Tai Chi is a soft internal style for which some clubs completely leave out all martial aspects where as to others this is the main focus. However, all styles focus heavily on the health benefits, with sets performed slowly to increase accuracy and posture and train muscles. These movements as well as ‘Qi Gong’ also aim to cultivate Chi (Ki, or Qi) which has touted health benefits and at a later stage martial. Chi is allegedly a universal life force (a bit like the force from Star Wars) and by improving its flow practitioners hope to extend their lifespans and combat illness. There are even people who exist that call themselves Chi healers, offering to heal other people with their Chi. However, whether or not you believe in ‘Chi’, the postures are certainly beneficial to your back, knees and other areas.

Clubs that do not focus on Martial applications are sourly missing out however, after all, Tai Chi actually means 'supreme ultimate fist!'. After the set of movements is taught, you will learn their applications which are some of the most effective joint locks, throws and pushes out there. Later this evolves into pair work, with something called ‘Pushing hands’ – a watered down version of sparing where the goal is to throw the opponent off balance. If even this is too gentle for you, at an advanced stage some clubs move on to 'sparing hands', and then there are the weapons… While Tai Chi takes longer to be useful as a form of self defence, it’s actually possibly more effective once you get into that aspect. Through all stages of Tai Chi however you are taught to use your opponent’s energy against them.

There are many weapons used in Tai Chi sets, the Tai Chi sword, sticks, double sticks, katana and more. So as you can see, although people often think of it as slow and harmless Tai Chi is actually one of the most potential martial arts of all. To quote the Tai Chi master from the computer game Shenmue: 'Most martial arts start with hardness and progress to softness, whereas Tai Chi starts with softness and progresses to hardness.' Or, Bruce Lee who famously pointed out the dichotomy of water that despite being ‘soft’ can crush rocks.

Now, a little of the history of Tai Chi. Tai Chi is one of the oldest martial arts in existence, and ancient scrolls have often been dug up portraying the movements dating it back to long before Kung Fu or other popular styles. There are many legends of how Tai Chi was discovered, one such tale is that the founder was watching an eagle trying to catch a snake to no avail, which inspired the founder to realise the way that subtlety overcame aggression and based his system on it. Another less likely story is that the master was told the movements by aliens in a dream!

But it is the philosophy of the snake that Tai Chi is based upon, Tai Chi is about using the opponent’s own energy against them, to overcome them. It is based on Yin and Yang, the two forces in the universe that in Chinese lore repelled and attracted each other to give us the ‘5,000 things’ of today representing the entire universe. Then there’s the health benefits too – and if you buy it – the Chi strengthening. Styles of Tai Chi include Yang Style, Sun style, Chen Style, Wu style and Woo style. Yang being the most widely practised, and founded by the legendary 'invincible yang'. Sounds like a guy who knows what he’s talking about…

Mack LeMouse

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