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From Publisher's Weekly
A child of poverty and abuse in New York's Spanish Harlem, DeMasco had every opportunity to become just another inner-city statistic. In time, though, his inward strength and survival instinct led to a dedicated study of martial arts; eventually he became a Shaolin kung fu grand master. In this entertaining and often moving book—a blend of ancient parables, memoir and instruction guide—DeMasco takes an often gritty and unapologetic look at the difficulties of growing up in modern society and offers lessons from his own life and the wisdom of the Shaolin monks, who seek "a balance between aggression and peace." In chapters such as "Victims Aren't Born, They're Bred" and "Anger Is Wasted Energy," he explains yin and yang as the balance of weakness and strength, and tells how monks learn to control their anger rather than let it control them. Tackling issues like living a fulfilling life, focusing to achieve maximum results, avoiding negative emotions and developing self-reliance, DeMasco (with People correspondent Joseph) provides a well-crafted perspective into how ancient teachings can be applied to modern problems.
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Blurb from Publisher's Weekly about "The Shaolin Way"
March 7, 2003
Kung-Fu Secrets Promised at Harper Entertainment
The publisher's senior editor Josh Behar bought world rights in a book called "The Shaolin Way: Ancient Secrets of Survival, Healing and Joy Through Kung-Fu" by Steve DeMasco, a counselor and martial arts master, writing with Alli Joseph.
He made the buy through agent Sydelle Kramer at the Frances Goldin agency, and plans to publish next summer.
Shaolin, named after the Buddhist temple where it was first practiced 1,500 years ago, was a method of self-defense created for the monks to protect themselves against wild animals and bandits, and was the forerunner of all the later martial arts styles. De Masco describes its intricacies as both a fighting style and a way of life that can help users cope with their problems.
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