Of all expressions of Song (鬆) in Taijiquan, this is perhaps the most important from a martial standpoint. It represents the culmination of internal release — when the principles cultivated within one’s own body extend beyond the self to dissolve the structure of another.

This approach to Song reflects principles taught by Sifu Mark Rasmus, emphasizing release, sensitivity, and the subtle transmission of force.  

To Song the opponent is not merely to be soft or relaxed; it is to undo the very conditions that make resistance possible. Inwardly, it is pure stillness; outwardly, it appears as effortless control. The practitioner who truly embodies Song moves without tension, yet commands the engagement as if the opponent’s own body were an extension of theirs.

Martially, Song transforms conflict into resolution. The moment of contact ceases to be a struggle between two forces — it becomes the continuation of one unified process of release. The opponent’s strength unravels not because it is opposed, but because it has nowhere left to go. The Taiji adept does not “win” in the ordinary sense; they restore harmony by returning force to its origin.

In this state, victory feels like peace. The opponent collapses not through pain, but through relief — their structure unties, their nervous system releases, and resistance gives way to stillness. Both parties share in the same descending wave of quiet resolution.

"To Song the opponent is to dissolve struggle itself — to let power fall away until only balance remains."

This is the ultimate function of Song: to end conflict through the complete absence of opposition.