Surrender – Agree – Redirect

[Editor’s Note: This post was written by Master Jonathan Bowerman, who has been a student at the American School of Martial Arts in Burbank for over 21 years.]

According to Wikipedia, the theory and practice of Tai Chi Chuan “evolved in agreement with many of the principles of Chinese philosophy including both Taoism and Confucianism.”  I have always found it striking (no pun intended) that a physical art can be based on a philosophy, or be the manifestation of a philosophy.  I expect that is why I am still fascinated by Tai Chi Chuan after twenty years of practicing it.

One of the pleasures of Tai Chi Chuan is the constant studying of the moves.  Tai Chi Chuan has been called “a string of pearls.”  Taking a single move, or series of moves, out of the form for further study is likened to polishing a pearl.  When the single move, or series of moves, is re‑inserted into the form, the whole form is improved.  However, there may be additional benefits from this type of study.

Roll Back is a move that appear numerous times within the form, and is useful in the practice of Push Hands.  It appears to be a simple move that a beginning student easily learn.  The student shifts his or her weight back and then rotates his or her upper body to the left.  Most students are then eager to learn the next move.  Further study or revisiting the move can be beneficial.

As I remember being taught by my instructor, Premiere Grand Master Baird, there was a philosophy or thought process attached to the physical move: Surrender – Agree – Redirect.  Seems pretty simple.  Surrender, to me, has always meant, “do not clash.”  You can only be pushed if you resist the person who is trying to push you.  Agree, to me, has meant that you begin to blend with the energy that is being used against you.  You are no longer passively accepting that energy, but are now transitioning to actively participating in the motion.  Redirect, to me, has meant that you now have enough control of the energy coming at you to send it in a direction where it can do you no harm.

I always thought that the idea of Surrender – Agree – Redirect was pretty neat and had great fun using it when we did Push Hands.  Then I realized I was using it in my professional life… and I was amazed.

At the time, I worked at a local hospital.  My job was to help everything run smoothly and to solve any problems that came up.  The difficulty is that there were 500 doctors on staff, and they all thought they were my boss.

When I received a complaining phone call from a doctor, he was usually frustrated and angry by the time he got to me.  I would listen and not offer excuses or denials as most people had.  I considered this Surrender.  I offered no resistance – nothing to push against.  When I had allowed the complaining doctor to run out of a little steam, I would simply say, “That is a problem.”  Now, to be honest, sometimes in my mind the problem was the doctor on the other end of the line.  But what he thought or felt was that I was Agreeing with him.  Then, I would ask him, “What can we do to solve this problem?”  I considered this the Redirect.  We were now focusing on solutions, rather than problems.  I never had to raise my voice or argue or anything.

Surrender – Agree – Redirect.  Simple concepts with profound meaning to your Tai Chi and your life.