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Rating: 
Summary: Suprisingly good
Review: As a Martial artist for over a decade now i was suprised to read a book that wasn't just an advertisment for somebodys school. He puts forward interesting theories and lets you decide to take away what if anything you wish .Ps begginers in martial arts should never, never, try to larn from books its just bad news trust me, unlearning is ten times harder than learning get out there and do some research and find a good techer.
Rating:
Summary: Suprisingly good
Review: As a Martial artist for over a decade now i was suprised to read a book that wasn't just an advertisment for somebodys school. He puts forward interesting theories and lets you decide to take away what if anything you wish . Ps begginers in martial arts should never, never, try to larn from books its just bad news trust me, unlearning is ten times harder than learning get out there and do some research and find a good techer.
Rating: 
Summary: Dr. Smiths books are thought provoking and controvercial.
Review: Dr. smith is a controvercial figure in the wing chun world. Nevertheless, his books bring up some interesting points. I would not rate this book high on the level of instruction however.He touches upon all three levels of wing chun in this book.
Rating: 
Summary: A scientific perspective on a traditional martial art
Review: Smith does a fine job of explaining and analyzing the main principles of Wing Chun with an open mind, and then describes the 3 main forms of the Yip Man school with clear photos. He looks at Wing Chun as martial science, rather than simply "art", and I found it both refreshing and insightful. I'm always skeptical about what I read on the subject of the martial arts, so I compared his Sil Lum Tao form to the descriptions presented by several other qualified authors (Ip Chan, William Cheung, and James Yipp Lee, so far...) and it would seem to have been presented rather accurately, with only minor variations. The basic principles are all there and embodied in the form. Chum Kil and Bil Jee are also presented clearly, though I haven't cross-referenced their accuracy. Despite what others may say, I believe it is possible to learn the fundamentals, strategies, and katas or forms from books/videos, and therefore teach oneself the essence of a martial art style, an idea I credit this book with justifying. However, mastery, or even realistic applications of that knowledge require experimentation and human contact with an instructor or at least a knowledgable partner. In short, this is a useful edition to any martial artist's bookshelf, and is capable of taking you as far as the printed medium will allow (with dedicated practice, of course).
Rating:
Summary: A scientific perspective on a traditional martial art
Review: Smith does a fine job of explaining and analyzing the main principles of Wing Chun with an open mind, and then describes the 3 main forms of the Yip Man school with clear photos. He looks at Wing Chun as martial science, rather than simply "art", and I found it both refreshing and insightful. I'm always skeptical about what I read on the subject of the martial arts, so I compared his Sil Lum Tao form to the descriptions presented by several other qualified authors (Ip Chan, William Cheung, and James Yipp Lee, so far...) and it would seem to have been presented rather accurately, with only minor variations. The basic principles are all there and embodied in the form. Chum Kil and Bil Jee are also presented clearly, though I haven't cross-referenced their accuracy. Despite what others may say, I believe it is possible to learn the fundamentals, strategies, and katas or forms from books/videos, and therefore teach oneself the essence of a martial art style, an idea I credit this book with justifying. However, mastery, or even realistic applications of that knowledge require experimentation and human contact with an instructor or at least a knowledgable partner. In short, this is a useful edition to any martial artist's bookshelf, and is capable of taking you as far as the printed medium will allow (with dedicated practice, of course).
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