Secrets of Shaolin Temple Boxing

Book excerpt: Learn the secrets of Shaolin Temple boxing also known as Shaolin Kung Fu with this illustrated matrtial arts guide. Shaolin Temple boxing is the father of all boxing forms in China and is a close ancestor of Japanese karate. Despite the widespread study of Shaolin kung fu, however, the true origins and history of this exciting martial art have been obscured by wildly fanciful myths and legends that have arisen over the centuries, leading martial-arts authority Robert W. Smith to remark, "There are no good books on Shaolin Temple boxing. There are only varying degrees of poor." In Taiwan, however, Smith had the good fortune to discover a short, anonymous work in Chinese that he believed revealed the essence of Shaolin. This kung fu book is the English version of that text. Abundantly and attractively illustrated, it is a fascinating account of the history of an ancient martial art, as well as a concise martial arts manual explaining the fundamental philosophy and techniques of Shaolin Temple boxing.