Master Ma Hong is a nineteenth generation Chen Style practitioner. He has written numerous books and articles on the subjects of Chen T'ai Chi and internal power development. According to Master Ma Hong, the Yang style of tai chi chuan has lost its martial aspects. Here are some quotes from the interview:
MH: Now, as to the T'ai Chi that is popular these days, there are two kinds: one kind is too soft.
HJ: What kind is that?
MH: I'd rather not say. If I say, people might get upset. Without my saying, people should know which kind it is. Very slow, very soft. It has lost its martial aspects. Its basis. Originally, T'ai Chi Ch'uan was a martial art.
HJ: So, in your point of view, there's... what we do, Chen T'ai Chi, which is like the main stream, and there are also off-shoots from Chen T'ai Chi which are, in your opinion, too soft, placing more emphasis on health, holistic benefits rather than martial benefits? You are a firm believer in the martial aspects of the art?
MH:Now there are many different types of T'ai Chi which are very popular. Yang style, Wu style, Sun style, Chang style; many different types. But the character of each of these is different. Different in what way? In my opinion, there are some that tend to be too soft, and others which tend to be too hard. This is my opinion. I believe that which was taught by my teacher was just the right combination of hardness and softness. He spoke of Yin and Yang, T'ai Chi Yin Yang. He said that T'ai Chi must have hard, soft must have fast and slow, have insubstantial and substantial, open and closed. Also it must have... oh, there's just so much..., "I, Ch'i, Li", all of these must be combined together. That which is closed must be opened, and that which is opened must be closed. Entirely open is not good, and entirely closed is not good. (Demonstrates posture examples) Therefore I believe that which was transmitted by my teacher was more fitting to what was the original face of T'ai Chi Ch'uan.
HJ: In your opinion, as to those styles of T'ai Chi which are now very popular, why do they not fah jing in their solo forms practice?
MH:Originally, in Yang style and Wu style, they also used to practice fah jing. When Yang passed the style on to his son, they still would fah jing. But then, from the third generation on - Yang's third generation, Wu's second generation - they no longer practiced fah jing. After the Manchurians unified China, the nobles who practiced were unwilling to expend that kind of energy; they were interested purely in the "health" aspects of the art. So they got rid of these stricter requirements and softened everything. But the Chen style is the oldest, the most ancient. So it still contains a richness of martial content. Hsing I ch'uan is the same. Some people practice it very softly and cannot fah jing. Then there are others who practice it very hard, with a lot of strength. That just comes from different practitioners, different lineages.
Here is the link for those interested in the rest of the interview:
http://www.hsing-i.com/hsing-i_journal/ma.html
I like to see this Master Ma Hong mix it up with William C. C. Chen and then see what he thinks about the Yang style being too soft. While Master Ma Hong makes some valid points others are not justified IMO.