Horizon of Possibilities

I recently ran across the phrase “Horizon of Possibilities” in a book I was reading. It made me put on my Tai Chi thinking cap.

Who designed Tai Chi into a form – when and why?

How did each individual move get incorporated, and then a transition designed between to make a smooth, consistent set of movements?

Tai Chi Chuan is a martial art. How was a specific application chosen for each move, out of multiple possibilities?

In the Yang Long form, there are 108 (depending on how the moves are counted) movements. Many are repeated multiple times. There are 10 repetitions of Single Whip, for example. Why is the same application traditionally used for all the repetitions?

As I mull over these questions, some answers follow or don’t. The art of Tai Chi Chuan is or can be so interesting. A life long study.

Truth walks towards us on the path of our questions. As soon as you think you have the answer, you have closed the path and may miss vital new information. Wait awhile in the stillness, and do not rush to conclusions, no matter how uncomfortable the unknowing.”