Once upon a time, those desiring peace could withdraw from the world to meditate alone.

That time is past. Partly there are few wild, lonely, unspoiled places to which one may withdraw due to the sprawl of humankind, but also because adversity may hunt any of us down. The peaceful can be unlucky, or mayhap careless,  unwittingly walking into the grasp of powermad individuals or groups.

The peaceful are thus compelled to seek training, to protect themselves and their loved ones. The training must be, now as ever, the martial arts, so the body will follow the mind – your will.

But it is not necessary to abandon meditation, which is good for the mind and soul. There is tai chi chu’an.

Tai chi trains us on every level: base level means the body becomes strong: middling helps us stay healthy: the highest level hones our spiritual well-being. And overarching, tai chi should be, can be, fun – but especially exhilarating.

Start tai chi, or any martial art, with the right teacher. You will never be the worse for it.