1 comments about The Way of Harmony: A Guide to Self-Knowledge Through the Arts of 'Ai Chi Chuan Hsing I, Pa Kua, and Chi Kung.

1. The three above mentioned arts plus Chi Kung are the classical "Internal Arts" of Chinese martial arts. They are known for thier life giving, healing properties as well as thier effectivness as a fighting arts. This book gives a good overview of the arts with unigue and very effective line drawings which show movement.Tai chi is by far the most well known in the West but the other arts share the same principles and effect the body in the same way

1 comments about Keys to Living Well: Dharma Words I (Keys to Living Well).

1. Book Review by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality & Health Magazine Online
   Keys to Living Well: Dharma Words (1)
   Venerable Master Hsing Yun
   Buddha's Light Publishing 06/05 Paperback $13.00
   ISBN 1932293132
   
   In our busy lives of e-mails, cell phones, multitasking, and computer chat rooms, there sometimes seems to be little evidence of thoughtful behavior and common decency. Even to use these terms is to be taken back to another time and place. The etiquette which was once taught in the home and savored as part of the spiritual life is endangered in both arenas.
   
   Venerable Master Hsing Yun is founder of the Fo Guang Shan (Buddha's Light Mountain) Buddhist Order and Buddha's Light International Association. He teaches a brand of Humanistic Buddhism that is down-to-earth and concerned with ethics, interpersonal relationships, courtesy, and conduct that builds character. In Being Good: Buddhist Ethics for Everyday Life and in Living Affinity: Nurturing the Environment, Our Relationships and the Life of the Spirit (a Spirituality & Health Book Award winner), Master Hsing Yun demonstrates a keen ability to examine matters of substance. This paperback contains a treasure-trove of lectures on virtues, maxims on how to deal with difficult people, warnings on things to watch out for in relating to others, mottos for right conduct, and advice for living a full and rich life.
   
   Master Hsing Yun has great respect for courtesy. He writes, "Courtesy is the foundation for handling people and situations. It is the guideline for human relationships and the benchmark for ethical conduct. When we behave courteously, it is easier for us to maintain appropriate and harmonious relationships. Therefore, courtesy is a basic condition in getting along with others, and it must be cultivated from a young age. From our parents and teachers, we learn the proper manners between old and young, senior and junior. Having courtesy, we should always abide by these manners, so as not to err in dealing with people and situations."
   
   Buddhist Humanism is very high on the spiritual practices of compassion, kindness, humility, patience, tolerance, and other selfless virtues. These qualities must be activated each and every day in our interaction with others. For example, all of us at one time or another are bothered by grudges, things that individuals have done in the past that we just cannot forget. Master Hsing Yun notes: "Be forgiving and understanding instead of holding any grudges. We must never allow a grudge to fester and grow inside our mind, because we will only be harming ourselves in the end. The greatest virtue in life is forgiveness. When there is animosity from others, we need to be forgiving and understanding. We should not be calculating and attached to our views. Therefore, we need forgiveness and understanding to overcome animosity and the holding of grudges."
   
   Closely related is the problem of jealousy or envy: "Because some of us cannot bear seeing others do well, such as when we hear our friends getting a promotion or our neighbors being prosperous and wealthy, we come to feel uncomfortable. We may start out feeling rejection and envy, and eventually we will resent them. Actually, when others are doing well, we should not only be happy for them, but we can even take a little pride in their glory. When we are not jealous of what others possess or have accomplished, we will not harbor any bitterness."
   
   Master Heing Yun is convinced that contentment is one of the major keys to living well. He states: "After a meal, the Hakka people in Taiwan will always reply to the question, 'Are you full?' with 'I'm content.' It is important for us to appreciate contentment; otherwise, it will be of no use to us even if we eat gourmet meals every day. When we are content, we are truly happy. Contentment is of prime importance in life because the joy it brings is even better than fame and fortune." This is a lesson that we in the West have to learn: at present our energies our fueled by discontent and we jump through consumerism hoops to reach the grail of something better or different. We would all be wise to heed the author's description of what it takes to be carefree: "Let go of honor and disgrace. Let go of fame and fortune. Let go of gain and loss. Let go of our desires." Read this book, and you will see that there is no spirituality without serious attention to civility and courtesy.
   
   Reviews and database copyright 1980-2005 by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat.

No comments about Hsing-I.

