Publication Date:February 1, 2008 Availability:Usually ships in 1-2 business days Shipping:Expedited shipping available Condition:A copy that has been read, but remains in clean condition.May include ex library markings. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact(including dust cover, if applicable). The spine may show signs of wear. Pages can include limited notes and highlighting. Thank You for your purchase, it goes to a non profit organization and will be shipped in 24 business hours.
Product Description The new edition of Bruce Lee's classic Chinese Gung Fu: The Philosophical Art of Self-Defense rejuvenates the authority, insight and charm of the master's original 1963 publication for modern audiences. It seamlessly brings together Lee's original language, descriptions and demonstrations with new material for readers, martial arts enthusiasts and collectors that want Lee in his purest form. The new edition includes digitally enhanced vintage photographs, previously unpublished pictures with Lee's original handwritten notes, Chinese characters written by the author and painstakingly scanned for this book, and contemporary introductions by Lee's widow Linda Lee Cadwell and daughter Shannon Lee. This timeless work preserves the integrity of Lee's hand-drawn diagrams and captioned photo sequences in which he demonstrates a variety of training exercises and fighting techniques, ranging from gung fu stances and leg training to single- and multiple- opponent scenarios. Thought-provoking essays on the history of gung fu, the theory of yin and yang, and personal, first-edition testimonials by James Y. Lee, the legendary Ed Parker and jujutsu icon Wally Jay round out this one and only book by Lee on the Chinese martial arts.
First Edition- bought it, don't want it.July 23, 2008 I bought this book a few months ago. It's a first Edition from 1963, not a reprint. It's not too informative. What's it worth?
A few commentsJanuary 6, 2005 12 out of 13 found this review helpful
Compared to the books out now on kung fu this book probably wouldn't rate much of a mention if it weren't for the fact that it's Lee's first published work, at least in the west. It gives a basic overview of kung fu, including some philosophy, exercises, basic style info, and a number of techniques. As far as technical knowledge goes, probably the most interesting thing there is the photo sequences showing Lee defending against multiple assailants, which are good.
But at just under 100 pages, it's small although the overall quality for the time was probably pretty decent considering this was probably one of the few books in English on kung fu at the time. But by current standards it's more than a bit on the light side. Even so no doubt Bruce Lee fans will want to acquire the book to have a complete collection of his works, since he only wrote six or seven books.
Probably the most interesting thing about it is Lee says the material and techniques in the book derive from the period before he started studying Wing Chun. In that sense the book is more important for its historical value in showing an earlier phase of Lee's kung fu development. Danny Inosanto also said Lee had studied northern long fist and learned all the empty-handed forms there (of which there are about a dozen), so this material could have been drawn from that.
Many of the photos are a little dark and lacking in contrast but they're still viewable and not bad. You can still see what's going on. But they're not up to the quality of more recent books.
One thing Lee says that still resonates today is his statement that a good martial artist will take all the knowledge that he's acquired and simplify it to get the true, distilled essence of the art. At the most advanced levels, the principles and techniques then become "simple" after being "complicated." Of course, it takes a very advanced and knowledgeable martial artist to be able to see and accomplish that, and perhaps most of us will never get to that point, but Bruce Lee did, which is why he was and still is one of the greats.
By the way, many people aren't aware that Lee combined both karate and kung fu techniques (not to mention Indonesian Pentjak Silat, which most people in this country have still never heard of, although there are at least 300 different styles), so his style is truly synthetic and eclectic. However, because of that many traditional and classical kung fu masters don't consider Lee a true kung fu practitioner. Whether that is true or not I leave up to the reader to decide, although Lee himself once stated that, "There is nothing traditional in my kung fu."
So overall, not a bad book for its time although at this point it looks sort of old-fashioned and dated and will probably be mostly of interest to amateur martial arts historians like myself or serious Bruce Lee fans.
Kung Fu in a nutshell! Bravo!March 11, 2002 6 out of 8 found this review helpful
To the dude who said it was not good for the beginner in martial arts, I totally disagree. In fact, as a new student of Choy Li Fut gung fu and not the wing chun that bruce lee practiced this book has greatly enhanced my training and knowledge. I have the Choy Li Fut kung fu book by Doc Fai Wong and it lacks many details on footwork and punches. Bruce Lee covered the basics which are essential for mastering any style of martial art or fighting for that matter. Yes, it is not 100% complete on wing chun and martial arts like for example it never mentions chau sau (sticky hands) or weapons training but it is great way to learn how to do the correct footwork, stances and core basics. A must for Bruce Lee fans and martial artists. Get this and the Tao of Jeet Kune Do for a wonderful training aid.
Historical rather than authoritativeJanuary 5, 2002 3 out of 8 found this review helpful
This book should not be considered as a complete or even accurate portrayal of the chinese martial arts. Originally published in 1963, it must have been one of the few books in print on "gung-fu" and novel at the time (if it ever sold significant copies). Witness the introduction written by James Y Lee (Lee's good friend) in which Lee is described as "one of the highest authorities in the Chinese Art of Gung Fu in the United States today." Compared with what is available today, this book is rather basic and idiosyncratic. There is some Chinese philosophy, a listing of styles, some waist and leg exercises. A larger part of the book consists of photographs of Lee demonstrating responses to various attacks by opponents - the usual fare of martial arts books. The book ends with a some apparently "filler" photos of Lee's visit to a karate studio. The book has a homemade, hodge-podge feel to it and would appeal to Bruce Lee fans.
Book is short for its priceSeptember 2, 2001 2 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is basically a step by step series of attack/defenses. It acts as a sort of overview of kung fu in about 50 pages or so.. so it misses a lot and is not in depth. The text is short so there is not much for the advanced student but it is not aimed at the beginner either. Spend [a little] more and get some book on Jeet kune do or a different kung fu book.
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