Customer Reviews

Mastering Kung Fu (Mastering Martial Arts Series)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

A truly wonderful book written by the "real deal". Great facts layed out in textbook format so that anyone can attempt to begin to comprehend what is at the core of this martial science. Once the practioner understands "the idea" he can then look forward to falling into the bottomless pit of knowledge that is Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun Kuen. Created in the Southern Shaolin Temples over 350 years ago, a streamlined, highly technical system, that combined thousands of years of martial art knowledge with the Treasures and Wisdoms of Shaolin Chan to create a kind of ultimate combat system. Kept secret inside secret societies and families for generations, it is now offered to the public by Grandmaster Gee for examination and exploration.

This book was written by true artists and practioners. It is sort of like a textbook, trying to read this like a story or like some other martial arts books are written, with flowery phrasing, and grand stories about kung fu are wasting their time. This book is for those who wish to take the first step toward understanding what one of the "real" martial sciences today is all about. This book is a real eye opener for some and that's what its all about. After you read this book you wont be the same, and you wont be able to go back to not knowing.

As a complete neophyte to the martial arts world and Wing Chun Kung Fu I found the reading of this book to be pure nectar and very enlivening. The body of knowledge found in this book is vast and intricate, however, the authors present this to us in a direct and systematic way making this knowledge very comprehensible. This book was highly recommended to me and I forward that recommendation to anyone who wants a complete, authoritative introduction to martial arts and Wing Chun Kung Fu.

With so many books on the study and practice of Kung Fu on the market, particularly on the art of Wing Chun, its rare that a martial art book describes in so much detail as to its conception and systems' methodology. Master Kung Fu; Shaolin Wing Chun, is an excellent resource for the serious martial artist. I believe that in order to getting the most from this book, the reader must first approach the book from a completely open-minded context. Especially if you are a martial artist from another style or better yet, another lineage of Wing Chun. Without this approach it may be difficult to identify with many of the principles and concepts presented from the Chi Sim System and leading in particularly the Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun perspective. The combine authors of Garrett gee, Benny Meng and Richard Lowehagen provides the reader with a comprehensive overview of the historical account of the development of the Hung Fa Yi(HFY) System.

The authors explores how the Shaolin Monks influence the system with its emphasis on the Chan Buddhist philosophy of harmony and enlightenment along with the combat experience of the Ming Military Dynasty officers which were instrumental in the development of the world most efficent and effective martial art know to man. Scientific analyses are axplained using the universal truth of nature within the limits of the human body. This permitted a consistency in a variety of HFY Wing Chun techniques. The authors also share some of the HFY wing Chun's customs, traditions and symbolism. One of the most profound element of Master Kung Fu is the scientific approach to combat utilizing the concept of Time, Space and Energy. Rarely has a combat system been studied from a three-dimentional context with emphasis on body self-awareness/references. This is truly unprecedented regarding any hand-to-hand combat system to date. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone serious in their pursue of comabt truth through martial science.

Sure, there are things in the book that many Current Wing Chun practitioners will be able to relate to however, there is much more knowledge presented in this book that will take the average martial artist to the next level, only if, they're willing to view Mastering Kung Fu; Shaolin Wing Fu, with a completely open mind.

I found the book to be a very interesting read and one worthy of a place next to my existing chinese classical collection such as I-Ching or the book of change and Tao of Gung Fu by Bruce Lee. Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun like its many wing chun cousins has a deep rich history that is best understood by the practice of the art or science in this case itself. Very thought provoking are the topics of the Wing Chun Formula, Shaolin philosophy and methods and the explination of principled applications based on Time space and energy really help the reader follow the authors reasoning of how wing chun came to be a science. Some martial experience is helpful when reading the book so it may not be for beginners though the writing style is very easy to follow. This book certainly does wet ones appetite for an in depth discussion of the first training form of Siu Nim Tau. Kudos to the authors on a job well done.

This book is definitly a higher level of thinking than all the other wing chun books I have read. I am a senior instructor thru the Ving Tsun Athletic Association and most of the books out there our still at the technical level of thinking not truely getting in depth in the principles and science aspects. The history is for more logical than the famous nun story. This book also is the first of its kind to truely connect the spiritual and philosophical aspect to Wing Chun. The time and space chapter was really good by explaining a science perspective like I haven't seen before. It has definitly made me more aware of the uderstanding of the system as a whole, not a small part.

This book has some thought provoking content, however one has to wade through too many comments like:
"Hung Fa Yi is the only martial system to ultimately reach maximum levels of efficiency." (p 65)

Really, the ONLY one? Based on the authors' exhaustive study of every martial system in existence? There are many similar gems to be found in the book all proclaiming one style (theirs of course) to be the best.

