The Sword Polisher's Record: The Way of Kung-Fu (Tuttle Martial Arts) [Paperback]

Adam Hsu (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing; 1st edition (April 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804831386
• ISBN-13: 978-0804831383
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #506,972 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Are you REALLY studying KUNG FU??, June 21, 2002

By 

Graydon M. Webster "gmwebster" (Albany, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Sword Polisher's Record: The Way of Kung-Fu (Tuttle Martial Arts) (Paperback)

An excellent collection of articles from start to finish.

After reading this book, I got a sinking feeling in my stomach that I might just be "playing around". I've been to different schools and practiced on my own, never thinking quite as deeply as I needed to about Kung Fu. Mind you, I thought pretty deeply about it, but after reading Polishing the Sword, I think maybe I need to spend MORE time training and less time "playing" Kung Fu.

His articles are dead-on, he politely skewers myths, delusions, phoney Kung Fu and detrimental Kung Fu practices. Not many books on Kung Fu take the time to analyze what the Kung Fu student must BECOME in order to achieve Kung Fu.

Not many books focus on finding the right school, choosing the right style and developing the proper attitude and respect for the art.

This should be required reading for any Kung Fu student. It teaches no forms, tells no fairy tales, it is for the modern, Western Kung Fu student to study and re-study in his/her quest for authentic Kung Fu.

Also, it approaches the MUCH needed subject of Martial Arts vs. Fighting Ability. That alone was worth the price of the book.

Are you Wu Shu or are you a Poseur?

Graydon Webster Northern Shaolin Student

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Historical & Philosophical Overview, October 1, 2001

By 

C. J. Hardman (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Sword Polisher's Record: The Way of Kung-Fu (Tuttle Martial Arts) (Paperback)

Hsu's book dispells many myths, including the story of the Shaolin Temple being the ancient home of Chinese martial arts. He discusses many topics including teacher student relationships, the difference between "Northern" and "Southern" style kung fu, forms, two man fighting sets, and more. The great pity is that there are not more serious books of this caliber on Chinese (or other!) martial arts.

This is NOT a how-to book, there are no sequences of techniques or instructions on forms. It is however, an invaluable aid to those seeking helpful factual information on Chinese martial arts, written in a straightforward and non-self-promoting way. I have bought copies of this to send to friends who are studying kung-fu in remote areas, away from the constant supervision of a teacher. It serves as a good textbook for beginning and advanced alike, doing away with superstitious information and offering a well thought, gracious and full view of the depth of Chinese martial arts. I hope Adam Hsu offers his other Chinese-language books up for translation in the near future, he is truely someone worth listening to.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars well written and easy to understand,esp. for kung-fu., September 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Sword Polisher's Record: The Way of Kung-Fu (Tuttle Martial Arts) (Paperback)

except for the lack of an index,I could find little to fault in this book. some may find Mr. Hsu's attitude toward martial art students and instructors a little negative at times,but he's been at it much longer than I have, and is prob. correct. This was the book that began my search for an internal style, that ultimately led to my current study of Chen tai-chi.