| Wuji (pronounced "woo-zhee") is an important | | | | trying to push your buttons, or throw you |
| concept in Taoism and Chinese culture. It is a | | | | off-balance either because of their own imbalance |
| state of absolute balance -- perfect peace and | | | | or for their own benefit. Your goal, then, is to |
| harmony. It is limitless and infinite. | | | | regain wuji as quickly as possible and be at peace. |
| When everything begins moving and you lose | | | | Don't give your attacker a target. Their allow their |
| balance, you also lose wuji. | | | | verbal and emotional attacks to find a place to |
| In the Taoist view of the universe, if we were to | | | | land. |
| look at it from a modern scientific view, the | | | | How do you do this? One effective method is to |
| universe was in a state of wuji just before the | | | | detach from the emotion that normally happens in |
| Big Bang. There was a state of perfect peace | | | | this type of situation. Instead of letting yourself |
| and then all hell broke loose. Things separated into | | | | get angry, relax, calm down and feel sorry for |
| yin and yang. Dogs and cats living together -- | | | | the person. Consider how unhappy their life must |
| MASS HYSTERIA! (Sorry, I watched | | | | be to cause them to lash out this way. This is the |
| Ghostbusters a lot when my daughters were | | | | best way to deal with people who act crazy on |
| little) | | | | the highways. Instead of reacting with anger, try |
| When you see someone performing Tai Chi, they | | | | relaxing and calming your mind and body instead. |
| begin in a relaxed stance, standing with their feet | | | | It isn't always easy to react with calmness when |
| together. This represents wuji. They step out | | | | someone at work is behaving in a way that can |
| with their left foot and stand with their feet | | | | threaten your income and security. In those |
| shoulder-width apart, then they relax again. I've | | | | instances, you must often take action, as you |
| done this with Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang, | | | | would against a physical attack, but focus only on |
| whose ancestor created Tai Chi. When he's | | | | the behavior of the person, with a calm and clear |
| leading a group of students in a form, and he has | | | | explanation of how damaging it is to you and the |
| moved to this first position with feet | | | | company. Explain it to them, letting them know |
| shoulder-width apart, he says very slowly, "Calm | | | | you won't accept it, and if necessary, take it to |
| down." This is also wuji. Once the form begins, | | | | their supervisor. |
| things are moving up and down, opening and | | | | I was the news director at a TV station when an |
| closing, becoming empty and full -- the body is | | | | egotistical reporter behaved very badly and |
| following the yin and yang and seeking to return, | | | | treated the assignment editor with disrespect in |
| at the end of the movements, to wuji. | | | | front of the staff. I sat her down, with the |
| Many people don't realize that Tai Chi is a | | | | assignment editor as a witness (he was her |
| powerful martial art. When using Tai Chi for | | | | supervisor), and explained to her why such rude |
| self-defense, the goal is to maintain wuji -- balance | | | | behavior wasn't acceptable. Her reaction wasn't |
| and harmony; to remain centered. When someone | | | | pretty -- she exploded with anger. I gave her 30 |
| attacks, and you must adapt and change to deal | | | | days to either behave more professionally or |
| with the force, your goal is to return to wuji -- | | | | leave. |
| the state of balance you were in before the | | | | After the meeting, the assignment editor said, |
| attack. | | | | "That was classic! Every time she exploded, you |
| The goal is to greet force by relaxing, adapting, | | | | calmly steered the conversation back to her |
| neutralizing the force and putting your opponent | | | | behavior. You didn't let her control the situation." |
| off-balance, making him vulnerable for a | | | | She failed in her efforts to put me off-balance. |
| counter-attack. | | | | She was off-balance, because in the past, before |
| I enjoy working with people who have never | | | | I was her manager, she had gotten away with |
| studied Tai Chi. Almost every time when a | | | | bad behavior. |
| newbie is working on a self-defense technique, | | | | This isn't always possible when the person |
| their bodies contort and twist and bend and go so | | | | behaving badly is your boss. I once had a Senior |
| off-balance that there's no way they could defend | | | | Vice President call me and shout, "Your job is to |
| themselves in a real-life violent encounter. | | | | SERVE!" |
| One of the reasons Chen Tai Chi (the original | | | | No one in upper management wanted to deal with |
| form of Tai Chi -- the style that I practice) is so | | | | this person, so I decided to begin looking for |
| strict about body mechanics and structure is this | | | | another job and within a few months, I found |
| quest for wuji. If you train yourself to recognize | | | | one. I returned to a balanced state of wuji. |
| when you're in a state of balance, then practice | | | | This is also an important concept at home. |
| the techniques that allow you to maintain balance | | | | Spouses can sometimes become angry -- it can't |
| while throwing your opponent off-balance, you will | | | | be avoided anytime people live together. Your |
| eventually achieve skill. In a state of balance, you | | | | reaction to that anger is crucial. I have learned by |
| can defend from all directions. | | | | following the principles of Tai Chi to react with |
| One of the things I've been working on with my | | | | calmness instead of tension, and remain centered |
| students lately is the ability to relax when | | | | while my wife lets off steam. |
| attacked. Our first reaction when force comes | | | | It's when you react with anger that tension |
| toward us is to tense up. That comes naturally -- | | | | escalates. With practice, however, you can learn |
| we've done it all our lives. It's a very difficult habit | | | | to remain calm and centered, react by returning |
| to break. We become stiff and unyielding (too | | | | to balance, and becoming the safety valve that |
| "yang"), when the best course of action is almost | | | | lets the steam escape. Inevitably, the person who |
| always to relax, yield, and then overcome -- a | | | | is angry calms down and even apologizes for their |
| combination of yin and yang. | | | | behavior. |
| One day in Chicago, I did push hands with Master | | | | If you have a spouse who enjoys pushing your |
| Chen Bing, one of the best young Tai Chi masters | | | | buttons in a destructive way, that's a different |
| in the world (he's in his 30s). Every time I pushed | | | | story. You should still remain centered, but you |
| at him, he relaxed and I couldn't find a target. My | | | | may never find real balance unless the spouse |
| hand would slip off. Before I knew it, he would | | | | changes or until the relationship changes. |
| make a small movement that would cause me to | | | | Whether it is a physical attack or an emotional |
| lose my balance. | | | | one, your life and health will improve when you |
| This also applies to verbal and emotional attacks. | | | | use the principles of Tai Chi to maintain a state of |
| At work, at home, even on the street or in | | | | balance and harmony, and when you don't give |
| traffic, some people will attempt to attack you | | | | the attacks a place to land. In this way, you can |
| with words or actions. Often, they are intentionally | | | | maintain or return to a state of wuji. |