Tai chi or shaolin kungfu?

which one is more powerful

Tai chi or shaolin kungfu?
Apparently the popular misconception that Tai Chi Chuan is simply an exercise or only for meditation runs rampant in the martial arts section of Answers too! How disheartening!





Tai Chi Chuan is roughly translated to "Supreme Ultimate Fist" and is actually a rather devastating martial art when sped up to real time or actual application. There are several reasons as to why it is practiced slowly, among them:


a) Tai Chi Chuan has no basics (such as external martial arts where one can do punching or kicking drills, etc.),


b) Tai Chi Chuan is considered moving meditation, and


c) health benefits of Tai Chi Chuan were realized when practiced slowly, such as massaging the internal organs and, if you believe in this sort of thing, allowing chi to flow freely by eliminating any blockages that occur in meridians in the body.


Beyond this, Tai Chi Chuan has different lineages such as Yang, Wu, old Wu, Sun, and Chen - all of which have noticible differences. For reference, though, most practice Yang (that's what you see the old folks doing in the park).





"Kung Fu" is a general term that essentially means "to work hard" and is a blanket term that covers all Chinese martial arts. This being the case, Tai Chi Chuan is kung fu! It is not Shaolin in origin, however, as Shaolin is based in the Hunan province and follows Buddhist teachings whereas Tai Chi Chuan likely began in Wudang and follows Taoist scriptures.





To ask which is more powerful is to ask which religion is best. You can ask a hundred different people and get a hundred different answers. One can't honestly answer your question.
Reply:I just wanted to say thanks for all the votes! This is the largest turn out I've seen. Thanks again, and I hope I helped! Report It

Reply:kung fu....tai chi is done slowly and calmer
Reply:kung fu if you want to be more about your body


Tai Chi if you want it to be more about your mind





They are both good.


I like kung fu myself :)
Reply:Wing Chun.
Reply:tai chi is more of an exercise for balancing the mind and body
Reply:There are hundreds of styles of Kung Fu. Shaolin is not a style, at the Shaolin temple they teach styles such as Tiger Claw etc.


Also Tai Chi is very dissimilar to Kung Fu. Kung Fu is about combat, while Tai Chi is more focused on slow meditative movements. Take a look at many styles of Kung Fu before you decide they are very different from one another
Reply:These are two totally different styles.





Tai chi is something like yoga or pilates. You would take this for flexibility, to relieve stress and for inner harmony.





Shaolin kunfu is a martial art geared to self defense. You would take this to learn to defend your self and develop physical stamina.





It sounds like from your question that you want to study a powerful art. Check out Okinawan Japaneses styles, Muay thai, Brazilian Jiu-jitzu, escrima and tang soo do.
Reply:shaolin kungfu is more powerful
Reply:thi chi is not slow its medium speed i would say and its better the shaolin watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP2D1xGBZ...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMEQNsKzr...
Reply:Shaolin is external martial arts, while Tai Chi is one of the internal martial arts, that's really how they were first divided into the two main categories of Chinese martial arts.





I think, in terms of "power" attainable in a shorter period of time, it should be Shaolin kungfu though the potentials of the power that Taichi can bring seems unlimited but probaby will take upto many years to reap the fruit and requires a very good understanding of Taichi. Taichi is about training the "softness", and heightened sensitivity of every muscle in your body, this is the reason why it's often practiced slowly, so you're aware of what's going on. There are different families of Taichi each having their own unique characteristics. If you understand the essence of Taichi and are able to apply it in normal speed, Taichi can indeed be a devastating artform. The only few times how the late Karate legend Mas Oyama, had ever lost in any martial art matches in his lifetime was against an old man who was a lifetime practitioner of Taichi (so if you ever heard rumors like 80 year old man who practices Taichi can still fight it's not a myth, it is real).





Taichi, and other Chinese internal arts are really trying to harness this thing called "neijing" (internal power).





Shaolin monks don't just train physically (externally) but qiqong (internal practices) are considered essential and is incorporated into their regular training as well.
Reply:man... what an awesome question.





remember, slower and calmer doesn't mean less power, often it means more. Actually both schools are related, so I would have to call it close... but Shaolin in the end becasue it is focused more on striking
Reply:Kung Fu is the obvious answer, as it was developed as a fighting art. But, no style really has any power. The practitioner matters much more than the style, and this applies across the board.
Reply:The power comes from the details of the technique, not the style one studies. The term "more powerful" is often misunderstood. Kung fu is taught as an external style. I learned my blocks, strikes, throws, etc. first. I was taught stance and walking drills. I was taught with the intent of self defense. As I continued to train, I improved(a little) and noticed my kicks were better, my punched had more penetration even though my physical strength had stayed about the same. I became more powerful because I had a better understanding of the technique.


Then, in attempt to understand technique better still, I began with tai chi. The detail towards body position, and the forced slow pace opened my eyes to everything I had missed in kung fu. Tai Chi is a fighting art and a very effective one. The misconception that it a balance exercise comes from the lack of qualified instructors. If you only learn " tai chi like exercises" that is all they will be. Because the details of the movements are lost, the power of the technique is lost aswell.


I cannot agree with Steel enough, the practitioner will develop the power in time. There is no best style, no magic bullet and no way short of hours and hours of practice to better.