“Being both soft and strong is a combination very few have mastered” – Yasmin Mogahed

There is a time to go with the flow.

And there is a time to stand strong as a mountain.

Both Yin and Yang have their place in the balance of life.

For every thrust punch (yang) there is a retraction on the other side of the body (yin) which then powers the next thrust, and so on, back and forth the body moving like a piston.

Yin and Yang work together to get the job done.

In Rapid Assault Tactics, at long range you are yin, calm and relaxed water, moving around, and picking them off. Destruction. Interception. Movement. Pain.

Then comes the time for the straight blast entry and the intensity kicks in: Fire. Followed by the short range of headbutts, knees, and elbows.

Then we push them away and back off out of range again. Back to cool water.

We can turn it on and turn it off at a seconds notice as the situation dictates.

In Denis Decker’s Gung fu, and similar gung fu and kempo arts, the yin can be represented by the flighty Crane and the Yang by the strong forceful moves of the Tiger.

Both may be required to end the confrontation.

This too takes place in the business world, not just the world of self defense.

This dynamic can also be seen in negotiations.

There is a time to be fire and there is a time to be rain.

And in the world of Asian health systems there is the goal of a balance of these two energies to sustain life and allow it to thrive: homeostasis.

Which is also the goal of the martial arts: getting a good workout, safety, survival, and thriving in whatever you do.