The Crowood Press Ltd

Building on the success of his acclaimed Wing Chun series, Sifu Shaun Rawcliffe presents his most comprehensive and advanced guide yet. Mastering Wing Chun Kung Fu is written for practitioners who already have a foundation in the art and want to refine, deepen and expand their skills with expert-level coaching and real-world insights. DRAWING ON MORE than 45 years of experience as both instructor and practitioner, Shaun moves beyond technical descriptions to deliver practical lessons that come alive through demonstration, explanation and application. With over 100 photographs and illustrations, detailed form analysis and training drills, this book equips martial artists with the tools to assess their own practice, sharpen their techniques and share knowledge with others. Inside, discover: The three classical empty-hand forms revisited with expanded explanations, applications and training methods, Core principles such as centreline theory, triangulation and elbow energy, explained with clarity and practicality, Drills, Chi Sau training and realistic approaches to kicking and striking, Advanced insights into using Wing Chun beyond the classroom, including awareness, reaction management and peripheral vision, Exclusive new material on ground fighting, plus introductory chapters on wooden dummy and weapons training as tasters for Shaun’s specialist works. If you’re looking for a deeper understanding, Mastering Wing Chun Kung Fu provides the principles, coaching tips and training strategies to elevate your practice.

Alfa Romeo 916 GTV and Spider traces the complete story of the Alfa Romeo GTV and Spider models produced between 1994 - 2005, commonly known to enthusiasts by the manufacturer's project code as the 916 series. The 916 models would always be controversial - they replaced the iconic Spider, the best-selling Alfa Romeo sports model of all time, and the brand-establishing Alfetta GTV. Sharing components and a platform with a humble Fiat hatchback, would the cars ever be considered 'real' Alfa Romeos? The cars were critically acclaimed, and, though they faced tough competition in the late 1990s from the likes of the Audi TT, they remained in production for over a decade.

The Alfa Romeo 105 series Spider is one of the most admired drop-head sports cars to come out of Italy. Launched in 1966, its radical new look was not immediately welcomed. As prospective buyers gradually warmed to the model, enhancements were introduced including more powerful engines and higher-spec body and interior fittings. Despite its inauspicious start, production of this much-admired car lasted for twenty-seven years, finally stopping in 1993. Jim Talbott and Andrew Brown pay homage to the 105/115 series Alfa Spider. With over 330 photographs, many specially commissioned, this new book describes the Alfa Romeo company history including its philosophy of incorporating driver appeal into all of its products, resulting in some of the most desirable vehicles of their age; it details the evolution of the 105/115 series through four distinct body styles; lists the technical design specifications and every major version of the Spider and finally, discusses the issues and challenges of finding and owning a classic Spider.

The story of the Saab 9-3 is full of twists and turns, from its origins before the 9-3 name even existed to its unexpected rebirth as an electric vehicle decades later. Bizarrely, the first-generation 9-3 was in essence the same car as the Saab 900 built between 1994 and 1998. Equally as bizarre, the second-generation 9-3 lived on well beyond the General Motors era, reappearing in 2013-14 and again from 2019 to 2022. In these later years its familiar Gen2 silhouette concealed an all-electric powertrain, now wearing the badge of new owner NEVS (National Electric Vehicle Sweden) in place of the hallowed Saab Griffin. From 1998 to 2011, the Saab 9-3 was manufactured at the Trollhattan factory in Sweden, carrying the brand's distinctive character into a new era. This book charts the 9-3's evolution under General Motors' stewardship, from the outgoing Saab 900 to the fundamentally similar first-generation 9-3, and on to the redesigned Gen2 model of 2002, this new model being built on GM's Epsilon platform and featuring far more GM-supplied componentry. The Gen1 9-3 came in three guises: four-door Saloon (sedan), two-door Cabriolet convertible and five-door Hatchback. Its Gen2 successor offered Saloon, Cabriolet and SportCombi estate car formats, powered by engines ranging from the 2.0-litre petrol Turbo and 1.9 TiD diesel to the 2.6-litre petrol V6 and the 1.9 TTiD twin-turbo diesel. Stunningly illustrated with over 250 images - many previously unseen - Saab 9-3 includes specially commissioned photography of the high-performance Viggen model, factory archive images, an interview with heroic rallycross legend Per Eklund and a Foreword by Saab insider and photojournalist Kenneth Olausson. It recounts Saab's final decade as a car manufacturer through the development of the 9-3 until its abandonment in 2011 by General Motors, and its brief rebirth as an electric vehicle under NEVS (National Electric Vehicle Sweden), which lingered intermittently until 2022.

