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Summary: There's so much to "The Art of Effortless Power"
Comment: This book provided this beginning tai-chi student with a rich, methodical philosophical "grounding" on some concepts that that are at the core of Eastern martial arts. Ralston helps the reader develop an awareness, quite literally "from the ground up", of reality. He conveys how complicated, profound and mutable are the interrelationships between the physical universe, the self and others, and how man has the capability to adapt harmoniously and effortlessly to change. Ralston even manages to shed some light on that elusive, yet pervasive, concept of "chi". I highly recommend this book. It should not be read quickly, though. Like most good things, its insights will come to you gradually, and in their own good time.
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Summary: For Tui shou students who are serious about the art
Comment: Peter Ralston's knowledge on "being" and his profound use of the English language started my mind racing... Professor Cheng Man Ch'ing in his book "Tai-chi the supreme ultimate exercise for health, sport, and self-defense" (by Cheng Man-ch'ing and Robert. W. Smith) states on page 107, that "T'ai-chi hinges entirely upon the player's consciousness (i) rather than upon his external muscular force(li)." What Peter Ralston accomplishes in his book is explaining this consciousness -- and the idea of opening the mind to what "is" rather than what the player may "assume" it is. This book showed me what a lazy mind I had and gave me directions on how to make it active by being in the moment. It is instruction on having a beginner's mind -- always questioning, always alert. If you think you know it, you are ignoring what is really there and therefore you do not know. Most important, he writes, "Correction is not a 'bad'; it is a power. It is ability." One caution -- unless you are ready to activate your brain by his indepth approach to this consciousness-training, do not waste your time -- it's not for a lazy mind.
