Chinese Gentle Art Complete: The Bible of Ngo Cho Kun

Excellent exposition of the application of this distinguished line of martial art. I use many of the technique applications in my line of Wing Chun. Obviously the applications are somewhat different from my system because the weapon emphasis is different in Wing Chun, and different weapons are used differently, but this is definitely a highly effective handbook for this system covering the entire spectrum of lines of attack. Beginners should keep in mind when they study how each technique is applied, with and without a weapon, so you get the physics application correct. Overall, this book is a gem.

Useless book, waste of money, small unclear pics, and weird way to teach !!?

The best book about this style. Very recommended

This is an excellent work, opening a door to understanding that simply wouldn't have existed without it... At least for those of us who do not read Chinese.

As a student of Ngo Cho Kun/ Wu Zhu Quan for the past 23 years, I was extremely excited to finally get my hands on this wonderful translation. For the past couple of decades, I had heard and read of this Bible of Ngo Cho Kun, but it was elusive to most of the general public. Master Alex Co, already well-known for his remarkable skill and research in Five Ancestor Fist, has risen above and beyond to bring this classic to to the English speakers, who otherwise, would still be left only dreaming of someday reading insights of the old masters. After being notified of the release date and availability; I logged into amazon.com waiting to order my copy - like a kid anxiously waiting for Christmas morning - and I believe that I was one of the first in America to receive my copy.I read and research quite a lot, so I was expecting to skim through the book fairly quickly; I was wrong. This work has such depth that it is impossible to fully realize what treasures lie ahead by simply skimming; it's easy to find yourself immersed for an hour or two, just absorbing the wisdom of the elders. I have enjoyed reading, and re-reading this book, and am proud to have it in my library alongside of Master Co's first book: The way of Ngo Cho Kun.I am grateful to Master Co and Russ Smith for translating this classic piece of literary martial history, and to Dr. Mark Wiley and Tambuli Media for publishing this book and making it available to the public for the first time. This book is a 'must have' and 'must read' for any serious practitioner of Ngo Cho Kun, Fujian based systems, and even Okinawan Karate practitioners, as Five Ancestor Fist is widely believed to be a major influence of Okinawan Goju-Ryu and Uechi-Ryu.

An important addition to the growing body of translated (into English) Chinese martial arts manuals. Ngo Cho Kun is not believed to have itself directly influenced Goju Ryu or Uechi Ryu, or any other Okinawan karate styles, as no Ngo Cho Kun practitioners are in the Chinese lineages of those styles, but it is likely a sister style of the Fujian origins of those karate styles and thus this manual can give karate practioners insight into the Chinese martial arts milieu from which their styles originated.

An outstanding reference, on a little known martial art, by a rare Western expert on this art.Mark is an outstanding martial artist, author, publisher, & now into movies. He has spent decades training in Filipino & Chinese Martial Arts. His teacher Alexander Co (and co-author) was also an extremely high level martial artist.An excellent and informative book, even for those with no exposure to this art.

Let me start with saying I personally did like the book and looked forward to getting it. I was not dissappointed. But this is not about me. Mr. Alex Co and Mr. Mark Wiley have attempted to decrypt and translate sincerely and accurately from the Ngo Cho Kun cannon. Unfortunately, although it was ambitious and admirable project, a lot of it does not translate well to English from the Fujian language. Lost in translation would be a more apt description. The book is quite complex and for laymen or curiosity seekers it would be too convoluted to muddle through. I would only recommend it for English only speaking researchers and scholars, with no other avenue to source information, or for die hard English only speaking Ngo Cho Kun practitioners. For everybody else this one is a pass. Instead, get the other book by Alex Co or the one from Jose G. Paman as they are much more accessible. If you find they are leaving you hungry for more then get this bible. Good luck.