The hidden power of Tai Chi
When the little tai chi master from China knocked me to the basement floor, I realized the real power behind this misunderstood martial art. I laughed at how easily he knocked me down. He laughed too.
I stood up and we touched wrists again. I took a step toward him and found myself on the floor again, looking at my rug in a whole new way.
He was on the receiving end of the skill and power of a tai chi master.
Centuries ago, Grandmaster Chen Xiaoxing’s ancestor created tai chi. He visited my home for a week and I spent some quality time finding out first hand why so many people misunderstand this powerful martial art.
Tai Chi was not meant to be used in slow motion by older people all over the world. Many martial artists call tai chi a “soft” art, but that’s because actual tai chi is rare in the United States. Every move in tai chi is a self defense technique.
The art was created in the 15th century by Chen Wangting, a retired warrior from Henan Province, China. His family still practices it as a martial art. They say you have to “eat bitter” to develop tai chi skill. True tai chi training, especially with the Chen family, involves pain.
The idea of tai chi is to quickly break your attacker and end the fight. Tai Chi is practiced in slow motion so students can develop the mechanics and structure of the body to powerfully apply self-defense techniques. To the average observer, tai chi appears relaxed and flowing. Beneath, the structure of the body gives it a strength similar to iron.
I studied tai chi for a decade before learning the true art and was amazed at its power. In the years since I began studying Chen style, as my skill has increased, I have met many tai chi students who have been in the art for over 20 years but do not know the proper way to move. Most masters do not understand the “secrets” of art. As a result, students do not learn real tai chi.
The real secret of tai chi and the “internal” arts of China is simple: these are physical skills that take years to develop. Too many teachers focus on developing “chi,” a mysterious energy that they say circulates through the body. His students focus on chi and miss the body mechanics that can make them powerful.
This lesson came home to me in my basement as Grandmaster Chen kept throwing me to the ground while remaining relaxed. I began to realize what he was doing, and the subtle way he was throwing me off balance enough that I could easily be thrown. It was a valuable lesson. After he left my home, I was more determined than ever to keep practicing so I could develop high level skills in this very hard and “soft” art.