These points I found interesting:
There is a part in the book that is very cool, it makes note of a manual written in the 17th century in which the author mentions a few systems that were "popular" at the time, systems like, " eight evasive manuvers, egale claw wang's grappling, Zhang Jinbais striking" and so forth and then goes on to say that eacj is quite wonderful in its own aspects but, thay are all guilty of either emphasizing "top to neglect the bottom or bottom to negelct the top", its goes to say that EVEN if they can successfully overcome an opponent, they cannot be considered perfect in every respect.
Even back then there were issues of about the lack of "all around fighting ability".
Another interesting passage comes from a book written in the 16th century by QI Jiguang called "essentials oo the hand combat classics":
Qi was critical of flowery postures that while they looked good had very little combat implications, he said that without obvious postures or techniques you will be effective in one move, if you do make the mistake of of posturing and posing you will be ineffective with 10 moves, this view was echoed by Tang Shunzhi that said, " the reason of postures in the MA is to facilitate transformations...forms contain fixed postures, but in actual practice there are no fixed postures,When applied they become fluid but still maintain their structural characteristics".
Both men were Generals with military experience.
Psalms 144:1
Praise be my Lord my Rock,
He trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle !
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Originally Posted by sanjuro_ronin
