About the Author

Kent Howard is a nationally known writer and martial arts teacher from Chico, California. He has a degree in East Asian Languages and spent over twenty years directing English as a Second Language programs in Asia and the U.S. Kent has been practicing Chinese martial arts for more than thirty years and is considered an authority on Bagua Zhang and Taoism. He studied internal martial arts under Taoist master Huang Jinsheng, a close disciple of Wang Shujin. Kent is the author of numerous articles on Chinese martial arts and philosophy, and was a former contributor to the esteemed Pa Kua Chang Journal. His previous book on Wang Shujin's martial arts, Bagua Linked Palms, was also published by Blue Snake Books. He is currently writing a book on the modern system of Nonviolent Self-Defense.

Chen Hsiao-Yen is an artist, translator, and writer from Taiwan. She graduated from Soo Chow University with a degree in Chinese Literature and did post-graduate work in fine arts in the U.S. She has had a long association with Taoism and Bagua Zhang. Her latest project is a children's book called Red Dragon Bridge, which she is writing and illustrating. She lives with Kent Howard, her husband, in Chico, California.

Reviews

"Bagua Swimming Body Palms is a rare piece of primary source material that gives us a look into the world of Chinese martial arts as practiced in the early twentieth century. Wang Shujin was a fascinating individual and was well respected in the world of Chinese martial arts. This publication documents the second half of his Bagua system, allowing us to get instruction in the history, theory, and step-by-step practice of this authentic tradition. We are lucky to have this translation made available, so that more practitioners can take advantage of Wang Shujin's insightful approach to teaching and training Bagua Zhang."
—Jess O'Brien, author of Nei Jia Quan: Internal Martial Arts