When North Atlantic Books published Ben Lo's "Essence of Tai Chi Chuan" in the early 1980's, the book was seen as a sure failure. Who would care about these poetic and obscure teachings from a strange looking martial art? Over 20 years, and many thousands of copies later it is seen as one of the most important first steps in opening up the western world to Tai Chi, and the Chinese internal martial arts.

Marnix Wells's new book on Chang Naizhou, the Scholar Boxer, is the next such book. For those interested in the theory, history and practice of the internal martial arts, this book is going to blow your mind.

Now that the history of Tai Chi and the other internal martial arts have been investigated, translated and published in English, a certain baseline of knowledge has been established here in the west. Readers who have pondered the developments over the last few decades are ready for the revelations that Scholar Boxer brings forth. Fascinating insights into history, energy cultivation and combative practices await the reader.

This book is ahead of it's time, similar to when the "Essence of Tai Chi Chuan" first came out. In due time however, this book will be seen as the first that truly cracked open the next level of insight into the internal martial arts. This book has taken martial arts translation to a whole new level.

Now westerners, instead of debating abstruse theories of history, can more fruitfully spend their reading time discovering how boxers in the 1700's ACTUALLY wrote, taught and practiced. Now all the theory can be informed by actual fact. By looking at a book published during the formative years of todays internal styles we can gain a whole new level of insight.

I hope todays readers spend a lot of time investigating the teachings that are revealed in this book. I believe that many people will be able to improve their practice with a taste of authentic Chinese internal martial arts knowledge.

Thanks to Marnix Wells for his exhaustive efforts in researching and translating this amazing book.

-Jess O'Brien