liuhebafa 5 character secrets: chinese classics, translations, commentary

[Grimlock]

I came across this book in a bookstore last night and it looked interesting. I'm just wondering if anyone's read it and what they think about it.

[Antonius]

Hi Chris.

I have it. For me, it's a good resource for Chinese 5-character phrases. And some of the stories are interesting. But otherwise, it's a fairly esoteric book. I buy books like this to practice my Chinese.

All the best,

[Grimlock]

Hey Sifu

I had a feeling you might be familiar with it! I was intrigued because I usually have at least heard of most of the books/topics in the martial arts section (which isn't saying much ), but I had never heard of this one or Liuhebafa. The little I skimmed made sense. It was a brief mention of maintaining balance of the 6 harmonies, which made even more sense when I found that "6 harmonies" is part of the name.

BTW, I was pleased to see Sigung's "The Art of Shaolin Kung Fu" there.

[Antonius]

Next time you're in Jacksonville, remind me to show you my bookshelf. I think you'll find more than a few books that you've never heard of.

Liuhebafa is one of the lesser-known of the internal arts, at least in this country. According to the author, it is the most sophisticated of the Chinese arts. Of course, authors of books on Baguazhang, Taijiquan, and Xingyiquan often believe their respective art to be the most sophisticated.

[Grimlock]

I think you'll find more than a few books that you've never heard of.

I have no doubt!

My impression from briefly looking at the book was that even if the style isn't well-known, the founder, his story, and the classics described (the 5 character secrets) are. I didn't know if this was a bit of universal kung fu philosophy (like, say, The Art of War) I was missing out on. I don't know if that makes sense, but I can't think of a better way to describe it right now.