68
A GOOD soldier is never aggressive;
A good fighter is never angry.
The best way of conquering an enemy
Is to win him over by not antagonizing him.
The best way of employing a man
Is to serve under him.
This is called the virtue of non-striving!
This is called using the abilities of men!
This is called being wedded to Heaven as of old!
Translated by John C. H. Wu
Interpretation by Bill Bernsen
REFLEXIVE
Stop
Antagonizing
People
It shows intent
Support
My statements
By sinking down
Going under opponent
Can be done
Without words
Just think
Kow tow
Do push hands
With above feeling
Remove
Hatred
Emotion
Foremost
Gain
Their spirit
Before teaching
Hollow gestures
Thru Slow Set
Opponent can’t battle
Against unknown
Kow tow
To others
Use their intended
Force as my own
Deep bonds
With gravity
Bright bonds
With spirit
Master’s spirit
Is above
Heart is below
Merging
With student/opponent
Spirit’s job
Is to descend
Into the body
Body’s job is
To be open
And strong enough
To receive spirit
Thru Tai Chi Chuan
The body
Is opened
Strengthen to the
Spirit of the past Masters
Who can now practice
The art again thru
The current
Master/students
Teacher
Is never
Antagonistic/irate
During push hands
Paramount
Way of winning
Is thru virtue
Not violence
Having no intent
Of being first
Means
Listening
How do I
Handle others
Merge with
Past Masters
Their spirits
Are watching
Can tell me
What to do
Must be strong/rooted
To handle orders
Follow, follow, follow
Always follow
Follow lineage
Always in the lead
Then I will always
Be second
After lineage
Ahead of those who
Do not follow
Masters closely
Follow
My heart
It is connected
To the Masters
There are levels
Of the connection
Teacher
Sifu
Master
Masters (lineage)
Tao
Antagonizing
An opponent
Is interfering
With Masters plans
Keep #68 in mind
When choosing students
Less intent
More gravity
Until spirit rules
This poem
Is what I am using
Against my adversaries
This poem applies
To my experience
With other teacher
Center of gravity
Under opponent
For support
If they feel it
They become
My student
No intent
Not angry
Is a warrior
Focus
On apprehension
Because intent
Is always there
Intent to live
That is
Be apprehensive
About dying
Follow the way
Of the lineage
Have no intent
Show no apprehension
Be a fulcrum
Have no intent
Show no apprehension
Be like a bellows
Slow set leads
To peace
Of mind/body
Intent last
Apprehension first
Never intent
Always hidden
Apprehension
Place center
Under student/opponent
Get the opponent
To be my student
Teach him
He will learn
Not to harm
Do not show intent
Hide apprehension
Be Humble
Kow Tow
To all
Support them
By being under
Their center of gravity
Listen/follow
Follow/listen
Listen to the past (lineage)
Follow the future (students)
Listen to the present (self)
Follow to the past
Listen to the future
With love
Songs put me
In the mood
To create
If one dislikes
The teacher (part)
One dislikes
The lineage (whole)
Listen
Conscious movement
Follow
Measure
Concentrate
On the upper end
Of the bow
Apprehension pulling back
The bottom of the bow had
Intent to root more
A great warrior
Need not shoot
His arrow
But always
Has a strung bow!
Negate intent
Be a fulcrum
Touch
The future
And stretch
Back into earth
A good fighter
Does not use his ego
But rather leads
With his heart
Listen and follow
Ahead
Physically and mentally
Apprehension
Jesus statement
Turn the other cheek
Is Tai Chi Chuan
Yield!
Kow towing
Control center
Control intent
No intent
Follow
Masters assist
Let opponent
Save face
Kow Tow
Is placing
My center of gravity
Support
Under student/opponent
Without intent
Secret circle
Sending support
To Masters
By thinking chi down
To legs
Then into earth/ China
Then up into Masters
Drum effect
Ascends chi
To my gestures
Becoming one
With Masters/students/opponents
I know what there are
About to do
Because I am at one
With them
And the art
Secret circle
Becoming one with
Point of focus
Tai Chi gesture
Kow Tow!
