On these pages we will discuss the martial applications of Tai Chi Chuan in some detail. This aspect of the art is not very well understood and, although there is no substitute for first-hand experience, it is hoped that the material contained here will help to foster understanding.
All the self-defence techniques of Tai Chi Chuan are based upon the soft overcoming the hard, and stillness overcoming movement. It is these principles that makes Tai Chi unique. If they are not applied properly, then it is not Tai Chi.
The sensitivity developed through the practice of pushing hands is carried into applications, where one uses the sense of touch to detect the force and direction of an opponent's attack. As for the the stillness overcoming movement, this means that the mind should remain calm in any situation, so that you can respond in an appropriate manner.
Once you have detected the direction of the attack, you can then divert it into nothingness (void), and apply the correct method of countering. Yielding should not be seen as giving in: on the contrary, it is a method of overcoming a greater force with a lesser one.
We begin by presenting the self-defence application of the move known as Slap the Face. This piece originally appeared as an article entitled "The Soft Overcoming the Hard" in the Journal of the Tai Chi Union for Great Britain.
