Tai Chi Push Hands: The Martial Foundation of Tai Chi Chuan

Push Hands is the “other” part of tai chi that makes your practice a true living artTai chi push hands practice is a necessary next step for tai chi practitioners who wish to make their art come alive. Push hands practice requires two people to engage in a variety of “light touch” moving and walking routines. By practicing these movements, practitioners begin to develop tai chi’s sensing, listening, and yielding skills. The Dao De Jing classic reminds us that "knowing others (an opponent) is important for knowing ourselves". By developing tai chi push hand skills, one begins to obtain a profound sense of feeling of ones’ body and mind. This ability aids greatly in controlling body, balance, health, perseverance, compassion, and overall spirit.
It is no mistake that tai chi offers a lifetime of continued learning and progress; the goal is a deep understanding of yourself and your role in nature.In this book, you will learnThe theory of tai chi pushing handsTai chi qigong foundation practiceTai chi jing (power) practiceTwo-person stationary push hands practiceTwo-person moving push hands practiceTai chi rollback and press push hands practiceInternational standard push hands routineTwo-person free style push handsMartial art applications in tai chi push hands practiceDr. Yang reminds us tai chi chuan was created based on the martial applications which were used for self-defense. Every movement of tai chi chuan has its unique martial purpose. Without this martial root, tai chi chuan practice will limited to a dance, lacking a deeper meaning or a deeper feeling.