The best place to be when a fight breaks out is usually somewhere else and the philosophy of Taoism advocates a peaceful attitude to life wherever possible. As a fighting art tai chi employs more than just kicks and punches, grips and strikes. By employing yielding, redirecting, up rooting and issuing (Fa Jin) the tai chi fighter is able to overcome an opponent without fighting force with force and avoids being drawn in to a violent conflict. A fight which merely pits force against force will be won by the strongest, by means of brute force. Using skill and intelligence it is possible to neutralise such attacks by applying some basic principles. By training the body and mind we develop relaxed strength and internal power. Fundamental to this process is attaining a feeling of natural springiness within the body ('Peng' or 'Ward Off' energy is often seen as an expansive, springy quality within the body) and rooting. When this process is trained with correct physical alignment our basic stance becomes strong and grounded. This background gives you a platform from which to repel attack without losing your own balance. When an attack comes in, a simple turn of the waist is sometimes enough to redirect the incoming energy away from us. This redirection may also lead the opponent off balance and enable you to attack them by using Fa Jin (issuing energy through a synergy of body and mind). The martial applications are very effective and it is not just a form of healthy exercise, in fact it is positively revered due the awesome power of many leading practitioners.

The waist is the governor of the movement in Tai Chi and it is easy to see how by turning the waist it is possible to deflect attack away (as in White Crane). The use of the waist to turn the body on its' central axis could be compared to a sphere turning on its' axis. Any incoming force is repelled away and energy redirected. This use of basic physics is part of the theory. The full development as a martial art make take a lifetime to attain but the basic principles are simple. This martial side of Tai Chi is not taught by many teachers who are only familiar with the basic movements and not the underlying principles. It is important to remember that it is a martial art and not just relaxed movement, without this understanding it is impossible to discover the true essence of the art.

For many it is hard to see such a gentle art as a fighting system but the softness and spiritual qualities it imbues the practitioner are important. We become calmer with regular practice and this sense of calm and centeredness is another vital skill to the martial artist and enables him or her to respond rather than react. By relying on both physical and mental training and connection we can also learn ways of breaking down the balance of an opponent using the skills of listening and anticipation. Push hands is concerned with developing these skills so that in the event of a real attack you can read the situation more readily. It does however take many hours of practice to be able to use Tai Chi as a reliable form of self defence, mainly because the process of attaining real 'internal' power cannot be rushed.

By Matthew Rochford

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