Remember always that a wise man walks with his
head bowed;
humble like the dust.
(Kung Fu)
Having perspective
Humility means 'to be humble'.
Modern culture is obsessed with
celebrity, fame and self-importance.
This is not the
tai chi way.
In
taoism, you are encouraged to set aside ego and vanity.
You see the world and its complexity in perspective.
Measured against the universe,
nobody is significant.
Realising the scope and scale of reality, it is quite easy to be humble.
Humility in relationship
Lao Tzu emphasised the importance of not
putting yourself before others.
He saw great value in
yielding and
being flexible.
Asserting yourself requires force and force is created by resistance.
The tai chi way is to avoid conflict.
It is easier to be quiet, unnoticed and subtle.
This does not mean that you should let people push you around.
Move and change as the situation requires but keep a firm root and do not be
backed into a corner.
If they push, you yield.
It is possible to disagree with somebody without emotion or animosity.
Let the other person wear themselves out whilst you remain courteous and
composed.
Humility in self defence
It is very important to put your
partner first during
self defence training.
Their wellbeing is paramount.
Injuring somebody through carelessness is a sign of disrespect.
Should your partner be overly
aggressive, neutralise them safely.
You do not need to hurt them in order to prove something.
Hurting others only demonstrates your own insecurity.
Page created 1 May 2000