The following article is perhaps the best explanation of the Chung-Hua Institute's conception of combat-oriented Tai-Chi as taught by Sifu Mark Cheng. It was published several times in different magazines and books available through the CFW Enterprises subsidiary, Unique Publications.

We also have a set of 6 comprehensive instructional videotapes available. Please read down to the bottom of the page for more information.

The 4 Pillars of Combat Tai-Chi
"The principles that rate Tai-Chi among China's finest fighting arts"

by Sifu Mark Cheng, L.Ac.

Often though of as merely a form of meditative exercise for the elderly or terminally ill, Tai-Chi has a bit of a mistaken identity problem in the modern era. With the advent of the New Age teachings of peace, harmony, and non-violence, the slow motion martial art seems to fit in quite nicely, however that's missing the point of China's "Supreme Ultimate Fist" by a long shot.

Tai-Chi's original purpose was very simple and completely unmistakable: to successfully defend one's life and the lives of others. Yang Lu-Chan, the founder of the Yang style of Tai-Chi, was known to have traveled around the Chinese Empire, seeking the best fighters against which to test his art and earning him the nickname of "Yang Wu-Di" or "Yang the Invincible". His empty hand and spear fighting skills were quite powerful, and there are numerous stories of him defeating armed bandit groups that roamed the countryside during the Qing Dynasty. Yang eventually made his way to the capitol and proved the worthiness of his new system to the royal guard.

Yang Cheng-Fu, a grandson of Yang Lu-Chan, was the man most responsible for Tai-Chi's amazing popularity today. With his portly frame and good-humored nature, Yang Cheng-Fu was said to be a much more amiable man than his predecessors were. Most of the Yang style Tai-Chi systems that are taught today are offshoots from his Beijing era teachings, which were the first to take the original Yang style system and slow it down to the pace at which it is widely practiced today. It is said that the original Yang style of Tai-Chi (as invented by Yang Lu-Chan) was a faster, more explosive version, closer to the Chen family's Pao Chui or "Cannon Fist" set.

Regardless of the pace at which the form is practiced, the combat applications are still the same and still potent. There's always the same question that always arises when discussing Tai-Chi combat with the uninitiated: "How are you going to fight someone when you're moving that slow?" The answer is very simple. The Tai-Chi fighter has to move at the same speed or faster than his opponent until first contact is made, at which point it becomes an issue of positioning and sensitivity. Thus, the form may be practiced slowly and peacefully, but the fight comes roaring out like a lion from under that sheepskin.

Like the best martial arts, Tai-Chi is a well rounded system, offering its practitioners the ability to handle themselves in a variety of combat situations. There are four "pillars" on which Tai-Chi's fighting ability stands, and these pillars are much the same as that of China's other combat-worthy arts.

1. Ti - Kicking skills
2. Da - Punching or hand striking skills
3. Shuai - Throwing skills
4. Na - Joint-locking skills.

Tai-Chi has never been known for its kicking techniques, but the kicks of the Yang style system are undeniably well thought out. Several leg and foot techniques are hidden in the set, such as a rolling kick and a large number of foot traps and ingenious sweeps.

The overt kicks of the Yang style large frame form are basically the instep kick, the heel kick, and the lotus kick (outside crescent kick). With the exception of the lotus kick, the other kicks are relatively low and are repeated in the form. The instep kick is delivered most commonly to the groin, while the heel kick can be delivered anywhere on the body and with great effectiveness from the hip upward. The lotus kick is the highest kick in the Tai-Chi set, and it's seen only once at the very end of the form, perhaps a testament to how rarely it's delivered in life-or-death combat. Nonetheless, the proper application of this kick, in context with the neighboring moves in the form, is stunningly effective in sandwiching the opponent's head.

Another notable trait of Tai-Chi's kicks are the hand positions that accompany them, allowing for a simultaneous block/strike with a kick. Every time a heel or instep kick is delivered, the hands cut outward symmetrically to either cover or attack along the upper gate, while the kick closes the lower gate. This is Tai-Chi's version of the 2 pronged attack.

The slow, fluid hand techniques are usually the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions Tai-Chi, but they're also quite misunderstood in terms of combat. Push hands drills are usually the first mentioned Tai-Chi hand techniques, but those are merely the tip of the iceberg. Push hands demonstrations, while a great way to introduce students to the concepts of sensitivity and entertain crowds, don't always convey the kind of effect that will silence the skeptics.

There are many incidences of supposed Tai-Chi masters who do push hands demonstrations and fling their students all over the place, but the students seem a bit too eager to take flight when gently nudged by their teachers. While there are definitely true masters out there who possess the real power necessary to send a person reeling backwards, it's far more common to see a fake trying to create the illusion of some mystical skill. Chi Kung (Qigong) performers are even more notorious for doing this. One magazine editor even told me of an instance where he was watching the calf muscles of the performers, and they were pushing themselves backwards when their master was supposedly "emitting Qi."

