Daily Reflection
Today we continue our survey on the Philosophy of Fighting pivoting this morning to study Tai Chi.
Tai Chi is another ancient martial art, but it has absorbed a handful of philosophies over the generations to make it what it is today.
Firstly, it is a martial art developed by Taoist monks, and almost immediately after Buddhist monks. This blend of Taoism and Buddhist philosophy gives Tai Chi its base foundation—with a focus on the balance of yin and yang, non-harm, and self-knowledge.
Soon after its inception, Tai Chi was also influenced by Confucian thought, injecting into it a strong dose of duty, discipline, utility, and communal activity.
Eventually, Tai Chi gained popularity in the late 1800s and early 1900s as an extremely effective an agile form of self-defense anybody could learn.
At its core is the idea of replying to anger, rage, and blows with a unique combination of “soft hands,” skillful maneuvers, and precise blocks. Tai Chi as a martial art was about find…
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