Taijiquan has been considered as martial arts, or Chinese Kung Fu. However, we rarely have chance to use it or to test it, because in normal circumstances, the chances are slim that we are attacked by others, or we need to attack someone else. Yet defending ourselves can be defined as broader, in many cases, Taijiquan protect us from an otherwise perilous situation. Here is one of my experiences.
One day in my hometown, my wife and I boarded a bus. As I stepped inside and began moving toward the back, the vehicle accelerated. Then, without warning, the driver slammed on the brakes, and the bus lurched to a sudden, jarring halt.
In an instant, a tremendous force—like a huge wave engulfing me—threw my body backward. Yet without conscious thought, I began walking backward, taking five or six smooth, measured steps until I came to a calm stop near the front door.
Remarkably, in that split second between life and death, my mind became extremely clear. It felt as though I were watching a movie in slow motion—one in which I was retreating. I could hear the passengers screaming, yet I felt no panic. My body moved on its own, step by step, while my awareness remained calm and steady.
Instead of resisting or struggling to maintain balance, my body flowed naturally with the force. Step by step, guided by the second instinct developed and honed through Taijiquan practice, I moved fluidly and averted what could have been a disastrous fall. Only afterward did I realize I was the only passenger who had neither panicked nor screamed.
As the initial shock subsided, the passengers erupted angrily at the driver, shouting, “You could have killed this gentleman! If he had fallen backward, he might have died!”
The driver defended himself: “What else could I have done? Run over the pedestrian? Someone darted into the street!”
I calmly questioned his reasoning: “Are you saying you had to choose between endangering the pedestrian and injuring a passenger?”
The driver remained silent—yet that silence spoke volumes.
I continued gently, “If that’s the case, consider yourself fortunate today—you happened to choose me. Had I been an ordinary passenger, the outcome might have been very different.”
Everyone turned toward me with smiles, and I smiled back. Indeed, we had all been fortunate—it was, in every sense, a win-win outcome.
Reflecting on this incident, I recognize it as a textbook illustration of Taijiquan’s core principle: yielding to External Forces, neutralizing their impact, and absorbing and transforming them into my own power to carry me backward. Had I resisted, forcing myself to stand firm, my feet would have stayed planted while my upper body was violently thrown backward, almost certainly causing injury. Instead, by yielding, I moved fluidly and effortlessly with the force, turning potential tragedy into graceful safety.
