Evolve
There is a great deference for all the principles laid down by the masters of yesteryear and unwillingness to move away from the rules that have been handed down from generation to generation, however ritualised and meaningless they may be.
(Andrew Juniper)
Tai chi tradition
Tai chi traditionalists champion the need to maintain lineage and
preserve history.
They treat tai chi as a 'cultural treasure'.
Some schools may even succeed in doing this.
Most fail.
Tai chi has changed in modern times.
It is no longer a secret art, practiced behind closed doors. It is now trained
publicly. Openly.
The changing face of tai chi
The art was once intended as a form of self defence.
Exponents practiced weaponry and unarmed combat, honing skills
that were applicable to the era, and the culture.
Nowadays, tai chi is most commonly practiced as a health exercise.
The practitioners possess no workable self defence skills whatsoever and usually
have only a vague sense of its martial purpose.
Tai chi competitions
Tai chi competitions are widespread, with the onus being placed upon
aesthetically pleasing sequences, and well-choreographed performance.
This is tai chi as dance.
Other competitions focus upon pushing hands.
The pushing hands bouts are usually clumsy and aggressive, with the exponents
demonstrating the need to win.
Ambition is favoured over adherence to principle.
Pushing hands is to tai chi what 'indicating' is to driving a car. Necessary,
yes. But hardly the whole point.
There are also tai chi full-contact competitions.
Of all the competitions these seem to be the most misguided in nature.
What type of person seeks out combat?
A person who has something to prove to themselves?
Not self defence?
Not all martial arts classes teach self defence.
This has always seemed a little odd. If the class is not teaching self defence,
what purpose does it serve?
Being able to draw a sword, fire an arrow or compete seems rather trivial and
pointless.
Why put so much effort into something that is essentially useless?
Outrage
Most tai chi people possess no self defence skills. Many tai chi
exponents partake in demonstrations and competitions.
Few people are truly interested in applying tai chi to modern, realistic self
defence scenarios.
They are too absorbed in shiny suits and medieval swords.
The very notion of tai chi being used in self defence is an affront to such
people, an outrage.
They think that it sullies the art.
This is where things begin to look decidedly confused...
Tai chi was designed for self defence.
It was not designed for demonstrations, competitions or even primarily for
health.
Practicing tai chi for self defence is not a corruption of the art. It is the
art.
Evolve
There is no reason to change the tai chi form itself or indeed any of its
exercises.
What we need to do is apply tai chi against the modern world.
This means that you must set-aside your fans, swords and satin costumes.
Look at what the modern assailant is like. Consider what weapons will be at your
disposal. If any.
Take into account current Police policy regarding self defence.
Be realistic. Be honest.
Evolve.
If you want to train tai chi properly then your concern must not be how pretty
it looks, but rather what you can do with it.
Tai chi was designed to be a pragmatic, functional martial art, honed to suit
the needs of the day.
Is this what you are training?
Responsive
It is not the strongest of the species that survives,
nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.
(Charles Darwin)
Put aside your pageantry. Stop collecting forms. Adapt. Change. Improvise. Evolve.
Page created 5 August 1999