In The Better Fly Fisher, coach and lifelong angler Allan Sefton shares decades of hands-on experience from fishing rivers, reservoirs and coastal waters across the UK and beyond. Drawing on a deep understanding of fish ecology and teaching others to catch them, you’ll find thoughtful guidance for becoming a more effective and adaptable angler, whether you're chasing trout in tiny streams, salmon on Highland rivers or bonefish on tropical coral flats.

Genealogy Methods and Techniques offers practical guidance on how to get the most from your family history research and be confident in the results. Suitable both for beginners who want to get things right from the start, and for experienced researchers with thorny problems to solve, this book offers tips and tricks for everyone. This book takes the reader on a journey through a series of research strategies, providing guidance at every step of the way. With clear explanations, real-life case studies and over 100 tables, charts and illustrations, it will equip you to apply best practices to your own research right from the start. Whether your research focuses on an in-depth analysis of a single individual or location, or tracing multiple generations of a family tree, this guide offers the structured approach and essential tools required to achieve reliable and meaningful results.

Deer stalking entails much more than walking the countryside with a rifle; there is a great deal to be considered prior to lacing boots and donning a green fleece. It is often said that the real work starts after the trigger has been squeezed. This book looks at all aspects of the pursuit, with clear explanations accompanied by advice, images and anecdotes. In addition, there is a unique reference chapter of all potential conditions a deer may suffer from, with full descriptions and images, and advice on suitability for entering the food chain. Specific coverage includes: laws, leases and making a start obtaining an FAC: the necessary equipment in this technological age; deer species, with identifying images; deer senses and how they shape our approach to them; shot placement and maximum shooting distances; the importance of bullet design and its effect on the carcass; stalking activities by month through the year; after the stalk - sticking, initial evisceration, inspection and recovery; at the larder - hygiene, and who needs to register as a food business and finally, inspecting the carcass, with a library of images showing conditions.

Most famously designer of the great Lancaster bomber, Roy Chadwick was one of the most significant personalities in the aviation world in the first half of the twentieth century. His career encompassed both wood-and-fabric biplanes before the Great War and the futuristic delta-winged Vulcan jet bomber. This classic biography by Harald Penrose – himself a significant figure in the development of aviation – tells his fascinating story. Both Roy Chadwick and the author lived through the same contemporary events, so this biography of the great Avro designer not only deals with aircraft evolution but reflects the atmosphere of those days. No sooner was one design under way than Roy Chadwick was imagining the next and the next, totalling some two hundred. They range from initial experience with pre-Great War precursors and the world-famous Avro 504 trainer through a sequence of prototypes including ultra-light aeroplanes, powerful fighters and bombers. In particular the Avro 504 with its 20 variants, the twin-engined Anson and the mighty Lancaster were built in huge numbers. In a swift-moving story Penrose depicts Chadwick’s career through the changing years from the early revelation of flight to his 54th year when he initiated design of the futuristic delta-winged Vulcan, ending with his tragic death in the crash of the Avro Tudor II airliner in 1947.

The tradition of the two-door luxury car began early in the history of the Rolls-Royce and Bentley marques. In the 1950s, its most famous realisation was the Bentley Continental, but that name was not revived when the new generation of monocoque models arrived in the mid-1960s. Instead, there were near-identical Rolls-Royce and Bentley variants of a stunningly attractive two-door design that came as either a saloon or a drophead coupé. From 1971, the range gained a clearer identity of its own as the Corniche, with a larger and more powerful 6.75-litre V8 engine. The Corniche remained in production for nearly a quarter of a century, during which time it quite literally stood alone as a symbol of wealth and as the epitome of luxury motoring. The drophead models were always the stronger sellers, and Rolls-Royce drew up plans for a new two-door luxury car to replace the Corniche saloons. In practice, the 1975 Camargue would establish its own market, and the closed Corniche stayed in production until 1980. The Camargue was both glamorous and rare, but it had a quite unmistakable presence and gained its own fame as the world’s most expensive production car. This book tells the full story of these iconic ranges, and will be essential reading for owners and admirers of the immortal Corniche and the controversial Camargue.

