Sorry for such a long and in many ways inexcusable delay since my last post, but I have been trying to find the timing for my next attack. No matter what style I practice, I've always been a counter fighter at heart. Life being the most evasive and elusive opponent can make my counter attacks that much more unpredictable. In this particular season, I'm forced to observe and refine while I map out my strategy for a long awaited objective. The recent year and a half has been Xing Yi season. Learning the energy and strategies of Xing Yi has been a daily chore that can be both pleasant and very irritating. Although continually practicing Xing Yi directly enhances my Bagua, just as Taichi and many of the others styles that are on my plate. Yet I feel that Xing Yi is really just not my cup of tea. I don't believe that it is any less effective than Bagua, or I should say I don't feel any style is less effective than any style. Everything in life is just a matter of wheth...