Tai chi as a fighting art.

[taiji fajin]

If you just learn the forms, you are correct, it will not teach you how to fight. Just like if I just learned the TKD, KSW, etc forms, I would not know how to fight. Its more than just that (if its taught at a legitimate school). I would be much, MUCH more confident in a fight against one of the many "combative" martial arts teachers I have trained with than my taiji laoshi (not saying "combative" martial arts are not good).

[italian_guy]

I practiced Tai chi for about one year and my opinion is that martial Tai Chi teaches you how to fight but it takes quite a long time to be self-defence effective. In the my (previous) school you start practicing pushing hands after 2 years of form practice, kombat application after 2.5 years before you have sufficient skill to use it I think it may take 4-5 years, aside of this you have other benefit like general health and fitness (like flexibility isometric strenght etc.) improvements but if you look for self-defence Tai chi chuan is not the most immediate anwer.

[honour is life]

i no very little about the subject concerned but arnt the slow movements in tai chi about improving the flow of chi in your body? also arnt the forms in tai chi meerly slowed down vertions of traditional forms?

if so, why not just speed them up but include the improved movements and breathing to increase the power of the form?

i know that training in forms cant make you a good fighter but i would have thought that it would enable you to defend yourself more effectivley than have nothing at all?

also, what is everyones obsessions about being a good street fighter? surely the physical, mental and social benefits are good enough to disregard the fighting aspect completly.

[taiji fajin]

i no very little about the subject concerned but arnt the slow movements in tai chi about improving the flow of chi in your body? also arnt the forms in tai chi meerly slowed down vertions of traditional forms?

if so, why not just speed them up but include the improved movements and breathing to increase the power of the form?

i know that training in forms cant make you a good fighter but i would have thought that it would enable you to defend yourself more effectivley than have nothing at all?

also, what is everyones obsessions about being a good street fighter? surely the physical, mental and social benefits are good enough to disregard the fighting aspect completly.

Doing the forms slowly is not just to improve the flow of chi in your body, and they are not merely slowed down versions of the traditional forms.

if so . . . . doesn't really apply, b/c the first statements were incorrect.

Training in forms is better than nothing at all, but its not enough.

That is a very good question. Personally, developing good fighting skills is secondary in my taiji practice (not that I don't work on it).

[dtstiachi]

I practiced Tai chi for about one year and my opinion is that martial Tai Chi teaches you how to fight but it takes quite a long time to be self-defence effective. In the my (previous) school you start practicing pushing hands after 2 years of form practice, kombat application after 2.5 years before you have sufficient skill to use it I think it may take 4-5 years, aside of this you have other benefit like general health and fitness (like flexibility isometric strenght etc.) improvements but if you look for self-defence Tai chi chuan is not the most immediate anwer.

Correct Italian Guy,

Our grandmaster has told us that in Tai Chi, one is still a beginner until he or she has reached their 6th year of training. After you develop several hundreds of training hours can you begin to understand the true effectiveness of Tai Chi Unlike some schools where one can make it to "black belt" in a year or 18 months, Tai Chi is a slow process that will pay off in huge dividends in the long run. I am hooked for life. Later.

[Muaythaiboxer]

also, what is everyones obsessions about being a good street fighter? surely the physical, mental and social benefits are good enough to disregard the fighting aspect completly.

if you cant use your style in a fight its not a martial art, martial arts are ment for fighting! the inventer of any style would be ashamed to hear any one say that the social and mental benfits over ride the self defence.

as to the main question there are full contact fighters that do Tai Chi Chuan and win(exp Max Chen) the forms are mostly to work on chi flow and techniques there are kicks and punchs in Tai Chi when they fight.

[fallen_milkman]

I don't think the people bad-mouthing tai chi have ever tried doing a form at an extremely slow pace. Done correctly, it can become even more strenuous than doing it fast.

[dtstiachi]

Correct Fallen Milkman. Doing the form slowly is much more difficult than doing a form quickly. It takes more control and strength to do properly.

[taiji fajin]

I've enjoyed making the higher ranked people in my other martial art do their forms over and over and over very slowly (forms are much shorter than taiji forms). Not only do they still get a good workout, but it helps them make sure each punch, kick, block, etc, is perfectly placed, stances and structure are solid, can be done as meditation, etc etc. Not that I only have them do their forms like that, but it is helpful in even non-internal arts. I feel too many people try to fly through their forms and end up with sloppy results.

[Mr Pockets]

Correct Mr. Pockets,

However, understanding the martial applications of the postures an movements in the form and isolating them as to practice the combat application of each movement can give you insight as to how to defend yourself against an attack. The form in and of itself is not combat, but there are martial applications that are present all throughout the form and when one is taught how to use those techniques, the art can be very effective as a fighting art.

Unless it looks like shadowboxing in slow motion, you'd be better off (actually) punching a heavy bag, focus pads, sparring, jumping rope, whatever. It's more efficient to fly from NewYork to LA heading east the entire time and therefor flying around the entire world than it is to do Thai Chi and expect to learn to fight from it.