Tai Chi Pushing Hands Practice
Part 1
(First article of a series on this topic)
One distinguishing feature of Tai Chi Chuan as a martial art is its training
and emphasis on "Pushing Hands". Sadly speaking, this is a much misunderstood
subject in the West, even amongst so-called masters.
There are some Tai Chi teachers (belonging to relaxation, health, new age,
therapy groups no doubt) who teach Tai Chi as some sort of relaxation and
health exercise, occasionally mixing it with some sort of esoteric mumbo jumbo
and mystical sounds..........etc. (Believe me. They do exist!). These sort
of teachers tend to teach Pushing Hands as some sort of new age sensitivity and
feeling exercises. Some will tell you the practice will help balance and
harmonise all the elements with your body, thereby giving you a healthy body
and mind. Such teachers are extremely popular in the West. They usually have
not studied Tai Chi deeply or trained under a proper instructor for long and
have misconceptions of the art (or rather, their egos tells them that they have
found the true meaning of Tai Chi, which their poor teacher has not even
realised yet).
Some others will teach Pushing Hands in a mechanical and technical way. You
push, I ward off, step here, push back.........etc. These sort usually have a
background in modern Wu Shu or have learnt a little from a teacher, learnt a
bit more from books and video tapes, and then start out as a "Tai Chi
Instructor". (I am not joking. I know of someone who started teaching Wu Style
Tai Chi after learning from Rocky Kwong's group for 5 months or so).
Such teachers are suitable for those whose ambitions are scholarly in nature
and who wish to practise Tai Chi more as a recreation. Also suitable for
people after a "fad". Such a mode of practice seems to be prevalent in
associations, schools or societies.
Some teachers boast or claim that they have incredible super human abilities
such that they can send an opponent far away with a mere touch or even without
touching them! I find such feats hard to believe and I have never personally
been sent flying like that in the 30 years of my practice so there is some
doubt as to the integrity of these few dozen masters who are make such claims.
There could be a possible 2 or 3 real masters who can do quite similar things,
but that is a very, very rare achievement of the pinnacle of Tai Chi that
manifests after a life time of practice. I do not believe that such masters
exist in
can diagnose and heal with their chi from a distance. If there are. I would
certainly like to see them!
There are others who insist that Pushing Hands is for developing sensitivity
skills, but is not for fighting at all. So, the techniques used in Pushing
Hands cannot be used at all in fighting - extremists of this category claim.
There are still others who are faithful to Pushing Hands and train in it
consistently and develope it as a martial art.
As to which group is right, I am more in favour of the last group, although I
must qualify my statement by stating that sometimes the case depends on the
individual.
I will be presenting a series of articles on applications of Tai Chi Pushing
Hands as a martial art. The current article is the first of that series. In
this article, I will demonstrate the application of Basic Single & Double
Pushing Hands. Due to lack of space, I will only give the essential
illustrations and leave it to those interested to pursue the subject matter with
a qualified martial artist.
In the pictures, I am appearing in white shirt while my partner appears in black shirt.
Basic Single Pushing Hands
==========================
A: Both parties have their right foot forward.
We extend our right hands forward and contact at the outside of the wrists.
Our left hands simply remain at our sides.
This is the ready position of Basic Single Pushing Hands.
A1: I "push" with my right hand while shifting my weight and body forward.
A2: My partner sits back, shifting his weight back to his left foot and
neutralises by warding my push to his right.
A3: My partner now attacks by "pushing" me with his right hand.
A4: I sit back, shifting my weight back to my left foot and neutralise by
warding his push to my right.
Application of Basic Single Pushing Hands
=========================================
B1: My partner and I square off.
B2: My partner launches a right punch to my face.
B3: I used a "Ward Off" with my right hand.
B4: I counter with a right punch.
Basic Double Pushing Hands
==========================
C: Both parties have their right foot forward.
We extend both hands forward. Our right wrists contact on the outside as
in Single Pushing Hands.
We place our left hands at each other's right elbows.
This is the ready position of Basic Double Pushing Hands.
C1: I "push" with my right hand while shifting my weight and body forward.
My left hand sticks to and controls my partner's right elbow.
C2: My partner sits back, shifting his weight back to his left foot and
neutralises by warding my push to his right. His left hand sticks to my
right elbow all the while.
C3: My partner now attacks by "pushing" me with his right hand. His left hand
sticks to and controls my left elbow.
C4: I sit back, shifting my weight back to my left foot and neutralise by
warding his push to my right.
Application of Basic Double Pushing Hands
=========================================
D1: My partner and I square off.
D2: My partner launches a right punch to my face.
D3: I used a "Ward Off" with my right hand, while controlling his right elbow
with my left hand.
D4: I counter with a right punch.
Written by John
Chow, a TCM
practitioner, masseur, healer, martial arts and spiritual teacher.
@2000