Customer Reviews

Beyond the Known

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I was fortunate to study under Master Tri Thong Dang for five years, and so I am biased in my review. His accomplishments as a martial artist were extensive and substantial. He held high rank and status in Tai Mantis Kung Fu, Aikido and Judo. He did not accept the title of "master," though he was, and true to his principles, he refused to elaborate his many achievements in and out of martial arts in order to sell books. Though he is no longer with us, what he left behind in Beyond the Known was more than words and stories eloquently put together, but lessons for life from his journey in the martial arts. Master Tri Dang would say "martial arts is life" and equated the life of a "true martial artist" to that of a monk or priest on a path of enlightenment. For Master Tri Dang, training hard and developing your techniques shows your dedication and responsibility, but techniques are only the clothing of the artist. What is important is the character of the artist, at the same time, your art should be effective and well practiced. To Master Tri Thong Dang, the martial and the art were not to be separated, and the ultimate goal of a martial artist is to develop oneself. If you are interested in these thoughts, these lessons, you will enjoy Beyond the Known.

This short read, told as a fable, is broken down into chapters, each expounding on an idea the book wishes to delve into with greater detail. The relationship between a martial arts master and his student is one of the most profound possible, and this book guides the reader/student into a more profound understanding of the teacher/student dynamic. The end result is, or should be, that the student becomes the master, and that the cycle of learning and growth between master and student is eternal and self-renewing.

There is one narrative quirk that should not affect the power of the lessons contained herein, but does weaken the book a bit from a writer's point of view. Otherwise, this is a valuable book, one that addresses the key relationship between master & student. In the West, it is common for students to not take their masters as seriously as they should, and for masters to occaisonally show less responsibility and accountability than they should. This short volume shows what a balanced, committed disciple/master relationship might look like.

Recommended.

This is an excellent glimpse into the internal portion of the martial arts. It is told through a story of a young master and his struggles much akin to our own, possessing egos and monkey minds. It is cleverly written to be much like the conundrums of Asian tales, but is obvious enough to be something most can relate to. I highly recommend this book to anyone who trains martial arts and wants to deepen their commitment to becoming a better person and martial artist.

My sensei had everyone in my dojo read Gichin Funakoshi's Karate-Do; My Way of Life, which spells out the principles of martial arts. This book follows the development of a martial arts master and his student, and while it doesn't spell out principles it shows them through parables. I think of it as a "companion" book to Funakoshi's, (which I think should be read first) even though the two authors did not collaborate.

I found this book to be a good clarifier for personal motives and battles encountered in martial arts training and I think this is a very good choice for any martial artist. I will keep it in my collection and re-read it every few years. I also look forward to reading the sequel, "Towards the Unknown."

Master Tri was one of the kindest living beings that I've ever known...a true Master with timeless wisdom found in his words/sharings. He will always be greatly remembered and missed. I've done a painting in memory of him and all of the other Great Masters before him, that I've titled "Spirit of Shaolin" which can be seen at one of my online galleries at: DaelArt.com Dael

This is a very good support piece for your training and should be read. It provides some guidance and can help with the map of your Path as you draw it. It is written, at times, in a very Asian manner and leaves some areas underexplained. Study it well.