Steal My Art: he Life and Times of T'ai Chi Master T.T. Liang

Wish I had an opportunity to try and steal Master Liang's art ! To have meet up with him would have been an honor, yet after reading this book I feel like I knew him. GREAT book, for those who have an extended relationship with your instructor makes this book an even better read. So many nuggets I thought hidden in there. Made me appreciate Professor Cheng's teachings even more and all that Professor Cheng gave to us.And my personal relationship with my teacher.As far as people saying it stirred up controversy, Master Liang only made me appreciate his teacher Professor Cheng more by showing he was just as human as we are. And what ever differences they had is between a multi-facted relationship they had. Seems they were more then Sifu-student, master-disciple,Professor Cheng was his mentor, role model,master,teacher, father figure in some ways and yet also his friend and yet his brother as well, and differences let it be between these two men,...Master Liang has passed down a legacy to us in his teachings, stories here in this book and by allowing us to know his life story.If you want a TRUE master to be brutally and humorously honest with you,..read this book..through this book written by his student Master Liang will inspire you and motivate you not only to improve your tai chi but who you really are. Worth every cent and some !!! Get it this book so worth the read!!! .Thank you Master Liang and Mr.Olson for a treasured book ! One of my all time favorite books now...

This book is not "how to do Tai Chi" -- but rather T.T. Liang's life as a Tai Chi master. T.T. Liang was a great practical joker who loved a good laugh. This book shows a well rounded man who loved Tai Chi and life. With that said, there are a lot of tips in there for Tai Chi practioners. Good read and one to keep on hand for anyone who does Tai Chi.

Nice Personal story , no technical instruction.Tachi is overrated, I have traveled around China, trying to learn martial art, even lived on Wudang mountain to practice for 7 months.I got my first glimpse of real martial art in a park in Guangzhou, when a kind teacher taught me, without even telling me the name of his art.A year later, I found out that what he taught me was Yiquan, and I have practiced Yiquan ever since

Great book if your like tai chi and martial arts!

Liang was my first t'aiji teacher. He told us stories about how t'aiji teachers traditionally withheld vital info from even their best students so they wouldn't ever be able to best the teacher. This describes Liang. I loved the man for a time too. I look forward to looking thru his book. The personal history sounds like it will be fascinating, but he is not the model of a good teacher of any kind.It took me decades to find a truly superb t'aiji teacher(2 miles away) from whom I finally am learning how to do/be/learn/understand/live this engrossing skillset-and-more. Before then I pieced some of it together from encounters with other lost souls and on my own. Liang was a weak first act.cheers,

I knew nothing of T'ai Chi before reading this book. The first part of the book really took some thinking to fully understand part of the art of T'ai Chi through this book. In my opinion, the best part of the book was towards the end. There are some hilarious and inspiring anecdotes that are definitely worth reading!

This is the second time I've purchased this book, I gave my first copy away, really enjoyable, quick read...what I found interesting was that I was living in Little Falls MN (second time I purchased) and he was based out of St. Cloud MN during this period...

Just re-read it again.This book is about T. T. Liang and his two top students.The stories are wonderful and always make me smile.This book also holds a wonderful secret for many in the middleon how to improve and refine what ever style of T'ai Chi they enjoy.A must read.

Steal My ArtFinally we get a humanisation of the history of Tai Chi Chuan... A filthy drug infested China of badlands and gangsters, opium, alcohol, violence and more STDs than Saturday Night Fever...at last we read that Cheng Man Ching had his faults, that Yang Cheng Fu was imperfect and that the subject of this book T.T. Liang was loved despite and not because of his faults.Tai Chi is too affiliated with flowing white gowned golden eyed airitarians living on ranches and in meadows; and here we have a book about the smog and dirt and extreme imbalance in personalities and masters. That some were guiltless killers, some were egomaniacs. They make our faults pale in comparison.A beautiful book.

Timely delivery and proper quality

After reading this book I can't help but think of T.T. Liang as a favourite old great-uncle; somewhat disreputable yet completely lovable and also deserving of great respect. This is my favourite T'ai Chi book, by a mile. Read it along with Wolfe Lowenthal's books about Cheng Man-Ch'ing, as the two authors' stories of the two T'ai Chi Masters complement each other perfectly.

This is not one of those 'how to' books, just a collection of stories about the Authors relationship with T.T Liang. As i have just started out in Tai Chi, i didn't know who T.T Liang was..but by the end of the book i certainly did ! This book is a little gem, and once you start reading, it's hard to put it down.

This is a good and reasonably short read on the live of TT Liang, geared towards people who admired him personally as opposed to admiration of him as a ta chi practicioner. If you are looking for a book on Tai Chi generally I would not recommend it, though it does give some insight into how the art influenced him.Overall good and humorous.