Unlike most martial arts, Chinese internal (soft-style) boxing does not depend upon muscular strength. The secret behind its power lies in the cultivation and practical application of internal energy-chi. There are basically three soft-style martial arts: T'ai-chi, already well known worldwide, and Hsing-i and Pa-kua, relative newcomers to the West.
Although they are essentially not fighting arts but living arts, they are devastating as systems of self-defense.
This book outlines the history of Hsing-i-a style of boxing given form (hsing) by the mind (i)-and gives a thorough account of the philosophy behind the techniques. It also presents to the West for the first time the orthodox style of the late Chinese Hsing-i master Chen P'an-ling.
Described here in great detail and fully illustrated are the basic techniques, the five fists of Hsing-i, a linked form of the five fists, and the twelve animal styles.
About the Author
Robert W. Smith is one of America's great pioneers in the Asian martial arts and has written numerous books and articles on these ancient fighting traditions. Smith is the author of Pa-Kua: Chinese Boxing for Fitness and Self-Defense and Chinese Boxing: Masters and Methods, also available from North Atlantic Books. He lives in Hendersonville, North Carolina.
104 pages
