Hello,
Ok so it has been some time since I last posted on this forum mostly because I needed to take some time to think about my reasons for training. I know some people train in TaijiQuan for health and some for sport but that honestly doesn’t do it for me. And in saying that when someone says that they train in TaijiQuan for “martial” reasons sometimes they get a strange look, sometimes they get scolded, ya know its never usually a good result which is strange to me because TaijiQuan originally was made for self defense. My quandary comes in at is it ok to train in TaijiQuan for self defense and martial purposes? I mean especially when this organization is called Tai Chi Healthways… I read an article written by a Taiji Quan instructor who made an argument about martial taijiquan or combat taijiquan as he phrased it stating that what good is health taijiquan if you are 6 feet under, its not very good at all. And to be totally honest I tend to agree. Now Im not saying by any means that TaijiQuan can or should go out and stop bullets or people with a gun but lets be realistic when we talk about self defense how many self defense cases actually deal with a gun, now a knife is a different story but even at that TaijiQuan “can” handle a knife (at least in my opinion and experience). I guess the reason I am very confused is I read a lot on this forum and on the web about how taijiquan is used for health but the only time I have ever “used” taijiquan was in a fight, I used taijiquan while sparring a number of TKD and Karate black belts and won every time. The instructor even asked me what style I practice and when I told him I study Tai Chi he laughed in disbelief, so I asked if he would like to spar me (actually I asked if he would like to learn my style… but he didn’t understand what was meant) and I won against him. Now I mean realistically I’ve been practicing a little over a year and all I had at my expense then was ChanSuGong(Silk Reeling). So when people argue it takes time to develop taijiquan fighting skills I actually have to chuckle, I have personally tried other Neijia arts like Xing Yi and Bagua and heck even Karate and TKD… it took me half the time, no, less than half the time to learn how to fight in TaijiQuan than in any of those because of how natural the techniques are. I guess that’s why Im kind of lost and hoping someone could help. I mean I am not saying that Taijiquan cannot be used for health by any means, all I am arguing is that Taijiquan should be first trained for self defense. My reasoning is you are up training, sweating, swinging around a weapon, physically training… of course getting healthy is going to happen. Than why not train for self defense, whether you ever use it or not isn’t an issue. That’s why I am posting on this forum, hoping someone has some insight either in their experience or in their view of this predicament.

Also I found a few video clips regarding Chen style Taiji that tend to throw a wrench in the Taiji for health side of things:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=e5w-toIr3Uw&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=5nTG-T-uF6k&feature=related

Please if you could let me know about any of this I would greatly appreciate it, being lost in the world is one thing, being lost in your mind is another,
-XiaBaihu

Hi XiaBaihu

I've come to taijiquan after practicing external style for some years. To me taijiquan is both health and self defense. However, as I explore it I discover more and more. I have no doubt that people can use some of taijiquan methods in fighting successfully especially if they have some prior martial arts experience. However, in my opinion to become pure taijiquan fighter take a lot of years - it's just to many things to learn, practice and achieve.
Just think what would you rather be a great fighter who defeated many opponents and died young. Or a great taijiquan practitioners who live passed 100 years old?

Hello XiaBaihu,

Opposing Taiji for self-defense, Taiji for health, Taiji for sport is the source of many flame wars What's important is to follow the principles of Taiji.

I think a lot of people see in martial art only the martial aspect, and forgot the art part. Arts are difficult, and take a long time to learn and make your own. When you see a good piano player, you know it, because he or she makes it look easy (and we all know it's not). It's the same for Taiji, as an art of fighting: when you see a true master, it looks easy from the outside. If you struggle too much, it is not the way of Taiji.

If you pursue only health or only fighting side of Taiji, you will get neither. Taiji is like the ying-yang symbol: there is a little bit of black in the white, a bit of white in the black, and the separation between the two is not a straight line ....

Ok I think I understand now, I guess I was looking at Taiji one sided where it was all "martial" related but in all fairness Taiji is also very much an art form. I think Bruce Lee described it best with his concept of martial arts and training the ultimate form of expression. I guess as long as Taiji is fun in the end than there's no problem right

On another note, I was wondering if anyone has ever tried Taiji in free sparring? (Like randori from Aikido, or just San Shou style) I've thought about trying it with ChanSuGong (Silk Reeling) but haven't really had the time