At well over 1.2 million cars and counting, the Mazda MX-5 holds the Guinness World Record as the bestselling two-seater sports car ever produced. With a compelling mixture of timeless good looks, simple mechanicals, legendary reliability and Mazda’s commitment to developing and honing an idea first conceived back in the 1970s, the MX-5 not only single-handedly revived the ailing sports car segment on its debut, but is one of few cars still flying the flag today. The motoring landscape has changed dramatically since its conception, but one thing is certain: you can still rely on an MX-5 for a good time. This fully revised edition of Mazda MX-5 charts the MX-5’s story from the first seeds of its conception right up to the concept cars and special editions of the modern day, covering:• Design, development and production over more than three decades and four generations. • The engine and drivetrain technology that gave the MX-5 its sharp handling and performance. • Stories of the engineers and designers behind the MX-5’s successes, showing how simple, intelligent engineering ensured such a bespoke product was able to compete in a world obsessed by volume and margins. • The MX-5’s extensive racing story. • A detailed buyer’s guide for all four generations, compiled with the help of specialists, as well as details of the myriad special editions sold globally. • Detailed specifications for all major models. Illustrated in full colour, Mazda MX-5 is a concise, detailed guide to this groundbreaking and innovative sports car.

Between 1982 and 1992, the World Sportscar Championship embraced the FIA’s Group C regulations, spawning a generation of long-distance racing sports prototypes representing manufacturer teams such as Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Mazda, Peugeot, Nissan and Toyota, as well as a host of specialists such as Spice and Tiga. Driven by top-line drivers, these cars competed in one of the most exciting epochs in the annals of endurance racing. This book focuses on the cars, drivers and races of the era.

Taekwon-Do shines as a martial arts discipline celebrated for its dynamic kicks, precision and focus. As practitioners start learning, mastering kicking techniques becomes not just a skill, but a vital element of their development as effective martial artists. Taekwon-Do Kicks presents a fully illustrated, step-by-step roadmap for practitioners aspiring to learn their fundamental kicks with precision and accuracy. Alongside the techniques, Sally Gleaves offers tips, tricks and exercises to enhance your performance, flexibility and strength. Each of us possesses a unique body and joints, and learning the kicking techniques may present greater challenges for some. This book aims to empower you to explore new methods, build strength and enhance flexibility, enabling your body to perform optimally. By embracing this holistic approach, you can adapt techniques to suit your unique physiology, gaining a deeper understanding and performance of the fundamental Taekwon-Do kicking techniques. Beyond technique, this guide emphasises the importance of conditioning, mobility and flexibility. Targeted exercises and drills are integrated to enhance strength and agility, preparing your body for action. Use the dynamic stretching routines to warm up your muscles, and the static stretches to promote flexibility and aid recovery, ensuring a balanced and injury-free practice regimen.

People have been drawn to the challenge of swimming the English Channel since the first recorded attempt. In this book, venerated sports writer, author and Channel swimmer John Goodbody celebrates the 150th anniversary of Captain Matthew Webb’s first successful crossing in 1875 by telling his story and those of many of the outstanding men and women who have achieved the feat since, as well as those intrepid individuals who failed – or even died trying. Compiled with research from publications, academic journals, newspaper archives and extensive interviews, these stories tell of the heroic feats, the triumphs, the failures, the deaths and the frequent controversies as men and women have battled across the Strait, defying rough seas, storms, jellyfish and treacherous currents.

A remarkable story of integrity, skill and survival in a world divided by war The most famous German fighter pilot of World War II, Adolf Galland was respected by both comrades and former enemies alike. A highly decorated ‘ace’ with over 100 air-to-air victories in the West, he was a recipient of the Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds, which was awarded to only 27 men among the millions who served. After the war, he built friendships with the very Allied pilots he once fought and was admired as much for his integrity as for his prowess as a pilot and commander. In his final years, he worked closely with historian David Baker to produce this authorised biography, largely illustrated with photographs from his private albums. Offering a rare glimpse into both the air battles of World War II and the inner workings of the Luftwaffe, and now featuring new appendices that include the latest research into Galland’s aerial kills, this book stands as an essential record of one of history’s most remarkable fighter pilots.

When Jaguar’s XJ range arrived in 1968, it quickly established itself not only as a world-beater but also as the central model in the Jaguar range. Riding high throughout the 1970s, it was nevertheless losing some of its appeal by the time Ford bought the Jaguar company at the end of the next decade. These last three generations of the classic Jaguar XJ saloons closed an era in which Jaguar had symbolised the British approach to luxury motoring. That it no longer reflected what many buyers wanted by the end was a sad reflection of the changing times, but cannot take away from the excellence and desirability of the cars themselves. Today increasingly prized by enthusiast owners, these XJs in so many ways show the marque at its peak, and this book highlights why that is so.

Clockmaking in England has a long and illustrious history, from the first clocks in medieval monasteries, through the Renaissance to the ‘Golden Age’ of the 17th and 18th centuries and into the modern world of mass production. This book is an introduction to the innovations pioneered by English horologists and scientists, who led a revolution in clock design, transforming astronomy and navigation that was essential to the making of the modern world. Alongside these developments, English craftsmen produced timepieces of unrivalled beauty and quality, many of which are now treasured antiques.