23/06/2026
🍃 It's not about being stronger than the other, it's about not opposing force against force. What are you fighting against today that you could let go of?
Human instinct is to resist. When someone pushes us, we push back. When someone criticizes us, we stand up for ourselves. When something doesn't work out the way we expect, we force it to change.
Taijiquan teaches that it's not about being stronger than the other. It's all about not opposing force against force.
When you get a force in Tui Shou, if you stiffen up and push back, you're using brute force T(Li). Whoever has more muscle, more weight or better base wins. It's a straight forward confrontation.
When you yield (Lü) and redirect, you're not using less force. You’re using other people’s energy to your advantage. Don't oppose it. You accompany, you divert, you empty. The other unbalanced itself, without you spending energy resisting.
That's the intelligence of Wu Wei: action without confrontation.
When someone provokes you, the instinct is to respond with the same intensity. Wu Wei is breathing before speaking.
When a situation doesn't go as you expected, instinct is to force change. Wu Wei is to pause and observe before acting.
When you are criticized, instinct is to defend yourself. Wu Wei is listening without reacting and deciding if there is something to learn.
When the body aches, the instinct is to tense. Wu Wei is exhale and release to see if the pain subsides.
Take the test: Think of something that has you tense, frustrated, or stuck. A discussion pending. An unfulfilled expectation. A result that doesn't come. A relationship that doesn't flow.
Ask yourself:
Does this require my stamina or can I give in a little?
Am i using my energy to push something that's not moving?.
What if, instead of fighting, he let go?
It's not always possible to let go of everything. But sometimes, what we think is a necessary battle, is just a fight against something that doesn't need to be won.
True power is not in winning the confrontation. It's on not needing her.
You don't need to be stronger than the other. You need to know when not to resist.
