It takes courage to face an opponent with a receptive heart and a willingness to accept, to yield, to be sensitive, and to be decisive.
Faith is necessary.

A student may fail many times before they have the heart to do what they have been told to do.

When thinking stops, the art begins.
Self-consciousness and though are impediments to the way.

Internal kung fu cannot be approached like karate or judo.
It is simply not the same thing.

Sure, commonalities exist.
But so much differs.

Tai chi and baguazhang are infused with taoist insights and discoveries.
But only the earnest student succeeds in this regard.
The lazy person uses force, or ignores the precepts of the art, bastardising it to suit their own lack of faith.

Having completed a puzzle, you may understand how the pieces all fit together and why.
Some of your breakthroughs occurred through methodical reasoning.
Others were intuition, and cannot be rationalised.

Mistakes can also lead to understand.
It can be useful to know what does not work.

When Sun Tzu speaks of invisibility, he is speaking about moving without attracting the attention of your opponent:

1. Concealment
2. Covert
3. Disguise
4. Espionage
5. Hidden
6. Misdirection
7. Secrecy
8. Stealth

Sun Tzu wrote a whole section on spying.
From a self defence perspective this is very useful.
You do not need to become a spy, but you can learn how to avoid being noticed.

In hindsight the art can seem simplistic and obvious.
But it cannot be taught in a manner that allows the student this same viewpoint.

It is not a matter of obscurity or secrecy.
Even the most candid and forthright instructor cannot tell it verbally or show it physically.

The art must be experienced, first-hand, by the student.
This is what mysticism actually means: beyond words, beyond thought.

Corrections are always a sore point for students.

It is difficult for students to accept that even the most basic concerns deteriorate without correction, and that even the most familiar skills can be refined and improved.

A sword is not a toy.
It is an offensive weapon designed to pierce or cut the skin.

When you pick up a very sharp knife you are immediately cautious.
The slightest act of carelessness may result in a cut.
A blade can part skin easily.

Now, imagine a sword blade?
This is a dangerous weapon. It is not to be trifled with.

Performance art swordsmanship makes a mockery of the weapon; understating its seriousness.

Unlike a gun, a sword is used at close-range.
To use the weapon skilfully, a high degree of skill is necessary.

The user is not distanced from the kill.
They must physically thrust the weapon into their victim or hack through flesh and bone.
This required strength, precision and nerve.

The advent of guns meant the end of the sword.

A gun is easier to conceal, required less skill in its application and allowed the user to fire a devastating round without stepping too close to the target.
Different types of guns offer a wide range of shooting options.
As a weapon it is infinitely more versatile than a sword.

People have been fascinated by swords for a very long time.
The craftsmanship, design and elegance of the weapon are often remarkable.

Books, TV programs and movies are filled with images of heroic figures wielding a sword.

What was a sword used for?

Maiming and killing.
Death can be caused by penetration, slicing or dismemberment.

It is not a 'defensive' weapon.

What is a sword?

A sword is a bladed weapon featuring a handle.
The length of the handle and the blade will differ depending upon the style of sword.
The blade may be straight or curved.
Some form of guard may be present.

People enjoy dropping into the gym at their convenience, working out and then leaving.
There is limited commitment and the training is done at their convenience.
This is not really what martial arts training is about.
Martial arts teach a wide variety of skills.
Combat is just one of these skills.
In order to learn a martial art, it is necessary to change how you look at things.

You must remove anger, aggression and conflict from your life.
Instead of fighting with people: physically, verbally, emotionally and psychologically, you learn how to approach situations differently.
It will affect every aspect of your life.
How can a gym teach this?

Some people have naïve expectations regarding self defence.
They expect to learn a few techniques, tips and pointers, and be perfectly capable of defending themselves.
This is not realistic.
Self defence courses are like urban myths; they promise something that is seldom delivered.

Some martial arts classes serve to preserve and safeguard an art that would otherwise die out.
Swordsmanship, archery and other such practices have little purpose in modern life.
The students who train these arts keep the knowledge safe.
They preserve the heritage.

Are these viable martial arts classes?
On the one hand they are; the skills are genuine martial skills, no doubt proven in actual combat over many years.
On the other hand the skills are not functional or viable in modern society.
Will you be carrying a sword?
If you did carry a sword, are you legally allowed to use it?

Fighting groups do not really constitute sport because their aim is not to compete.
The aim of a fighting class is to engage is combat that is as real as possible.
In this regard, such classes are following the martial spirit.

