Having a “hard body” is not what you think.

We’ve been lead to believe that the harder your body is, muscle-wise, the more bullet-proof or indestructible you are.

The opposite is the truth.

As you’ll see in amateur and professional sports, the “hard bodies” are fragile, brittle and rupturable.

Tendons and ligaments shorten along with the muscles when you go for the hard body look. Mobility is lost as well. Shorter and tighter may look more appealing, but it doesn’t protect you.

The Taoists have always taught that you want to shoot for the attributes of a baby or youngster, where all your mobility is present and if you fall or bang your knee, the soft exterior protects you from injury.

But there’s more to the story. You may be soft on the outside, but internally you are made of liquid iron or steel. You can move fluidly in any direction, as though you are as free as the wind and ocean waves.

Wind and water are soft and pliable, yet they can generate enough force to destroy homes, buildings, bridges and other structures that appear indestructible.

Hardness shatters into millions of fragments from the impact of wind and water.

This is one of the reasons to have an internal practice.

As you age you want to continually return to youthfulness, to when you moved with ease and weren’t prone to hurting yourself while sleeping (a sure sign of aging).

The practice of Badass Tai Chi is a return to youthful vim, vigor and vitality.

You don’t have to give up your hard body training altogether – but you would be wise to put a little lacquer, a little polish on your wood to help weather the storms of life.

Here endeth the lesson.

Matt Furey

P.S. You can save on my Badass Tai Chi course by clicking here. The amount for it has already gone up once, and it will do so again soon.