The Lesson of the Black Tiger Springs

Deep in the valley of the Black Tiger Springs in Jinan, the roar of the water echoes off the surrounding stone walls. Hong Junsheng practiced there daily on an elevated stone terrace—a high point within the valley’s floor. One afternoon, his training was interrupted by a young man who seemed carved from the earth itself: shoulders like a yoke, arms like thighs, and legs like tree trunks.

The youth did not come for a lesson; he came to provide a warning. “Your art is useless,” he declared. “Against someone like me, your ‘softness’ is a fantasy. I will show you.”

Hong, frail and small by comparison, gave his characteristic, quiet reply: “Perhaps we should find out.”
The Vanishing Force

The young man lunged with all the explosive power of his massive frame. Before he could register a point of contact, he was propelled backward, tumbling across the stone platform. Stunned, he scrambled up. “I made a mistake,” he grunted. “Again.”

He attacked a second time, more cautious but with greater intent. Again, he was met with the “Magic Hands”—finding no resistance to push against, yet finding himself thrown clear of the master once more.

For the third attempt, the youth settled into a deep stance. “Now I am set. I won’t hold back. Get ready.” He charged with the full weight of his muscular bulk. In an instant, he was airborne, landing hard on the perimeter.

Dusting himself off, the young man could only whisper: “I didn’t see it. I don’t understand it.”
The Weight of Truth

Humbled, the young man asked for a gift—a piece of wisdom to take back to his own training. Hong looked around his training ground and gestured to a massive, jagged boulder sitting at the edge of the platform.

“The Feng Shui of that rock is all wrong,” Hong said. “It should be over there instead,” he added, pointing to the opposite side of the terrace.

The young man was uncertain, but his pride in his strength remained. He approached the boulder, adjusted his grip several times, and with a primal grunt, heaved the massive weight into his arms. Veins bulging and legs trembling, he staggered across the platform and dropped the rock into its new position with a bone-shaking thud.

“You see?” the youth panted, standing tall. “I have done it.”

Hong looked at the rock, then at the young man, and smiled. “I could never have done that,” Hong replied. “That is your lesson.”