To all in nature
Kow Tow
While
Non-striving
Don’t use intent
Rather
Use mercy/support
Tai Chi Chuan
Is passive/reflexive
Heal not harm
Never intent
Always support
Or ward-off
Apprehension
Avoid conflict
Always
Quick contact
Passive listening
He feels support
Support heaven/Masters
Earth support
Tao supports all
The best
User of men
Is a student
Of his students
Practicing
Tai Chi Chuan
Without
Struggling or crying
Be like the ancients
In the present
For the future
The student can
Also be like
An opponent
To emulate
Nature
Just listen
Become opponent’s
Foundation
Something to lean on
This reveals intent
Whatever
Master teaches
Add it to
The previous lesson
Application
Work on slow set
Moves
That led up to it
Don’t search
For his center
This is intent
Just follow/listen
Eventually
Opponent will reveal it
Be apprehensive
About revealing
My center
I am the present
Conduit between
Past and future
A shrewd student
Never incites
Anyone
Student
Should never
Antagonizes
His nemesis
Avoid conflict
Handle humbly
Push hands
Not striving
Just follow
Connecting
With opponent’s Jing/chi
Listen and adhere
Past Masters
Pressing on
My back
The future pressing
On front
Present must inflate
To understand
Forget
Future pressure
I will fall
On my face
Because the pressure
Of the future
Is what keeps
Me plumb
Forget the past
Holding up at the back
And fall on ones ass
Rage shuts down
All the senses
Including the 6th sense
No one
Including the Masters
Can get thru
To me
In a state
Of rage
Being humble
In common
With the Masters
Do not rush
Ahead
When teaching
Be one
With the Master
Humble
It matters not
What others
Think or do
Humble
Lower
Center of gravity
Harmonize = humble
Now that I can get
A new feeling
Each day
Express it
To the students
I must take into account
Each student
As an individual
Listen
To their needs
Sometimes students
Will look upon
The teacher
As the antagonist
Because I am exposing
Their problems
This is guiding
Them to who
They really are
The reason people
Show off
Get angry/attack
Is that they feel
As if they are less
Than the other person
And may get hurt
The problem is that
They are just thinking
Of themselves
Follow the art
As they did
In the past
Lose ego
Avoid conflict
When angry
It affects everything
Around me
Disconnecting
From the important things
Focus
On a specific
And I shut off
My environment
Student, family
Friend, other Masters etc.
Just listen to nature
Perhaps the reason
For aggressiveness anger
And antagonizing
Is I am try
To win over
With intent
This is easy to read
If I just listen
Get down lower
So low that
I become gravity
Master follows those
Who have been there
Connect to the old
For it is the foundation of
The new
Listen/follow
Follow/listen
Listen
To past (lineage)
Follow
Future (students)
Listen
To present (self)
Follow to the past
Listen to the future
Listen and follow
My heart
The meek shall
Inherit the earth
Rooted humble gestures
Find the center of gravity
Mine and opponent
Show apprehension
Opponent will reveal
Intent
Kow tow
To his intent
Using his force
To root
Deeper
Then drum effect
Takes place
Use heartfelt
Gestures
During push hands
Kow Tow
To opponent
Avoid force vs. force
Add apprehension
The secret to Tiger’s
Ready to pounce
Subserviently
Receive/ respond
With virtue
Not violence
Tai Chi is passive
Alert/stop/listen/control
Support imponderables
Kow tow
To Masters’
Knowledge
Yield/yin
To lineage
Merge
With lineage
For direction
Fulcrum
Of peaceful
Waist/wrist
Be a fulcrum
To all
Master supports me
I support students
All three support the art
Passively
Support my own
Center of gravity
With my spirit
Then others
Reason
Tai Chi Chuan
Is passive
Is that
I receive/gather/listen
First
Then respond
Compassion
Compacted
Compromise
First know self
Then others
I am the other
To the Masters
Passive
Peaceful
Physics
The best
Self-defense
Is silence
Tai Chi Chuan
Is reflexive
Do not cock
Your own bow
Use others chi
To react
Tai Chi Chuan
Partner practice
With the lineage
Negate intent
Use apprehension
To listen
Surmount
Opponent’s spirit
Not their gravity
Apprehension
Over aggression
Virtue
Over violence
Be a fulcrum
In a fight
The virtuous
Answer to
Poor/wrong
It’s different
Support opponents
Center of gravity
To receive
Their intent
Tai Chi Chuan
Partner practice
Rules
Kow Tow
To the next
Gesture/application
Let the lineage
Align the linkage
Kow Tow
To support/listen
Then ward-off
Rollback/press
Or push
Prostration
With apprehension
Conquerors
Intent
Ill intent
Leads to injury
Physical/spiritual
A sturdy fulcrum
Has a wide
Support base
A warrior’s
Wisdom
Kowtow
To avoid
Losing face
Ducking
The insult
Warriors
Without
Wounds
Vortex
Intent back
To apprehension
Tai Chi Chuan
Practicing
Pacifist
Telekinesis
Is a virtue
Passive
Practice
Prevails
Tai Chi fulcrum
Is virtue
With a inverted
V ^irtue
Stay
Aligned
With lineage
Use a demo
To evade
Conflict
Or entice
Students
Ward-off
Aggression
Rollback
Anger
Press
Virtue
Push
Passion
Passive
Perceptions
Pursues
Peaceful
Presence
Passively
Emulate
Opponent’s
Intent
To conquer
Using vanquish
Virtue
Warrior
Doesn’t dwell
On past
Or future
Only present
Which is a
Tai Chi fulcrum
Passive
Push hands
Perfects
Postures
Performance
Tai Chi Chuan
Application
Is perceptive
Using virtue
Not malevolence
Tai Chi Chuan
Is passive
Neutralize
All attacks
Whether
Spiritual/physical
With ward off
Rollback/press
Rarely push
6-29-23