“The nature of wind and fire and ice; the frailty of the human condition in hunger and thirst and fatigue; the predatory instincts of living things; the greed and finality (?) buried in the hearts of men. You must be prepared to survive through all this. These graceful movements [in Tai Chi] you now perform along with the rigors of all those disciplines which your masters impose upon you, will help you develop the inner strength, that which we call ch'i. And when you come to meet your greatest tests, your highest challenges, when you call upon your ch'i, it will not desert you.” — Master Kan