Dharma combat is a practice form unique to Zen in which student and teacher
confront each other before a live audience, so to speak. The Zen master takes a
seat at the front of the meditation hall and is approached by students, one by
one, who challenge the master with questions. The Zen master challenges them in
return, and the pithy, energetic exchanges become a teaching for all involved.
"Cave of Tigers" is proof that the ancient practice of dharma combat is alive
and well in American Zen. It consists of records of actual dharma combat
sessions between John Daido Loori Roshi and his students