The primary strength of this book is that it sincerely attempts to remain loyal to the superiority of an historical analysis of Shaolin Chan and its associated martial arts. As any good academic will tell you, a given topic can only be understood in its historical time and place. The Shaolin Grandmasters' Text does an outstanding job at reaching for this standard while always acknowledging that no one has all of the pertinent facts of a 1500 year old lineage such as Shaolin Chan. Combined with this historical analysis are general overviews of several gongfu styles and fundamentals of the Shaolin moving arts. One of the overall messages of this book that grants it such value is the emphasis on the reason for Shaolin Chan: to cultivate self-awakening. This book is recommended for the novice and the instructor.

Great book. It is an easy to read text that reveals the true nature of the Shaolin Order. A great mix of philosophy and martial arts.