An intriguing and thoughtful series of essays on Chinese Martial Arts (Kung Fu) by one of the world's top writers on the subject. Major topics include Tai Chi, Shaolin, Ba Gua, fighting principles, Chinese culture, and what it means to pursue "true kung fu". Profusely illustrated and beautifully written.

Lone Sword Against the Cold Cold Sky

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Adam Hsu

Exercise & Fitness

Plum Publications

In this exciting new approach to an ancient art the authors explain the complete Blossoms in the Spring, a Taoist exercise for health, serenity and harmonization. The Blossoms in the Spring is a beautiful, graceful regimen which can be performed from almost any position. It captures the relaxation of Qigong and the health concepts of Chinese medicine. Authors: Ted Mancuso has been teaching Traditional Chinese Martial Arts and Qigong for over 40 years. Narrye Caldwell has practiced acupuncture and Chinese Medicine for more than 18 years.

Blossoms in the Spring: A Perfect Method of Qigong

Ted Mancuso

Narrye Caldwell

BOOK ONLY! Ted Mancuso has created a step-by-step process for learning Bagua, based on what he calls "narrative instruction." In this book, you will first learn the key hand motions, followed by Bagua's distinctive circle-walking and foot patterns. Next, hands and legs are joined into core Bagua movements, which are then applied to partner practice and self-defense. Finally, he shows the technique of the Bagua poles, Bagua's own special Qigong practice, and the never-before-explained Dragon Fighting. 225 pages. This is the companion text to the DVD, Bagua Zhang: The Art of Change, filling in strategy and background information, complementing everything shown in the DVD. This text takes core movements and builds them into a complete Bagua practice that will aid ANY form of Bagua Zhang.

Learning Bagua Zhang The Martial Art of Change by Ted Mancuso (2012-05-03)

Sports & Outdoors

Bagua is quickly becoming one of the most popular martial arts in the world. Exotic, effective, beautiful and practical, it shows the grace of Tai Chi with the skill of Kung Fu. It incorporates the best of martial andhealth practices, with philosophy. 
There are over 150 branches of this great art, but it is commonly acknowledged that the Eight Animals is the core practice for Bagua Zhang. The Eight Animals routine combines Bagua's signature circle walking with eight special Qigong postures. This method is a blend of martial practice and ancient Taoist meditation. 
This book and DVD provide a complete introduction through simple instruction mixed with higher level practices. Originally developed as the text for introductory seminars, the book combines photos and text to clearly show the breakdown of each movement. And the companion DVD offers the complete set plus fundamentals, including demonstrations of pole work rarely seen. 
Ted Mancuso is the author of the popular book "Learning Bagua Zhang: The Martial Art of Change," which is a companion to his best-selling DVD series "Bagua: The Art of Change." He has been teaching Chinese martial arts for more than forty-five years. His decades of teaching experience are your guide into the world of Chinese martial arts.

The Eight Animals of Bagua Zhang (Book and Dvd) by Ted Mancuso (2013-05-03)

What is Wujishi? It was the first book in English to discuss, in depth, standing breathing exercise. It is comprehensive to the point of even including case histories of those people who used Wujishi to cure certain illnesses and conditions. It is detailed in the finer points of standing and breathing, micro- and macro-cosmic orbits, Qi movement and something the author refers to as "sticking to the Dan Tian."And because Cai Song Fang was a longtime student of Master Wang Xuan Jie of Yiquan fame, many Yiquan practitioners consider this book to be a crucial volume in their libraries, especially since books on Yiquan are few and far between.

Wujishi Breathing Exercises from the Teachings of Cai Songfang

Cai Songfang

Fang Naili

Cai Song Fang

This book shows, from its first pages, essentials of the Kung Fu staff rarely published in English. This material can deepen the practice of any staff player. Many martial artists learn this or that staff form, but either never explore the real usage of the weapon or think of its as a springboard to learning fancier, more "exciting" weapons. Long-time instructor, Ted Mancuso, makes the case for the staff as a crucial instrument for any martial artist.
Flavor, basics and fundamentals of staff work
Hundreds of photos
Two part system: DVD shows the moves; book explains details and fine points Narrative Instruction
Orbits practice
Partner routines
Good for beginning to intermediate student
History and representation in fact, legends and fiction
Staff names in Chinese
Clarified training methods (ring the bell, etc) & important techniques to increase your skill
Moves backed by text, like being in a class with a teacher
Thoroughly detailed form instruction
Very accessible, you can learn from this text
Basic strikes and form in lesson-by-lesson breakdown
Intermediate level Long Fist form
Good performance set
Incorporated principles and theories

Staff: Kung Fu Weapon of Skill (Book and DVD) by Ted Mancuso (2013-05-03)

Coaching

Everyone in Kung Fu knows the 4 grandparent weapons: staff, saber, sword and spear, so-called because they will look after you and protect you from harm. And the best of this venerable group is the spear. It is the prize weapon of all Kung Fu. The way I look at it, the straight sword portrays the vision of what a Kung Fu practitioner wants to be: deadly but graceful, practical but with a tint of mystical and a pint of dramatic. This is the nature of the sword, but not even the slashing sword teaches the real Kung Fu student more lessons than the spear. 
 
