Has anyone, aside from me, noticed the somewhat rather strange phenomenon which appears to be spreading in the martial arts community of so-called tai chi experts challenging MMA fighters in open combat. As a tai chi chuan practitioner myself, I find it absurd that these often aging tai chi experts would have the audacity to actually believe that simply because they’ve been tai chi practitioners for thirty years plus, that they are somehow combat ready to undertake such challenges. The vast majority of these so-called experts may very well have been practising tai chi for thirty years plus but on close scrutiny, it would appear that they’ve merely been practising forms and pushing hand drills with a sprinkling of self defence applications through which they can demonstrate incredible martial prowess against their own very compliant students. Not only do these people besmirch the reputation of tai chi chuan, but I believe that far more damage is being done to their students in so much that the students will actually believe that by merely practising hand form and some push hand drills coupled with unrealistic self defence techniques, they will be able to face off with trained fighters when called upon. I fervently believe the root cause of this over-inflated belief in their near non-existent martial ability can be traced back to the societal expectations inbred in Chinese culture as a result of the enormous influence of Confucian thought in almost every aspect of Chinese life. The entire concept of filial piety, respect to elders and seniors has permeated into every aspect of Chinese life, including the martial arts. Students, for fear of appearing to show disrespect to their teachers, would allow themselves to be at times humiliated in order that the teacher looks good with whatever technique he or she may be demonstrating. I vehemently believe there to be Chinese tai chi chuan teachers of very long standing who are clinging on to the coat tails of Yang Lu Chan’s reputation as a peerless tai chi chuan fighter during the late eighteenth and nineteenth century, who conduct themselves as being endowed with Yang’s ability. The name tai chi chuan translates as ‘Supreme Ultimate Fist’. However, it doesn’t mean that tai chi chuan is the most superior martial art, simply, that it’s based on the tenets of the yin/yang philosophy. I personally do not believe there to be a superior martial art. I do however believe there to be superior individuals within individual martial arts groups. I concede there are martial art styles in possession of some techniques which might very well be superior to what other styles have, but capable students are still required to execute them effectively. Students of tai chi chuan must not delude themselves into believing that form and push hand practice is sufficient in order to enter combat against highly skilled fighters. As tai chi chuan practitioners, we must, if we have any thought or desire to enter the competitive arena as a fighter, train equally as hard if not harder than our potential rivals in realistic combat techniques and strategies if we are to have any hope of success. Students of any martial art system who are foolish enough to challenge any trained fighter in a competitive bout must ensure that they are fully prepared physically and mentally for what awaits or be ready to encounter a similar fate as the very silly, so-called tai chi masters, who accepted challenges from very highly trained mixed martial artists, and that is to end up meditating horizontally in a state of deep slumber. Tai chi chuan as a martial art can hold its own against any other martial art only providing the tai chi practitioner puts in the requisite training.
Godfrey Dornelly