arts masters of the past did indeed write such works, along with manuals for the general public. This collection introduces Western readers to the rich and diverse tradition of these influential texts, rarely available to the English-speaking reader. Authors Brian Kennedy and Elizabeth Guo, who coauthor a regular column for Classical Fighting Arts magazine, showcase illustrated manuals from the Ming Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty, and the Republican period. Aimed at fans, students, and practitioners, the book explains the principles, techniques, and forms of each system while also placing them in the wider cultural context of Chinese martial arts. Individual chapters cover the history of the manuals, Taiwanese martial arts, the lives and livelihoods of the masters, the Imperial military exams, the significance of the Shaolin Temple, and more. Featuring a wealth of rare photographs of great masters as well as original drawings depicting the intended forms of each discipline, this book offers a multifaceted portrait of Chinese martial arts and their place in Chinese culture.
Soon after birth, tiger cubs are instinctively drawn to wrestling. Eventually their play transforms into real skills of potentially lethal efficiency. Humans have done the same. In this anthology, you will find unique combative techniques found in some cultures as well as some techniques that are universal. Allen Pittman gives a portrayal of Dr. Tim Geoghegan’s particular blend of Eastern and Western wrestling, and his formidable arsenal for grappling and throwing. In anther chapter, Pittman focuses on the shoulder throw. The technical variations seem endless for this valued movement. Steve Scott illustrates the cross-body armlock according to skills he hopes will give readers a better understanding and mastery of this armlock. His following chapter shows a rare Russian technique. Known as the Kharbarelli Pick-up, it is a good example of how different cultures and their unique grappling traditions have been adopted outside their original location. The chapter on the carotid choke is presented from the perspectives of a martial arts instructor and that of a physician. The application, effects, and ramifications of drug usage and mental state are discussed in detail. Tim Cartmell explains the key concepts of “sticking and following” as they apply to throwing methods found in Chinese xingyi, taiji and bagua. The concepts are explained and illustrated with examples of sample techniques. David Allen’s writes on the Mongolian Nadaam Festival. Athletes from all over the country assemble to compete in horse racing, archery, and wrestling. Mongolian wrestling is probably the least watched martial art in the world. The author’s photo exposé brings the festival to us. The chapter by Burdick, Wolske and Daneshagar gives us a rare view into the Persian grappling tradition. Iran’s national sport is the strength training system found in the “house of strength,” where bodybuilders and wrestlers are steeped in both Zarathrushran and Islamic traditions. The following chapter by Zhang Yun is on the throwing art of Shuai Jiao. It includes: history and development, analysis of fighting principles, details of hand and footwork, body movement, training methods, training equipment, relationship with other Chinese styles, and demonstrations of applications. The final article focuses on sumo with some parallels being drawn between sumo and mixed martial arts. Techniques and tactics are presented so readers might add some of these sumo moves to their own martial arts repertoire.
This book is the most comprehensive and authoritative reference ever published on the wide range of martial arts disciplines practiced in cultures around the world. • Includes the scholarship of 67 expert, international contributors • Presents 30 images of martial arts in practice • Offers bibliographic lists at the end of each section pointing to further reading in print and online • Includes a comprehensive index in each volume
The oldest and most respected martial arts title in the industry, this popular monthly magazine addresses the needs of martial artists of all levels by providing them with information about every style of self-defense in the world - including techniques and strategies. In addition, Black Belt produces and markets over 75 martial arts-oriented books and videos including many about the works of Bruce Lee, the best-known marital arts figure in the world.
"Did you know that the martial arts include such former Western pursuits as dueling, gunfighting, and gladiatorial combat? Nearly 100 articles by scholars discuss specific martial arts, countries, and concepts such as religion and spiritual development common to martial arts traditions of the world. Definitions of unfamiliar terms and an index that notes the historical figures and classic texts dicussed within articles help to make this set a scholarly corrective in an area often informed by the movies."--"Outstanding Reference Sources," American Libraries, May 2002.
In Ancient Okinawan Martial Arts: Koryu Uchinadi readers have access, for the first time, to an extensive collection of the most important documents written by and about Okinawa's most famous karate and kobudo masters and their arts, as well as to photographs of kobujutsu katas of historical significance. This two–volume anthology includes previously untranslated texts by Chojun Miyagi (founder of Goju Ryu Karate), Kenwa Mabuni (founder of Shito Ryu Karate), Shinken Taira (founder of Ryukyu Kobudo), Choshin Chibana (founder of Kobayashi Shorin Ryu Karate), and Choki Motobu (the notorious scrapper who in his maturity went on to teach many who became great masters in their own right). Patrick McCarthy–with the able assistance of his wife, Yuriko McCarthy–provides expert translation and commentary based on his extensive research into these masters and the systems they founded, as well as into the establishment of the Okinawan karate tradition in the main islands of Japan.
The oldest and most respected martial arts title in the industry, this popular monthly magazine addresses the needs of martial artists of all levels by providing them with information about every style of self-defense in the world - including techniques and strategies. In addition, Black Belt produces and markets over 75 martial arts-oriented books and videos including many about the works of Bruce Lee, the best-known marital arts figure in the world.
As China rose to its position of global superpower, Chinese groups in the West watched with anticipation and trepidation. In this volume, international scholars examine how artists, writers, filmmakers, and intellectuals from the Chinese diaspora represented this new China to global audiences. The chapters, often personal in nature, focus on the nexus between the political and economic rise of China and the cultural products this period produced, where new ideas of nation, identity, and diaspora were forged.
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