Kung fu market's future in the balance
After a recent online video of an MMA, or mixed martial arts, fighter taking down a tai chi master within 13 seconds went viral, netizens engaged in a fierce discussion on whether tai chi could be effective in combat at all and if it would survive more popular modern martial art forms such as kung fu.
"I will open arms to any tai chi master who dares to challenge me," yelled the MMA champion Xu Xiaodong after his victory. His rant added fuel to online fire of tai chi's critics who believe MMA, boxing, kung fu and muay thai are far ahead as combat sports.
But some experts say that is just one way of looking at the issue. "Tai chi has many varieties and what people are practising nowadays is an exercise to improve mental health," said Liu Haoming, owner of San Feng Tai Chi Club, a Beijing-based school.
