Telling others about tai ji

I always find it difficult to judge how much to talk about tai ji with non-tai ji folk or tai ji beginners. It's ok if someone comes up to you and ask a specific question, like what comes after this step. The more difficult ones i've encountered are... can tai chi kill? Even the mere mention that tai ji is a martial art is sufficient to deter most people from doing tai ji! So what do you do? Depending on who you meet, will you actively try to bring tai ji into the conversation? Or will you withhold unless someone raised it first?

Push hands offers a very helpful solution. Let's look at some of the common rules for push hands.

1. Only move when the opponent moves. And if the opponent doesn't move? You may choose to tempt the person into thinking that you're in a disadvantage position so that the opponent does move. This tests how much your opponent wants to move.
2. Only push as far as you can manage without losing your balance.
3. Only push as far as what the opponent can reasonably take. He or she is your training partner after all!
4. Always keep your core balanced.

Now, can we translate this to how we tell others about tai ji? Let's see...

1. Only tell when someone asks. If no one ask, you may choose to tempt the person into asking. This also tests how much that person wants to know.
2. Only talk about what you know, without losing your head!
3. Only talk as far as what the person wants to know. You're engaging in a conversation after all!
4. Always keep your core balanced, i.e. remember what's important to you in the conversation.

This works when you're telling others about something you feel passionate about as well. Common culprits are those who talk about politics and religion. They just don't know when to stop. Maybe we should introduce tai ji as part of political science or religious studies. So, another reason to learn tai ji, the different theories packaged into tai ji is useful in real life!