Unfortunately, brutality and strength often prevail.
A student may suffer more injuries in class than on the street.
In such a class, the artistry of the martial arts takes second place to guts and sheer determination.

Many martial arts have become sport.
Instructors are now 'coaches' and the whole approach is geared towards competition.

There is nothing wrong with this, if this is what you want to do. 
However, strictly speaking, such practice constitutes 'sport' not 'martial art'.

The mandate of sport is quite different to that of a martial art.
Sports are about winning and losing, gaining trophies, medals and awards.

At its most crude, a martial art is simply about surviving a violent assault.
At is most refined, it is about attuning yourself to the way of existence, adjusting to the rhythms of life.
No sport can offer this.

Tai chi is an internal martial art, a style of Chinese kung fu.
How you train the form, and what you do with it is defined by this fact.
The neijia are circular and rely extensively upon spirals, curves, softness and gravity.
This must be evident in your form training and your applications.

Modern martial arts classes cater for a wide variety of student:

1. Sport
2. Fighting
3. Young children
4. Performance art
5. Preservation classes
6. Self defence courses
7. The gym approach (drop-in and work out)
8. 'Feel good' groups that focus upon the emotional and psychological benefit

There is arguably something for everybody.
However, many of these classes have nothing to do with the purpose of martial arts training.
The modern student can train what they like, how they like.
The important thing is to be honest with yourself concerning the nature of what you are practicing.

Once upon a time martial arts were taught for very simple, pragmatic reasons:

1. Personal protection

2. Professional combat skill

Nowadays, things have changed.
People are often too lazy to learn how to protect themselves.
They imagine that a cocky 'attitude' and a big mouth will work against a real life assailant.

The need for professional combat skills remains the unchanged.
Guns and batons may be widely used by security/military services, but robbed of their weapon, an individual still needs unarmed combat skills.

Bai shi is all about integrity and trust.

Is the student capable of furthering the art?

Are they true to the art?

Can you leave it in their hands?

Do they inspire your confidence?

Students of the Tao must appreciate one thing:

Every day, mindful practice.

When the mind is disciplined

then the Way can work for us.

Otherwise, all we do is talk of Tao;

everything is just words;

and the world will know us as its

one great fool.

(Loy Ching-Yuen)

Doing the right thing at the right time is all a matter of reading the situation correctly, and responding appropriately.
Initially, it is quite difficult. With practice it becomes easier.

Learning to follow and exploit the line of incoming force is paramount.

If you make the wrong movement, you will find yourself locked into a contest of strength.
Remedy it by using the three dimensions. 
A person cannot have strength in all three directions simultaneously.
Change and you will find their weakness. 

Tai chi and baguazhang balance yielding/making space with vigorous counter-attacks.
Your aim is not to take turns, or fight.
Your aim is to finish the attacker off swiftly and decisively.

This means being present, being alert, and taking advantage of every opportunity.
You cannot space out.

A good time to train your countering skills is when 'playing the attacker'.
If you are convincing, the defender is positively challenged.
You train your attacking and counter-attacking skills simultaneously... every time you play the attacker.
Focus.

The 13th principle of the 13 postures is called 'central equilibrium'.
One aspect of central equilibrium is the notion of core stability.
Stabilising the centre does not involve any form of tension.
It is about awareness, rather than doing.

By allowing the pelvis to relax naturally and being conscious of the body in motion; a tai chi student can develop 'core stability'.
Core stability means that the pelvis feels to stay where it is throughout your practice, rather than tilt or twist.

Use the body to deliver force, not the hands.
If you can de-stabilise your opponent by taking their balance, you can employ force without receiving resistance.
Keeping your hands within the range of your feet will help in this endeavour.

Maintaining central equilibrium at all times is a given.
Any form of leaning or over-commitment weakens your entire structure and diminishes power.

Central equilibrium ensures stability, root and strength.
If you sacrifice this in order to reach the target, you may find the strike or leverage to be lacking.

If your feet are too far away from your centre, you lose your vertical stability.

There are a few common combat ranges:

1. Out of reach
2. Kicking
3. Punching
4. Grappling

Each of these ranges offers certain dangers and opportunities, both for the attacker and the defender.
Recognising what an assailant can do at each range is important.
An attacker may be within reach, but their capacity to affect you may be limited by their understanding of what works at which range.

When you perform an application by thinking about the nature of the animal, rather than the posture, you find that the movement happens far more spontaneously.

You no longer plod through the movements. The application just emerges.