No comments about Dress, Sex and Text in Chinese Culture: Chung-Kuo Yin Wen Hua, I Cho Nu Hsing Yu Wen Tzu.

No comments about Book Of Soft Martial Arts: Finding Personal Harmon: Finding Personal Harmony With Chi Kung, Hsing I, Pa Kua And T'Ai Chi.

No comments about Chinese Internal Boxing: Techniques of Hsing-I & Pa-Kua.

5 comments about Hsing-I: Chinese Internal Boxing (Chinese Martial Arts Library).

1. Allen Pittman and Rober Smith offer a simple, insightful introduction to the internal art of Hsing-I Chuan. A short history and some general guidelines are followed by a complete forms section including 5 Elements and 12 Animals sets. The book is not meant to be comprehensive, and it achieves its goal of giving the reader a real sense of what the art is about. The only down side is in comparison to Robert Smith's orignial Hsing-I book, this one comes out a bit the lesser. It is missing the pictures of the old masters, and their chapter of invaluable advice. It is also missing the two-man exercises and applications. Hsing-I players will want to have this book, however, as it gives a valuable reference in terms of forms comparison, and offers some valuable advice on the goals of practice. The final piece of which is :"Therefore, in order to best perfect your Hsing-I skills, always work hard and remain humble."



2. A straight-forward guide, it provides coverage of the five elements and the twelve animals of Hsing-I and should be useful to beginners. Heaven knows, my copy has been well-used. The illustrations and descriptions of the movements are fairly easy to follow. It's not an in-depth coverage and does not claim to be, but it does present the basics and touches a bit on the history and philosophy behind the art.



3. A straight-forward guide, it provides coverage of the five elements and the twelve animals of Hsing-I and should be useful to beginners. Heaven knows, my copy has been well-used. The illustrations and descriptions of the movements are fairly easy to follow. It's not an in-depth coverage and does not claim to be, but it does present the basics and touches a bit on the history and philosophy behind the art.



4. I enjoyed some of the writing vignettes, other than that, ya stretch, ya breathe, ya throw some punches. Nice.
   If your only gonna buy one martial arts type book, buy another one.



5. I believe the authors are among the first to introduce hsing-i chuan (pinyin: xingyiquan) to western audiences. In presenting a complete core hsing-i curriculum, together with fundamental concepts and training, the authors textualize the bio-mechanics and forms behind the 5 fists and 12 animals. Also included are sections on hsing-i lineage, martial wisdom and philosphy.
   
   This is mainly a reference material, as Books and DVDs do not make good primary instructional material for martial arts, so plan on attending a seminar or finding a good local school to get the most from this book.

5 comments about Hsing-I: Chinese Mind-Body Boxing.

1. For one not familiar with the direct simplicity of hsing-i (pinyin: xingyiquan) as a martial art, it is paradoxically simple yet complex. The five fists, a set of forms linked with the chinese concepts of the five elements, provide a base template of techniques that the hsing-i practitioner turns into an effective combat meditation. Through mindful repetitiveness, one *becomes*, attaining a state of unforced being through which martial techniques flow.
   
   I like this book. Early in my martial career, personages, lineages and other such nonsense were antithetical. I thought: "why should those things be in a book about kicking butt?" I'm older now and greatly value what my teachers and my teachers teachers pass on to me. This book is steeped in that same sense of reverence. The author provides a thoughtful balance of basic techniques with quotes from famous hsing-i masters and a look at his own hsing-i lineage, which are very interesting and well done.
   
   This is mainly a reference material, as Books and DVDs do not make good primary instructional material for martial arts, so plan on attending a seminar or finding a good local school to get the most from this book.



2. What it lacks in detailed illustrations, it makes up for in character and detailed instruction. I agree that this one is far and away better than the version which Mr. Smith and Mr. Pittman co-authored.
   It's an excellent book for anyone who's really curious about this wonderful art as well as for Xingyi neophytes.



3. This is one of the best books available on the subject of Martial Arts.
   The book is on a specific subject - Internal Martial Arts (of China) known as Hsing-I. The illustrations with pictures are lucid. The book covers basic principles, basic techniques, philosophies, all the 12 style forms, brief history and biographies of masters, masters' advices, applications to self defence and a lot more. It very clearly explains why Hsing-I is known as Mind-Body Boxing. The author has put his heart into writing about Hsing-I. The scientific approach of a western mind combined with the author's expertise in the oriental subject make the book complete, thorough and interesting. The book is complete in itself on the subject. It also explains importance of Chi (Energy or Pran) cultivation that is the basis of all the internal martial arts including Hsing-I.
   
