The human body is more than seventy percent water. Interestingly, training in China has traditionally concentrated on water-like forms such as Taiji and Qigong to build internal energy and power. These forms utilize slow, continuous, and soft movements—much like the ways in which water ebbs and flows.

Softness is one of the most important aspects of the Taoist principles and is the only true means by which real power can be expressed. Consider this, water is soft, but its force can erode the highest mountains over time. Water can be unstoppable. It knows how to meander through every crack, down every mountain. It doesn’t worry or fuss; it simply finds a new way to flow. It is difficult to stop water. The question becomes: how can you be like water, flowing and smooth, yet unstoppable?