"Relax!" It's a phrase you're bound to hear if you study an internal martial art, especially any of the tai chi variants. But what exactly does it mean
to relax? According to the dictionary definitions,
relax (verb) is
- to make less tense, rigid, or firm; make lax
- to diminish the force of
- to slacken or abate, as effort, attention, etc.
- to reduce or stop work, effort, application, etc., especially for the sake of rest and recreation.
None of those definitions sound congruent with studying a martial art. A key to effectiveness in any martial art is generating power. The ability to generate force is highly desirable from a martial perspective. So then wha
