World Tai Chi Day Celebration in Seattle

Why don't we start teaching martial arts as honest to goodness combat systems? I mean, Tai Chi done this way is a fine excercise...but ..wouldn't it be good to teach the actual implementation of Tai Chi in a combat setting? When I say that...I'm not referring to an MMA ring...I'm talking about in the context of a mugging or an assault that can happen to anyone... especially elderly folks. Wouldn't it be good to teach it that way once in a while? I'm not sure that push hands practice prepares anyone for that. BTW this isn't just a critique on Tai Chi but on traditional martial arts as a whole. It's fine to teach the forms and individual applications of the forms.. but...wouldn't it be good to teach those applications within the context of real world application? How do you apply them against someone who is going to realistically fight back? How should your body and your legs and your arms be moving in that context? People who may attack you..in real life.. aren't realistically going to stop just because you've pushed them back a little bit. Also realistic practice might help us appreciate the strength required for practical implementation of the techniques in the form. It would also help us develop that strength. I mean, real world fighting does require strength...as we all know. If we don't do any of that...aren't we really just practicing a form of dance or some weird pantomime?

Where in Shoreline are you practicing and which form is this? Would like to join your jolly group.✨

I haven't seen this "style" of Yang Tai Chi Chuan before, seems interesting, what is the lineage?