Shaolin.com Highly Recommends These Books...

Shaolin was very like a modern university in its approach to learning.. Indeed books were some of the only earthly objects held precious by the monks. The books listed below would be essential in a modern Shaolin library. If you are not able to purchase them, seek them out in a library, or go in on them with friends.

General Shaolin Praying Mantis Wing Chun Other Shaolin Styles Shaolin Philosophy Qigong and Pressure Points Other Chinese Martial Arts Non-Chinese Martial Arts

While there are no books that we have found that accurately and completely portray Shaolin history, philosophy, and kung fu technique, the reader will find the following books a step in the right direction. We have found that there tends to be more quality found in philosophical texts and histories than books on technique. If the book covers technique, we prefer books that cover both form AND application (as the techniques themselves are useless without a clear and concise explanation of the applications) and that constitutes the majority of the books we list.

Please note that many of these books are out of print. They can still be found by perusing used book stores and through out of print book search services.

If you would like to submit a title for us to look at and possibly recommend, feel free to send us a review copy. 

General Shaolin

	Shaolin Grandmasters' Text: History, Philosophy and Gung Fu of Shaolin Ch'an , Order of Shaolin Ch'an (OSC) The best and most authoritative book on Shaolin.
	Kung Fu: History, Philosophy, and Technique, Chow and Spangler (Unique Publications) Good general text on the history and philosophy of Gung Fu. The first part of the book is the most useful.
	A Source Book in the Chinese Martial Arts, Volumes 1 and 2, Edited by James Wong (Koinonia Publications) While not purely about Shaolin, these books offer a good overview of Chinese martial arts, from both a physical and philosophical point of view.

Praying Mantis

Northern Praying Mantis is one of the most written about styles.  In this section you will find texts which will give you a representative sample of this style.

	Seven Star Praying Mantis Kung Fu, Leung Ting (International Wing Tsun Leung Ting Martial Arts Association, Hong Kong) Excellent text describing the principles and theory behind Northern Praying Mantis. No forms, but does have numerous photos of technique and applications thereof. Most of the fundamentals of Northern Praying Mantis are covered in this book. Includes some work on the wooden dummy. Paperback.
Buy these mantis books at Amazon.com	Northern Praying Mantis - Bung Po, Paul Eng (Carroll Street Press) Northern Praying Mantis - Steals the Peach, Paul Eng (Alpha Publication) Northern Praying Mantis - Plum Blossom Hand, Paul Eng (Alpha Publishing)  All of the above three books are good references for these Northern Praying Mantis forms. Applications are shown.

Wing Chun

Wing Chun is by far the most written about Shaolin style.  In this section you will find many books that address this style.  They are all good reference texts.

	Wing Chun Kung Fu, J. Yimm Lee (O'Hara). Bruce Lee, technical advisor. Very well written text on Wing Chun. Fully illustrated first form, demonstrations of all basic techniques and some information on trapping hands, or ch'i sao. A very useful book for those seeking an introduction to Wing Chun. Paperback.
	Wing Tsun Kuen, Leung Ting (International Wing Tsun Leung Ting Martial Arts Association, Hong Kong) Richly illustrated text on Wing Chun. Completely demonstrates the first 2 forms, including application of technique. The discussion of ranks in Wing Chun and some of the stories about Kung Fu in general are less interesting than the technique sections. Hardback.
	Wing Tsun Dummy Techniques, Master Yip Chun (Leung's Publications) This book contains the techniques for the 108 movement wooden dummy form.  Difficult to find, but the best book on the form we've found.
	Tao of Jeet Kune Do, Bruce Lee (O'Hara) This book is more about theory and philosophy of combat rather than technique. Although not Wing Chun per se', it has much in common with that style.  It is an outstanding text for the thinking martial artist and is replete with vast conceptual material. Few illustrations, no forms. Definitely a must-have book for the serious practitioner. Paperback.

Other Shaolin Styles

This section contains texts on other Shaolin styles.

	Shantung Black Tiger, Tjoa Khek Kiong, Donn Draeger and Quintin Chambers (Weatherhill) Northern Tiger. The only book on this style that we have found. Excellent drawings of basic techniques. A complete form is illustrated with photos that are at times hard to discern, but the supplementary text clears up any confusion. Well written and an interesting text on Northern Kung Fu. Paperback.
	Shaolin Chin Na, Yang Jwing-ming (Unique Publications) A book on White Crane and Eagle Claw ch'in na. The text is profusely illustrated with photos that are easy to learn from the accompanied textual reference. Massage and acupuncture points of interest to the martial artist are covered in some detail. History section more extensive than in most books. Paperback.
	Analysis of Shaolin Chin Na, Yang Jwing-ming, (Yang's Martial Arts Association) A sequel to the text above with more ch'in na accompanied by excellent line drawings of anatomy. Paperback.
	Monkey Kung Fu, Paulie Zink (Unique Publications) This book is an excellent resource for anyone interested in the Monkey style.  Drunken, wood, tall, lost, and stone forms are discussed, with some techniques and applications described.

 

Shaolin Philosophy

Shaolin philosophy is an amalgamation of Chan Buddhism and Taoism.  The texts in this section will give the reader a good basis in these philosophies.

