No focus!

I was once practicing with an excellent Chinese Tai Chi instructor when he said to the class that he was always hearing people say you had to focus while practicing Tai Chi. He then explosively yelled out, "No! No focus!" What was he was saying? Everyone says that mindful practice is important, don't they? This instructor is a very accomplished Tai Chi fighter and health practitioner, so was he just not speaking clearly? Not at all!

There is a quote from "The Life Giving Sword" by Yagyu Munenori, a famous Japanese swordsman, that may help. He wrote (tranlation by William Scott Wilson):

"When you begin to study, there is something in your mind; you are obstructed by that thing, and it becomes difficult to do anything at all. If you can clear from your mind those things you have learned, they too will become nothing; and when you perform the techniques of the various Ways, the techniques will come easily regardless of what you have learned and without being contrary to it. When you perform an action you will be in harmony with what you have learned, without even being aware of it. ...

When you have run the length of various practices and none of those practices remain in your mind, that very lack of mind itself is the heart of 'all things.' When you have exhaustively learned the various practices and techniques and made great effort in disciplined training, there will be action in your arms, legs, and body but none in your mind; you will have distanced yourself from training, but will not be in opposition to it, and you will have freedom in whatever techniques you perform. You yourself will be unaware of where your mind is, and neither demons nor heresies will be able to find it. Training is done for the purpose of reaching this state. With successful training, training falls away."

The point Chinese Tai Chi teacher was making, is that the goal of training is that your body be disciplined and precise, but your mind no longer be enslaved by the form and the training. When you are starting out in Tai Chi (or anything else) your mind is usually unsettled and confused as you struggle to learn this stance or that posture or techinique and you may feel like giving up. Forgive yourself, keep working away at the problem, seek good coaching, and know that over time, everything will come together. You then continue to work till you no longer even think about the actions you are taking. This usually requires a very long time, so enjoy the journey and remember, "With successful training, training falls away."