# oldest english language kung fu book?



## brianlkennedy (May 27, 2008)

I am working on a short encyclopedia entry about Chinese martial arts training manuals and was trying to rely on my own memory about something but---rather than just rely on that fallible source I should ask around. Here is the question:

  What are some of the oldest english language books about Chinese martial arts that you remember?

  I am remembering from my high school days (early 1970s) these three as being kind of the oldest:

  Hung Gar by Bucksam Kong
  Wing Chun by James Lee (Bruce Lee as editor)
  Iron Palm in 100 Days (and another one called Chinese Leg Maneuvers ) by Lee Ying-Arng

  Is that what you folks are remembering as being some of the first Chinese martial arts books you ever saw.

  Take care,
  Brian


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## JadecloudAlchemist (May 27, 2008)

The Beverage of the Chinese kungfu or Tauist* medical gymnastics-John Dudgeon 1895

The book was republished as the infamous Chinese healing arts- William R. Berk

The word Tauist means Taoist it was just spelled that way by him.

I am sure there are more thats just off the top of my head.


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## Xue Sheng (May 27, 2008)

Oldest meaning first to be translated into English

Some of CMC's books have been around awhile
And some of Yang Jwing Ming's books have been around awhile as well and some of those have translations in them
Also I remember the first edition of "Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts" that is from the early 70s and has a section on CMA

or

Oldest meaning oldest book translated into English

There are some pretty of Xingyiquan and Bagua books that have been translated. Like "The Xingyi Boxing Manual: Hebei Style's Five Principles and Seven Words by Jing Yunting". It is relatively old but I believe it is a fairly new translation


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## JadecloudAlchemist (May 27, 2008)

http://www.alibris.com/booksearch.d...899&qtopic=kung+fu&qyearhi=1960&qsort=&page=1

Hehe this one is from 1911 hey its from Miami Fl imagine that.:boing2:


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## tshadowchaser (May 27, 2008)

the books by robert smith could be included 
sorry I dont have my hands on my copies at this moment so I can not give you the names


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## Steel Tiger (May 27, 2008)

tshadowchaser said:


> the books by robert smith could be included
> sorry I dont have my hands on my copies at this moment so I can not give you the names


 
Robert Smith has been writing about martial arts since the early '50s, but before 1959 it was about Japanese arts.  1959 was when he was posted to Taiwan.

Try these titles:

_Secrets of Shaolin Temple Boxing_ (1964)
_Pa-kua: Chinese Boxing for Fitness and Self-defense _(1967)
_T'ai-chi: The "Supreme Ultimate" Exercise for Health, Sport, and Self-defense_ (1967) with Cheng Man Ching
_Chinese Boxing: Masters and Methods_ (1974)
_Hsing-I: Chinese Mind-Body Boxing_ (1974)
These are the ones that are specifically about gongfu.


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