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Title: Martial Arts Teaching Tales of Power and Paradox: Freeing the Mind, Focusing Chi, and Mastering the Self
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Manufacturer: Inner Traditions
List Price: $12.95
Our Price: $7.37
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| Customer Reviews: |
| Martial Arts Teaching Tales of Power and Paradox: Freeing the Mind, Focusing Chi, and Mastering the Self by Inner Traditions Neat book, compelling and thoughtful | This set of vignettes is not only fun to read but it really does make you think. Fast paced, clear writing in a style that is reminiscent of Dave Lowry. You don't have to be a martial artist to enjoy it though you will probably get more out of it if you are.
Lawrence Kane
Author of Surviving Armed Assaults, The Way of Kata, and Martial Arts Instruction | | Martial Arts Teaching Tales of Power and Paradox: Freeing the Mind, Focusing Chi, and Mastering the Self by Inner Traditions Tales to remember and recycle | | This is just another book you should read on your Journey. Also recomended: Zen in the Martial Arts, by Joe Hyams. Please do yourself and the world a favor and expand you mind and soul. Read books such as this, books on spirituality, religion, philosophy, science, art, Toaism, and anything that stimulates your brain!! Read Salinger, Vonnegut, Jim Harrison, Cormac McCarthy, Watch great movies like Sling Blade, Miller's Crossing, of Pulp Fiction. FLEX YOUR HEAD !!!!!!!!!! | | Martial Arts Teaching Tales of Power and Paradox: Freeing the Mind, Focusing Chi, and Mastering the Self by Inner Traditions Taste of the inner meaning of martial arts | | This small book leaves me begging for more. It relates tales teaching the inner meaning of the martial arts. It is divided into the following sections. 1. The message of the stories. 2. On the threshold of the mystery. 3. Confronting the mountain. 4. The snare of appearences. 5. The great test. 6. Lessons of the Zen masters. 7. Winning without fighting. 8. The ultimate secret. For those who are interested in the martial arts as a path for self development and realisation rather than just as a 'grab em and bash em' exercise in futility, this book will be a treasure for you. The martial arts have traditionally passed on its ethos and morality through tales such as these. Many of these tales were already familiar to me as our Sensei recounts some at each training session, more or less. The book only has one major drawback, there isnt enough of it. It left me wanting more. | | Martial Arts Teaching Tales of Power and Paradox: Freeing the Mind, Focusing Chi, and Mastering the Self by Inner Traditions Product Description | | A collection of parables and teaching stories from the martial arts traditions of Japan and China that emphasizes their spiritual foundation.
• The teaching stories in this book are based on the lives of martial arts masters and are meant to inspire questions and insights for the student.
• Written for martial artists and anyone interested in Eastern religions such as Buddhism, Zen, and Taoism.
True martial arts should never be confused with simple combat techniques. Rather, martial arts are a way that an individual, after a long and difficult apprenticeship, can gain a profound understanding of the true nature of reality and one's place in it. Over time the apprentice discovers the laws governing the subtle forces of life and realizes that their mastery is only possible after one has mastered oneself. "He who has mastered the Art doesn't use his sword: he compels his adversary to kill himself." This quote from renowned sword master Tajima no Kami perfectly expresses the paradoxical nature of martial arts teachings in China and Japan. These teaching stories are not moral fables; in fact they have nothing to prove. Their purpose is actually to inspire questions and insights that will aid the student to achieve self-realization.
Most of the stories in this book are based on actual events in the lives of martial arts teachers who have achieved legendary status. The almost superhuman abilities of some of the masters described here are evidence of the secret powers that can be wielded by those whose martial arts training is not simply the learning of physical techniques but involves the mastering of the subtle energies of the mind and body. Master of the Art of Archery Kenzo Awa could hit the center of a target even when shooting in total darkness. Assailants of Tai Chi master Yang Lu Chan found their blows did more damage to themselves than to their would-be victim. By reading--and comprehending--the tales in this book, we can acquire the same essential knowledge that these masters had--that extraordinary forces are within the grasp of those who have achieved inner peace and self-mastery. | | Martial Arts Teaching Tales of Power and Paradox: Freeing the Mind, Focusing Chi, and Mastering the Self by Inner Traditions Amazon.com | | Even though it is now a cliché to say that learning a martial art is as much about learning to conquer oneself as it is about learning to conquer the enemy, most martial-arts books are still about the latter. Pascal Fauliot lends a refreshing voice to the field by excavating some of the great educative tales from the martial arts traditions of China and Japan. Not exactly moral tales, these stories exemplify the ideals of excellence in the martial arts, and are as entertaining as a feature film. Some of the scenarios you might expect: the master who is bushwhacked but comes out unscathed, or the master who sets his student to mundane tasks rather than fighting techniques. Others will surprise: the master who shatters an enormous piece of bamboo without touching it, or the bully who thrashes a little old man only to find himself bedridden the next day. Purportedly all true, these are inspirational stories about learning persistence, self-mastery, flexibility, concentration, and harnessing the invisible power of chi. They are also lighthearted, and retold with an expert touch that the master of any art would appreciate. --Brian Bruya |
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