   The book provides a complete and thorough knowledge on Hsing-I.
   It is a complete reference on the subject.
   
   Very rarely have I seen a martial arts book so interesting, lucid and complete.



4. There are five pieces to Xing Yi: Wu Xing, Lian Huan, the first two-man forms, the 12 animal forms, and the later two-man forms. This book includes the first two: the five fists and their linking form. And it spells them out without any mystical nonsense or other garbage. Mr. Smith was more or less a collector of Chinese Boxing and threw some not-so-xing-yi things in here too. But that's okay because he also includes excerpts from Sun Lutang's True Boxing Stories (loose translation of title.) This book is certainly worth your time and its price.



5. This book was one of the earlier books on martial arts that I purchased. Not knowing a thing about martial arts at the time, I couldn't get my mind around much of what was presented. On the other hand, I loved the stories within and the "advice of the masters" segment right away. I remember staring intently at the pictures of Yuan Dao, Paul Guo and especially the little section featuring the five elements done by Wang Shu Jin. Taken in an unposed mid-action way, they really convey Wang's dynamic actions. Having since studied both Xingyiquan and Baguazhang for more than a decade, I have come to realize what a goldmine was presented here. This book still lays, beaten and tattered, littered with highlighting and notes, on my bookshelf. This is because the book presented Xingyi postures by highly skilled practitioners along with excellent guides to its meaning and practice. Newer books may show more material, or translate large tracts of key points, but this book still has the goods: first rate practitioners showing their art. Recently when giving a gift to a person I wanted to get interested in Xingyi, I still chose this book.

5 comments about The Power of Internal Martial Arts: Combat Secrets of Ba Gua, Tai Chi, and Hsing-I.

1. This tome is of the Power within, recommended to those that follow Bushido and Chivalary.
   To Thine I say these words
   Be Strong, Be true
   Never in Malice, Never in Hate , Never in evil shall this blade be raised. But in righteousness and Justice forever shall it shine
   Be Victorious
   Our time will come



2. A wise man once said something akin to "Those who know, do not speak. Those who do not know, speak." Another wise man once said "A teacher is someone who started before you."
   
   Undoubtedly mr. Frantzis is an intelligent, talented, well-trained, eloquent person, fluent in so and so many languages. However, I find the amount of excessive pride either attributed to or claimed by the author himself (i do not know what is the case) somewhat troubling. I prefer my teachers humble and modest. Boasting creates unnecessary boundaries and thresholds that merely obscure the arts. Besides, how much time and energy is waisted because of protocol? I'm sure many people can relate to this (though protocol can be beneficial too sometimes).
   
   The internal arts mentioned in this book to me seem to be all the more interesting and profoundly inspiring because they are accessible to all. We are all beginners in a field that knows no point of arrival, no stage of absolute attainment of perfection. I guess every field needs its gospel and prophets. What a shame. I wonder whether this is really something mr. Frantzis really aspires.
   
   Nonetheless an awesome book, very inspiring and informative.



3. Sadly there are a lot of people who are misled but the subtitle that says: "Combat Secrets of Ba Gua, Tai Chi, and Hsing-I." And I see how it can be, I don't think this subtitle should have been used. Otherwise it's a very informative book.
   People who posted negative reviews on this book do have points. The book does have structure issues. The book seems a bit chaotic when you read it. Another thing people mention is author's "self-praise." While I do find that there could have been less of it, I don't find it horrible or obstructing your reading flow.
   This book is packed with information. Not much for practical knowledge, but there's a lot of info as far as theory goes. But what some don't understand I guess, is that it's an axiom. Even book on strictly technique can practically help you only so much. The book cannot develop your fast-twitch muscles, cannot give you sharp reflexes, techniques, or supply you with Chi (Ki, Hei). No matter how attractive the word "secrets" in title sounds, there's no secret or magical way to improve. What "secrets" means in this book is an explanation of energy work, the other way to view human body for martial applications and such. Also "secrets" in this book are the knowledge and wisdom of the great martial artists the author had privilege to train with. If you can see this knowledge and apply it to your training or not is up to you.
   This is not a book about techniques of internal martial arts, but rather it helps you understand what are you learning: all the energy, technical or mechanical works behind internal martial arts. Kind of like explaining you how the plane works rather than teaching you to pilot it.
   All in all it's a great book which is rather misunderstood (partly because of subtitle).



