Chinese Fast Wrestling: The Art of San Shou Kuai Jiao Throws, Takedowns, & Ground-Fighting

Curious about the vaunted talents of martial artist Cung Le, I picked up this book to study the style he brought into the mixed martial arts scene. The book provided much insight into his style, why it was so effective in (San Shou) competition, and how it could be used in mixed martial arts competition. There's something to be said about dedicated practice of San Shou, especially with the record Cung Le has in San Shou. It will be interesting to see how Cung Le continues to do with the foundation of San Shou in Mixed Martial Arts competition.

What a rare gem of a book! I have studied Jujutsu and Judo, and been a close-combat instructor in the U.S.M.C. I thought I'd seen everything, but this is truly unique. Theres always a new perspective. Its a compilation of some 75 techniques, generally throws and take-downs, in the unique and unconventional manner often found in Chinese martial-arts. This is real Wushu for close-combat! A common critisism that "chair-borne rangers" and "armchair commandos" make about various martial-arts books, is the usual nagging about a certain technique "not being practical against certain opponents". The fact is, any technique can be effective if you develop your skills, and use it in the right circumstance at the right time. A real martial-artist knows this. Its just common sense. You will find many effective techniques portrayed in this book, some techniques that conventional grapplers may not have considered.

This small volume on San Shou Kuai Jiao is brimming with good information. It will especially enable kickers & punchers to ascend the next level in their fighting. The written content provides very lucid principles to understand the Chinese view of the well-trained fighter. The pictures are definitely some of the best I've seen in a martial arts book with clear and high-contrasting photographs marked with arrows to dilineate the intermediate principles of motion. The layout is logical starting with general principles, then progressing to stances, warm-ups and exercises, then followed by techniques (which are subdivided further by application methods ie. holding leg throws, leg hooking techniques, throwing techniques, etc.). This little known art is a formidable tool in any fighter's arsenal. For those of you who are looking for Hollywood techniques that look pretty---THIS BOOK IS NOT FOR YOU. All others will find this a very well thought out book that shows the strength of San Shou---getting the job done and getting the fight over with as fast as possible. I definitely would look forward to seeing more from this team of authors.

By far the most exhaustive guide to the art of Shuai Jiao (Aka Shuai Chiao) in English. Prior to this volume, there was only a single other work in English on this most practical of wrestling styles ("Fundamentals of Shuai Chiao" by Daniel Weng, who was a student of Chang Tung-sheng's). Authors Liang Shou-yu and Tai Ngo offer a thorough history, in-depth explanation of the theory behind this form of fighting, and important body-toughening exercises. Then they demonstrate a rather complete catalog of techniques from throws and locks to holding and locking on the ground. It will probably come as no surprise to seasoned martial artists who have had the opportunity to watch a Shuai Jiao match that the main differences between this art and others is the speed at which techniques are executed upon a subject (one of the reasons Shuai Jiao body training is sooo tough!). Prior to this volume, the only exposure most of us (outside China and Taiwan) had to Shuai Jiao were a few scattered articles dealing with the great fighting master, Chang Tung-sheng, who maintained an incredible level of fitness even beyond his '70's! The one point which is neglected in this book is the importance of striking PRIOR to the execution of a Shuai Jiao technique (Chang Tung-sheng's theory). Of course, Author Liang Shou-yu is from Mainland China and not Taiwan, and may simply offer a path which deviates from Chang's known methods. This book is a vast improvement over other Shuai Chiao books (mostly Chinese language), which limit themselves to a few illustrations. The editors and authors have teamed up to make sure the photographs convey correct direction and motion. A sequel dealing with either competitive Shuai Jiao or advanced applications (striking + locking & throwing) would be most welcome. What a pity this magnificent art isn't more widely known and taught outside of China.

These throws aren't the prettiest throws that you've seen, but they will most certainly get the job done. Unlike Judo, these throws aren't dependent on grabbing your opponents gi. Also, the throws very nasty in that they tie up your opponent so that he will have difficulty breaking his fall - perfect for combat.Take it easy when practicing some of these throws and make sure that your partner knows how to slap out.