Applications of Tai Chi Pushing Hands

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, occassionally 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 4 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 thse 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 Melbourne or that there are Tai Chi/Chi Kung masters in Melbourne who

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 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

ilustrations 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 brother Sifu John Chow

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: Sifu John sits back, shifting his weight back to his left foot and

neutralises by warding my push to his right.

A3: Sifu John 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: Sifu John and I square off.

B2: Sifu John 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 Sifu John's right elbow.

C2: Sifu John 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: Sifu John 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: Sifu John and I square off.

D2: Sifu John 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.