Chinese Martial Arts Training Manuals: A Historical Survey

Dana Sheets · Post by **Dana Sheets** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 11:07 am

Chinese Martial Arts Training Manuals: A Historical Survey
Paperback: 328 pages
Publisher: North Atlantic Books (July 10, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN: 1556435576
Product Dimensions: 9.0 x 6.1 x 1.0 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.15 pounds
Book Description

Chinese martial arts masters of the past created special training manuals with text and images — sometimes appearing in the illustrations themselves — and these manuals now provide an invaluable glimpse back in time to how various martial arts were practiced. Covering the Ming Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty, and the Republican Period, this in-depth survey presents 30 masters and their books, placing them in the context of Chinese culture and history.

Along with biographical portraits of these masters, the book covers the history of the manuals, Chinese martial arts historians, the history of Taiwanese martial arts, how Chinese martial artists made their livings, the Imperial military exams, the place of the Shaolin Temple in Chinese martial arts history, and much more. Illustrated with hundreds of photographs and
drawings from the manuals themselves, the book offers a multifaceted portrait of Chinese martial arts and their place in Chinese culture.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1556435 ... eader-link

Joe B · Post by **Joe B** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 6:15 pm

Hi Dana,

I agree. This is a great book.
I have more insight on the book but I'll save some of those stories for later this week at Camp.

Best regards,
Joe

AAAhmed46 · Post by **AAAhmed46** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:11 am

I dont know if this is on topic or not but here it goes:

Why is chinese martial arts principles put down in such a figurative manner?

Dana Sheets · Post by **Dana Sheets** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 12:53 pm

How would you do it if you didn't have access to video or photography and wanted to record your Uechi today? Also keep in mind that the western standard language to describe physiological movement hadn't yet been developed.

So you have no access to a way of capturing still or moving images, you have no access to a standard language to describe what you're doing, and you may or may not understand the outcomes you've achieved in a way that can be described by western physics.

All set? Now with those limitations - create a document that captures your key points for kanshiwa kata.

-d