Moving so slowly can still be affective for combat?

Tai Chi Chuan, from the outset, emphasizes a philosophy of combat that differs from karate and similar styles that prioritize forceful movements. Unlike the power-focused movements of karate or certain types of kung fu, Tai Chi Chuan places importance on being soft. This directly embodies the principle “The soft overcomes the hard” from Laozi’s Tao Te Ching. While a punch in karate might feel like being struck by a rock, the attacks in Tai Chi Chuan could be likened to the movements of a whip. Tai Chi Chuan can be considered a martial art of energy rather than physical strength. Its methodology revolves around effectively storing and utilizing this energy, emphasizing the flow of energy within the body. The training method known as “Neigong” in Tai Chi Chuan precisely involves this concept, practicing slow movements while being aware of how energy moves the body (paradoxically, moving energy by moving the body).

This theory generates an entirely different approach to Tai Chi Chuan compared to conventional physical martial arts. It begins with relaxing the body, increasing flexibility, and integrating the mind and body. All of these are crucial for freely manipulating the “Jin” (勁), which represents power. As the power behind Tai Chi Chuan’s attacks lies in the “Jin,” practicing Tai Chi Chuan without awareness of the “Jin” would be a superficial practice.

My initial fascination with Tai Chi Chuan stemmed from witnessing a Tai Chi Chuan master over seventy years old during my trip to China. Despite being around ten meters away, he effortlessly threw multiple students attacking him without touching them. The Tai Chi Chuan sessions I currently attend also incorporate concepts of manipulating “Jin” during pushing hands exercises and redirecting an opponent’s power into the ground, causing them to easily be thrown several meters away when executed by skilled practitioners.

The slow movements in Tai Chi Chuan can also produce effects similar to Qigong. Qigong aims to enhance health and healing effects by gathering, dispersing, and moving “Qi” to important points within the body. Tai Chi Chuan with such objectives is often referred to as “Tai Chi” (Taiji) in the United States, distinguishing it from the martial aspect, which is referred to as “Tai Chi Chuan” (Taijiquan) by many.

Tai Chi Chuan indeed embodies the practice of Daoist thought, emphasizes the flow of “Qi” in alignment with Traditional Chinese Medicine’s health principles, aligns with the internal cultivation path of enlightenment and immortality in Daoism, and serves as a spiritual and martial practice for self-defense.