Chinese
Language Martial Arts Books |
Traditional Chinese |
| Lion Books |
Simplified Chinese |
| NOTE: Please be aware that we only have one or two copies of some of these. Many aren't even in print any more. Even if it is listed here it may already be out of stock (we'll try to keep it updated but they may go fast). | |||
 C118 Tai Chi Sword By Chen Wei Ming Old photographs, $11.95 Just the pictures of Chen are famous and probably the first presentation of the Yang style Tai Chi Sword in book form. In addition, there are a number of “family” pictures, some expressive calligraphy, and other key points. What is immediately of significance is that Chen was a student of Yang Chen Fu. Famous for two books; the sword and a short text of Q&A which is still read today. Chen’s own posture may look a trifle stiff but it must be said that it is a fine reference showing a straight back, strong leg positioning and tight postures.
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 Kun Wu Sword Record- TC725 by Li Ling Yun, $9.95 Traditional Chinese Characters, softbound. 82 pages, old photos Definitely not the best photos ever taken, but consider the times and conditions. If you, during this period, had gone around asking the top teachers in China what the best straight sword routine might be, the Kun Wu would come out somewhere in the top number on almost anyone’s list. One of my teachers felt this way and you can see why if you attend a showing. A few partner poses finish the form and the book. A collector’s item? Hard to know but I don’t think this will become easy to find in the future.
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 Pure Yang Sword -
A605by Chen Yun Ching $12.95 Traditional Chinese Characters, softbound 105 pages, Photos This is part of the extensive Chen Pan Ling collection offered by Plum. For some completely unknown reason we omitted this form, The Pure Yang Sword, from the rostrum. This is a particularly graceful piece with a special emphasis on scales (standing on one leg, arms stretched out like a plane). The movements are unusually open with sword placement precise and nicely balanced. As we said, there are a few swords—Pure Yang, Kun Wu, San Cai, Green Duckweed and Wu Dang—that stand out in a three thousand year experimental quest. |
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 Ten Sword Manual -
C134by Master Monk Min $15.95 Traditional Chinese Characters, softbound. 67 pages, old photos and ancient ink drawings, double folded Chinese style pages. This short but oversized book is a reproduction of a sword manual written by a student of his father Li Dun Su and his father's teacher Yan Zi Yang. It contains an introduction on incidents in the lives of the older generation, some great old photographs, facsimile pages of the manual's first edition, examples of Chinese painting and ten full page classical manner illustrations of figure in line drawings each demonstrating one posture for each of the Ten Sword Movements. The brush stroked Chinese that accompanies these illustrations are reproduced in Chinese type font so they can be read. There is also an explanatory section on the meaning of the characters by teacher Yan Zi Yang. Another teacher involved with this book was Li Dun Su, Sun Lu Tang's favorite student. A little prize of historical interest. Introduction: "The World's Most Beautiful Sword Manual" Li MaoLin Special Energies with the Sword Emitting Power Dry Force • Splitting Force • Pressing (ya) Force • Pushing Force Sweeping • Washing • Chopping • Hooking • Bringing • Stabbing First Appendix: Ten Sword Manual deciphered Second Appendix: Yan Zi Yang's complete explanation of the characters
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by "Martial Studies Bookstore" $17.95 Traditional Chinese Characters, softbound; 271 pages, Photos Without a doubt one of the oddest books we sell. This is an illustrated breakdown of the famous "Green Duckweed" Sword set. But there is no explanation or history about the form, the "author" is a bookstore, the illustrations are little figure drawings with a minimum of explanation about the form, sometimes just the name of the posture. This looks like someone took a personal martial notebook and published it. But the book itself is contemporary, published in 2008, and nicely bound. A collector's item if you are into the Duckweed sword. Other than that, a bit of an enigma. Make sure you see the bigger scan before considering ordering. |
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by Song Geng Ping $11.50 Traditional Chinese Characters, softbound Over 130 pages, Illustrations
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by Xiong Xiu Yun 武藝拾錦 by 熊岫雲. HuaLian ChuBanShe (this edition 1983) $23.95 Traditional Chinese Characters; 348 Pages, paperback, numbered photographs
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 Chun Yang Sword - TC 206by Yuan Chu Tsai $7.95 Traditional Chinese Characters, softbound; About 50 Pages. Photographs.
