"Tiaji is not the form"

 Someone wrote "Tiaji is not the form" to the Blog, and I'm not sure why they were, but I include all ellipsis that was submitted:

“ᴛɪᴀᴊɪ ɪꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴏʀᴍ...ɪꜰ ᴏɴᴇ ᴄʜᴏᴏꜱᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴇᴠᴇʟᴏᴘ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏɴɴᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ɪɴᴛᴇʀɴᴀʟ ᴍᴏᴠᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴄᴏʀʀᴇᴄᴛʟʏ... ʙᴏᴛʜ ᴘʜʏꜱɪᴄᴀʟ ᴄᴏɴᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜ ᴄᴀɴ ʙᴇ ʙʏ-ᴘʀᴏᴅᴜᴄᴛꜱ... ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴇᴘᴇʀ ɪꜱꜱᴜᴇꜱ ɪꜱ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀꜱᴛᴀɴᴅɪɴɢ... ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴄᴏʀʀᴇᴄᴛ ᴍᴏᴠᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ ɪꜱ... ᴀɴʏᴏɴᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ʜᴀꜱ ɢᴏᴛᴛᴇɴ ᴀ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴀᴅᴊᴜꜱᴛᴍᴇɴᴛ ꜰᴏʀᴍ ᴀ ʜɪɢʜʟʏ ꜱᴋɪʟʟᴇᴅ ᴛᴇᴀᴄʜᴇʀ ᴄᴀɴ ᴛᴇʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪᴛ ᴄᴀɴ ʙᴇ ᴀ ᴘʀᴇᴛᴛʏ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴡᴏʀᴋᴏᴜᴛ... ᴇᴠᴇɴ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴀꜱ ꜱɪᴍᴘʟᴇ ᴀꜱ ꜱᴛᴀɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴘʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴄᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ʙᴇ ᴀ ᴘʀᴇᴛᴛʏ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴡᴏʀᴋᴏᴜᴛ... ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ."

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 ❞𝐓𝐢𝐚𝐣𝐢 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦...❞

Now, 𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞'𝐬 "𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬" 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐓𝐚𝐢𝐣𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐧 can garner by-products of 𝐩𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 and health and be a pretty good workout: 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 "𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬," 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 touch on. I'm only taking an educated guess, but I have to think 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 of necessity, under "workout" 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 other 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: For instance, I have heard many practitioners include 𝐙𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐙𝐡𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐠 ("standing practice"), 𝐖𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐑𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐒𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐫𝐮𝐛𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 "𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀" ("𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻"?), 𝘀𝗼 𝗯𝘆 𝘃𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 that it is not the Form? 𝗦𝗼, 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 "𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻," 𝗜 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘆 "𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀"

Unless there is some caveat or prior statement that mandates Tai Chi is only "internal" in the mental realm, e.g., "He does his Tai Chi with an inward-looking demeanor," then "internal" means the "physical" internal discipline.

It is impossible to do an internal and external movement simultaneously; an external can precede or follow an internal movement, but they cannot coexist in the same space and time. Also, when one's internal discipline permeates the body, it becomes impossible to even raise one's arm to scratch an itch without engaging the musculature of the core. What does one do with "arm strength"? Can arm strength be used in the same space and time as "internal"? For example, if I push against a wall using my arms, I will push myself away, Newton's 3rd law. However, (internally) using the core to engage the abdomen and back muscles as I push and relax the arms, I feel a tremendous surge going into the wall. Newton cannot be wrong; there is a reaction force but no effect from the reaction force because ARMS ARE RELAXED. 

There is nothing that super arm strength can add to the internal aspect; in fact, it works against it if I strain the arms.

Of course, if one does not subscribe to an internal physical discipline, then the point is moot. 

People saying "its not the form" applies ꜰᴏʀ ᴀ ᴠᴀꜱᴛ ɴᴜᴍʙᴇʀ ᴏꜰ ꜱᴛᴜᴅᴇɴᴛꜱ ɪɴ ᴛᴀɪᴊɪ. ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ᴡʜʏ ʏᴏᴜɴɢ ᴡᴀʙᴜ, a ᴅɪꜱᴄɪᴘʟᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴡᴜ ᴄʜɪᴇɴ ᴄʜᴜᴀɴ, ᴡᴀꜱ ᴜɴʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴇᴄᴋʟᴇꜱꜱɴᴇꜱꜱ ᴏꜰ ꜱᴏ ᴍᴀɴʏ ᴛᴀɪᴊɪ ꜱᴛᴜᴅᴇɴᴛꜱ.

Oʀ, ᴡʜʏ ꜱᴏɴɪᴀ ʏᴏᴜɴɢ (ʏᴏᴜɴɢ ᴡᴀʙɪᴜ'ꜱ ᴅᴀᴜɢʜᴛᴇʀ) ᴏɴᴄᴇ ᴀꜱᴋᴇᴅ ᴇᴅᴅɪᴇ ᴡᴜ (ɢᴀᴛᴇᴋᴇᴇᴘᴇʀ ᴏꜰ ᴡᴜ ᴊɪᴀɴQᴜᴀɴ ꜱᴛʏʟᴇ) ᴡʜʏ ꜱʜᴇ ꜱᴀᴡ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀᴄᴋ ᴏꜰ ᴀᴛᴛᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴀɪᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴏʀᴍ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴏɴɢ ᴋᴏɴɢ ᴡᴜ ꜱᴛʏʟᴇ ꜱᴛᴜᴅɪᴏ. ʜᴇ ᴀɢʀᴇᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜᴇʀ.