As the syllabus progresses you must cultivate 'sung', an advanced-level neigong.
Part of sung entails doing without doing, a tzu-jan quality of immediacy, whereby the outcome happens without any sense of feeling the body.

A student initially learns to coordinate the pattern.
Later, they focus upon the movement.
At sung level, the student just strikes. No thought, no feeling of anything. The strike lands without self consciousness.

Higher-level Instructors are less common in the UK.

To become a Tai Chi Expert the Instructor needs 15 years tai chi chuan study, 10 years teaching experience and 10,000 hours of tai chi practice.
They must possess extensive, versatile combat skills and more in-depth teaching skills.

The 16 treasures are all neigong; habitual skills that transcend consciousness. 
But they are very particular skills.

Clearly, your end product is not supposed to look like a David Attenborough documentary.

The 5 animals aspect of shen serves to help you see the possible origin and purpose of the movements, in addition to unlocking many of the potential, hidden applications.
Eventually, you must internalise this knowledge and express it in application.

Certain movements are clearly emulating one kind of animal, whereas others may be one or another, relative to how you want to express the jing.

There is scope for interpretation.

Society has not become more dangerous.
16th Century Asia was probably far worse then than it is now.

The arts of the 16th Century will work in modern culture... if we do them properly.
The faults that people discover in traditional combat systems lie often in themselves as students rather than the actual arts.

The 21st Century has different concerns to the 16th Century. We must allow for the realities of the modern urban environment.
A self defence practitioner needs to be upright, agile, adaptive and realistic. Your opponent will probably be armed and they will most likely have friends.
Things change. Time moves on. Your art needs to be a response to the needs of the present day.

The 6 balanced pairs neigong is relatively easy because it is purely physical.
By establishing a relationship between different parts of the body you can improve postural balance.
Paying attention to postural balance affects the energy within your body and this in turn results in a general trend of positive change.

The genius of ancient martial arts systems cannot be denied. They are tried are tested. They have endured.
Whether or not they are viable in modern times is down to the school, the instructor and the syllabus - rather than just the art itself.

A pragmatic self defence syllabus must take into account the century we are living in.

Tai chi was codified into a self defence system thousands of years ago.
People fought in muddy fields and wore body armour. Low stances were necessary for stability.

Tai chi is the 13 postures. 
All movements - whether form, drill or self defence - must be the 13 postures.
The 13 postures are the ways in which the energy is moved whilst performing tai chi.

Our students address this topic in the tai chi syllabus.

Think of what a tiger is like. They are massive creatures, incredibly strong and tenacious.

What characteristics does a tiger possess?

1. patient
2. calm
3. direct
4. ruthless
5. seizing
6. assertive
7. forceful
8. thrusting, lunging attack
9. immensely strong
10. unrelenting
11. overwhelming
12. teeth and claws

Think of what a snake is like. A cobra? A boa constrictor?

What characteristics does a snake possess?

1. undulating, wave-like action
2. patient
3. sly
4. quiet
5. slips around defences
6. determined
7. extremely fast
8. sudden, penetrating blow
9. open up defences, then strike
10. bite, body strength, poison 

Think of what a monkey is like. An orang-utan? Or a small, cheeky monkey?

What characteristics does a monkey possess?

1. indirect
2. misdirection, distraction, sneaky
3. appears to be weak in order to draw you in
4. fast
5. mischievous
6. provoking
7. vicious
8. elbows
9. hunched over and tight
10. yielding and withdrawing
11. sharp, stunning attacks, performed unexpectedly
12. claws and teeth

Think of what a bird is like. A bird of prey or a stork? A crow? A seagull?

What characteristics does a bird possess?

1. wings open and close
2. soars up and swoops down
3. grace, lightness and balance
4. splitting action
5. yielding and withdrawing
6. wings spread open, exaggerating size
7. nervous
8. decisive and surprising
9. striking as it splits
10. beak and claws

Think of what a polar bear is like. Or a grizzly. Not a teddy bear, though. A teddy bear somewhat misses the point.

What characteristics does a bear possess?

1. huge, strong and powerful
2. fearless
3. direct
4. determined
5. large, open stance
6. movements are sweeping
7. outward turning
8. no allowance for its prey
9. immense, whole-body strikes involving hips and spine
10. claws and teeth

We picked 5 animals to consider because the form movements can be considered in reference to these animals:

1. Bear
2. Bird
3. Monkey
4. Snake
5. Tiger

We are not interested in what type of bird, or which bear you imagine. Who cares?
Such talk misses the point.

