The Unfettered Mind : Writings from a Zen Master to a Master Swordsman by Takuan Soho is one of my favorite books. Many of what is written within are relevant to our practice of Tai Chi.

In the first part of the book “The Mysterious Record of Immoveable Wisdom” there is a section on a moving ball.

There is a saying, “Throw a ball into a swift current and it will never stop.”

This means that if you throw a ball into rapidly flowing water, it will ride the waves and never stop dead.

When I first read this, it sounded like an interesting theory but how do I put this into practice.

Well, as it turns out you can put this into practice. Learning how to use the 2/4 Dots is the first key.

The second key is the 3 Passes.

The third key is the 3 Chi Rings.

Put at least the above three principles into your practice of push hands and you will feel like a ball that can the waves of your training partner’s swift strength current.