Invest in Loss

From time to time I come across fellow tai chi students who tell me that all they need to learn is to fa-jing, to discharge energy.

To be powerful is a kind of obsession to these people. They mistakenly focus on the far, ignoring all the heavenly glory that lies before them.

Power is contained within the postures when in accordance with the principles. We have natural power. Just walk into a table and ponder carefully the power that went into it without trying.

John Kells used to quote his teacher, Dr. Chi Chiang Tao " Twenty years learning to yield, one year learning to push".

The power obsessed want to spend  10 minutes learning the form and then get powerful as quickly as possible.

The true student will diligently practise investing in loss to realise the principles of Tai Chi. The poor student pays lip service to this in their quest to be somebody.