Ooof! It hit him one more time! The force was incredible, the power immense. Student fell back, stumbling into a heap on the floor, not quite knowing what had happened to him. “What did you feel?” Teacher asked, in a tone which prompted Student to think before answering. Student rose to his feet, rolled and rubbed his shoulder several times and replied, “I’m not sure. All I can say is that I punched and fell.” Teacher smiled and looked with amusement at Student “If you don’t know what happened, how can you defend yourself from it? Feel again!” Teacher beckoned student to throw another punch. “Do I have to?” Student asked, in a voice that had an undertone of ‘not again, please’. “But Da But Gau:” Teacher replied. Student queried, “I don’t understand.” Teacher paused, then continued “But Da But Gau means, ‘not to hit is not to teach.’ Now throw your punch!”

Student positioned himself for another punch at Teacher. This time, he thought, I’ll punch harder and quicker with a slight angle to it; this would surely catch Teacher unawares. No sooner than Student had thrown that punch, Ooof! He fell! Except this time he hit the wall before he went down. Lucky for him there was a great big crash mat up against the wall! Teacher laughed out aloud at Student’s expression. The look on his face, reflecting what had happened, appealed to his sense of humour. Student stood up rather slowly, puzzled and a little shocked. Once composed, Teacher spoke. “Tell me, this time what did you feel?”

Student replied, with added chorography to help him explain, “When I punch I’m certain of hitting you. Just as the punch should have connected . . . then there’s nothing! I feel as if my punch has changed from a ballistic force to an empty nothing! It’s like being sucked into a void from where I cannot operate. What I mean is that I have no reference points to work off.” Student punched in the air and turned his body as if his back would be facing Teacher at the point of contact. Teacher’s face had a pleased look to it, the look as if Student may just be beginning to understand Tai Chi’s concept. Teacher encouraged “carry on, is there more?” “Yes” replied student, “after the punch I sort of fall, a kind of dropping in towards you. This is where I feel smothered and most importantly vulnerable. I have no control of my motor skills because they have been overridden. It’s here that I know you can hit me, yet you negate my force, turn it, and send it back through me. Then I fall! The last time felt different. I felt a force hit before the rebound that I know would have hurt. Yet you hardly move, and it feels so soft. I don’t know how to stop it from happening. I cannot gauge your intention.”

Teacher spoke, “Very well then, But Da But Gau has struck an idea in you. How can you understand Tai Chi through words? You have to feel and experience Tai Chi’s method! ‘Not to hit is not to teach’ - words are an important medium for understanding and exchanging knowledge but cannot always provide a clear understanding of the how’s and why’s of the concepts and principles of its usage. Da But Gau is a direct transmission of Tai Chi’s method only. When teacher demonstrates Tai Chi application on the student does the student really understand?” Student looked at Teacher and nodded with understanding, there was an exchange of information between the two of them. “Can I hit you again” student asked excitedly

“You can try,” said Teacher.

Ooof! Student was propelled back again and again, each time slamming into the crash mat propped up against the wall. This went on for some time until student became exhausted and could no longer strike Teacher. “Can I ask another question?” said Student. “Feel free to ask” came back the reply. Student asked “How do you absorb my force? I mean I’m really trying to hit you! How do you do that, because I can not feel a thing? Teacher answered “It’s like the merging of two rivers, the one with the greater current absorbs the other; the lesser becomes a part of the greater. Let me explain further. The smaller river has less power, even though there may be a great flow, it lacks the necessary force to interrupt the other river in which it is trying to flow. The other river has the greater force and flow, therefore completely swallows up the other; the lesser becomes a part of the greater. Do you understand?”

How was this possible? How on earth could he ever attain this type of skill? This was way above any previous concepts he had of Tai Chi. Student thought for a while and spoke. “How then can I attain more power within my Tai Chi, I want to achieve this level of attainment”

Teacher laughed, turned away and walked back towards the exit of the training hall;

Student stood waiting for his answer.

“More Chi Kung! Just more Chi Kung!” came back the reply.