The Importance of NOT Using Too Much Strength ...

In class yesterday, Shifu reiterated the importance of NOT using too much strength or force during the practice of the Lao Jia form motions. Shifu was explaining that in a given movement within the form, we may be responding to the force or intention of an opponent's attack. Because we need to be sensitive to what the opponent is doing, we need to practice the form almost in a neutral sense so that we can decide our counterattack.

The counterattack we choose, can be a displacement or off balancing, can be a throw, or a push, or a strike or a bump or whatever.

Not only can our counterattack be done at different points in the motion, but different points in TIMING are possible as well.

Because we can decide what type of a counterattack can be applied in response to an opponent's force and intention, and we can change when and where we apply our counterattack, we have to NOT practice a given motion in one way all the time, to avoid falling into the trap of thinking there is but ONE particular technique being taught or practiced by the form.

I've had to paraphrase a bit, but I do believe I have the point made appropriately. Any errors here are strictly MY own, and do not reflect Shifu's attempts to make us understand.
J