When most people think about Taiji Quan or Tai Chi as is more commonly known throughout the western world, they think of slow dance like moves.
Everyone can appreciate its incredible beauty iconography and styles but they fail to see that it is very effective in rejuvenating one's body, a great fighting tool as well as a way to reach higher levels of spirituality.
The reason for which people do not think that Tai Chi is good for combat is that there are various types of Tai Chi styles. What you see on youtube is generally the kind of Tai Chi with
really slow movements geared toward health and applied at that speed in combat would only result in personal injury.People who have not studied Tai Chi properly think they can apply Tai Chi in combat but actually, they can't. Tai Chi is not like Kick boxing, Muay Thai or Wrestling it is a soft style of combat that requires many years to develop.
A lot of the so called Tai Chi masters who get beaten up on the youtube videos have clearly lost touch with what real combat Tai Chi is.
You can be a Tai Chi master of channeling CHI but that does not mean you are a good fighter the two are separate things.
The same can be said about fighters, you can be a great fighter but have no idea about how to Chanel your CHI.
No matter what form or style of martial art you use in combat if you do not have proper cardio training and are able to move really well as well as have well-conditioned palms, fists, and legs with enough power to knock out an opponent you are not going to be able to fight against a pro.
To fight using Tai Chi you must have no fear of your opponent as to be able to gather inner CHI and a level of relaxation that would give you the ability to be calm and strike viciously like a snake to then return to absolute calm.
There is only a hand full of real Tai Chi masters left in our world and they definitely aren't going to show up on some youtube video fighting because they have nothing to prove and they are highly respectable and spiritual beings.
As far as using Tai Chi for health many people around the world have finally noticed the amazing effects of this beautiful art. Some people still think that CHI is fake but the reason for that is that they have not been able to feel it.
The most common reasons for people not being able to feel CHI are as follows;
1. They studied under a master who did not know how to teach them the CHI technique.
2. Their diet and excessive animal fat were obstructing CHI flow.
3. Their spine is not perfectly aligned or their Chakras are closed due to injury or lack of meditation.
4. They are too frightened to relax and allow CHI to flow within themselves.
Regardless of whether one practices proper Tai Chi or not just going through the 24 form is a great way to exercise and improve blood flow circulation while strengthening muscles and stretching joints.
That is why the masters of CHI Gong will tell you that the 24
form should be performed as slow as you can to improve health and as fast as you can to improve cardio.Having said that if you haven't memorized the entire 24 form it is hard to do either of these. It is easy to lose patience at first because you are just going through the motions and you can't understand what the movement is doing.
If one, however, is capable of actually feeling CHI then the benefits become far more apparent. Once CHI is able to flow proficiently throughout your body you are able to feel like an internal full body organ massage capable of rejuvenating your entire body.
Very few people are capable of this because they get stuck on trying to make each move look perfect and forget the true meaning of each move.
If you do not understand how the move you are doing flows from start to finish you can't abandon yourself to the flow of CHI. Every move in the 24 form is designed to both be a fighting tool but also a tool for health. If you can't understand where you are producing CHI from and where you are guiding it then you are simply Tai Dancing.
If you can't abandon yourself to the move and imagine the path that your CHI is following then once you go from one move to the next every time you transition your CHI flow becomes interrupted and you must start again.
That is why it is better to learn a maximum of three moves at a time and make sure you understand the CHI flow of each move in detail before moving on to the next.
If you can't even feel CHI during the opening move of the form then there is no way that you can bring the CHI with you and guide it to the next.
For beginners, it is especially important to avoid tensing any part of your body when performing Tai Chi. Of course, there is no way to avoid tensing your legs when your weight is on them but your upper body should move slowly in circular motions.
Don't tense your fingers or make closed fists Tai Chi for health benefits does not require that and it will only stop your CHI from flowing. You are not fighting you are gracefully dancing through the moves and attempting to abandon yourself to positive thoughts and warm feelings.
Tai Chi is a moving meditation where unlike Yoga where you remain in one pose you transition continuously.
People who are on a Vegetarian diet and who do Yoga are much more likely to be able to pick up Tai Chi because there are many transferable skills there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1WRUsIRH7E
