TaiChi and You: How does Tai Chi Chuan rate as a martial art?

How does Tai Chi Chuan rate as a martial art?

It is a controversial statement that when it comes to pure full-blown contact fighting, Tai Chi Chuan is the worst martial art to have at one’s disposal, and yet paradoxically, it is also the best. How can this be the case? Is there something missing from Tai Chi which other martial arts have? Does karate and other ‘hard’ styles better prepare us both mentally and physically for confrontations, than the seemingly light and less strenuous practice of for example, Yang style Tai Chi? Imagine your average Tai Chi practitioner and Thai kickboxer coming to blows. Who do you think would win? I for one would probably pick the Thai boxer. Still, I hesitate – I say probably. Why not certainly? It was not without reason that in 18^th century China, Yang Luchan, then a practitioner and teacher of Tai Chi Chuan, came to be known as ‘Yang the Invincible’. While this may say something about Yang’s own abilities, it does shed some light on the potential of Tai Chi to be a powerful martial art – if in the right hands.

A common mistake among martial artists is to imagine that it is essentially one’s style which determines the outcome of a confrontation. Though there be a touch of truth in this belief, there is more falsity than anything else. The fact is that first and foremost it depends upon how skillful – and clever – one is, in actual confrontations. The development of the type of skill which Yang must have had, would have required extensive practice, and tremendous will power and determination. Without practice, one could be instructed by the gods, and in real confrontations be less than successful. Practice is the key, and after that – style comes into play. Still, not all styles are equal. Some, like judo, are more suitable for competition on a padded mat. Even Thai kickboxing is meant for the tournament. In a real life and death encounter, there are no rules, and what makes Tai Chi a formidable martial art – if properly employed – is that in terms of fighting, it doesn’t restrict itself. Tai Chi doesn’t teach us to avoid kicking the groin or striking the neck. It teaches how to swiftly avoid a dangerous attack and to use it against our adversary. Ethics is a personal matter. Between two persons, the same martial art may be used differently. This is never the case in a boxing ring where there are rules and referees.

What makes Tai Chi Chuan formidable is that it is a genuine martial art, with a sound strategy. What makes it the worst martial art, is that it is seldom taught or learned properly, for it takes many years to master, and few people have either the patience, the dedication, the time, or the opportunity to do so. These days one will be hard pressed to find another ‘Yang the Invincible’. Nevertheless, Tai Chi’s potential to be used in such way remains as real as ever.