Tai chi chuan as a martial art

It is not about anger,
It is about peace.

It is not about power,
It is about grace.

It is not about knowing your enemy,
It is all about knowing yourself.

(Bulletproof Monk)

Unlikely?

If you have studied another martial art, then it is probably quite difficult to appreciate how tai chi chuan can be used effectively in combat.
Tai chi's slow-motion movements lead people to doubt the art.

However, tai chi chuan was designed to be an advanced style of kung fu.

The Yang style was created by Yang Lu-chan.
Yang Lu-chan rose to fame in China by teaching his tai chi chuan to the Manchu Emperor's elite palace guards.

Tai chi chuan combat

Tai chi chuan should offer every skill you would expect of a mainstream martial art:

  1. Defence against punches, kicks and grapples

  2. Escapes from holds

  3. Floorwork

  4. Defence against a knife

  5. Striking

  6. Joint manipulation

Ask yourself: can you defend yourself against one person? Two? A gang? What do you do if somebody holds you?
How will you get off the floor? Can you evade a knife and disarm the attacker?


Yield

Yielding is not about giving-in, collapsing or being cowardly.
It is a tactic.
It is the ability to make space, to adjust, to allow an incoming force to over-extend, to expend itself.

Having yielded, you step-in vigorously and counter-attack decisively.


Counter-attack

Tai chi chuan employs three areas of skill for countering an opponent:

  1. Shuai jiao (grappling)

  2. Chin na (seizing)

  3. Jing (energy expression)

A tai chi chuan student must be competent in all three areas of skill.


Flow

A tai chi chuan student never tenses their muscles and never uses force against force.
The aim is to harmonise with the incoming attack, and then incapacitate the opponent.


Self defence

In self defence you do only what you have to do and you leave immediately.

Self defence is not the same as fighting. You have only one aim in self defence: escape without injury.
It is not about winning awards and trophies or gaining a belt.
It is not about looking cool or impressing anyone.

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Page created 1 August 1995