| An attacker hits you. However, instead of wincing | | | | can even take the incoming energy of an |
| at the pain, you send the energy of the attack | | | | opponent's strike and send it back to them. Truly |
| back into his arm. While your attacker thought | | | | skilled practitioners can break an attacker's wrist |
| you would be doubling over in pain, he is the one | | | | or arm or even dislocate a shoulder using the |
| who is hurting. This isn't just something that | | | | attacker's own energy against them. |
| happens in action movies or video games. This is | | | | Developing this ability requires knowledge of a |
| the power of Tai Chi Chuan Iron Body. | | | | number of other skills and the ability to use those |
| Iron Body training can be divided into two | | | | skills in combination. The ability to practice Sung, |
| categories - Internal Iron Body and External Iron | | | | relaxation. This is a deep kind of relaxation that |
| Body. External Iron Body is predominantly gained | | | | allows a practitioner's body to remain relaxed |
| through repeatedly striking ones body on a regular | | | | even in a combat situation. It also requires Peng, |
| basis to take harder and harder hits. While this will | | | | or internal connection as well as various methods |
| develop the body feel that you want, the training | | | | of rooting. It also requires the ability to feel and |
| is not good for you in the long term because the | | | | move energy through the body. For example, a |
| hits will cause a lot of damage. However, Internal | | | | practitioner would need be able to feel and move |
| Iron Body training does not have the same kinds | | | | energy through the Lao Gong point, a point in the |
| of harmful effects. | | | | center of the palm and the Yong Quan or |
| With proper training, Tai Chi Iron Body can allow | | | | Bubbling Well point in the feet as well as |
| the practitioner to feel to an opponent like "steel | | | | throughout the rest of the body. With this training |
| wrapped in cotton" a famous phrase from the Tai | | | | it is also very useful to be able to feel anywhere |
| Chi classics. And correct training will in fact make | | | | inside an attackers body and be able to target |
| your body feel to an attacker as if there were | | | | specific internal organs at will. |
| perhaps a quarter inch of soft material stretched | | | | There are other aspects of energy manipulation |
| over steel. The body might be soft to the touch, | | | | that a student will need to understand in order to |
| but if an attacker hit it hard, then it could do | | | | perform these techniques. Practitioners will need |
| some serious damage. | | | | to be able to work with earth energy and heaven |
| This feeling is not restricted to when you are | | | | energy both on their own and together. They will |
| struck. If you were to strike an opponent with | | | | also need to correctly practice body marrow |
| Internal Iron Body, they would feel like they had | | | | washing as well. |
| been struck by iron. People who are very skilled | | | | |