Taiji - Words from Laoshi today

This morning's 2-hour lesson passed exceptionally quickly today. S said this was because I was assigned to the front row corner spot and had to concentrate. I think this is quite true. I felt I really learnt something today.

What laoshi said today:

1) Use internal strength and external form like a turbo engined vehicle.

2) Difference in western and chinese styled bells (this is something I have never considered!). Western bells eg church bells are struck from the inside whereas easter eg temple bells are struck from the outside. The sound emitted naturally differs. The church bells and clear and loud compared to the deep lasting humming of the temple ones. This, says laoshi, also illustrates the difference between the US and Chinese and why the US finds it so difficult to understand the Chinese. As taiji practitioners, he said we should look to the temple bell as an example.

3) 打拳不是看行，而是看心。