Tai Chi Self Defense Chinese martial arts, merges the key elements of striking, grappling and the use of traditional weapons. Tai Chi also focuses on evasion, footwork and strategy very important elements of self defense. The combination of evasion, footwork and strategy make it a very ideal martial art especially for women. Tai Chi is a centuries old Chinese discipline for health, relaxation, balance, flexibility, strength, meditation, self defense and self-cultivation. Tai Chi is both a healthy exercise as well as a unique form self defense system. Tai Chi can be practiced for recreation as well as to increase body's strength, flexibility, vitality, and mental awareness well into old age.

For many, Tai Chi is also known as the "internal arts" because it focuses the movement of "chi" within the body.

Chi is nothing more than energy within the body, not much different from the blood that pumps in our veins or the electrical signals that pass through our synapses that keeps us alive.

Grappling training is important for ladies in teaching them how to use their strength in a skillful way to manipulate a heavier male opponent. From the Tai Chi Chuan point of view, skill is not just restricted by the size of the body, strength, or natural quickness. Intense practice, rather than raw talent, is more important than in other forms of martial art. The outstanding characteristic of Tai Chi Chuan is that its practice centers on the slow development of a tenacious strength that enables the body not only to withstand punches or kicks of great force but also to generate tremendous power of its own. The root of this strength is not in the muscles and bones, but in the organs, the tendons, and the mind. Unlike muscular power, this tenacious power has no measurable limits, and there are many ways it can be used against the opponent. Tai Chi movements are based on self defense techniques even tough the movements are done very slowly. Tai Chi is a martial art and not merely a form of exercise or meditation. The practice of "pushing hands" is important for the self defense techniques of Tai Chi.

Force from the opponent is never met head-on. Rather, the practitioner of Tai Chi Chuan will subtly try to neutralize and divert on coming energy and turn it back against the opponent. The greater the force with which the opponent attacks, the more severe will be the returning blow or push. This skill of "borrowing energy" is one of many Tai Chi Chuan techniques structured around the basic principle of "tenacious strength".