In the interests of full disclosure, I received this book for review purposes.
Title: Crippled Immortals: Shaolin Enlightenment on a Singapore High-Rise
Author: Chris Murray
Publisher: Arcadia
Format: Paperback
Pages: 269
Price: $15.00 (on Amazon)
I think most martial artists have this dream, inspired by many movies from the ’80s, of tracking down a master martial artist in some exotic location, and becoming a disciple of his as we learn the true form of the system. Or maybe that’s just me. In any case, Mr. Chris Murray seems to have done that. He traveled from the UK to Malaysia and studied with Chan See-meng, a master of several styles of gongfu, including Wuzuchuan (5 Ancestor Fist) and Luohan Ruyiquan.
Content
The book is divided into 5 sections. Each section is then subdivided into six or seven chapters. Each chapter has a lesson either taught by Master Chan, or learned through the author’s time researching his particular lineage, and his time in Malaysia under Chee Kim Thong, whom Master Chan affectionally refers to as “The Old Man.” It is meant to be read as more of a collection of short stories than one whole tale. However, the overall passage of time is clear, and it comes together to paint a very nice picture by the end. And that picture is an honest look at these styles’ strengths, and the foibles of men trying to learn and capitalize on the knowledge and lineage.
Pros
Let me start off by saying that I really enjoyed this book. Each of the chapters provides a unique look into conversations that occurred between a master and his student. It includes all the nitty-gritty details of Chris Murray’s time under the often painfully gruff Master Chan. To give you an idea he often quotes Master Chan as saying “Your gongfu is horrible. It makes me vomit blood!” This always made me laugh. Even through all the blood vomiting, you get the feeling of a man who deeply cared for the well-being of his students, and for the history of his martial art.
When reading this book, you get an intimate look at Sifu, his teaching methodology, and innate sense of practicality. I definitely learned to appreciate him as an instructor. He treated different students differently. He also had issues with making money as a martial arts instructor. All the same difficulties I (and other martial artists) have today. You also get the author’s own feelings of oscillating inadequacy and confidence which every martial artist feels, regardless of style. It seems to me, to be a collection of observations that Mr. Murray made along his martial journal that were turned into a book for everyone to read. You, the reader, gain access to his personal journal.
Cons
The only complaints I would have with the book are minimal. There are some stylistic choices in the writing I found that hampered the read. Each chapter was its own story, so there was no real beginning. Each started in media res and it sometimes took a minute to figure out who was talking. It was by no means enough for me to put down the book.
Conclusion
I hope everyone reads this book. By the end, the author, Mr. Murray’s time in Singapore was done and he had t
o return to the UK. It was a bittersweet ending. He describes the last meal held with Sifu, and how even then the wisdom of the man had shown through. Even though book’s main martial art is a specific form of gongfu, I truly believe that any traditional martial arts style practitioner will not only enjoy this book, but learn a lot from it. I did have some issues with the writing style, which affected the readability for me. That means I cannot give it a full five out of five Ninja Stars. So I’ll have to give it 4.5. I really enjoyed reading about Sifu Chan See-ming, his history, and the lessons he provided. He reminded me of a combination of Mr. Miyagi, and R. Lee Ermey. If that description sounds confusing, pick up the book and see how those two characterizations meld into a true gongfu master.
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Please see the link below for the comments and feelings of other disiples of Grandmaster Chee Kim Thong. Hopefully you will be able to compare the ‘story’ in the book with the comments thereon…
http://www.wuzuquan.com/crippled-immortals/