The hard martial arts, from the so-called External School, may build finger and hand strength by having students repeatedly strike a container of gravel or sand and a wooden post or tree trunk.
T'ai Chi offers an alternative point of view, as Robert Agar-Hutton demonstrates.
Soft tissues, such as the nostrils and eyes, and the area above the collar bones, do not require raw strength in the fingers or hands. Instead, it requires the extending energy of T'ai Chi that comes from the utterly simple opening movement: raising and lowering the arms.
So, heaven forbid, you are in a threatening, dangerous situation, you can push your fingers into the attacker's nostrils and eyes, and he or she is bound to recoil back immediately
Agar-Hutton also talks about yi, that is, mind intent. If you are hesitant and afraid, and believe you cannot defend yourself in an attack, then you are not likely to exert much of any power. On the other hand, if you work at building your confidence, through diligent, daily study and practice of T'ai Chi, then you believe in your abilities to defend yourself properly and are therefore more likely to keep yourself safe.
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