Oɴᴇ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ᴀʟꜱᴏ "ɴᴏᴛ ᴅɪꜱᴀɢʀᴇᴇ" ʙʏ ꜱᴀʏɪɴɢ: ᴏʀ, ᴡʜʏ ʏᴏᴜɴɢ ᴡᴀʙᴜ ᴛᴏʟᴅ ᴍʏ ᴛᴇᴀᴄʜᴇʀ ʜᴜᴀ ᴊɪᴘɪɴɢ (ᴍᴀꜱᴛᴇʀ ꜱᴛᴇᴘʜᴇɴ ʜᴡᴀ), ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴜ ᴄʜɪᴇɴ ᴄʜᴜᴀɴ ɪɴꜱɪꜱᴛᴇᴅ ʏᴏᴜɴɢ ʟᴇᴀʀɴ ꜱqᴜᴀʀᴇ ꜰᴏʀᴍ ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ. ᴏʀ ᴡʜʏ ʏᴏᴜɴɢ ɪɴꜱɪꜱᴛᴇᴅ ʜᴡᴀ ʟᴇᴀʀɴ ꜱqᴜᴀʀᴇ ꜰᴏʀᴍ ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ.

Oʀ, ᴡʜʏ ʏᴏᴜɴɢ ᴡᴀʙᴜ ꜱᴀɪᴅ ᴡᴜ ᴄʜɪᴇɴ ᴄʜᴜᴀɴ ʜᴀᴅ ʜɪᴍ ʀᴇᴘᴇᴀᴛ ꜰᴏʀᴍ ᴍᴏᴠᴇᴍᴇɴᴛꜱ ʜᴜɴᴅʀᴇᴅꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ ʙᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ ʜᴇ ᴛᴀᴜɢʜᴛ ʜɪᴍ ɴᴇᴡ ᴏɴᴇꜱ.

Oʀ ᴡʜʏ ᴍᴀꜱᴛᴇʀ ʜᴡᴀ ᴡʀᴏᴛᴇ ᴛʜɪꜱ : "Sɪɴᴄᴇ ᴍᴏꜱᴛ ᴛᴀɪ ᴄʜɪ ꜰᴏʀᴍ ᴘʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴄᴇᴅ ᴛᴏᴅᴀʏ ʟᴀᴄᴋꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇʟᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴏꜰ ɪɴᴛᴇʀɴᴀʟ ᴅɪꜱᴄɪᴘʟɪɴᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘʀᴏᴘᴇʀ ʙᴏᴅʏ ꜱᴛʀᴜᴄᴛᴜʀᴇ, ɪᴛ ʜᴀꜱ ʟᴏꜱᴛ ɪᴛꜱ ᴡᴏʀᴛʜ ᴀɴᴅ ɢʀᴀᴅᴜᴀʟʟʏ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴅᴇ-ᴇᴍᴘʜᴀꜱɪᴢᴇᴅ. ᴏɴ ᴏɴᴇ ʜᴀɴᴅ, ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴄʜᴏᴏʟꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴇᴍᴘʜᴀꜱɪᴢᴇ ꜱᴘᴀʀʀɪɴɢ, ᴘᴜꜱʜ ʜᴀɴᴅꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴇᴀᴘᴏɴꜱ ᴘʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴄᴇ, ɴᴇɢʟᴇᴄᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴏʀᴍ, ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴏʀᴍ ʙᴜɪʟᴅꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ɪɴᴛᴇʀɴᴀʟ ᴇɴᴇʀɢʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ ꜰᴏʀ ᴍᴀʀᴛɪᴀʟ ᴀʀᴛꜱ ᴀᴘᴘʟɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ. ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ʜᴀɴᴅ, ᴀʀᴇ ꜱᴄʜᴏᴏʟꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ꜱᴀʏ ᴏɴᴇ ᴍᴜꜱᴛ ᴅᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴏʀᴍꜱ ʙᴜᴛ ᴀʟꜱᴏ ᴀʟᴏɴɢꜱɪᴅᴇ, ᴏɴᴇ ᴍᴜꜱᴛ ꜱᴇᴘᴀʀᴀᴛᴇʟʏ ᴘʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴄᴇ Qɪ ɢᴏɴɢ ᴇxᴇʀᴄɪꜱᴇꜱ.

Tʜᴇ ᴘʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴄᴇ ᴏꜰ ɪɴᴛᴇʀɴᴀʟ ᴍᴏᴠᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ ɪɴ ᴛᴀɪ ᴄʜɪ ꜰᴏʀᴍ ᴇꜱꜱᴇɴᴛɪᴀʟʟʏ ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴄᴇ ᴏꜰ ꜰᴀ ᴊɪɴ ɪɴ ᴀ ꜱʟᴏᴡ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴇᴛʜᴏᴅɪᴄᴀʟ ᴡᴀʏ, ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ɪꜱꜱᴜᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ. ᴡʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ ᴘʟᴀʏ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴏʀᴍ ɪɴꜱᴛɪɴᴄᴛɪᴠᴇʟʏ ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜɪɴᴋɪɴɢ, ᴛʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ ᴅᴏ ꜰᴀ ᴊɪɴ ɪɴꜱᴛɪɴᴄᴛɪᴠᴇʟʏ. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʀʏ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ ꜰᴀ ᴊɪɴ ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ꜰᴏʀᴍ ᴏꜰ ɪɴᴛᴇʀɴᴀʟ ᴅɪꜱᴄɪᴘʟɪɴᴇ (ɴᴇɪɢᴏɴɢ), ᴛʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴘᴜꜱʜ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴀʀᴍ ꜱᴛʀᴇɴɢᴛʜ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀᴄqᴜɪʀᴇ nothing but ʙᴀᴅ ʜᴀʙɪᴛs" Master Stephen Hwa