Seeing people practicing Tai Chi gives the impression of serenity and meditation, but many of those who practice it assure that it’s actually a very powerful fighting technique. I wondered how something apparently so gentle could be used in a fight, and if it would be useful for self-defense, so I set about finding out a bit more about it.
There is no doubt that Tai Chi is an effective form of self-defense as long as that’s how you’ve been taught to use it. The moves taught in Tai Chi class were designed to be used in combat situations. Although they’re taught slowly and carefully at first, the goal is to be able to effectively defeat an opponent using their own force against them.
The key is in finding the right style and the right teacher to meet your needs.
**** [NB. Lookout for an unexpected ending to a Thai Chi video below.] ****
Let’s begin…
How Do I Apply Tai Chi In Self Defense?
Tai Chi as a form of self-defense is kind of a touchy subject in the martial arts world. Because a large part of the training involves controlled, slow repetition of the moves that are later applied to combat situations, it gives the impression of being too gentle to be of any use in a fight.
The truth is that those graceful pushing movements that Tai Chi students practice are specifically designed to be used in combat, and are very effective if used properly.
They’re practiced slowly to learn accuracy and control, but once speeded up they’re actually very well suited to their intended purpose.
Like any martial art, learning Tai Chi can only improve your chances in a self-defense situation.
The strength and fitness you develop in class will make you a better match for your attacker, and sparring experience will leave you much better prepared to deal with the shock of an actual attack.
One of the advantages of Tai Chi over other martial arts is that it was originally designed for actual combat, so the moves you learn are useful even outside of the controlled environment of the dojo.
Another advantage is that it relies on skill and mindfulness more than strength to overcome an opponent, so it’s an effective technique even when your opponent is much more powerful than you are.
The fact that it’s low-impact compared to other martial arts means it’s a much better option for anyone who doesn’t want to come home from training every week covered in bruises and is something you can carry on practicing long after your joints start to creak!
What Is Tai Chi?
Tai Chi is a traditional Chinese martial art, with a strong focus on “qi” or spiritual development as well as physical. Students are not only taught fight moves and routines but also breathing, posture and meditation as part of their training.
Thai Chi Stereotype: That image that springs to mind of all those elderly & senior people in a park, gracefully moving from one position to another while making gentle hand gestures.
Those movements are “taolu”, or forms. They are basic movements that teach students to use the flow of their internal energy to meet and counter the energy or force of an opponent. These forms are practiced slowly and repeatedly without an opponent at first, and then incorporated into “tuishou” or hand-pushing, which is a similar exercise but practiced against a partner.
Once students have sufficient practice with this form of sparring, the moves can be applied to “sanshou” or actual sparring, where the strength and control developed during practice exercises are put to effective use.
Does Tai Chi Have Drawbacks When Used For Self Defense?
Having said that, a major problem with learning Tai Chi for defense these days is that a lot of classes are orientated toward the spiritual and fitness benefits rather than martial arts application of the moves.
If your aim for learning Tai Chi is to defend yourself, a pivotal decision will be choosing a teacher that has this in mind.
Another possible problem is that modern martial arts have been developed to be a lot more adaptable to street-fighting than traditional ones. If your attacker is an untrained bully, your Tai Chi training may well enable you to defeat him. If he’s trained in something like Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), however, you might find yourself overcome, depending on how highly trained you both are in your respective techniques. Even the masters are fallible.
Recently a top MMA fighter pitted himself against a Tai Chi master to prove this point. It took him 20 seconds to defeat the Tai Chi master. Ouch!
What Are The Different Types Of Tai Chi & Fighting Techniques?
There are five traditional styles of Tai Chi, named after the families that developed them. The oldest is the Chen style, from which all the others are believed to be derived.
- Chen Style – reputed to be the more combat orientated of the styles, Chen style trains with fast and slow movements. It’s more vigorous than other styles, using short bursts of power for spiraling jumps and quick strikes, so it’s a lot more physical.
- Yang Style – derived from Chen style, Yang style also makes use of large, sweeping movements, but is carried out at a more consistent, reserved pace, and focuses more on the spiritual aspect of Tai Chi than Chen style.
- Wu Style – Wu style is actually derived from Yang style, and is very similar in terms of pace and focus, but uses smaller movements. It also incorporates more wrestling-like maneuvers, like grappling, throwing and locks, not common to other traditional styles.
- Hao (or Wu Shi) Style – this style, derived from Chen and Yang styles, focuses more on the internal training than physical movements. It is considered an advanced form of Tai Chi and best appreciated by students with considerable experience in other styles.
- Sun Style – similar to Yang or Wu style but influenced by other martial art forms, Sun style combines the graceful sweeping hand movements of Tai Chi with agile footwork, which gives the impression of dancing.
What Is The Best Tai Chi Style For Self Defense?
Chen style is widely acclaimed as the more effective & best of the 5 traditional tai chi styles since its the closest to martial arts, but this may be too strenuous or high impact for someone that was looking for a gentle means to practice self-defense.
Therefore, which style works best for self-defense depends a lot on who’s asking.
Wu and Yang styles are quite similar to one another, but Wu style uses more compact movements, making it more accessible to people with limited agility.
The main factor determining how effective Tai Chi training is for self-defense is the teacher. So many teachers are focused on the health and meditational aspect rather than a martial art’s effectiveness & application for self-defense, it may be better to choose a less martial art style if the teacher is more focused on training students in the application of the forms to combat.
Tai Chi For Beginners
Although Tai Chi seems a lot slower and less athletic than other martial arts, the movements that make it up are precise, and if carried out properly involve a lot of mental preparation. It can take a long time to learn how to hold your body in the right way, and someone starting out in Tai Chi should be aware that it might take a lot of effort and practice before they start getting it right.
The first step is to learn the movements or forms that make up the basis of different exercises.
Once you know what moves you are meant to be carrying out, you start practicing the right way to do them, and delve into the more meditational side of things, learning mindfulness of your movements and the intention behind them.
Once you can carry out the moves properly, you will begin practicing them against a partner, with hand-pushing at first, learning how to read your partner’s movements and intentions, and then move on to sparring.
My Thoughts…
It’s a long learning curve and probably not right for you if you were looking for a quick way to improve your defensive abilities, but a great option if you’re in it for the long-term. Tai Chi is a practice that you can carry with you into old age and will probably even help stave it off for a while!
It’s not the hardest-hitting of the martial arts, like Karate, but its benefits go far beyond pure combat skills and can be invaluable in this fast-paced, stressed-out modern way of life.
