Hsu,
Adam
204 pages, $16.95
The
first word that comes to mind when reading The Sword Polisher’s
Record is "tireless": the author, Adam Hsu (Hsu
Ji), is a thoroughly tireless exponent of Traditional Chinese
Martial Arts. From the first page to the last, in this book
of 44 collected essays, ShihFu Hsu employs a multi-dimensional
technique, discussing the art from every conceivable position,
addressing countless arguments, and employing every attitude
from humor to deadly seriousness. The message is very clear:
the Traditional Chinese Martial Arts will disappear if we
don’t recognize and save them.
But
the book is more than a political outcry. It is also a textbook
of the rarest variety, the kind that both poses questions
and gives answers. No matter the stereotype of old masters
who dole out snippets of information to their poor, horse-stanced
students; there is nothing miserly about ShihFu Hsu’s
work. In clear prose, he outlines a range of topics that will
guide anyone, from the newest beginner to the most advanced
teacher, if only he or she will just pay attention and study.
His
treatises on usage, 360¼ awareness, mind-learning vs body-learning,
and the overall differences between modern and traditional
kung fu, among many others, are emphasized over and over again,
building a consistent view of Kung Fu. He is harsh on fakers.
The book develops thoughtfully, from articles dealing with
general Kung Fu history at the beginning, to the more theoretical
in the middle, finishing with an overview of martial arts
today and tomorrow.
If
there is an editorial criticism, it is that some of the pieces
are too short. There is a feeling that, just as he is developing
an argument, the word limit is met and the essay ends. This,
of course, is due to the fact that these were short articles
reprinted from magazine columns. Still, one yearns greedily
for more.
Then,
there is another, more troubling aspect. The book, as a whole,
raises problems that are not easily answered, or even approached.
These have to do with the basic question of being a martial
artist: who is, who isn’t, and who should be. Theoretically
and practically the book is excellent; but there is also an
underlying feeling that, maybe, no one in America will really
be able to do it, to get it. Several hard-working practitioners
have already expressed to me that, while they agree with Hsu’s
analyses, they feel that they’ll never be able to work
hard enough or long enough to contribute to the art that they
love.
Who
is a martial artist? This is a question that begs to be answered
in this book, but is not specifically asked. It is a difficult
question for anyone involved in this long-term struggle to
keep alive a tradition that always threatens to disappear.
It is certainly something every serious student who reads
The Sword Polisher’s Record will put to himself or herself
at some point.
This
is a book that should be on every martial artist’s shelf,
taken down often for reference. It is a book that should be
discussed: with colleagues, with instructors, with fellow
students. It is a book to be read more than once. And ShihFu
Hsu’s diligence and dedication, along with his intelligent
and insightful analyses, should be admired. But the martial
arts are living arts, and any reader who makes the mistake
of swallowing whole the contents of the essays, will not be
contributing to the ongoing process of martial history. This
is a crucial time, with no room for discouragement. Read it
and think.