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Rating: 
Summary: 5 fists & advice from the masters
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: A True Classic
Review: I totally agree with Carlos this is a true classic and its highly unfortunate its out of print. The other book by Robert W Smith & Alan Pittman does not bear comparision unfortunatley this one always seems available while the true classic is out of print. A whackey world or what ???? .I would love to get may hands on a copy
Rating:
Summary: A True Classic
Review: I totally agree with Carlos this is a true classic and its highly unfortunate its out of print. The other book by Robert W Smith & Alan Pittman does not bear comparision unfortunatley this one always seems available while the true classic is out of print. A whackey world or what ???? .I would love to get may hands on a copy
Rating:
Summary: In the tradition of "Chinese Boxing: Masters And Methods"...
Review: This text is a true classic!! ...A must read for Hsing-I Ch'uan (Xingyi Quan) stylists and internal martial arts enthusiasts everywhere. The author, Robert W. Smith, was the first person to really convey the depth and tradition of internal kung fu in this country. Many of his experiences studying in Taiwan in the sixties and early seventies have been written about in his books. He personally met many famous masters that many only read about. Amoung them are: Sun, Lu-Tang; Wang, Shu-Chin; Hung, I-Hsiang; Ch'ang, Shih-Jung; Cheng,Man-Ch'ing and many more! It's truely a shame that this fine book is out of print. I read it several times in high school (a copy of the book was owned by my sifu) but always wanted to have a copy of it for myself. I've tried and tried to find a copy to buy but haven't had any luck with it. :( There is also a problem with people misassociated this book with the recently published Hsing- I book written by Robert W. Smith and Allen Pittman. For all Smith fans out there; this is NOT the same book! No offense to his more recent work though. This book offers much more in the way of sharing the personal experiences of highly developed masters of the art. Of particular interest to me was the experiences of Sun, Lu-Tang's alchemical transmutations while practicing the more refined and esoteric aspects of Hsing-I. The stories about the lives of these masters were also fascinating. It is inspiring to read about the authentic experiences of individuals who reached extremely high levels of attainment in their Kung Fu. Another point in the books favor are the many decent black and white photographs of true masters practicing their art! They are holding various postures and displaying the proper bodily alignment for many of the movements in Hsing -I. The pictures alone are worth the price of the book! This book was,obviously, very influential to me. It would be a joy to read again and I sincerely hope that it gets republished or that I may find a copy of it somewhere.
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