	A Buddhist Bible , Dwight Goddard (Beacon Press) This is the definitive source for Buddhist sutras.  It contains all the major texts in a clear and understandable manner.  A must for anyone interested in Buddhism.
	What the Buddha Taught, Walpola Rahula (Grove Press) This well-written book is for someone who wants to understand the essentials of Buddhism. An excellent first book for those interested in Buddhism.
	Siddhartha, Hermann Hesse (Bantam Books) Written in novel form, a tale based on the life of the Buddha.
	Buddhism in Chinese History, Arthur F. Wright (Stanford University Press) This book covers the history and impact of Buddhism in China.
	Faith in Mind - a Guide to Chan Practice, Master Sheng-Yen (Dharma Drum Publications) This book is an excellent source of information on Chan Buddhism.  Highly recommended.
	The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma, Red Pine (Harper Collins) Don't mistake the title of the book - this is as much a discussion on Chan Buddhism as Zen.  Highly recommended.
	The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch, Philip B. Yampolsky (Columbia University Press) The Platform Sutra is an essential part of Chan Buddhism.  This is a good book for someone who wants to study this philosophy in its original form.
	The Complete Works of Lao Tzu (Tao Te Ching and Hua Hu Ching), translated by Master Ni, Hua-Ching There are many texts on the Tao Te Ching.  This is a good translation for the novice Taoist.
	A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy, Wing-Tsit Chan (Princeton University Press) This is an excellent book for someone who wants to study the wide variety of Chinese philosophies from a single source.
	Disputers of the Tao, A.C. Graham (Open Court Publishing) This is another good book covering a wide range of Chinese philosophies.

Qigong and Pressure Points

	The Root of Chinese Chi Kung, Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming (YMAA Publication Center) This is a very good work covering the theory and application of qigong, including the martial value, health, and longevity (although from a Taoist point of view).
	Chi Gong, Paul Dong & Aristide Esser (Paragon House) This is a good introductory text on qigong.  It covers meridian theory and the role of qigong in health.  Many exercises are shown.
	Mind Over Matter : Higher Martial Arts, Shi Ming (Frog, Ltd) This book covers the application of qigong to martial arts from a Taoist point of view.
	The Way of Qigong, Kenneth S. Cohen (Ballantine Books) A good encyclopedic work covering a wide variety of applications and exercises.

	Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Cheng Xinnong (Foreign Language Press) Covers in extensive detail acupuncture and the meridian system.
	Kyusho Jitsu, George Dillman (George Dillman Karate International) A very good book covering the use of pressure points in martial arts, although the form applications shown are Karate.  There are two other volumes but much of the material is repeated.  Exercise caution when practicing the techniques in this book.
	Skills of the Vagabonds II - Behind the Incredible, Leung Ting (Leung's Publications) This is a book describing ways in which some qigong "masters" fake their incredible feats. Examples covered are: breaking cement blocks over your body, bending spoons, and bending iron rods with your neck.

Other Chinese Martial Arts

	Infinite Insights into Kempo, Ed Parker Four volumes. A useful treatise on how to take the theory of a style and apply it to a range of techniques. Could be rather difficult to find.  Volume 1  Volume 2  Volume 3  Volume 4	Ed Parker's books on Amazon
	Hung Gar Kung Fu, Bucksam Kong Very good text on the techniques and applications of Hung Gar (a style derived from Shaolin Tiger and Crane).
	Tiger/Crane Form of Hung Gar, Bucksam Kong Very good text on the techniques and applications of Hung Gar (a style derived from Shaolin Tiger and Crane).
	Introduction to Ancient Chinese Weapons, Yang Jwing-ming (Unique Publications) An excellent book on weapons. Extensive, superb line drawings of a vast array of weapons, with explanations of their evolution and use. Paperback.

Chinese Weapons, E.T.C. Werner (O'Hara) Similar to Yang's book but with far less text explaining the weapons and fewer drawings. For those literate in Chinese, this text is filled with Chinese characters, while Yang's uses virtually none.

Non-Chinese Martial Arts

The descriptions of the Judo and Aikido texts are included because they are outstanding treatments of arts that have corresponding elements in most of the Shaolin styles. Should the reader be interested in material describing the basic techniques that are common to virtually all martial arts (a front punch is a front punch, no matter what style you are studying!), the Karate books listed are excellent resources

	Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere, A. Westbrook and O. Ratti (Tuttle Publishing) Superb book on Aikido. Outstanding drawings of techniques with equally lucid explanations of details. Both theory and practice are described extensively. Hardback. A must-have text. Good introduction to some of the basic concepts that constitute dragon style.
	Judo in Action: Throwing Techniques and Judo in Action: Grappling Techniques, Kazuzo Kudo, 9th dan (Japan Publications Trading Company) The best books on Judo we have seen. The photos are clear and easy to follow, supplemented by precise written descriptions of the techniques shown. Counters are often described as well. The first volume goes into great detail about preparatory actions that precede one's throws. No forms or tournament ideas, just pure Judo.
	Karate, Hidetaka Nishiyama and Richard Brown (Tuttle) This book is extensively illustrated and shows virtually all of the most commonly used Karate techniques. Excellent primer to work on beginning Gung Fu moves/stances. Photos are excellent. Hardback.
	Karate-Do Kyohan, Gichin Funakoshi (Kosansha International) The master text by the founder, this book is an outstanding volume that illustrates the forms of Shotokan with excellent photos and line drawings, supplemented by extensive explanations in the text. Hardback.

Mastering Karate, Mas Oyama (Grosset and Dunlap) A good primer on Karate that shows the basic techniques, several of the beginning forms, and a Chinese Kempo form. Applied Karate moves are quite practical. Photos of the forms are a bit hard to follow at times. Excellent book that fills the same niche as Nishiyama's book at a lower price. Paperback.

 

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