itary strategy, this is good advice However, combat Tai Chi brings these principles directly to bear on martial arts combat situations

Tai Chi is not the only martial art to make use of the elbow Elbow strikes are important in other martial art forms such as Muiy Tai Boxing

In China, there are three martial arts which together are known as the Nia Jia, the internal arts These are Bagua, Xing-Yi, and Tai Chi

Where other types of martial arts focus on building up strength so as to deliver as much force as possible, Tai Chi students learn to deliver as much force with as little effort as possible Where other arts develop artists with huge muscles, Tai Chi artists can do a lot of damage, even if they are physically very small

We've all seen movies where in the middle of a fight a hero's enemies land what would ordinarily be devastating blows The hero might stumble for a moment or two, but is ultimately able to withstand the hits and go on fighting and land overwhelming blows

Tai Chi practice involves more than just the forms that casual observers associate with the art It also includes practical applications that can be used in combat situations

To the uninitiated, the slow, relaxed, and fluid movements in the Tai Chi look like they wouldn't be very useful in a combat situation Even some practitioners of the art believe that this kind of movement is practiced for health benefits and not for real self defense

Xing Yi is one of the three internal arts of China (It is pronounced shing-ee and sometimes spelled Hsing I

Many people are under the impression that in a fight, the best thing to do with your hands is to ball them up into fists This idea is so common that we use the phrase "fist fight

Once the basic skills of Tai Chi are mastered, students can begin to study jings A jing is a way of moving energy using mind intent to achieve a specific expression

The phrase 'Dan Tien' can be translated as Field of Elixir They are an important part of Tai Chi practice

Jing energy is chi guided by mind intent into a specific expression or form Jing energy can be divided into physical expressions and energetic expressions

Self defense is not about winning sporting matches It is about avoiding, deterring, or defending yourself against actual attacks