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Old 01-05-2003, 08:23 AM   #13
Lyle Bogin
Dojo: Shin Budo Kai
Location: Manhattan
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 588
United_States
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Yes, I am using wushu to mean "martial art".

I don't think I can really do any justice to compare Wushu (both contemporary and traditional) with aikido in this forum. Therefore, here's a short reading list:

Kung Fu Elements, Shou-Yu Liang and Wen-Ching Wu

Tai Chi Touchstones: Yang Family Secret Transmissions, Trans. by Douglas Wile

Hsing-I: Chinese Mind Body Boxing, Robert W. Smith

Chinese Boxing: Masters and Methods, Robert W. Smith

This is Aikido, Koichi Tohei

Total Aikido, Gozo Shioda

Koryu Bujutsu: Classical Warrior Traditions of Japan, Edited by Diane Skoss

There are a lot of lousy books out there, but these seem to be well written. Kung Fu Elements, and Robert W. Smith's work, and Douglas Wile's translations are the best books on kung fu i've come across. With Japanese martial arts you have much more choice for academic level reading. Also, the quarterly Journal of Asian Martial Arts is excellent. Does anyone else have any suggested reading?

"The martial arts progress from the complex to the simple."
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