Take a journey back in time to discover the origins of the Shaolin Five Animals, while uncovering the fighting techniques and philosophy of the art of Hung Ga Kuen. "The Authentic Teachings of Wong Fei Hung: The Five Animal Form", by renowned author and martial artist Master Frank Yee (Yee Chi Wai), firmly establishes the reason why this Traditional Chinese Martial Art has stood the test of time. From its origins in the Ching Dynasty, Hung Ga has been used to fight invaders when lives have depended on it. Applying the universal principles as set forth by the ancient Book of Changes (Yi Jing) and used by a multitude of fighting arts, "to change and be versatile" is the only way to survive against a stronger foe. The combination of the Five Animals - Dragon, Snake, Tiger, Leopard, and Crane - is how this art was as historically versatile and practical in combat as it is today. Never has a book included so many clearly explained details of the form, fighting techniques, theory and philosophy of Hung Ga Kuen's Five Animals. Master Frank Yee guides you through this incredible form illustrated with over 2000 color photographs of the complete set and the fighting applications, as well as supplemental solutions for the "ever-changing" combat situations. This book will be a valuable resource for practitioners of Hung Ga Kuen or any martial art.

This is the first comprehensive, fully-researched account of the historical and contemporary development of the traditional martial arts genre in the Chinese cinema known as wuxia (literal translation: martial chivalry) - a genre which audiences around the world became familiar with through the phenomenal 'crossover' hit Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). The book unveils rich layers of the wuxia tradition as it developed in the early Shanghai cinema in the late 1920s, and from the 1950s onwards, in the Hong Kong and Taiwan film industries. Key attractions of the book are analyses of:*The history of the tradition as it began in the Shanghai cinema, its rise and popularity as a serialized form in the silent cinema of the late 1920s, and its eventual prohibition by the government in 1931.*The fantastic characteristics of the genre, their relationship with folklore, myth and religion, and their similarities and differences with the kung fu sub-genre of martial arts cinema.*The protagonists and heroes of the genre, in particular the figure of the female knight-errant.*The chief personalities and masterpieces of the genre - directors such as King Hu, Chu Yuan, Zhang Che, Ang Lee, Zhang Yimou, and films such as Come Drink With Me (1966), The One-Armed Swordsman (1967), A Touch of Zen (1970-71), Hero (2002), House of Flying Daggers (2004), and Curse of the Golden Flower (2006).

Part Two explores the thought, feelings, and behavior of the direct participants in the Boxer experience, individuals who, without a preconceived idea of the entire event, understood what was happening to them in a manner fundamentally different from historians.

In the spring of 1959, eighteen-year-old Bruce Lee returned to San Francisco, the city of his birth. Although the martial arts were widely unknown in America, Bruce encountered a robust fight culture in the Bay Area, populated with talented and trailblazing practitioners such as Lau Bun, Chinatown’s aging kung fu patriarch; Wally Jay, the innovative Hawaiian jujitsu master; and James Lee, the Oakland street fighter. Regarded by some as a brash loudmouth and by others as a dynamic visionary, Bruce spent his first few years back in America advocating for a modern approach to the martial arts, and showing little regard for the damaged egos left in his wake. The year of 1964 would be an eventful one for Bruce, in which he would broadcast his dissenting worldview before the first great international martial arts gathering, and then defend it by facing down Wong Jack Man—Chinatown’s young kung fu ace—in a legendary behind-closed-doors showdown. These events were a catalyst to the dawn of martial arts in America and a prelude to an icon. Based on over one hundred original interviews, Striking Distance chronicles Bruce Lee’s formative days amid the heated martial arts proving ground that thrived on San Francisco Bay in the early 1960s.

This is a book by noted Hung Gar Master Lam Chun Fai, son of Lam Sai Wing, the greatest master of Hung Gar in his generation.

For so many around the world, it was in the cinema that they saw their first glimpse of martial arts. Through the films of Lau Kar Leung, among others, they came to appreciate the power and skill of many kung fu techniques. However devotees and practitioners of kung fu and Hung Kuen were aware of the much longer tradition of these arts and in particular, the contribution of both the Lam family and the Lau family. In 2009 the Hong Kong Government endeavoured to identify and recognize forms of intangible cultural heritage. It was this awareness of a vibrant part of Hong Kong history and culture which led to the creation of the Hong Kong Martial Arts Living Archive, and from this the exhibition, Lingnan Hung Kuen Across the Century: Kung Fu Narratives in Hong Kong Cinema and Community. In the exhibition and this companion book, the histories of the Lam and Lau families are traced, and their role in preserving and creating new stances and forms and bringing Hung Kuen to a wider audience through the medium of film. Using the latest technologies including 3D imagery, the work of past masters has been here brought back to life.

The martial arts are various methods of armed and unarmed combat, originally used in warfare in the Far East and shaped by Oriental philosophical concepts. The history of martial arts is challenging to document precisely, because of the lack of historical records, secretive nature of the teacher-student relationships and political circumstances during much of its history. The martial arts are popular in many parts of the world today as forms of self-defense, law enforcement tactics, competitive sports, and exercises for physical fitness. Among them are KARATE , Kung fu, jujitsu, JUDO, aikido, Tai chi chuan, Sumo wrestling, and kendo. This informative book takes it's reader on a journey throughout time and across the globe for a close up look at the history of many martial arts styles .