Tai Chi was used as a martial art in ancient China. Although these days it is employed as a meditation method, or as an alternative inner healing practice, Tai Chi was fully effective as a deadly combat art during its early days. But its original purpose is slowly losing popularity as more and more people associate Tai Chi with meditation. 

As it was originally created, Tai Chi Chuan which means ‘Supreme Ultimate Force’, is a method of fighting based on neutralizing an opponent's use of force, before applying a countering force of his own. With this name and concept, one can conclude that Tai Chi Chuan is more suited as a fighting art than anything else. 

Tai Chi, as a combat art, employs a kind of slow-tempo maneuvers. Redirecting force, rather than meeting it head on, dissipating a force by going with it rather than against it, makes it deceptively deadly. But this is what might have been the cause of its early downfall too. In light of modern forms of art, the Combat Tai Chi Kata (movement exercises) would be too cheesy to watch, compared to other explosive martial arts like Judo or Karate. Kung Fu, a close relative of the art, was more readily accepted than the dance-like Tai Chi Chuan. 

Traditionalists of Tai Chi Chuan believe that if you used Tai Chi for health reasons instead of as a martial art, you will not get its full benefits. The same goes if you practice it as a dance. You may get the flexibility, elegance, muscle loosening and stamina, but not reap everything it offers. Practicing it as a martial art alone can get you the full benefit it offers, even if you are in a dance or on a health regimen. Therefore they state that you can achieve all of these benefits when you train in combat Tai Chi, since all these characteristics are vital if you want to be a Tai Chi fighter. 

There are several reasons why combat Tai Chi is slowly declining. One of these is the advent of modern warfare. Guns had nearly eliminated the need for melee and close hand fighting. No matter what the claims of Combat Tai Chi or other martial art disciplines, countries won’t opt to equip their soldiers with martial arts discipline in place of guns. 

Another factor for its decline is the existence of other more aggressive fighting arts like Thailand Kickboxing and street fighting in the US. Both require little or no amount of discipline, and instead, load of steroids and muscle generators. But they gained popularity because of their brutality (which the public finds more entertaining), and its bad-ass type approach. 

Even though Tai Chi as a combat art is not popular anymore, it is still widely practiced nowadays as an exercise method. Teachers of this martial art are opening doors for its other applications. People who are engaging in Tai Chi as an alternative healing method are increasing, particularly in the West and some parts of Europe.