How long does it take to master tai chi?

iam thinking about takeing tai chi and was wondering how long it takes to become very good at it. is this one of those art forms that is a way of life that takes 20 30 years for one to be good at.

Hopefully you will never master tai chi. Part of the greatness of this form is the continuing challenge. The good thing about it is there is never a dull moment. Some people take tai chi as an exercise form which is great because the practice is conducive to supporting good health. Others take it as a form of combat. You can take years to develop skill even with the most basic katas. I am taking it as a martial art. I find weapons training exciting...and there are many. I have been training with steel fan and two edged sword. I actually look forward to practicing and do so at least twice a day, not only because of the physical benefits and use of weapons. Mentally it is transforming. Tai Chi done correctly takes all your concentration...it helps you to focus and involves your entire physical and mental presence. You could learn one form and practice it for the rest of your life and still benefit. Sparring is amazing...you use such little effort and it results in amazingly efficient fighting...All around, it is a wonderful martial art, which you can enjoy and benefit from almost immediately.

of course it all depends on you and how fast you pick it up, but if you have a proper teacher that follows a strict curriculum then it it can take a few years. make sure the teacher also teaches tai chi application and not just movements...then it gets fun!

It all depends on yourself...........
If you have discipline and attend all the classes without fail i'm sure you can master it in no time.........

I agree, it depends on the individual. But, you could probably learn enough in a few months to begin practicing at home when not able to make a class.

As far as mastering a style, some can do it in only one lifetime. I have not reached that point yet in my 40 years of practice, but some apparently claim to master a style in only 3-5 years. This probably has more to do with the definition of "master".

If you are talking about its martial/combat use than with a good instructor you can become very good in a year or two (not master obviously, as even the simplest martial arts take many many years to master).
If you are referring to its internal power than it will take you at least a decade, probably two. You may not realize this, but Tai Chi Chuan is translated into Grand Ultimate Fist. This is because Tai Chi, when fully mastered, is supposed to be the most powerful martial art. This is for two reasons: one, it incorporates full body unity to produce extremely powerful attacks and perfect redirection of opponent's energy to avoid or utilize any attack. Two, the original creator perfected the Grand Ultimate Fist attack, which, believe it or not, is a punch that expels the Tai Chi practitioner's chi force into his opponent's body destroying his organs and killing him with one unblockable punch. There is actually a method of training and technique to this move, but only the oldest and highest trained masters know it, and they do not reveal its secret to anyone except the one student who will inherit their legacy. The move is said to be simple enough, once the method of training ones chi is known, that anyone could learn and perform it. The masters also say that dedicating a lifetime to the study and practice fo Tai Chi will eventually reveal the move to the person (after 30 years or so of CONSTANT practice and training). Thus is the belief of Tai Chi. Grand Ultimate Fist attack aside, it is a very good martial art; proven in its effectiveness for both combat and health applications.
Happy Training

To experience the health benefits of Tai Chi only takes a few hours of practice. As you become better at the moves and flexibility improves you will begin to peak in the health benefits. The time will vary with the individual. Everyone I know who does it for health says it helps within days.
Yes like working out in a gym or martial arts it must be a life long thing. There is no destination because you either grow or revert.
If you use the martial art form of Tai Chi it is no more difficult than Wnig Chung in my humble opinion.

10 Life Times
you will gain benefits right away
but the true science of Tai Chi takes more than a lifetime to learn and Master as it is the Father of all the Fu's. I do many forms nd after doing some for over 30 years I am still learning new things either in the movements or as a combination of movements that are hidden so to say in the patterns. Thats part of the path in the way, it is learning the exposed and the hidden benefits in it all.

Tai chi is not a martial art anymore.

It used to be a form of wrestling.

However, it devolved into what it is today because practitioners gradually started sparring softer and softer until it became something like yoga.

There is a reason though that a lot of the forms resemble takedowns and clinch work.

If you want to learn to fight though, it's useless.