Former UFC fighter Nick Osipczak says he would gladly step up to defend the honor of Tai Chi Chu’an.
Responding to the recent challenge made by former Chinese MMA fighter Xu Xiaodong, Osipczak is joining a number of traditional martial artists who are lining up to prove that Tai Chi and other traditional martial arts are still relevant combat sports.
Xiaodong issued the challenge after he made short work of Tai Chi “master” Wei Lei in an amateur fight. Xiaodong is now claiming that all traditional martial arts are outdated and ineffective. He has even boasted that he would take on two or three traditional martial artists at once to prove his point.
Video of Xiaodong’s 10-second beat-down of Lei has been circulating on the internet and generating a lot of discussion about the effectiveness of Tai Chi as a martial art. Osipczak, who used his Tai Chi training to help him gain 6 professional MMA victories, including 2 in the UFC, thinks this is actually a good thing for both traditional and mixed martial arts.
“I actually like what Xu is doing and think it is good for the current state of martial arts. It will help expose those living in fantasy land, deluding themselves and their students into thinking they can fight. You cannot be a good fighter if you only ever stay within your comfort zone and practice with your students who are inferior to you in skill. Real, hard sparring over many years is essential to not just refine the movements but also to shape the mindset. Otherwise, the moment things start going against you, you will mentally crumble and succumb to defeat. In my last fight my orbital bone was broken in two places early on, but I managed to stay focused and gain the victory.”
Osipczak is referring to his 2015 Macto Championship fight against Kyle Redfearn, which he won by submission in the first round.
Xiaodong’s challenge has not only gained the attention of traditional martial artists, but also one Chinese millionaire, Chen Sheng, who has offered 10 million yuan ($1.45 million) to any Tai Chi fighter who can defeat Xiaodong. Osipczak says, “If Chen Sheng is serious about his offer, then I would gladly step up to defend the honor of Tai Chi Ch’uan.”
He isn’t confident that Xiaodong will be willing to go through with it, though, saying “I don’t think Xu will accept the challenge, because I hear he is a coward and will only take fights he knows he can win!”
Tai Chi and other traditional martial arts are often criticized for being useless for actual combat. Osipczak disagrees, but also feels that instructors need to be honest about their combat skills when teaching these arts.
“If you are teaching Tai Chi purely for health benefits, that’s fine, just say so. But if you advertise yourself as a martial arts expert without the skills to back it up, then this is fraud, and you are actually endangering the health of your students by giving them false confidence.”
Osipczak teaches Tai Chi at workshops all over the world and is eager to help traditional martial artists learn real combat skills.
“If you are a traditional martial artist who wants to actually learn how to apply your skills in a real scenario, come along to one of my workshops and I will share my experience with you!”
About
Andrew Judge :
Learn more about Nick Osipczak’s Tai Chi classes at raisedspirit.com. This is Andrew Judge’s first submission to KungFuMagazine.com.
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