Customer Reviews

Untraditional Hsing-I

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

The best thing about this book is that it explains the actual body mechanics of what gives Hsing-I its power. Other books on the subject usually give arcane explanations but the author breaks it down in terms of physics and physiology. The book only covers the five fists and not the 12 animal forms, which makes sense, since the five fists alone warrant a complete book. Where's the video, Robb?

i'm sorry, but this book doesn't show much of any sort of depth of knowledge. instead, it ignores the main sources of power and tries to portray it as an external style that uses clever body mechanics to get the job done. to me, this is just another way for people to be warded away from the reality of the internal styles. maybe instead of analyzing the postures and talking about momentum, he should show the isometric standing chi kung that gives the practitioner raw internal strength, and talk about how the five elements and twelve animals each have a different way of generating chi. this book is a good example of a typical western perspective of ignoring the depth of the art and thinking that everything can be explained through efficient body movement (much in the same way that most tai chi chuan practitioners think that tai chi chuan is just a gentle exercise for old people).

I really have to shake my head at some of the reveiews this book has received. People get too caught up in the whole "chi" paradigm and think that everything must use chi-based terminology to explain this art. There is PLENTY out there on the "internal" and chi aspects of these arts, but this is one of the VERY few that actually has some useful information from the point of view of physics and body mechanics.

This book also includes a short, but valuable section on the use of Hsing-I combinations in actual combat, which is extremely important but NEVER seen in any book on the subject.

The title is a little misleading though. This is simply straightforward traditional Hsing-I, the untraditional part is in how he explains the art. Even though Whitewood's Hsing-I differs from the method I have trained in, this is still a valuable text with much food for thought.

I cannot believe that this dude studied Hsing-I from a real master. He totally ignores the internal aspect of Hsing-I which is the essence of the art and presents Hsing-I like it was some bad form of Karate. I originally purchased this book from Paladin press for [price] and I have to say that it was a ripoff. Also, Ive noticed that in the book Whitewood's forward stance is way too far forward which would throw him off balance and negate any kind of power he could generate. Maybe thats his problem. Dont buy this its a waste of time AND money.

As a martial artist interested in the internal family of chinese boxing, I found this book very helpful in bridging a certain gap between the esoteric teachings and the basic fighting philosophy. It allowed me to BEGIN to discover Hsing-I. Most other works on the subject are either to short and simple (Smith/Pittman) or too complex (Jin or Sun) for the uninitiated. Not all books can be useful at every stage, especially for those who are already exponents of subject matter. Secondly, internal work is something that should boost your external form. There is nothing wrong with first discovering form. You can not simply go directly to point C. You have to go through A and B first! In short, a good book on basic body mechanics for the uninitiated.

I am willing to let the lack of reference to the internal aspects slide since some people choose to focus on the forms and save the internal stuff for classes. So with that said, fine, I looking past this being a more "external" version of Xingyi (which is basiclly a contridiction to the art), or military Xingyi (Hsing-I).
But the form, the technique being demonstrated here is horrific. The idea this is being taught to people is frightening. He is practically leaning over his front foot and just looks awkward and hardly smooth enough to actually be useful. Even from a Wushu/Kungfu perspective, the form is terrible and the body mechanics are just dangerously ineffective if ever used. If you want real books on Xingyi (Hsing-I) Liang Shou-Yu/Yang Jwing Ming, Robert Smith, Lin Jianhua, or find some VCD/DVD's of Xingyi. Do not get this book.

I have been doing Xing-Yi for a long time. And let me addresse some of the complaints in the other reviews, How he stands etc, maybe your teacher taught different from his ? Maybe he does it his way you do it yours. I was always taught "One sifu(teacher) many kungfu's , meaning each student get's it different. If your school does it different and mine does I dont do it 100% the way he does. You can still take a ton of info away here out of this manual.
Bottom line is that this manual will open up the understanding of other books and classes you take from a qualified instructor.
Well worth having, well worth the $15 I spent, I'm very happy with it, even if the photos of his shapes vary from my school of Xing-Yi.
Went to Youtube, and found PLENTY of individuals in mainland China that do the same exact shapes as his,... this book is on the money !

This little gem does what few other books on the subject have managed to; namely, it's clarified proper posture for Hsing-i Chuan. It is not possible to manifest internal power, nor is it possible to gain the coveted health benifits associated with good chi flow if the body is not aligned correctly. If you are looking to learn to grasp the root of true internal power, and intend to use your art for FIGHTING, then this is THE reference to supplement your formal instruction.

It is true that there is little mention of the usual esoteric jargon so often present in other volumes, but in my opinion this is a strength, not a weakness. If you've had trouble understanding how your teacher and seniors manage to be so much more efficent and powerful than you in class, this volume should shed some light on how to recognize and shore up your weaknesses in plain English.

In the words of Tai Chi master T.T. Liang, "Learn from everyone, and read as much as you can. Even if you don't understand or agree with it all, you will be a better martial artist."

The title says it all really!
"Untraditional Hsing-i"! is exactly what this book describes.

Not only is it un-traditional it is un-authentic, & incorrect in so many ways that it would be impossible to list them.

This is exactly the problem with so many people in the west, where they do not understand the principles of an asian art, so they bastardise it and drop all the important and significant aspects that actually make the art what it is, resulting in a very and in this case I do mean Very poor shadow of the real thing.
I'm truly frightened that this person Robb Whitewood has the nerve to claim 1. to be a master of anything, and 2. to be qualified to teach this art.
An appalling book.
Sorry but that is the truth. The only reason it gets 1 star is that there is not an option for zero.