The Complete Guide to Kung-Fu Fighting Styles

A few readers have criticized this book for not being more comprehensive and for perhaps dealing more with kung-fu styles outside of China, but it's still a good introduction for the non-specialist in kung-fu. Some important styles have been left out, or are mentioned only in passing, such as some of the main animal styles such as snake, dragon, black tiger style, and so on, but they still get some attention in the discussions of some of the styles that incorporate their movements, such as Hung Gar and praying mantis. And the author does do a fine job discussing not just praying mantis, but at least five different praying mantis styles (northern praying mantis, 7-star praying mantis, 6-harmony praying mantis, tai mantis, and tai chi praying mantis (also known as the mayflower mantis style), and five monkey kung-fu styles. I would have also liked some mention about which styles were important for later developments in karate. For example, a fusion of several styles from Fukien province, dragon, white crane, and tiger, became the basis of such famous Okinawan karate styles as Uechi-ryu. Others, such as Shorin-ryu, incorporate white crane influences and forms. But again, this is not a big deal and is perhaps not appropriate for an intro book.Anyway, despite a few oversights, the book's strengths by far outweigh its shortcomings. Hollander writes with a nice style and also does a good job with much of the history. So overall, still a fine book on the subject.

Jane Hollander follows the tradition of Draeger and Leung Ting. She writes about every art she can get her hands on, detailing it better than most of the instructors of the style can. Here, she gives a simple guide designed simply to introduce us to the myriad ways that kung fu can be applied. It is not a book for learning exact techniques, but for becoming familiar with basic principles and showing the relationship of various arts which share certain princples. This book gives us the means to see the difference and the similarity, based solely on the basic premises of the styles. To learn more about each art, one would have to get videos & books specifically dedicated to that one art, which would still provide less by way of separate perspectives. This is the type of book that Americans need to help them wade through the confusion of which Chinese art is best for them.

this book tells you everything about all the kung fu fighting styles and is good for people in kung fu and just interested. it says everything about all the kung fu styles and seperates them into long fist and close range arts. it tells you about everything in the kung fu fighting styles it mentions and at the end it says a couple of really rare arts. a very good book