The Essence of Shaolin White Crane: Martial Power and Qigong by Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming from the YMAA Publication Center is a book I just added to my training material. I have long been a fan of Dr. Yang’s teachings, but what caught my attention about this book was its strict focus upon the qigong aspects of the White Crane martial tradition instead of the martial forms plus qigong.
The book is an extensive volume divided into 3 parts. The first part defines the essential definitions of Chinese martial arts, Chinese qigong, and the specifics of White Crane martial arts. The second part goes deeply into the theory of qigong and defines the specifics of what makes White Crane qigong traditions different from the other Chinese qigong traditions. The third part dives into the nature of the concept of Jin. Jin is hard to define without deeper context into the chi concepts of Chinese internal martial arts. Dr. Yang takes the time to try and define Jin for the English reader both philosophically and historically.
In the second and third part Dr. Yang demonstrates several forms from the White Crane traditions. These forms help the practioner develop the necessary elements that make White Crane a unique tradition among the Chinese martial arts. Each part of the form is demonstrated with sequential pictures and detailed descriptions of the movements purpose and feel.
I look forward to training with this material.