Tai Chi Self Defence Applications

In order to understand the fundamentals of the Tai Chi forms or routines as they are known, one needs to at least recognise that Tai Chi is foremost a Martial Art.

How can a person appreciate a movement, or technique, without understanding the self defence application behind it?

Self defence applications are vital to understanding the movements in the forms, the bare hands forms and the weapons routines. What starts as a pretty sequence of movements becomes something with more meaning and intent when the self defence applications are explained. Understanding the martial purpose of a movement clarifies aspects of positions, such as, why the body is turned to a particular direction, why the weight is distributed in a particular way.

Traditionally, students are shown various self defence applications to movements as they are studying with their master. It is through further study and practice that the student begins to understand the wider potential for self defence applications behind the form.

Here is one basic rule when studying the self defence applications in the bare hands forms or in the weapons forms: Break the movement into two categories - defence and counter-attack.

An example of this in the Beijing 24 Bare hands form is the movement - “Brush Knee and Push”.

The “brush knee” movement is the deflection (defence), “brushing” the attack away from the intended area and the “push” is the counter-attack to your opponent.

However, not all defence and counter-attack moves are so obvious. Take for instance the movement “Carry Sword To The Left And To The Right” in the 32 Sword form. The first part, “carry sword to the left” can be a deflection to the left, while the second - very similar to “carry sword to the right” - part is actually a forward “thrust and withdraw” counter attack. In both instances the deflection has opened up your opponent leaving him vulnerable to an attack.

In traditional times, the forms were developed to suit the terrain, those that lived on the plains developed forms that utilised the surrounding space whereas those that lived on craggy mountains developed more compact forms.

Nowadays, we are rather lucky. The flat comfortable surface in our training hall as a space enables us to learn a variety of bare-hand and weapons forms. It also allows us to practice our self defence applications in a safe environment.

Although today the majority of people practise Tai Chi for its health and fitness benefits, even for those people an appreciation of the self-defence purposes behind each movement will give meaning to the form. It will point you towards the correct ways to perform the techniques.

Back to Tai Chi Routines