Here's usage that will work even today. And, coupled with proper training, the spear becomes a sort of tireless teacher in all aspects of Kung Fu.  
Why is this crucial? Because there is almost no movement of the spear that does not improve the Kung Fu player's empty-hand work. Everything learned can be transferred to the unarmed human body. All the basics, plus variations of strikes that are more than basic, that demand refined movement. The essence of each move is expressed. I also include the Zha Spear Form, in both book & on the 105 min. DVD. I feature a whole selection of spear Key Points to make the form come alive. Then I add two entire groups of applications, demonstrated against advanced teachers wielding spear and saber. More than just poking around, this usage embodies many of the spear's core principles in these hand-picked applications.  
I wanted to capture something specific: not spear appreciation, or a simple workbook. I wanted to create a book that lets you experience the essence of what spear-energy has meant through 1000 years of practice and refinement.  
Don't just shake the spear. Shake up what you think it can do.  
•Basics and strikes  
•Form and commentary  
•Fighting spear and saber  
•Understanding the basic strategy  
•Three sizes of practice  
•Stances and how spear modifies them

Kung Fu Spear: King of Weapons (Book & DVD) by Ted Mancuso (2015-05-04)

This book, posthumously published, is the last entry in Paul Eng's fine series of the form of Tai Mantis. 
This set emphasizes height change and angular deviation. The postures range from Crane stance to Tiger (kneeling) posture. As with all of Sifu Eng's forms, his light handling of the material and physical grace are immediately apparent in his actions. An inherior of not just Praying Mantis but such diverse systems as Tiger Claw, Fu style Bagua, Tai Chi and more Sifu Eng's movements exemplify relaxation and practiced movement.

Praying Mantis Kung Fu: Mantis Exits the Cave

Paul Eng

This book/DVD package is the first of its kind, a publication in English on the rare Kung Fu method Mizong Quan, or Lost Track Boxing, which contains the elegance of a Northern Long Arm style. 
The book is handsome with a black cover, oversized pages and a clear, well-done text. The full routine is demonstrated using large, color photos and a fire bright background, and is complete with an accompanying instructional text. Historical and heritage introductions back up an entire section on the principles of the style. 
In the companion DVD, the first 30 minutes show Lu Sifu breaking down and teaching the entire Jia Routine (Jia means "structure," a slow, controlled form that runs the gamut of the major stances). In the second 30 minutes, applications matching the movements of the form are demonstrated. It is so uncommon these days to find a teacher generously including this much application. 
This beautiful new book/DVD package actively introduces students to the flavor of a style right at the first. And what is the flavor of Mizong? A flexibility and adaptability so high no one can touch, much less hit, you. 
A fine fighting style, Mizong not only teaches many hand forms and weapons, it is a style with a full harvest of self-defense and fighting applications. This special book/DVD package is included in the Plum Publications series on Traditional Chinese Martial Styles.

Mizong Jia: Shaolin Mizong Kung Fu Style, Book & DVD

Lu Junhai

Pole Star astrology is a wisdom and longevity science, pointing us toward balance, and a life in perfect alignment with our true character. One of the oldest and most accurate astrology systems, it was unknown in the west until the end of China's Imperial age a century ago. But even as it became available to westerners, it remained difficult to learn, and figuring out how to extract meaningful interpretations proved elusive. 
 "The Spirit of the Stars" presents, for the first time in English, clear instruction on building and interpreting a Pole Star chart. Western astrologers, practitioners of Chinese medical arts, and those pursuing the mantic arts of Feng Shui and numerology, will all benefit from the step-by-step presentation of this sophisticated system. Even those just interested in creating and understanding their own personal charts will find an accessible path in this package. 
This book, with its included companion DVD, is unique in providing the necessary context for a true understanding of the Pole Star system, including the Chinese concepts of Fate, Divination and the Three Powers. Its chapters include a comprehensive breakdown on chart construction; an elucidation of each "star" in the system; and methods to interpret and synthesize the many layers of meaning in a chart. There is also a section on moving the chart through time, designed to find and evaluate future periods of luck in different areas of life. The book's appendix is well-stocked with supplementary material. 
Narrye Caldwell is a Licensed Acupuncturist, a martial artist with 35 years of experience, a classical feng shui consultant, a pole star astrologer, and a practitioner of core shamanism. As a faculty member at Five Branches University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, she has incorporated Pole Star Astrology classes into the medical curriculum. She also teaches through the Foundation for Shamanic Studies and the Academy of Martial &amp; Internal Arts in Santa Cruz, CA.

The Spirit of the Stars: Navigating Your Fate With Pole Star Astrology (Book w/DVD)

Religion & Spirituality

New Age & Spirituality

See the best price to sell, buy or rent books by the Plum Publications publisher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Plum Publications