The only American heir to W. C. Chen, Phillip Starr continues the master’s teachings in this useful guide that also profiles the exciting early years when martial arts were still new in America. Through this entertaining collection of personal anecdotes involving Master Chen, the author, and his classmates, readers learn a particular aspect of the traditional martial arts. Included are explanations of the importance and meaning of courtesy and the custom of bowing, the significance of training with weapons and how it impacts bare-handed skills, and the value of traditional forms and how they relate to actual combat. “The Making of a Butterfly is a rich story of old Chinese kung-fu meeting American culture. This book made me long for the old ways of martial arts instruction before McDojos and health clubs dominated the land. I had been waiting for this book for a long time and didn’t even know it. A wonderful book, lovingly written.”
—Kris Wilder, Goju-Ryu karate instructor and author of Lessons from the Dojo Floor and The Way of Kata: A Comprehensive Guide to Deciphering Marital Applications

“Phillip Star is a very personable and knowledgeable sifu in the Chinese martial arts. I endorse his knowledge and teaching, and hope that everyone reads The Making of a Butterfly with an open mind and body.”
—Sifu Harlan Dai Tong Lee, five-time U.S. National AAU Kung-Fu Champion and head instructor of the Gee Yung Fut-Ga Institute in Honolulu, Hawaii