Everyone that practises Tai Chi does so for their health.

The floppy, flaccid, empty Tai Chi is good for getting rid of excessive tension but won’t build robust health and a strong vitality.

Good health comes from building a soft front and a strong back, physically, emotionally and mentally, it’s a toolbox for coping with life.

The martial aspect is essential to animate the body, emotions and mind and to be able to focus that animation in a positive manner.

Uneducated animation manifests itself as fear and anger, educated as power. It needs to be trained. I have seen so many ‘spiritual, health only’ Tai Chi practitioners go to pieces when their cage gets rattled because they didn’t train this aspect and became subject to powerful negative emotions.

The martial aspect brings out the snake, crane and tiger energies in us and trains them into a power. This power works deep inside the body, emotions and mind and disciplines and educates them.

It’s NOT about fighting, it’s about peacekeeping. Peace is not natural. It’s earned. We need to maintain peace in ourselves, in our environment and in our community, that requires both a soft front and a strong back.

We learn to be just as comfortable in chaos as we are in order. This is a learned skill.

Next time you hear someone say “I only practice Tai Chi for health” ask yourself how healthy would they be in a state of chaos?