Taijiquan as a Martial Art?

When I tell my friends that taijiquan is a form of martial art, they laugh. Why? In the previous post, I mentioned that it is a common scene to see old people doing taiji, moving in an awfully slow manner. How can tajiquan be a form of martial art when you are moving so slowly. The truth is, you have to built the foundation. Performing the move slowly is meant to familiarise yourself with the various moves of taijiquan. It is only in the more advance stage of practise when you are introduced to techniques like push hand. Learning anything requires patience, so is learning taijiquan. It can take up to 10 or even 20 years for someone to become proficient in using taijiquan as a martial art. However, don't be discouraged. Along the way, you will definitely reap a lot of health benefits.