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by Wang En Cheng $14.95 Traditional Chinese Character; 252 Pages, Softbound. Photographs. There are a few Chinese sword sets that are emerging as pristine and much sought after examples of the heart and soul of Chinese Kung Fu. These will survive for quite a wild. Among these is the Kun Wu Sword, The San Cai Sword, the Duckweed Sword and, of course, the Wu Dang Sword. Here the painter and lifelong practitioner of the Wu Dang gives a very thorough series of photos breaking down and teaching the form. There is also an illustrated story retelling the teaching of the set to a devote disciple. Wang's paintings are shown a bit and they are fantasy landscapes of great skill and detail. There is also supplementary material on grips and sword anatomy. A must-have for Wu Dang and general sword aficionados.Also available in simplified Chinese characters (click photo on right). Read about the lineage of this art. NOTE: TC329 is out of stock, but the simplified character version is in print ...click here
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 Tai Chi Hidden Sect Sword - TC327by Yan He Hua $13.95 Traditional Chinese Character; 114 pages, Softbound, Photographs and line drawings. Originally published in 1935, republished 2006 The illustrations in this book are charming and slightly funky (see scan by clicking picture left). This starts out with a slew of pictures by famous and lesser known teachers. It then shows a "hidden sect" sword with single page illustrations that alone are almost worth the price of the book.
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 Emei Double Partner Swords- TC 426峨嵋雙對劍 Yuan Chu Tsai 袁楚材 $11.95 Traditional Chinese Characters; 96 Pages Softbound - illustrations. This is a great old set performed as a two man sword form. Each section is shown with a one photo per page format accompanied by explanation. We think that most any text by the prolific (for his time) Yuan Chu Tsai is worth a look and this one has particularly good photos for its era of course Yuan's ever present "deep horse" positions.
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青龍戰劍 by Shi Jian Qing 石劍青 $8.95 Traditional Chinese Characters; 100 pages, illustrations, softbound. A nice, graceful sword in this modest hand written-style text series. The movements breakdown here for straight sword is: Pi 劈 , Ce 刺, Gua 掛，Liao 撩，Dian 點，Beng 崩，Yun 雲，Ma 抹，Zhan 斬，Jie 截，Chuan 穿，Jia 架，Ji 擊，Ge 格，Xue 削，Sao 掃 etc.. Handwritten style text and small double illustrations at the page bottom show the twists and turns of this form. |
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劍經十二篇 By Fu Niu 伏牛 $15.95 Traditional Chinese Characters; 78 pages, photographs, softbound. This book by "Fu Niu" is a series of twelve chapters broken down into multiple sections on topics of the art of the sword (Jianshu). There are a few illustrations but this facsimile edition is mostly text. Average chapter is about half a page so if you are translating you won't go mad on too long a project. Here's a short, informal (very) translation to get a taste of the style. Sections include: sword theory, empty and full methods, knowing yourself, testing power, thorough understanding, character and morals, caution, the sword's body and more... This text has been much studied by experts in Japanese sword arts: Ken Jitsu etc. See Jason Tsou's English book on Jian Shu |
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Lion Books of Taiwan |
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 Lion
Books #C070 San Cai Sword by Xu Shi jin $12.95 Traditional Chinese Characters; 126 pages, softbound, old photos. The San Cai, originally from Xing Yi as we understand it, is considered one of the best, if not the best, two person practice set for the straight sword in all of Kung Fu. This book shows the set divided into three portions, with names such as Hawk form, Bear form, Advancing Rib Thrust, White Snake Spits Book form, Embrace the Moon, Wild Goose Leaves Flock, Blue Dragon Wags Tail, Immortal Points the Way, Blue Dragon Enters Cave, Golden Pheasant Pecks Rice, Turn One's Head to Regard the Moon, and others. There is a good section in the front of the book on the origins of the sword and its construction. Old pictures, but not too bad considering their age.
