The article explores tai chi, a martial art of Chinese origin mainly practiced today for its health benefits and spiritual implications. Our attention is drawn to the fact that the training of “forms,” a series of solitary movements, often performed slowly, is observed not only in most schools focused on health, but also in a minority focused on the martial aspect. To analyze the role of forms in the learning of fighting techniques, the article draws on emersiology, the study of the involuntary activation of the body, with a focus on the elements conducive to the transformation of the “bodily schema.” This analysis aims to shed light on the dialectic between tai chi as a martial, fighting art, and its practice for health purposes, providing a better understanding of its historical evolution.