Customer Reviews

The Last Lama Warrior: The Secret Martial Art of Tibet

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In the early 15th century, monks in the Kham region of Tibet created a martial art form they called Senguei Ngaro (the lion's roar), a body of martial arts techniques that have been passed down generation after generation until 1956 when the monastery was destroyed and the monks massacred by Chinese solders. The superior of the monastery, Lama Bui, was able to survive the holocaust and fled to the West where he taught Senguei Ngaro to Lama Tra, who in turn taught it to Yogi Tchouzar Pa, the author of "The Last Lama Warrior: The Secret Martial Art Of Tibet" and the last in a five hundred year lineage of Senguei Ngaro warrior monks. Part history, part instruction manual, part philosophical tome, "The Last Lama Warrior" is a fascinating, informed, and informative read which is strongly recommended for all dedicated studies of the martial arts in general, and Tibetan martial arts traditions and legacy in particular.

"The Last Lama Warrior" seems a fine rich introduction to Tibetan "Health-Defense" -- with great presentation of Outer, Inner and Heart levels of Senguei Ngaro [The Lion's Roar]. Included are legend, history and wisdom concerning this "Way of the Protectors". If Overviewed with reflection and connection -- the parts come together to make a Whole that is Total. Like other World "Health-Defense" Traditions -- "The Last Lama Warrior" concerns "protecting" Spirit-and-Matter -- as they are not separate in an Overview. In particular a Lion's Roar version of Dzogchen-Mahamudra-Atiyoga seems presented -- blended-in all this work in both detour and direct ways. The philosophy, meditation and application explanations are as good as any I have seen -- and great little hints applicable to "Health-Defense" are in these as well.

Likewise likely "Health-Defense" posture-flows are presented in detour and direct ways. If the posture-photos starting on page 147 are carefully looked-into and compared to their many animal and elemental linkages -- more learning is added-to the direct descriptions near the posture-photos. Another level of learning is via linking these photos via number into visual-flows -- which DO seem to link-up into a natural COUNTER-ROTATION FLOW -- even when checked against the photo-backgrounds. It is seen that such a FLOW includes counter-rotations of upper-and-lower -- square-and-across -- coiled-and-spread -- therefore IDEAL for great human-form health.

As for "protection" application -- there are not a very large total number of "protection" postures presented -- but these medium-small number DO seem to represent ALL main types of natural posture-flows to cover ALL main angles, layers and levels of "protection" -- therefore allowing for IDEAL immediate streamlined adaptable "protection" -- using posture-flows to FIT-IN with opposition to DEFLECT it away, down and out -- via sweeps and tie-ups in particular -- spiced-up with blows, grips and pokes as necessary -- all as indicated by posture-flows.

This is all from a PERSONAL point-of-view of a reviewer with a strong informal interest in "Tibetan Boxing" -- and a follower of a modestly streamlined independant Kenpo Art influenced deeply by "Tibetan White Crane" and Old-to-New Western Combat Arts -- as well as more usual Hawaii Kenpo sources such as "Chinese White Crane", Kenpo, Karate, Judo, Aikido and Arnis +++