The Complete Guide to Kung Fu Fighting Styles [Paperback]

Jane Hallander (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1985

Kung fu, China's martial arts legacy, stretches from the distant past of the Shaolin temple to the strife torn decades of the 20th century, and into the new millennium. It is a legacy filled with tales of great masters and incredible exploits. Here, in a revised and expanded edition of this best-selling title, we survey the major kung fu styles and masters of the present day. Long range and short range styles, internal and external power, and the living legends of kung fu are all explored in great detail and with numerous photographs.

Product Details

• Paperback: 110 pages
• Publisher: Unique Publications (Subs. of CFW Enterprises, Inc; 1st edition (June 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865680655
• ISBN-13: 978-0865680654
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #422,585 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Informative literature for those interested in kung fu., November 20, 1998

By 

Critic (Hacienda Heights, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Guide to Kung Fu Fighting Styles (Paperback)

This particular text provides the reader with an unusual amount of information that was available at the time it was first published. It details a variety of styles within the art of kung fu that were likely unheard of to the non-practicioner. This book is for those who are curious and non-specific with their preference towards any style of kung fu, but perhaps not best suited for a practitioner of a certain style searching for more information or already posessing baseline knowledge of their art. Still, the work itself is written fairly well and has some appropriate pictures to go with it. While the book itself is slightly outdated by recent material that is available, it is a fine introduction to any student interested in martial arts, particulary those of China.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent intro to subject, June 19, 2003

By 

magellan (Santa Clara, CA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Complete Guide to Kung Fu Fighting Styles (Paperback)

A few readers have criticized this book for not being more comprehensive and for perhaps dealing more with kung-fu styles outside of China, but it's still a good introduction for the non-specialist in kung-fu. Some important styles have been left out, or are mentioned only in passing, such as some of the main animal styles such as snake, dragon, black tiger style, and so on, but they still get some attention in the discussions of some of the styles that incorporate their movements, such as Hung Gar and praying mantis. And the author does do a fine job discussing not just praying mantis, but at least five different praying mantis styles (northern praying mantis, 7-star praying mantis, 6-harmony praying mantis, tai mantis, and tai chi praying mantis (also known as the mayflower mantis style), and five monkey kung-fu styles.

I would have also liked some mention about which styles were important for later developments in karate. For example, a fusion of several styles from Fukien province, dragon, white crane, and tiger, became the basis of such famous Okinawan karate styles as Uechi-ryu. Others, such as Shorin-ryu, incorporate white crane influences and forms. But again, this is not a big deal and is perhaps not appropriate for an intro book.

Anyway, despite a few oversights, the book's strengths by far outweigh its shortcomings. Hollander writes with a nice style and also does a good job with much of the history. So overall, still a fine book on the subject.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Just Enough To Peak Your Interest, March 17, 2001

By 

"tengu151" (Orange, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Guide to Kung Fu Fighting Styles (Paperback)

Jane Hollander follows the tradition of Draeger and Leung Ting. She writes about every art she can get her hands on, detailing it better than most of the instructors of the style can. Here, she gives a simple guide designed simply to introduce us to the myriad ways that kung fu can be applied. It is not a book for learning exact techniques, but for becoming familiar with basic principles and showing the relationship of various arts which share certain princples. This book gives us the means to see the difference and the similarity, based solely on the basic premises of the styles. To learn more about each art, one would have to get videos & books specifically dedicated to that one art, which would still provide less by way of separate perspectives. This is the type of book that Americans need to help them wade through the confusion of which Chinese art is best for them.