Genuine Taijiquan has a lot to offer
Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan) is one of the most misunderstood martial arts in the world.
Nowadays, the majority of practitioners practice Taiji (Tai Chi), which is often closer to slow dance or aerobic exercise than a martial art. Considering this, is it any wonder that few people know Taijiquan is actually an effective martial art, and a legitimate kungfu style comparable to, for example, Shaolin Kungfu, Wing Choon and Hoong Ka?
At the heart of Taijiquan practice is systematic and practical combat training.
In modern wushu performances Taiji is often spectacular and beautiful, but essentially a demonstrative sport. You may also have seen Taiji performed slowly, even with music playing in the background. Commonly, Taiji partner training is light contact with little or no emphasis on practical self-defense. Another typical situation is that Taijiquan students resort to kick-boxing or other martial arts for their self-defense needs, since they haven't acquired the skills to properly use their kungfu for combat.
This is a sad state of affairs, because genuine Taijiquan has a lot to offer.
From personal experience, I know the big difference tthere is between Taiji and Taijiquan. When I started my training over 20 years ago with Taiji, I was lucky and got to practice zen-meditation during Taiji classes, even though there was no combat training. Later, we did some push hands with partners.
When I finally found my third Sifu, Shaolin Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit, I understood for the very first time the depth of what genuine Taijiquan has to offer. It still amazes me, and I consider myself very fortunate to be able to practice and teach this art.
At the heart of Taijiquan practice is systematic and practical combat training, which allows you to develop physically, emotionally and mentally. It goes hand in hand with learning practical self-defense.
The greatness of Taijiquan goes much deeper than basic self-defense. Its practice will provide you with the skills and tools to develop to your full potential as a human being.