The character of the form movements can be better understood by looking at these 5 animal

Folklore is riddled with dragons, phoenix and unicorns.
We are not interested in such creatures. To the best of our knowledge they are make-believe.

How do you emulate a dragon? Have you ever seen one?

Chinese martial arts have long been inspired by natural forms of movement and behaviours.
The form posture names reflect this quite clearly: stork spreads wings, snake creeps down, repulse monkey, part wild horses mane...

It is common for people to literally copy the mannerisms and actions of an animal.
Monkey is a common example of this, as is preying mantis.

Sifu Waller does not wish to behave like an animal. We are humans, after all.
The aim is to simply emulate the spirit of the animal.
We are interested in capturing the essence/nature/characteristics/quality of the animal.

The key to '4 ounces of pressure' is stopping as soon as you experience resistance.
If your body is loose and floppy, you will not want to push or use your arms for strength.
Sifu Waller places great emphasis upon not pushing against force.
We regard strength versus strength to be a major folly.
Once you can feel the difference between using your weight and using force, it is easy to realise why.

Maintaining central equilibrium enables us to use the three dimensions easily and skilfully.
If we slouch, lean or slump, the power is dissipated immediately.

The key to sustaining central equilibrium is to remain within your natural range, and to avoid exotic, flamboyant postures.
Low stances and wide stretches reduce your stability significantly.

The human skeleton is strongest when we are upright. Your tai chi needs to reflect this.
If your stance is long and low, it reduces your ability to move.

The highest level of tai chi practice is high stance and small circle. In high stance and small circle you can conserve your energy to a maximum level.
(Yang Jwing-Ming) 

To incapacitate an opponent, aim whenever possible to compromise their ability to maintain central equilibrium.
Invariably this is accomplished by encouraging them to over-commit, to lose their centre, to forsake their own balance.

Form without shen is simply a hollow pattern.
You may have the positioning, the movements and the timing right, but that is all.
Knowing the 13 postures will help to develop your sense of jing, but something is still missing.
Performing the applications is not enough either.

Intention is a start, but you need something more. You need spirit. Shen.

People push for things in various aspects of their lives.
If things do not go their way, they push, and then push a little harder.
When learning tai chi, pushing is fruitless because the skills will only come once you stop pushing.

The attitude of not pushing is called wu wei.
For it to really affect your life, it needs to extend beyond the class.

Moving qigong is much easier to practice than form.

The coordination is simpler and the health benefits more immediate and tangible. Form takes much longer to learn and quite a long time to actually perform competently.

Anyone can do qigong. There is a lot less to think about. The exercises are focussed and clear. You need not complicate matters by thinking about self defence applications or any other concerns.

It is also important not to get caught up thinking about qi. Let the energy take care of itself. Keep your mind on the exercise. Intention leads the qi and the qi leads the blood. Breathe and relax.

Once you are competent at qigong, take what you have learned into form. Form is essentially moving qigong with extra features. The extras include increased balance and coordination, martial application and energy emission.

In motion the whole body should be light and agile,
with all parts of the body linked as if threaded together.

The qi should be excited; the shen should be internally gathered.

The postures should be without defect,
without hollows or projections from the proper alignment;
in motion the form should not become disconnected.

The jing should be rooted in the feet, generated from the legs,
controlled by the waist, and manifested through the fingers.

If correct timing and position are not achieved, the body will become disordered
and will not move as an integrated whole; the correction for this defect
must be sought in the legs and waist.

The principle of adjusting the legs and waist applies for moving in all directions;
upward or downward, advancing or withdrawing, left or right.

All movements are motivated by mind, not external form.

If there is up, there is down; when advancing, have regard for withdrawing;
when striking left, pay attention to the right.

If the mind wants to move upward, it must simultaneously have intent downward.

Alternating the force of pulling and pushing severs an opponent's root
so that he can be defeated quickly and certainly.

Insubstantial and substantial should be clearly differentiated.
At any place where there is insubstantiality, there must be substantiality;
Every place has both insubstantiality and substantiality.

The whole body should be threaded together through every joint
without the slightest break.

Tai chi is like a great river rolling on unceasingly.

Wardoff, rollback, push, squeeze, pluck, split, elbow, shoulder are equated to the Eight Trigrams.
The first four are the cardinal directions; the second four are the four corners.

Advance, withdraw, look right, look left and central equilibrium are equated to the five elements: metal, wood, fire, water and earth.
All together these are termed the Thirteen Postures. 

(Chang San-feng)