Tai Chi as a Martial Art: Open Mat Highlights

Clips from our most recent Tai Chi push hands open mat. All styles of martial arts are invited to join and participate.
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[@iiiii5468]

amazing practice. more people should recognize the utility of taichi in certain circumstances.

[@iNightTiger]

I love this! Wish more kung fu practionners would explore their art like that. keep it up !

[@cloudhand-taichi-berlin]

Nice format - friendly and honest play!

[@jasonkeaton5140]

Great stuff. This is good training. I'm going 5o get my older bjj students to try it

[@RhysHalTerrill-kt8vp]

Good technique

[@Mr.Autodelete]

Need some big roll out mats

[@shiwan01]

Really nice! Building some strong students.

[@koenig_der_zwiebeln9094]

If you want to test how Tai Chi works under pressure, wouldn't it be wise to test it against people who are not using Tai Chi themselves?

[@ShorelineTaiChi]

There are certainly an interesting mix of comments, from people insisting this is not Tai Chi, and others asking why this is only Tai Chi :D

[@tranquil_dude]

it's a step by step process.
first you test under the rules of your own sport,
then you test under other rules,
then you test under minimal rules :)

[@StugletofDoom]

Reminds me of judo.

[@ArosIrwin]

I'm not sure I understand what makes this Tai Chi. What is different about this interaction as a result of their training? If someone untrained in Tai Chi tried to participate, would I be able to tell that they were not trained by the way they moved? If someone trained in a different martial art was bound by the same rules and started in the same pose, how would the fight be different?

[@ShorelineTaiChi]

This open mat event is governed by the standard rules of Tai Chi moving step push hands. Those rules are summarized in the narration and transcript. Not all the participants are Tai Chi students, nor are they members of our school.

[@tranquil_dude]

Actually, from my experience, there are some telltale signs.
One example:
- Someone untrained in TaiJi will have a higher frequency of standing slightly on a tip/heel/edge of his/her feet.
It's not necessarily a deliberate action, but more due to the fact that people usually take their balance for granted and so don't pay attention to the traction between their feet and the ground.
- In contrast, someone trained in TaiJi is better able to "settle down" and keep the bottom of each weighted foot evenly pressed onto the ground ... even when doing quick footwork. It's like the flowing of water. You can move & react fast without being jumpy. But it takes mindful practice to realize this.

[@kurhooni5924]

thats wrestling + judo :D

[@kmusicjohnsen7127]

It's difficult to not be muscling it with your partner it in push hands, especially if they are big and muscular and using force as their default. Then it just becomes grappling with force against force and not doing Tai Chi.

[@OneFromEasternFinland]

That's almost like judo or wrestling

[@ShorelineTaiChi]

It looks similar to other martial arts?

[@OneFromEasternFinland]

@@ShorelineTaiChi You could say so

[@dirtysally189]

So how does not punching them help in a real fight I just don’t understand what you are trying to prove that it’s better then grappling or something because it just looks like your wrestling which if you are going to learn mma it should be a well rounded balance of self defense is best and also learning what being kicked or punched feels like so your body has a good response if it is a life threatening situation and you get hit in the back of the head or something and how to take someone out fast so you can run away and get help and how to avoid a fight at all cost best thing for a fights fight usually takes 2 to tango so if you can just avoid an argument leading up to a fight and just walk away fight avoided or instead of thinking oh I’ll be fine walking down a dark alley all by myself at night instead take a longer route with plenty of light or simply call an Uber before hand so you can avoid walking home late at night best thing I think is just trying not to fight unless absolutely necessary like a life threatening situation is when you should defend yourself and run away if you can but I still think learning multiple mma is best and to never commit to one style

[@ShorelineTaiChi]

What it is:
* An open mat
What it isn't:
* A real fight
* Trying to prove something
* Just like wrestling
* Walking down a dark alley

[@dirtysally189]

That’s also not an unpredictable environment that also doesn’t look challenging a normal fight is not going to stop just because you throw your opponent a couple of feet that looks very controlled on a nice soft mat instead of being thrown on concrete or against a wall or thrown against a light post it is a great martial art but what your showing in a controlled environment and saying it is an unpredictable environment isn’t true if it was unpredictable why not have two people go at it no rules and have three others jump in on one guy like the persons friends saw you beating the person up or something and decide to jump in and help also in the middle of the street now that would be unpredictable because you never know what could happen if I was in a room on a mat I know oh hey we are going to spar no one is going to come up behind me and hit me I know that person is my sparring opponent and it’s me versus the other person but I really don’t think you are accurate to say sparing on a mat and tripping and grappling in a building is unpredictable I’m sure both the opponents knew hey I can’t hit him in the head or anything like that which just using tai chi with rule is predictable because both people know the rules try mixing it up a bit