How would a Tai Chi master hold up in a fight against a Krav Maga expert?

I have seen both in action and I must say a Krav Maga expert would not lay a glove on a REAL Tai Chi master. Krav Maga is a wonderful system but Tai Chi is not called Grand Ultimate Fist for nothing.

Not very well.

One does alot of sparring, the other one doesn't.

he wouldn't

sounds like it would be an old fashioned waffle stompin for the crab bagger.

http://uk.youtube.com/results?search_que...

Isn't the modern studio type Tai Chi more of an exercise program than the original combat style? I'm more into stick fighting, myself, it is better for older people, too. Happy trails.

One name for you...Master Bolo Yeung. Yes, he is a martial arts actor, and yes, movie martial arts are usually embellished and choreographed to the extreme, but Master Yeungs resume speaks for his talent outside of Hollywood. The goal of Ta Chi is, at the base level, to prevent your opopnent from actually striking you, while at the same time utilizing your opponents momentum against them to effect some rather devestating techniques designed to incapacitate, and in the extreme, kill the aggressor. Krav Maga is a combat art designed to nuetralize a threat, do as much damage as possible as QUICKLY as possible (up to, but not necessarily requiring, killing your opponent), and get away. Krav Maga is not designed to prolong the fight, but to end it quickly. As such, it is as much a defensive art as Tai Chi, with some notable differences. For example, in Krav Maga, if you can get your hands on an object to use as a weapon, then all the better. Tai Chi is designed to defend against both armed and unarmed attackers. Ironically, although Krav Maga employs some offensive techniques, with both styles being more defensive than offensive oriented it would be interesting to see a bout between practitioners of the two. It could be that they both stalk each other cautiously, waiting for the other to attack, and finally give up and walk away. In that case, Krav Maga wins...neutralize and escape as quickly as possible, remember??

However, a true master of Tai Chi, if attacked, would likely be the victor. Having seen it in action, I have to say that the defense and counter occurs so rapidly, and with such ease, that you almost don't see it happen. Tai Chi practitioners are known to have supreme balance and control, and this is critical in ANY confrontation, regardless of style.

Its not the art, its skill of he person performing the art
arts dont win fights last time i checked

if i get thumbs down please quote me where i am wrong and correct me

OK, true Tai Chi masters can be amazing. They also gained their skills over the course of, what, twenty or thirty years of training? The learning curve to be very effective in combat is MUCH smaller for the Krav Maga practitioner.
And I agree with Frank 100% about the sparring. Sparring against an opponent is much different than someone feeding you punches or kicks that are very much telegraphed. So in the match between masters I absolutely give the edge to the Krav Maga practitioner.