The Unintended Consequences of Too Much Tai Chi

I want to tell you guys about the unintended consequences of doing too much Tai Chi.

I practise every day. I do more than 20 hours a week. I have well over 1000 hours clocked in by now.

Annoying things have happened and continue to happen...

1st. You Have No Free Time

You have no hobbies. You spend hours moving your hips in circles and call it progress when the movements get smaller and smaller until they are undetectable with the naked eye. When people ask what you’ve been up to, you only ever have one answer.

2nd. People Will Think You’re Crazy

You get called schizophrenic in DMs. Teenagers laugh at you in the park. Strangers film you on their phones. None of it matters. The park is the best place to do Tai Chi. Always has been. Always will be.

3rd. You Develop Old People Habits

You go to bed early and wake up early. You clasp your hands behind your back when you walk. You stroll slowly through parks and notice the trees. Your only friends are elderly. They pinch your cheeks and try to set you up with their granddaughters.

4th. Shoes Start to Feel Wrong

You can only wear barefoot shoes. Every step becomes a sensory experience. You feel every pebble, every crack in the footpath. It hurts but it also feels right. It reminds you you’re still connected to the earth.

5th. Everything Becomes Tai Chi

Carrying a bag? Sink your shoulders. Opening a door? Spiral push. Opening a jar? Tuck your kua. You lift groceries with perfect structure. You push a kid on a swing and they go flying. Spiral energy. All Tai Chi.

6th. Tai Chi Jargon Takes Over

You stop speaking normal English. You tell your friends "You need to yin out bro." You threaten to go "full yang mode." You describe people as double weighted. Nobody knows what you’re talking about except the trees. The trees get it.

7th. You Are Too Relaxed

Arguments refuse to escalate. Someone is shouting in your face and you stand there with sunken shoulders saying “hmm.” The more they rage, the softer you become. Eventually they give up. Great hardness is overcome with great softness as the classics say.

8th. Touch Sensitivity Takes Over

Casual hugs feel like training. You know exactly where someone’s balance point is. You could uproot them if you wanted. You don’t. You smile politely and release.

9th. You Confuse Your Family

They ask what Tai Chi is about. They ask how karate is going and hit you with a "judo chop." You tell them it’s more like yoga, Chinese yoga. They start calling it Choga. They ask if you’ve been doing your Choga lately. You nod in silence.

10th. You Are Comfortable with Prolonged Eye Contact

Too comfortable. You look into someone’s eyes and forget to look away. Seconds stretch into minutes. They ask if you're alright. You remain still. It gets a bit intense. They glance down. You do not.

That’s it. Those are the consequences… so far. There are probably more further down the line!

Do Tai Chi at your own risk!!

Written 20th August 2025