Tai-Chi's hand techniques are far more complicated than a mere push, shove, or hocus-pocus wave of the hands. They are powerful punches, stunning cutting palms, and debilitating slaps. The difference, as quoted to me by Master Daniel Yu Wang, between these striking techniques in Tai-Chi and in other systems of Chinese martial art is the "flavor" with which they are delivered. Tai-Chi's flavor is a loose, relaxed feel, similar to a heavy bullwhip. A tension-free strike is said to be the epitome of power, allowing the shockwave to travel up from the rear foot, into the hips, along the torso, out the arm, through the fist, and into the internal organs of the opponent, much like a wave would travel along a whip.

The shock power of a Tai-Chi palm strike is frightening. I recall one afternoon when I was visiting San Francisco, and a kung-fu uncle of mine was telling me that a good Tai-Chi palm strike, such as in "Brush the Knee", should emit a shockwave into my opponent which goes in but doesn't come out. To clarify this power of this concept, let me use the analogy of ballistics. One of my college roommates was an ex-Marine who told me (to my great surprise) that the M-16 round is only .22 caliber, a relatively small bullet. When I asked him what the logic was behind that, he explained that a small bullet like that does a lot more damage because it goes in, but it might not come out. It'll ricochet and spin all over the body, destroying whatever internal structures it comes in contact with. The vibration of a strong Tai-Chi palm strike has a similar effect, although with considerably less guaranteed bloodshed.

Every part of the body is used in combat, not just the hands or feet. The root and tip theory allows for a barrage of different striking techniques to come from all over the body, from the strike of a forearm crashing downward in "Single Whip", to a shoulder bunt in a "Pull Down" technique. This kind of versatility gives the practitioner a good sense of "full-body" fighting, freeing him from only fighting with punches and kicks.

Most people agree that Tai-Chi would fall under the category of "internal" or "soft" arts. However most people usually wouldn't put Judo and Aikido in the same category as Tai-Chi. These styles focus a large percentage of their techniques on throwing techniques instead of the "hard" punching and striking, and Tai-Chi is no different in this sense.

Striking is often considered to be a "force vs. force" proposition in one way or another. A throw or takedown, however, uses an opponent's momentum to subdue him. There is very little "hard contact" needed for a properly executed throw, making it the perfect choice of technique for a Tai-Chi fighter. The principle of "maximum output with minimum effort" is thus best embodied in a Shuai technique.

Throwing still remains a bit of a mystery to most Tai-Chi practitioners and instructors. Most still staunchly adhere to their "push and shove" teachings. Others try to examine the applications of the form, twisting the motions greatly and distorting a technique into a throw. Either way, both sides are missing the powerful techniques that are plainly visible in the form to the trained eye. Many of the same techniques that are taught as strikes can be used as throws if the proper understanding of range is achieved.

As any seasoned Shuai-Chiao, Judo, Aikido, or Hapkido practitioner can tell you, controlling an opponent's joint can create a structural unbalance that gives you a much easier time issuing a throw. The importance of joint locking techniques cannot be overlooked in any serious discussion of martial arts, and neither can it be overlooked in any discussion of Tai-Chi's combat skills. (If you doubt the combat effectiveness of a joint lock, go have any Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu stylist twist you into a pretzel and then start talking about how ineffective joint controls and locks are.)
Tai-Chi's joint locking (Chin Na or Qin Na) techniques are subtle, yet very powerful. They are almost inseparable from the throws that they facilitate. Movements such as "Needle at the Sea Bottom" and "Pull Back" are more commonly seen joint locks in the Yang style Tai-Chi form. "Needle at Sea Bottom" is a wing-arm wristlock, similar to Aikido's nikkyo technique. "Pull Back" is a simple extended arm-bar at the beginning levels and a shoulder lock to the advanced practitioner. Among the less understood locks is the "Punch under the Elbow" posture. This technique suckers the opponent's arms inward, wrapping them up and using his right arm to lock his left elbow upward.

The combination of joint locking and throwing techniques allows the Tai-Chi practitioner to engage an opponent without having to wade into a prolonged slugfest. Yet kicks and punches are still readily available for the Tai-Chi fighter to employ as his discretion should those be the most appropriate techniques for that specific range. These concepts are the "Four Pillars" of Tai-Chi and Chinese martial arts fighting, giving the greatest versatility to each movement in the form and enabling Tai-Chi to stand tall in the arena of combat.

Sifu Mark Cheng, L.Ac. is a Chinese martial arts researcher and instructor based in West Los Angeles and Pacific Palisades, California. He began his initial Tai-Chi training at a young age with his father and went on to study with some of the finest masters of the traditional Chinese martial arts. He has since gone on to share his gifts through his newly established Chung-Hua Institute in Santa Monica, CA.

Sifu Mark Cheng's instructional tape series on "Combat Tai-Chi - Fighting Principles and Applications of Yang Style Tai-Chi" was produced by Unique Publications/Video and available through amazon.com.

Single Whip and Snake Creeps Down
Throws give a standing fighter more options than just kicking and punching (1). Mark Cheng deflects and traps Dean Quan’s left jab and brings his forearm crashing down on his neck (2). He then drops down, pulling Quan further off his base (3). Lifting him with a fireman's carry (4), he slams him down (5).