What are some good books on Shaolin kung fu?
Take a look at the Suggested Reading List. Unfortunately, “good” books are few and far between. There is more quality to be found in philosophical texts and histories than books on technique. We like books that cover form AND application and that constitutes the majority of the books we cover. 12. I’ve heard that Shaolin is too much of a “hard” style. This is a favorite comment by many of the Taoist internal stylists. The Taoist internal martial arts (T’ai Chi Ch’uan, Hsing-I, Pakua) believe they are the only styles that teach how to use ch’i in a martial art. The Shaolin system is one which takes the position that both external and internal training are necessary for students. Unfortunately, many schools that refer to themselves Shaolin forsake the soft, or internal, techniques of the style for the more readily useful hard technique, thus earning the reputation stated above. For more information on the what an “internal” and “external” style is and a description of Shaolin styles, see
