Tai Chi Fighting Tournament - 1988

We were fortunate to witness an unusual Tai Chi Chuan tournament in Florida in 1988 during a Wu Shu tournament. Beside the usual form competition, there was an open fighting division. We haven't seen much like this since.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• martial
• arts
• Tai
• Chi
• Chuan
• fighting
• Chen
• Wu
• Yang
• combat
• action
• fight
• self
• defense
• sports
• demonstration
• exercise
• training
• self-defense
• fitness

[cikicrocus]

after watching plenty of k-1 , ufc, pride etc we can say the guys in this video are not on a pro level at all..

[MartialArchiveTv]

@cikicrocus And who said that they were? This was an amateur tournament.

[cikicrocus]

kung fu and tai chi are real but they are so hard to master that for a modern man they are nearly impossible to learn for real life use.. at least thats what I think..I have read an interview 20 years ago with a tai chi master who was saying that a tai chi trainee can be a master when he comes approx to age of 60.

[MartialArchiveTv]

@cikicrocus There are aspects of Tai Chi that really require the user to understand movement in a non-forceful way that for many people is easier to realize when the body is past the height of physical power. One advanced student of kung-fu once said, half-jokingly, that it's when the body gets tired of using force that one can finally understand some of the movements in these systems.

[Deathrune456]

I'm no expert, but it seems to me that 'soft' martial arts like judo, wing chun, and tai chi simply have steeper learning curves for it's practitioners. Unless you have a stronger grip on the art, you're going to be defeated easily by someone who practices 'hard' (muay thai, boxing, jui jitsu, greco-roman wrestling) styles, which have simpler fundamentals. This isn't to say that it's inferior or superior; just an observation from someone who loves to fight.

[MusicisMYlife210]

@BoarsofWar Well then you best not quit your day job, rather than try to understand our ways.

[aros207]

tai chi is part of Internal martial arts (Kung Fu) just as, JKD, Tung Bi, Aqito, and wing chun are ...to name a few.

[BoarsofWar]

Tai chi people say they can speed up. I ve never seen a sprinter train by jogging

[elliottsmith10]

these guys are incredibly slow even for amateurs.

[Jericho11894]

@cikicrocus Yeah, I can see why it would be hard to master, because whats makes a good fighter, is how he applies the techniques that he learned, and hopefully mastered. Some people just practice katas (forms) and believe they are good just by either flashy or strong movement. But on how you apply it with your natural movements, the person himself makes that art effective by his own understanding and his own use.

[JamieAlonge]

Yay! Christophe, my teacher!

[DivineHunter001]

Im currently taking a class on tai chi in my college. All I can say is that its really hard and it takes a lot of effort and practice. There is a lot of balance, concentration and the understanding of your center. I give these guys props XD

They're my heroes T-T...XD

[elxtioh]

MARAVILLOSO , WONDERFULL !!!

[TheDano1947]

Tai Chi seems to be more effective as a defensive art.