Martial Arts Teaching Tales of Power and Paradox: Freeing the Mind, Focusing Chi, and Mastering the Self
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