Calvin Chin offers his reflections on the past and future of tai chi. The most important development of T'ai Chi is that we now know through modern scientific evidence that T'ai Chi is beneficial for health. While the Chinese have known this all along, without the support of the Western scientific community, it remained an obscure form of exercise for the elderly in China. There is still much to research, and more will be told of the virtues of T'ai Chi.
Calvin Chin reveals the soft inner core of this "external" system. At the higher levels where hard and soft meet, the distinction between external and internal cannot be detected. Hardness and softness are not what appear on the surface. However, hardness works even when it is not generated from natural strength. But softness is ineffective without a deeper understanding of the movement and the body's understanding of the principles that guide it.
Calvin Chin offers his story on training to be a traditionalist. As a student progresses in skill level, layers of interpretation begin to unfold. It is a process that takes time, time enough for the body to process what the mind tells it to do. This is consciousness. This mind-body connection is what leads to higher skill levels.
