I tell you, one of the things I love most about Kung-Fu/Tai Chi/Chinese Martial Arts is the balance and mixing of soft and hard energies!
Can you move softly, slowly, calmly, gracefully, but also with powerful intent? I made a couple of videos on the topic. Here’s a quick Instagram reel I made on it:
And also, I made a YouTube video on this topic as well, leading through a 24 step sequence excerpted from the Chan Family Choy Lee Fut form, “Leen Wan Kau Da Kuen”, (Continuous Cross Pattern Fist Set):
I think it is very important for developing your mental pliability to understand when you execute hard energy, when you execute soft energy, and when you blend and mix the two. Sometimes, in the mixing, you might favor the hard, but you definitely sprinkle softness in there. Other times in the mixing, you could favor the soft, sprinkling in the hardness. Whatever the case may be, you are viscerally aware of what energies are at play, and that you have the ability to switch modalities, if need be.
Let’s keep this practice going. I know it’s not easy, it does require us to step outside of our defaults, but that is the beauty of growth. The more elasticity you help your mind and body develop, the better your mental and physical health become. Straight up, 100%, period, point, blank! =)