Additionally there are many references to this style as a "science" and not an art, as if to say "those other guys are arts, but we're science". This is a semantic game There is nothing here that a true scientist would call science, despite references to time, space and energy that sound like they come out of a science fiction movie. What a shame. I really wanted to like this book, but there's too much to wade through to get to the meat. I would really like to see an edited second edition. For now, there are plenty of other books that leave out the rhetoric, making it hard to recommend this one.

The book is a guide to the origins of Shaolin Wing Chun Kung Fu. I found it's references and historical notations to be presented in a manner that could be understood by anyone interested in the origins of kung fu.

The information on Chi Sim Wing Chun, it's origins, and the concept of Heaven, Man, and Earth indicate that the human anatomy was used as a measurement for three-dimensional combat long before aviation was born.

As I studied the charts and diagrams the clearity of the written concepts became apparent to me, and I could relate to the authors desire to present the complicated information in a manner that would stimulate the interest of the reader and cause them to go deeper into their martial arts experience and realize that there is so much more than just the entertainment, sports, and fighting.

The Hung Fa Yi philosophical approach to learning "Saam Mo Kiu" and it's 3 connecting bridges provide a transition for the reader to gain an insight into what the Shaolin Monks intented as human growth and development and also as a way of life.

There are two things that I want to address here:

1) This book is an excellent source of information for anyone who is interested in digging past the popular myths that have been perpetrated throughout history regarding Wing Chun and its origins. Also, it address the core essentials and formulae necessary to a completely effective martial arts form.

2) I would like to make a personal statement regarding the comment that has been posted labeled "There's One Born Every Second." It's rather pathetic that you would make such statements yourself and yet hide behind anonymity. What are your credentials? What have your studied? Are you actually from mainland China? Have you visited the rebuilt Shaolin Temple? Have you been praised by various governing bodies for the work that you've done in researching martial arts and in particular Wing Chun? Have you received accolade after accolade for having established the first Ving Tsun museum and praised for its accuracy and authenticity by masters the world over?

I didn't think so. You know nothing about Sifu Meng. You know nothing of his background. You know nothing of his qualifications. Before you go advising others about how poor a book he, Sifu Loewenhagen, and Grandmaster Gee have written, you might want to take a step back and do a review of your own position in all of this and ask yourself why you feel the need to hide behind anonymity. I'm not afraid to show my name while I praise his book. I'm not afraid to state that I am a student of his and look forward to completing his program.

I recommend this book to all students of martial arts who wish to learn more about Wing Chun. However, I do have a biased opinion on the mater. Read the book and judge for yourself.

This is just a top-notch book on WC. The book is actually mostly text, since it's intended for the experienced practitioner, and so deals mainly with the more advanced topics such as strategy, interval, flow, advanced techniques, and other subjects. This makes it one of the most well-thought out, detailed, and technical analyses of wing chun out there, and should be of interest to beginning and advanced WC practitioners alike. The authors' explanations are very clear and concise, even when dealing with the more esoteric topics. Whether you agree with everything the authors say on some of the more controversial things or not, you'll find this a well done book on wing chun. I suspect it will probably become a classic in the kung fu genre.

Of all the books I've read on combat methods, I've never come across one so descriptive, detailed, and informative as this. The book takes us an excellent course from beginning with HFY's roots in eastern philosophy - its genesis in the Southern Shaolin Temple - its sibling art of Chi Sim Weng Chun - through the dynasties and secret societies - the Red Opera and Red Boat eras - on to today's commercialization - and into several chapters on the philosophy and combat science of HFY. From SNT, CK, BJ, and the weapons, I have found there is SO much more in HFYWCK than in any other WC known to date. It brings new meanings to the things I thought I understood. It has left me with the understanding that HFYWCK is rooted in military combat (strategy and tactic) and at the same time rooted in Shaolin Chan philosophy.

I truly enjoyed and learned a great deal about the science behind the HFY system and what differentiates it from a personalized style. The book has clearly pointed out the essence of all Shaolin martial arts, and how HFY shares that same essence. I can see how a novice may be able to follow the logic presented in the book, but most certainly it is geared to those of great skill and the accomplished martialist and strategist. The book is highly descriptive and detailed in its explanations, yet at the same time are easy to comprehend and visually clear.

From the reviews I have read, and after reading the book myself, I can tell who still cannot yet see past his/her own ego (and who has not done their own research), and who already can and has. This book serves as a high standard for all martial books - irrelevant of martial style, and for those who are striving to be as combatively efficient as possible. Congratulations to the parties involved in the book, and to those to can identify with the authors' hard work. It is truly a comprehensive book with many photos and illustrations, balanced with an enormous amount of information.