Laoshi’s Legacy: Emergence from Shadow

A few years ago, I sought to record a few memories and observations gleaned on the way from beginner to senior student. The result was ’Laoshi: Tai Chi, Teachers, and Pursuit of Principle’-a semi-fictional memoir, using the device of dialogue between student and teacher, to examine the agony and elation of sincerely pursuing the art of taiji. The thirty-seven chapters of ’Laoshi’ shone light on the various aspects of taiji and martial arts which occupied my thinking as I progressed along the Way. Laoshi, which translates as ’teacher’ in Mandarin, was the main character of the book and, though not a real person, represented the best aspects of the many martial artists whose skills, dedication, and wisdom inspired me in my attempts to match their example. As a wise and compassionate though sometimes irritable teacher, Laoshi guides his student, the narrator, through many disappointments and false dawns until the student arrives, if not at mastery, then the fertile ground where mastery grows. The present volume, ’Laoshi’s Legacy’, takes up where the previous account left off; the student moves beyond his pre-occupation with his own progress to explore the terrain occupied by the teacher. The Way of the teacher, we discover, not only offers insight and reward aplenty, but is every bit as confounding and, often, more treacherous than the path of the student. With the example of my own teachers once again embodied in the character of Laoshi, ’Legacy’ describes the challenges encountered in progressing beyond the role of student to survey the art from the viewpoint of teacher. As in the previous volume, Laoshi, the teacher, continues as guide and mentor, advising the novice instructor confronted with the reality of teaching taiji in a modern world. Like its predecessor, ’Legacy’ relies heavily on allegory, mirroring the paradoxical nature of life, where truth is often hidden in myth, and deception disguises itself as truth. A touch of poetic licence may stretch the truth a little to accommodate the narrative, but ’Legacy’ is a realistic portrayal of dilemmas faced while pursuing the Way of the teacher.READERS’ COMMENTS＂As the torch of teaching taijiquan is passed to the next generation of teachers, the problems and questions that arise are discussed in Laoshi’s Legacy by Jan Kauskas. This book is filled with amusing anecdotes and lessons that Professor Cheng Man-ch’ing taught his students that still resonate today.＂ - MARTIN INN, co-translator of The Essence of T’ai Chi Ch’uan＂The nutrient-dense insights in each chapter will make you want to linger and digest, and the unfolding human story will make you want to turn the page for the next exciting episode. Readers may come for the taijiquan lessons and lineage lore, but will stay for the life lessons and wisdom. Literary flair and Scottish wit make it an instructive, inspirational, and irresistible read. Those who read this book without tears, laughter, and lots of a-ha moments are probably not ready for it.＂ DOUGLAS WILE, author of Zheng Manqing’s Uncollected Writings＂Laoshi’s Legacy does not disappoint. Kauskas sagely and engagingly counsels readers in vicarious fashion through the guise of conversations between himself and his teacher (the sagacious Laoshi) in the important nuances of taijiquan philosophy and technique, often addressing with deft candor important real-world issues not found in other popular books. A must-read for all taijiquan teachers and students. - JOHN LOUPOS, author of Tai Chi Connections: Advancing Your Tai Chi Experience＂Jan Kauskas . . . writes well and has meditated on the words he presents here. His Laoshi answers all questions and offers stories anecdotes and spiritual knowledge in the Daoist tradition. Readers will benefit from these words . . .＂ - KENNETH VAN SICKLE, author of Tai Chi Sword and Tai Chi Feather Sword DVD