Today during the training of master Hidgi Chuan we practiced a Taï chi sequence. It was a combination of Taï chi movements that seemed so soft and so beautiful. It was almost like a slow dance.
We also learned the bunkais of the movements. A bunkai is the interpretation of the movement, how you can use the movement in a fight.
And by learning the bunkais I realized that what I had before imagined to be a soft dance was actually a combination of kung fu movements, of attacks, defences and arm locks… but disguised by slow movements. I learned that Taï chi is actually a martial art coming from kung fu.
So, an important lesson that I learned is not to be fooled by appearances.
Just because somebody or something looks soft and kind, doesn’t mean that he/she or it is soft and kind.