It is a touchy subject
The Poster (muy thai fighter) is correct in a sense , but only correct in that you dont see much fighting applications taugt with tai chi. It is mainly used for relaxation/stress reduction, and for internal work. You just dont see many modern tai chi fighters.
but i also think that fighting is not all that Tai chi is. The internal road is a longer road to walk and at the beginning you will lose fight confrontations. Once you get past all that fighting nonsense anyway you will find a new level of your training and then you will discover that fighting will come easy to you.
But Taichi is a fighting art and its done slowly to convey the techniques and when performed in sparring it is very fast.
but i have also seen Muy thai Boxing and it is a brutal fighting system. if i were to see a tai chi practitoner and a muy thai practitioner each with say 3 years training i would put my money on the muy thai fighter(hands down).
advance the training to over ten years and i would put my money on the muy thai fighter hands down.
advance the training to over 20 years and my money goes for the tai chi practitioner hands down.
Peace,,,,WindandMountain
Chung-Chih(Loyalty and Wisdom) A heart that is in the center is a heart in the right place. The wisdom that the heart spreads is the knowledge that spreads and enlightens,like the suns' rays, benefitting the world at large.