4. I think this is a book that would be most enjoyable to those who wish to add to their intellectual or theoretical knowledge of the internal martial arts. It may come as a disappointment to those looking for a "how-to" manual, and I doubt anything mentioned in the book really ranks as a true "combat secret." However, the book does contain a decent amount of information on a subject that normally does not see a lot of exposure (or at least not as much as many would like). While certainly not comprehensive (not all variations of bagua, xingyi, or tai chi are explored, which would no doubt be an exhaustive project spanning several volumes) it is useful as a comparative resource. I found the personal anecdotes charming and often inspiring, though perhaps lacking in credibility at times. Some things the author writes about may have to be taken with a grain of salt, but overall I enjoyed the text and found it useful. I would suggest, however, that those looking for actual techniques to practice look elsewhere.



5. This book offers interesting stories about Frantzis' encounters with legendary masters and others. Also, it provides some food for thought on the internal Chinese martial arts. On the other hand, it can be a bit verbose and most of what you read probably won't make much difference to your everyday practice. This is definitely not a "how-to" book on any of these arts.

5 comments about The Power of Internal Martial Arts and Chi: Combat and Energy Secrets of Ba Gua, Tai Chi and Hsing-I.

1. This book was very inspirational when I first read it about 7 years ago. The added chapter and info in the new edition makes it just that much better. Frantzis has one of the deepest wells of knowledge of any practitioner I've ever come across. More importantly, he can communicate what he knows clearly. This book is not a how to manual, but is an eye opening big picture view of the internal martial arts, what they are capable of, and how they get there. Perhaps most importantly, the sections on animal, human, and spiritual martial arts give relevance beyond just physically crushing an opponent, and adds a since of WHY these arts can be such a powerful tool to the refinement of the entire individual.



2. this book was great for beginners or should be read by people interested in learning the internal arts. All people who begin learning an internal art have questions.This is a very deep subject and at times difficult to understand,Mr. Frantzis answers so many of these questions.when you begin your journey this book will be a good refence also. GLENN LITZAU



3. This is a good book for overview and good for beginners to martial arts. But you will not find any practical hints. On the other hand although I found only one sentence useful in the book, it is worth to buy and read this book for this only sentence.



4. This is an amazing book in my opinion and it goes into great detail about every aspect of the 3 main Internal Martial Arts of China.
   Everyone with an interest in studying Tai Chi should read this book!
   My review is based on an earlier version of the book which I purchased a few years ago.
   
   I have been studying Yang Style Tai Chi for 6 years now in Northern Ireland and more recently, Wu Style Broadsword and I have found that good teachers are few and far between.
   I have very been lucky to find 2 good teachers!
   
   I have 5 of Bruce's books now, a video and some DVD's ~ I refer to them on a regular basis for tips, but mainly for inspiration, when the circumstances of life prevent me from practicing as regularly as I would like.
   The book that this review is concerning is excellent in that respect ~ it demonstrates the immense possibilities of what one can achieve by training their own body and mind & this process ultimately gives one access to their spirit and to their higher spiritual qualities.
   
   All of Bruce's work is so multi-faceted ~ you will get what you need depending on your level of experience and understanding ~ this is something that you feel after a lot of practice, rather than a mere intellectual understanding ~ next time you read, you will pick up something new and so on and so forth.
   
   Just like regular practice of a form ~ if you are really focusing on what you are doing, you pick up on very subtle qualities each time you practice and that information can be used to improve your form & help you reach higher levels of perfection.
   
   This book has developed in me, an interest in studying Ba Gua Chang, which I hope to get into in a few years time, after I perfect my current Tai Chi and Broadsword forms.
   
   When I read Bruce's books, I feel myself "like a small baby" (in the words of the immortal T.T.Laing)
   The amount of knowledge contained in this and his other books is phenomenal!!!
   
   My advice? ... BUY IT ... it will become one of your best friends on your life-long journey of discovering your true potential.



5. Bruce Kumar Frantzis is awesome, both as a teacher, and as a lucid writer. The Power of Internal Martial Arts and Chi is a well written tome that interlaces Frantzis' personal history with the history of a wide variety of the martial arts, from karate to bagua, and is an excellent introduction into the martial and healing arts. I highly recommend it for the novice as well as the seasoned martial artist. It is definitely a book that inspires and motivates.