New From Blue Snake Books This Summer
Blue Snake Books is proud to present our new summer releases. Summer is a time to be active and to take advantage of beautiful weather and a relaxed schedule. The study of martial arts is a great way to exercise both body and mind. Our new titles cover a variety of disciplines and will get your blood pumping this summer.
To order, please visit the Blue Snake Books website.
- – - – - – - – - – -
Bagua Linked Palms
By Wang Shujin, Translated by Kent Howard and Chen Hsiao-Yen
Master Wang Shujin (1904–1981) was one of the world’s foremost exponents of Chinese internal martial arts, with legendary expertise in the disciplines of Bagua Zhang, Taiji Quan, and Xingyi Quan. This book offers a lucid translation of Master Wang’s seminal work on Bagua Zhang and includes expanded instruction by co-translator and noted Bagua Zhang expert Kent Howard. Bagua Linked Palms includes a wealth of additional information useful to the practitioner of internal martial arts, including the story of Bagua Zhang’s development, the connection between the Bagua and the I Ching, and step-by-step instruction in the eight “changes” of Bagua Linked Palms, the first form in Master Wang’s style of Bagua Zhang.
$15.95/$19.95
Trade Paper
978-1-58394-264-2
112 pages, 7 x 9-1/4
On sale June 2, 2009
Click HERE to view the Bagua Linked Palms blog.
- – - – - – - – - – -
The Complete Taiji Dao: The Art of the Chinese Saber
By Zhang Yun
The dao, a single-edged sword with a curved blade, is one of the most popular weapons in traditional Chinese martial arts. The art of Taiji Dao is a set of skills for using the dao, derived from the popular martial art Taijiquan. The Complete Taiji Dao introduces the principles and practice of Taiji Dao and provides illustrated discussions of the history of Chinese swords. The book covers the history and features of the dao; the Taiji principles from which Taiji Dao practice derives; the basic skills and techniques of the art; detailed descriptions and photographs of the traditional Taiji Dao form; and Taiji Dao fighting principles and training methods. Broad in scope and detailed in its presentation of the principles and practice of Taiji Dao, this book represents a significant contribution to the field of traditional Chinese weapons practice.
$27.95/$34.00
Trade Paper
978-1-58394-227-7
464 pages, 8 x 10
On sale June, 23, 2009
- – - – - – - – - – -
The Wing Chun Compendium: Volume Two
By Wayne Belonoha
Wing Chun, also called Ving Tsun, is a popular system of kung fu designed centuries ago by a Buddhist nun and Shaolin master. Together, the two volumes of The Wing Chun Compendium offer a complete guide to the discipline, from theory and philosophy to drills and forms. In this volume, author Wayne Belonoha takes students to the next level, focusing on the final three and most advanced forms of the Wing Chun system and their associated skills: the “Mook Yan Jong” or wooden man; the “Lok Dim Boon Quan” or six-point long pole; and the “Baat Cham Dao” or eight-cut sword form. While intended for the serious practitioner, The Wing Chun Compendium, Volume Two also teaches the basics of body movement, psychological components of practice and performance, and how to use martial arts for overall self-improvement—factors that can help any martial artists seeking to enhance their physical and mental development.
$39.95/ $49.00
Hardcover
978-1-58394-229-1
472 pages, 8 x 10-1/4
On sale July 14, 2009
- – - – - – - – - – -
Unknown Capoeira: Secret Techniques of the Original Brazilian Martial Art
By Mestre Ricardo Cachorro
Capoeira, a fascinating hybrid of martial art, game, and dance, has long captivated practitioners in all those areas of interest worldwide. Originating in Brazil, the form has been traced back to the 16th century, created and developed by slaves brought from Africa. Written by a legendary master, this book examines the form as the complete martial art, including its history, music, dance, and folklore. Designed as a comprehensive resource of linked information and techniques, so that the capoeirista or the researcher can benefit most from reading the whole book, Unknown Capoeira features special sections that outline the objective of each technique, how to practice each technique alone, the main points of impact, and the defense and counterattack strategies. The book is intended for capoeiristas of all skill levels.
$24.95/ $29.95
Trade Paper
978-1-58394-231-4
272 pages, 7 x 9-1/4
On sale July 28, 2009
- – - – - – - – - – -
Martial Maneuvers: Fighting Principles and Tactics of the Internal Martial Arts
By Phillip Starr
In Martial Maneuvers, Phillip Starr demonstrates that while the internal martial arts—Taijiquan, Bagua Zhang, and Xingyi Quan—might be considered ineffective for practical self – defense, they in fact have a long history of combat use. Starr returns to the roots of the three major internal arts, demonstrating the combative principles upon which they were originally based. This book often takes a lighthearted and humorous approach to what can often be challenging material, and provides training routines in easy-to-understand language. Numerous photos demonstrate the step-by-step implementation of fighting techniques, teaching readers how to apply them to their own chosen martial disciplines. While designed primarily for the internal martial artist, the techniques demonstrated can also benefit and enrich the training of a student of any discipline, including karate and kung fu.
$18.95/$23.00
Trade Paper
978-1-58394-230-7
250 pages, 7 x 9-1/4
On sale August 4, 2009
Click HERE to visit the author’s website.
- – - – - – - – - – -
The Gift of Danger: Lessons from Aikido
By Mary Stein
Mary Stein took up aikido in her mid-fifties and quickly learned what it really means to face danger—both external and internal. In this powerful collection of short essays, she vividly describes learning an active and spirited defense on the mat, in the process uncovering a lifetime of habitual tensions and emotional reactions, of flight and ineffective fight. The Gift of Danger is aimed at men and women for whom the question of what is genuine in their lives has taken on fresh urgency. Above all, Stein shows that a sense of danger has extraordinary importance for the martial artist; when danger is present during training, one learns to test limits and respond quickly and accurately. This book is both a striking story of personal growth and a potent argument for Aikido as a model for human behavior.
$14.95/ $18.95
Trade Paper
978-1-58394-273-4
120 pages, 6 x 9
On sale August 25, 2009
