Arguments for Tai Chi being more than a martial art

What happens when a local martial arts instructor turns up at the teapot temple to challenge the teapotmonk? Will there be a battle of styles or a battle of wits? Read on. 

A Challenge in the Teapot Temple 

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SIFU SIMON: "HEY, TEAPOT, I THINK YOUR TAI CHI IS NO GOOD."
TEAPOT: "GOOD, BAD..THESE ARE ALL SUBJECTIVE TERMS".
SIFU SIMON: "DON'T GO ALL MONK LIKE ON ME. YOUR TAI CHI IS NO GOOD BECAUSE IN MY STYLE WE PRACTICE FULL CONTACT CHI GONG FOR 17 HOURS EVERY DAY. 
TEAPOT: "GO ON"
SIFU SIMON: "WELL, THATS WHAT MAKES US AUTHENTIC AND REAL - NOT JUST SPOUTING TEAPOT NONSENSE LIKE SOME..."
TEAPOT: "GO ON"
SIFU SIMON: "WE PRACTICE PROJECTING OUR CHI FROM OUR EYEBROWS TO STOP NINJAS, MODIFIED FOODS, NUCLEAR MISSILES OR EVEN A RAMPAGING RHINO - IF NECESSARY. 
TEAPOT: "I SEE"
SIFU SIMON: "AND WE PRACTICE NO-HOLDS BARRED PUSH-HANDS COMPETITIONS.
TEAPOT:  YOU MEAN YOU DO THAT SUMO THING?
SIFU SIMON: NO, IT'S PUSH HANDS. IT'S NOT ABOUT STRENGTH...
TEAPOT: BUT IT'S A BIT LIKE SUMO
SIFU SIMON: NO, IT'S PUSH HANDS BECAUSE WE DON'T WEAR THOSE CLOTHS AROUND YOUR GROIN OR PUT OUR HAIR IN A BUNCH ON TOP OF OUR HEADS..."
TEAPOT:  OKAY I UNDERSTAND NOW.
SIFU SIMON: "OR THROW SAND ACROSS THE RING BEFORE WE START.

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Sound familiar? This eternal debate between the martial and health sides of tai chi no longer really helps students understand or perceive the full range of skills tai chi can offer. At one point in history, it may have mades sense, as endurance, fighting advantages and the martial spirit would have been the sole reason someone sought out one school over another. But this was the era before guns, e-numbers and fake news. Nowadays, this narrowing of the agenda to suit the preferences of the teacher has had 3 negative consequences: 

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3 REASONS WHY THIS CONVERSATION IS NO LONGER RELEVANT

1. Reductionism stifles and silences questioning. It props up and maintains a hierarchical practice by placing death blows at the cloudy sifu-satiny top, and balance or breathing exercises down in the cobwebby basement.
2. It overlooks the complexity, history and depth of the art and its wide applications, relevance and practical use for millions of practitioners. 
3. It reinforces the idea that only though the serious study of how to inflict harm upon others can the art be truly understood. This is like saying that to be a good chef you need only know how to cook pork. Yet good chefs know about meat substitutes, fish, pulses, vegetables, shopping and selecting fresh produce, mixing ingredients, adding spices etc. So too with the internal arts.

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TIP FROM THE TEAPOT TEMPLE: 

Arguing that Tai Chi is first and foremost a martial art, a mediations technique, an energy transfusion exercise, or a short cut to nirvana says more about the person saying it than the art itself. ​

EYEBROW CHI PROJECTION STANCE

If your school promotes tai chi as a system for learning how to hit people, then I can only hope there is equal emphasis somewhere in the curriculum for healing, for techniques of tension diffusion, for learning to turn away or turn the other cheek because these are the tools we need as 21st century warriors. Learning to simply strike back may not always be the most appropriate response. 
So why is this aspect to tai chi so energetically marketed? Well, many argue that this is the way tai chi was meant to be taught. This is a debatable point, but even if we accept it, blindly reproducing the traditional practices and power structures of another era and culture without any further explanation is at best short-sighted, at worse, serving the narrow curriculum of schools that are unable to adapt to a changing world and population.

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TRY ASKING IF IT IS RELEVANT?  ​

THE MONK DEMONSTRATING TAI CHI POSTURE : RHINO FRIES THE EGGS AND CHIPS

Lets put tradition into perspective. Traditions are just old ideas, ideas that can still retain value if they remain relevant. Note I say relevant and not effective. A technique or practice may be effective (it could possibly be used in self defence, healing or communicating directly with Lao Tzu) but this does not mean it is relevant. 
So ask yourself if what you are practicing is relevant? Does it relate to the times in which you live, resonating with principles of unity - bridging differences rather than highlighting them, does the practice encompass accountability, and transparency - how inter-active is your learning? Do you learn by repetition and rote or discussion and engagement?

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If you are just unconditionally swallowing the traditions of the past, then they ought to be discarded, as one would discard an overgrown toenail.

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Look for how much we share as opposed to how much we differ

So the next time you see someone pointing an accusatory finger, remember it says more about the person on the other end of the finger, than what they are pointing at.
We live in the 21st century, where warfare is conducted by technology and enemies are defined by governments and multinational arms corporations. We no longer live in a feudal society whereby the local warlord will call upon you and your farming implements to defend the village. 
Today we have other priorities. Classes that do not prioritise health, classes that do not address regaining lost confidence, classes that do not know how to restore purpose or hope, but instead choose to focus on how to expel 'chi' through ones nose during a multiple ninja assault, frankly...says little about their teachers contact with reality. 

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Ask Yourself this one question

Perhaps the question is not whether you are learning tai chi as a martial art or a health art, but rather whether the art you are learning or teaching is rooted, grounded or inspired by the philosophical and spiritual practices that have shaped and given meaning to the art. Whatever the expression you chose - ask yourself - does your practice resonate with these fundamental principles and does it connect meaningfully with the lives of those practitioners today?
For whatever your emphasis, whatever your focus, whatever name you embrace -  tai chi offers offers something more than this fragmentation of its parts. It offers us all something in common - a unique insight into the principles of relaxation under duress. It offers concrete breathing techniques for remaining soft rather than hard, and for remaining alert and focused. It offers a source of energy and strength that does not rely on muscle size, protein supplements or hours spent lifting weights.  And it offers a healthy cocktail of physical balance, open and active listening, sticking, rooting and yielding  skills.
Taken together, this collection of life skills doesn't just amount to a few interesting kicks and punches, but rather to a radical formulae for coping with the rigours of 21st century living. Don't limit your art. 

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Discover more about the different training methods of Tai Chi with these series of free PDF downloads from the teapotmonk: Tai Chi Basics, Beginners Guide, Infograms and Sample workbooks. Check out the whole library. 

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