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 Lion
Books Hidden Sect Taiji Sword #C075by Yan De Hua $11.95 Traditional Chinese Characters; 114 pages, softbound, old illustrations. Probably written in the early thirties, this is a book with charming illustrations of the "Hidden Sect" Tai Ji sword. The instructional text is proceeded by a number of appreciations by many instructors accompanied by full page portraits most being instructors in combinations of Tai Chi and Bagua or Xing Yi. A nice collector's piece combining old photographs and interesting drawings.
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 Lion
Books #C071Kun Wu Sword by Xu Shi Jin $13.95 Traditional Chinese Characters; 122 pages, photographs (old), softbound. There are those who feel that the Kun Wu sword is one of the only really important sword sets in Chinese martial arts. A favorite of many people including Li Jing Ling, Liu Yun Chiao and others, the Kun Wu derives it complexity from movements that appear simple. Old photos of intriguing quality. Inclusions are the set itself, some usage at the back, preperatory remarks on footwork and the Ten Characters for sword. A nice addition for that collection of CMA sword work.
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Key Points by Huang YuanXiu $12.95 Traditional Chinese Characters; 53 pages, old photographs. Written in 1931 (republished in 2002), this is a classic text on the WuDang Sword. Huang YuanXiu not only discusses sword basics, construction and philosophy, but demonstrates a two-person usage. Margin notes clarify textual points. Photographs, though old, are clear and easily understood. The traditional Chinese characters are very cleanly printed. 43 illustrations, mostly photographs. A nice text. An appendix discussing the teachings of Li JingLin (FangChen) one of the greatest sword practitioners of the 20th Century and a person dedicated to organizing and preserving sword technique. This is a key book for the researcher. |
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 Classic
Reprint: True Writings on the Duckweed Sword C025by Jiang Rong Jiao $12.95 Traditional Chinese Characters; 200 pages Originally published in 1930 in ShangHai. After a preface the book is divided into six sections. Among these pages deal with the sword itself, the hand eye and body methods, single person practice methods, the Duckweed sword itself. The sword is derived from ancient sword practice which was, for centuries, a hidden technique. Until its publication this form was considered rare with technique passed on only rarely. Learn about Master Jiang Rong Jiao
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 Classic
Reprint:
Da Mo Sword C043 by Zhao Lien Ho demonstrator, Chen Tieh Sheng commentary $14.95 Traditional Chinese Characters 94 pages, great old photos. Originally: 1930 Shanghai World Publishing. This is a nice sword set with some great photographs of good, solid formal postures. Contents of this classic volume include an introduction by Lu Wei Chang. Then the structure of the book is divided into two sections. The first demonstrates the Da Mo (Boddhidharma) Straight Sword. Jiang Su Yao is also supposed to have contributed to this text. After a set with some unusual postures and footwork there is an entire section of notes. This second section notes details on the art of the sword. There are even line drawings of the types of strokes practiced and performed with the sword. A nice old text. |
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 Classic
Reprint: Nobleman's Sword C047by Zhao Lien Ho demonstrator $10.95 Traditional Chinese Characters; 94 pages, great old photos. In this case "Nobleman" refers to a person of noble character. This rarely reprinted book shows the Nobleman's 24 strikes and the form. The type sword used here is of the "Double Handed" variety. Consequently the energy for the Double Handed Sword is said to come more form the heels, while the typical short sword comes more from the back muscles and spine: they are not played in the same way. Large, charming illustrations show an armored warrior with facing page explanations of the movements. |
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