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Untraditional Hsing-I Paperback – May 1, 1999

by Robb Whitewood (Author), Erle Montaigue (Foreword)

4.2 17 ratings

Here hsing-i master Robb Whitewood, a former student of Erle Montaigue and the head instructor of hsing-i for the World Taiji Boxing Association, brings the phenomenal speed and power of this ancient hitting art to life. With the goals of Western students in mind, Whitewood teaches the basics and applications of five-element boxing..

Print length

177 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Paladin Pr
Publication date

May 1, 1999
Dimensions

5.75 x 0.5 x 8.75 inches
ISBN-10

1581600305
ISBN-13

978-1581600308
See all details

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Paladin Pr (May 1, 1999)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 177 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1581600305
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1581600308
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.9 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 0.5 x 8.75 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #3,017,957 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,333 in Boxing (Books)
- #1,470 in Tai Chi & Qi Gong
- #6,341 in Martial Arts (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.2 17 ratings

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4.2 out of 5

17 global ratings

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Frater O.E.N.

Internal Principles Are There...

Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2007

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This little gem does what few other books on the subject have managed to; namely, it's clarified proper posture for Hsing-i Chuan. It is not possible to manifest internal power, nor is it possible to gain the coveted health benifits associated with good chi flow if the body is not aligned correctly. If you are looking to learn to grasp the root of true internal power, and intend to use your art for FIGHTING, then this is THE reference to supplement your formal instruction.

It is true that there is little mention of the usual esoteric jargon so often present in other volumes, but in my opinion this is a strength, not a weakness. If you've had trouble understanding how your teacher and seniors manage to be so much more efficent and powerful than you in class, this volume should shed some light on how to recognize and shore up your weaknesses in plain English.

In the words of Tai Chi master T.T. Liang, "Learn from everyone, and read as much as you can. Even if you don't understand or agree with it all, you will be a better martial artist."

6 people found this helpful

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BC

Great manual !

Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2011

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I have been doing Xing-Yi for a long time. And let me addresse some of the complaints in the other reviews, How he stands etc, maybe your teacher taught different from his ? Maybe he does it his way you do it yours. I was always taught "One sifu(teacher) many kungfu's , meaning each student get's it different. If your school does it different and mine does I dont do it 100% the way he does. You can still take a ton of info away here out of this manual.
Bottom line is that this manual will open up the understanding of other books and classes you take from a qualified instructor.
Well worth having, well worth the $15 I spent, I'm very happy with it, even if the photos of his shapes vary from my school of Xing-Yi.
Went to Youtube, and found PLENTY of individuals in mainland China that do the same exact shapes as his,... this book is on the money !

4 people found this helpful

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David Mcknight

I like the idea of developing a "trigger" which activates each ...

Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2016

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A little different than other Hsing Yi books.
You need to keep an open mind.
I like the idea of developing a "trigger" which activates each fist.

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.

One Of The Better Technical Books On The Subject

Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2009

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I really have to shake my head at some of the reveiews this book has received. People get too caught up in the whole "chi" paradigm and think that everything must use chi-based terminology to explain this art. There is PLENTY out there on the "internal" and chi aspects of these arts, but this is one of the VERY few that actually has some useful information from the point of view of physics and body mechanics.

This book also includes a short, but valuable section on the use of Hsing-I combinations in actual combat, which is extremely important but NEVER seen in any book on the subject.

The title is a little misleading though. This is simply straightforward traditional Hsing-I, the untraditional part is in how he explains the art. Even though Whitewood's Hsing-I differs from the method I have trained in, this is still a valuable text with much food for thought.

7 people found this helpful

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Chris Banners

Great book for a great style

Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2013

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There is much disdain for Mr Whitewood simply because he was an associate of the (very unfairly) maligned Erle Montaigue. The book is quite solid and after practicing the techniques in the book you will be amazed at how powerful and fluid they become. Take the book on its own merits and ignore the politics surrounding it.

One person found this helpful

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Dion Israfil

This is a very excellent resource on Hsing-I or Xing Yi

Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2015

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This is a very excellent resource on Hsing-I or Xing Yi. The information in this book constitute an important prerequisite before learning the martial arts forms.

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Jason Williams

Aside from that the book has a nice cover but the inside design and font reveal shoddy ...

Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2014

After reading these reviews I can come to the conclusion that the people giving this 5 star reviews are attempting to learn Hsing-i from a book. Aside from that the book has a nice cover but the inside design and font reveal shoddy publishing. It looks very unprofessional and Whitewood (the author) doesn't reveal anything that a dozen other books attempted to. Pass on this unless you can get it from a reseller for a couple of bucks.

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Roderick Alexander Prince

An excellent practical book

Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2015

I regularly buy books on internal martial arts and research into the arts is my main reading activity outside of my professional interest in education. I am also a Taijichuan practitioner of over 35 years focusing on function and application. In my opinion, Untraditional Hsing-I is an excellent practical book. I have had this book in my internal martial arts collection for some years now and I like it because it is clear and concise and yet has enough depth in it for me to return to regularly as a reference. I also practice from this book. The more experience you have the more you will get out of it particularly if you are interested in body structure and mechanics. It also offers good examples of functional applications. This book doesn't discuss developing chi and will disappoint if that is what you are after. If you want zhan zhuang and qi gong there are other books in the market. Try Inside Zhan Zhuang by M Cohen. When I look at other books on Hsing-i, I compare it to Untraditional Hsing-I to see if it offers me a better explanation of how to do it or something more to clarify my understanding. In my opinion, this book is a yard stick for others to be measured against.

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