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Book Review: Lessons with Master T. T. Liang by Ray Hayward

Review by Christopher Venaccio

Reading this book is like peeking into somebody's private journal. In this case, it's peeking into the private journal of Sifu Ray Hayward, one of two disciples of T'ai Chi Master T. T. Liang. It is a mixture of anecdotes, teachings and quotes. It not only serves a documentation of Master Liang's teaching methods and content, but also gives one glimpses into the personality of the man. More interestingly, it gives you insight into the disciple himself and his personal growth in the art - many of the lessons learned only after years of studying and reflection. At times I have read it as a T'ai Chi text, other times as a series of stories and memories. At it's heart, it's a peek into the private relationship between a teacher and his student later growing into that of master and disciple.