The Spring and Autumn of Chinese Martial Arts -- 5000 Years
by Ted Mancuso

Publisher and co-author of Lam Sifu's book Moi Fah: The Plum Flower Fist (B001)

Here's a little information on our Spring/Autumn book. Kang Ge-wu is one of the leading scholars of Ba Gua and is credited with proving Tung Hai-Chuan as its creator. I attended the 1993 International Shaolin Competition with him. We agreed that the best thing necessary for English language Kung Fu studies was a basic history without the "legends". Much of the research has been personally done by Kang himself, traveling all over China, talking to masters, holding conferences. We visited the Shaolin Temple together and Kang conducted personal interviews with some of the authentic novices there. He also helped me investigate the origins of our style at the Ta Gou school (Lam Sifu's Shaolin style - Ed.), interviewed the head teacher there at his home, and secured a personal demonstration of the authentic forms there. I attended a long discussion about the government intervention in the teaching of Shaolin and found that, in the main, Professor Kang agreed with my feelings about traditional versus contemporary Wushu.

The Spring and Autumn of Chinese Martial Arts -- 5000 Years is the first complete English-language history of Chinese Martial Arts. Professor Kang Ge-wu, one of the leading experts on Wushu, personally traveled throughout China gathering archeological data and oral histories on the valuable cultural treasure that is Martial Arts. This books is an essential text for anyone interested in the origins of such diverse styles as T'ai chi, Shaolin, Ba Gua, Shuai Jiao (ancient wrestling) and Qi Gong. Its timeline format covers thousands of years of significant developments in the long history of marital arts. Styles and masters, philosophies and strategies, sword fights and political struggles: all are included here.

This is an important books because it gives a historical basis to so many claims. Earliest mention of many styles is made. Important figures are notated. And, most significant to me, historical reality is recorded. In modern times too many people are claiming to create ideas and techniques that date back before the Han dynasty. The only way to really promote Chinese marital arts, as I see it, is to truly show the long line of concepts and research that have been struggled with for thousands of years. In my opinion even the simplest of ideas are still alien to most people interested in martial arts.

I also hope that this will be a valuable resource for people beginning to research their own styles. Slowly we will uncover the truly great ideas and truths that are hidden in the wide landscape of martial arts. The jade is there but we have to dig for it.