There is no mystery in taijiquan. It is the intelligence of the taiji grandmaster to analyzing the theory of using necessary strength for everyday life. This is a body energy saving which is a path to the flexibility.

For combat purposes, taiji deny the idea of using more power to defeat the fewer one or using roughness against roughness but using wits and conscience to defeat the opponent. To be able to do this, it is needed to start learning new type of knowledge and throwing all of the original ideas and theory about using strength. This is the hardest part and not many people are patient enough to achieve.

The speed of performing taiji is very slow. The breathing is naturally deep and slow (natural qigong). The power of focusing creates inner peace within movement. This power travels through joints continuously. It is Taoism of fullness and emptiness (yin-yang). There is no fixed technique to handle the opponent. The technique differs for each opponent as in the Art of War by Sun Tzu. Since taiji relates with others philosophies aspects and many theories, it can be adapted to our everyday life.

Nowadays, there are increasingly more people practicing taiji especially young people. Most of them intend to become expert taiji masters just like Yang lu chan (grandmaster and founder of Yang style Taijiquan who was given the name of Yang the invincible) rather than for health only. These people are hopefully to keep on developing taiji into the future.

When one wants to study taiji, he needs to start with the true taiji master who can actually pass on the true taiji. This includes the correct postures theories and rules for continuous study and analyzing. The taiji treatise is needed for study theories and rules.

A lot of people start practicing taiji hoping to find taiji treatise to better understanding and success in taiji practicing. Some people are keen on literature (or think they are), trying to learn from the treatise. After 10 or 20 years later, it was written by the high level taiji master and the beginner would find it is hard to understand. Therefore one needs to be trained by the master to understand the treatise. Otherwise it may lead to the wrong way and increase the ego in taiji and eventually misunderstand taiji altogether.

Is this meaning that the treatise is no use at all? Well, one need to be practicing with taiji master for several years then the treatise becomes clear. Hence to find the true master is the right thing to do.

Some sentences may seem to be unclear but that is due to the difficulty of using words or sentences to explain those theories. The errors come from understanding ancient words with present minds and ideas and also from translating one language to another. For example; “sinking one side is to follow, weighting both is stiff” it can be explained in many different ways and some may argue about sinking one side or dumping weight on both. Or the term “stiffness and flexibility support each other” makes a mix feeling about to relax or using strength. One misunderstanding will lead to complete disaster. Another example is about พลังเผิง (เผิงจิ้ง) which is misunderstood that it needs to use strength against opponent. This will take forever to even improving in taiji study.

Ancient master wrote the treatise from experience with ancient language which is different from the present one. There may be people understand the ancient language but very few of them have knowledge about taiji. Therefore it is unavoidable to mix the personal feelings, ideas or comments to the treatise. That leads to the error in translating the meaning and causes many different styles of taiji.

The rules and theories about taiji in the treatise were already written in perfection. Practitioner without proper training or low level of taijiquan will not understand them. Just like when we looking at an object through the mist and cannot clearly see what it is. We have to keep guessing. Taiji is not of the ordinary. It needs to throw the stiffness all away to learn completely new things.