How It All Began

Enthusiasts of the Taoist master Mantak Chia may enjoy this detailed history of his impact on the spiritual and martial arts communities in America, but for others the experience is likely to feel exhausting. His biography is roughly sketched here: born in Thailand to a Christian family, Chia later became a student of Buddhism, Muay Thai boxing, kung fu, and Taoism, with the latter serving as the bedrock on which Chia developed his own school. How It All Began might have appealed to a wider audience if it had simply explained to the uninitiated viewer Chia's principle of “healing energy,” along with the integration of energies from the mind, body, and spirit that have brought fulfillment to so many of his students. But the documentary is really about the first generation of American and European students themselves, who sought Chia out and went on to form a substantial community, some of whom helped to spread the word by ghostwriting Chia's books. The anecdotes flow freely here, but while some will be interesting to outsiders, a lot of this is fairly esoteric. Optional. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)