Essence
The Meaning of the Martial Aspect of Tai Chi
Tai chi in its martial aspect is soft on the outside and hard on the inside. If we constantly seek to be soft on the outside, after a long time we will naturally attain hardness on the inside. It is not that we deliberately think of hardness, for in reality our minds are on softness. The difficulty lies in being hard within but restraining its expression externally. We must at all times use softness to meet the opponent, that is, meet hardness with softness and reduce hardness to nothing. How can this be achieved? Briefly, having mastered sticking, adhering, joining and following, and after understanding conscious movement, one can progress to interpreting energy. After learning to interpret energy, one naturally arrives by stages at the level of highest perfection. In the end we will complete our task and reach the goal.
As for the marvel of four ounces repelling a thousand pounds, how could this be possible if ones skill has not yet reached the supreme? Therefore, only after one understands sticking, adhering, joining and following can one acquire the skills of seeing, hearing, lightness and sensitivity.