Can You Fight with Tai Chi?

[Yoshiyahu]

This Thread is about Tai Chi and its ability to actually be used in a combat situtation. If there ever arose a time where you had to fight and defend yourself. Could you do using Tai Chi?

Do Tai Chi practioners only do push hands are do you also spar?

 

[jarrod]

i have trained only a little tai chi but here is my opinion: training only in tai chi, it would take a very long time to become a proficient fighter, but it could be done. supplementing another martial art with tai chi can be very beneficial in terms of learning good balance, relaxation, inner calm, root, & general proper movement.

it's also worth noting that the majority of tai chi instructors in the US don't advertise their art as a combat/self-defense style, but rather tout the health & meditative benefits. you would have to train with a tai chi instructor who understands fighting to get the martial aspect out of training.

my $.02,

jf

 

[D Dempsey]

It is really going to depend a lot on the instructor. Stylistically Taiji has a pretty small number of techniques and has a heavy emphasis on stand up grappling so it really should not take a long time to pick up the basics depending on instruction. If you find a school that competes regularly in Shuai Jiao and / or Sanda you would probably be able to pick up the basics pretty quickly due to constant feed back.
I trained at a school for a while where the some of the Taiji students fought in MMA and Muay Thai matches, but they also cross trained in BJJ and trained with a lot of resistance.

 

[stickarts]

The majority of practitioners I have seen mostly practice for health benefits, however, I have worked with instructors that know the martial applications, work the push hands along with the form, and I believe could use what they have learned.

 

[MA-Caver]

Perhaps this might answer your question. Find a tai chi practitioner and video tape them going through their session. Then speed up the video tape and insert an attacker... I think you'll find it can be effective where needed.
To me and it's way over simplifying the art, Tai Chi is just a slowed down version of a Martial Art.

It's great though... teaches control and discipline and inner peace/balance.

 

[Phoenix44]

Yes, absolutely.

I've trained for 3+ years with Pete at Silk Wind Studio on Long Island. He teaches the martial applications, and yes, it is most definitely a fighting art.

I personally would not fight exclusively with tai chi, because #1, I'm not that good at it yet, and #2, I've trained in other arts for a longer period of time, so other things would come more "naturally." However, I always try to apply tai chi principles, because they're so effective and universally applicable.

I have no doubt that Pete could fight using tai chi exclusively.

 

[grydth]

I'd agree with much that has been said here. Tai Chi originated as a fighting art and still may be used as such.

Not all instructors know or teach the martial applications (Tai Chi Chih has actually deleted any martial content and is openly proud of that).

Most instructors I know of will not begin with applications; they will wait until the student has some grasp of the basics.

As to effectiveness, I was for a long while the demo attacker... there were days I went home with more parts hurting than not.

In the USA, many like myself have studied other arts.... so I cannot say about using Tai Chi exclusively to fight.

 

[arnisador]

In principle...yes. In practice...you'd be hard-pressed to find a school that trained solely Tai Chi and made it practical. It's usually taught for health or as an adjunct to another kung fu system.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Can You Fight with Tai Chi?

Yes

 

[Xue Sheng]

In principle...yes. In practice...you'd be hard-pressed to find a school that trained solely Tai Chi and made it practical. It's usually taught for health or as an adjunct to another kung fu system.

Absolutely true, but there are a few still in existence.

But as one of the Chen family said. He considers Taijiquan as a martial art dead. Not that there are not people left that know the martial arts of it but that they are so few compared to those that don't he considers it dead. This Chen family member is however rather accomplished martial artists and his students appear to be as well.

Find a true Zhaobao school ad you likely have fighters. Many of the real Chen schools in existence still teach or attempt to teach the martial arts, however sadly Chen may also be changing as well. But I would say the majority of Yang schools do not.

Ask the majority of Yang stylist to tell you about the 13 postures, what they are and how to use them and you will also see that very few know anything about them.

Note: If you understand the 13 postures that are all you need to fight.

 

[seasoned]

Can You Fight with Tai Chi?

Yes

I will second that, unequivocally. It was a combat art long before it went under cover.

 

[oxy]

Can You Fight with Tai Chi?

Yes

Apparently, Chan Yik Yan was asked this question about LHBF when he was practicing in the park. His answer, I think, also applies to Taiji:

"You can't fight with it"

(Hint: there's a subtlety to that answer)

 

[Xue Sheng]

Apparently, Chan Yik Yan was asked this question about LHBF when he was practicing in the park. His answer, I think, also applies to Taiji:

"You can't fight with it"

(Hint: there's a subtlety to that answer)

And Tung Ying Chieh said it was for health

 

[ljdevo]

Tai Chi Chaun is supposidly one of the most effective martial arts around, but takes around 10yrs of practice before you can finally master its techniques poperly. The reason for the slowness is so that your technique can be scritinised fully, so that when you perform a strike/block it's motion is semless. It is also trainined slowley as to gain maximum muscle control (the whole yin & yang process), to have one you must have the other. So in order to be extremely fast, explosive and powerful, you must be able yo be slow, controlled and relaxed, therefore creating complete balance.

 

[Nebuchadnezzar]

... The reason for the slowness is so that your technique can be scritinised fully, so that when you perform a strike/block it's motion is semless...

What does this mean? What is scritinised?

 

[JadecloudAlchemist]

You can use Jackie Chan kungfu movies to fight with IF you can figure out how to apply it.

I don't know if it can take a long time to be able to apply it.

What I mean by that is in Chen Laojia Yilu the opening form I was told it a response to a wrist grab.

I consider that to be a very basic application and MAY be taught early in the class IF the teacher is big on martial application.

It can be difficult to find someone who knows and teaches the martial applications I had one person tell me it was to deadly.:lol:

 

[Xue Sheng]

You can use Jackie Chan kungfu movies to fight with IF you can figure out how to apply it.

I don't know if it can take a long time to be able to apply it.

What I mean by that is in Chen Laojia Yilu the opening form I was told it a response to a wrist grab.

I consider that to be a very basic application and MAY be taught early in the class IF the teacher is big on martial application.

There are several applications to the first few forms of Chen Laojia Yilu all fairly nasty. And the opening was demonstrated once "on" me and it is a nice little bit of Qinna

Chen is a bit different from Yang style and does have more obvious applications. IMO it is much easier to teach the MA of Chen as it is meant to be than Yang could be why there are so few Yang MA schools now that I think about it. Or at least you are able to get into the MA quicker with Chen then Yang IMO.

It can be difficult to find someone who knows and teaches the martial applications I had one person tell me it was to deadly.:lol:

And I STILL stand by my statement :mst:

Actually I have heard that same excuse myself about everything from no touch Qi knock downs to Long Fist.

 

[LuckyKBoxer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0W1ym3yggR4

Apparantly there are some fighting applications.......

 

[Yoshiyahu]

All Wounderful post. My Sifu in Tai Chi says its very possible to fight with Tai Chi. In Fact he says he can. But he also has an understanding of other arts too. Like Five animals, Wing Chun, Tae Kwon Do and some others he has black belts in an above. But outside of him and his Sihing I haven't really seen people using their Tai Chi to fight with. My Sihing says its useless to fight with but he says it has great help benefits. But either way I still practice under the guidance of Sifu because he has taught me alot in Wing Chun and by learning Tai Chi I also increase my skill in Wing Chun.

 

[Phoenix44]

I'd recommend you all pick up a DVD of the 1993 movie "Tai Chi Master" with Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh.