Hark Fu Kune Black Tiger Fist Paperback – September 9, 2015

Book is size of a novel, about 6 inches by 9 inches. It will not lay open on a surface, so it is not really easy to refer to it if one hopes to practice what is shown inside. Similarly, the font is small. It certainly is legible if you read it like a book, but it is too small to see if you hope to follow instructions as you stand over the book.Book is basically a series of photographs with short description of move(s) depicted underneath each picture. The photographs were clearly taken in color and, thereafter, printed in black and white. Because of this, they are only okay as they are not as detailed as they could have been had the author used black and white film/filter to take the original pictures.Book has six sections: history of the form, short section on stances, warmups, form description (approx. 100 steps), demonstrations of form applied in fight, calisthenics.Last section, calisthenics, is basic stuff. So, about 20% of book isn't particularly about 'Tiger Fist'.In truth, third section, warmups, isn't either. It has several 'kung fu' style warmup exercises but they appear to be very general in nature. None are particular to 'Tiger Fist'. I had a DVD by Mr. Eng, I believe called "Moves of the Tiger", which showed various tiger claw and related moves which could be used to warm up. None of that is in this book. In fact, there is no attempt made to describe how to make a tiger claw or the 'spirit' of the form.Another reviewer stated this book would be an 'okay' value at about one-half its going price. I agree. After looking the book over, I wish I had not bought it. It certainly has value for some, but since it will not lay open so I can look at it if I want to learn the form, it is basically useless.

Great book. Step by step makes learning the form easy and fun. Also, the exercises within the book are great for warming up. I recommend this book for any kung fu practitioner or any fan of kung fu in general.

Gary Mah’s book, Hark Fu Kune Black Tiger Fist, seems at first glance to be a specialized work about a specific system of traditional Chinese kung fu. Indeed, he is a longtime student and disciple of Grandmaster Tak Wah Eng, and the centerpiece of the book is a step-by-step guide to the Black Tiger Fist form created by Sifu Tak Wah to showcase the most powerful basic movements and common dynamics of the related Fu Jow Pai and Hung Gar systems. However, this book is very different from the many wordy publications of recent years that describe the history and intricacies of traditional Chinese martial arts styles. Instead, this reminds me of some of the classics published by the Ohara or Tuttle companies in their glory days (such as “How to Develop Chi Power” by William Cheung, and others), in that it’s short on verbose history and theories, and rich with practical information. The first part of the book describes basic stances, drills, and stretches based on the original Fu Jow Pai curriculum, here described and illustrated very clearly and carefully. These are laid out in such as a way as to be an excellent reference for training in basics by a practitioner of ANY Shaolin based kung fu system or classic karate style. The second section is about the form, as mentioned. The third is an excellent breakdown of applications from the form. But the last section on Fundamental Training Exercises truly makes this book invaluable. These 38 straightforward exercises, mostly needing no equipment, carefully selected on the basis of Gary’s knowledge of exercise physiology, comprise a complete foundational conditioning program that builds core strength and helps prevent or alleviate many potential injuries or deviations common to any physically active person. The book is illustrated by many professional photographs clearly depicting each step of each exercise. I cannot recommend this book highly enough, not only to all martial artists, kickboxers, etc., but to anyone looking for a scientifically selected core conditioning supporting any of these pursuits.

This book blew me away. I have studied this form for many years and now that I have this study aid, I've realized that there is more to learn. The pictures of the Tiger form, the applications, and the basic exercises and stretches speak a thousand words. Great job on the author. I'm glad I purchased this book. It's a great reminder why I practiced martial arts in the first place.

Gary Mah was brought up in the mysterious and enigmatic world of martial arts and shares his knowledge of one the most elusive styles in this spellbinding tome "Hark Fu Kune", or Black Tiger Fist, is a style both tantalizing and ferocious and is given excellent treatment here. With ample illustrations and well composed advice the author guides you in a precise yet amiable fashion, and leaves you well prepared for practice of this esoteric art form.

The author goes through the instructions thoroughly but easy enough for the beginners to understand. Along with learning the form there is also a section for conditioning and stretching which I integrate into my workout routine. Although one on one or in person training is more beneficial when training any martial arts this gives a concise overview about the different aspects of kung fu.

Extremely visual and helpful with unparalleled details to master the tiger style. I've been a martial artist for 16 years and I've collected many novels but I can honestly say this is the best book I've ever used to enhance my training.

This is a great book! Not only is it a great guide to learning a form, it is a reference to all of the basics that any martial artist or health enthusiast should master. It is very descript and easy to follow.

Very basic, certainly not worth the money or hype.