What Exactly Does Softness Mean to You?

[chimerical tortoise]

Not trying to stir the pot. But I think that D_Glenn offers an interesting point.

I think that the word "rou2" in Chinese is not necessarily exactly a match, but its pretty close, for "soft" in English.
The opposition of "rou2" in Chinese may be "ying4" (hard), but what about "jing3" (tense, [tied] tight)?

In a Cantonese context which probably messes up the language thing even more, jing3 (gun) for me has implications of being stretched out, or holding onto something tightly, at least if used in opposition to rou2, and it's what you're working to undo.

I say this thinking of how rou2 is described in VT, where it doesn't exist as a tactic (word choice?) but a strategy: tactic as manipulation of space and placement at a certain time, strategy as the ordering of space and placement during time. By that I mean rou2 does not describe the qualities of an interaction with an opponent but rather the aim of being rou2 on the inside - adaptable/flexible, supple, freedom of motion, are some qualities that I would say are effects of aiming to be rou2.

Hope that made sense, not sure if it did...

[bailewen]

I think that the word "rou2" in Chinese is not necessarily exactly a match, but its pretty close, for "soft" in English.
The opposition of "rou2" in Chinese may be "ying4" (hard), but what about "jing3" (tense, [tied] tight)?

I don't really think so. I've spent some time working this out in the past when I was figuring out the difference between "song"(relaxed) and "rou"(soft). Btw, I think you mean "jin" not "jing"(no "g"). There's no word pronounced jing that matches your meaning. In any case, the opposite of "jin" is "song".

By that I mean rou2 does not describe the qualities of an interaction with an opponent but rather the aim of being rou2 on the inside - adaptable/flexible, supple, freedom of motion, are some qualities that I would say are effects of aiming to be rou2.

That part of your post, I can agree with. It's a quality of motion. Not so much a tactic.

[chimerical tortoise]

I don't really think so. I've spent some time working this out in the past when I was figuring out the difference between "song"(relaxed) and "rou"(soft). Btw, I think you mean "jin" not "jing"(no "g"). There's no word pronounced jing that matches your meaning. In any case, the opposite of "jin" is "song".

You're right, I misspelt jin3. I'll give what you said a good thinking over, thank you.

[C.J.Wang]

So what we've learned here today is that if you practice CMC Taiji, it could be so pussified that it could kill you.

I've met some quite capable guys in Taiwan from CMC lineage, but since they also cross-train in other styles, it'd be hard to judge whether they got their skills from just practicing CMC material.

Another thing is that CMC's indoor disciples learned an array of conditioning drills that aren't soft and yin at all. So there's great possibility that all the fuss about being soft and yielding is just a facade that CMC put up for outsiders to see.

[D_Glenn]

The tactic of using softness is called 綿 'mian' - soft, continue uninterrupted, unending. It uses a soft quality to seek out the way, kind of like trying to put a key into a lock when it's too dark to see.


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[Wanderingdragon]

When you step into water it is yeilding, skilled cliffdivers cut into water like a knife in butter, flop off of a high dive platform, and you're likely to break a rib. So what is soft? in terms of TCMA I think we'd smart to try and understand the Chinese sensibility.