How to be round is hard to comprehend intellectually. Only by practise and internal understanding would one be able to know how to be round. Why do tai chi masters want to be round? There are at least two reasons.
Firstly for combat effectiveness. Lets look at electric fan. When it spins, it created a round shape and this round shape is created by the moving of its blades, controlled by the center. Tai Chi works the same way in combat. Imaging our two hands are the blades of a fan and our body is the center. When force is directed at one side, that side will move backwards to accommodate the oncoming force, but because we are round, like a fan, the moving backward of one blade will caused another blade (hand) to move forward at the same time in one integrated motion. When opponent strikes at one side, he will find that particular side move backwards neutralizing his force and at the same time, the opponent is under attack by your another side, making a complete circle....yin and yang. If you are round, your combat skill will be superb.
Secondly, when you are round, your whole posture will be balanced. Right, left, up, front are all balanced at the center. When you are balance, your pengjin is intact and the strongest.
The next timje you perform your tai chi set, try to comprehend the roundness within your form and self.
