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I train taiji for health and spiritual developement. I find it very beneficial and the Program is absolutely great for these goals. I practice solo and it is very difficult for me to find a partner.
If I don’t have a goal of martial applications, should I still seek the Push hands training? If yes, how it would contribute to my primary goals?
Tai Chi form is like; reading a book sitting in your favorite chair, good light, drink on a little table, temperature comfortable, no time pressure.
Push Hands is like; reading a report, taking notes, answering the phone, writing a letter etc, working to a deadline, room too hot/cold.
It is much easier to remain calm, rooted, centred, connected in a situation you have more control over.
Starting push hands will help you develop the ability to maintain the level of stability you have developed in your form in a less stable or controllable environment , or where something/someone is actively trying to unsettle you (this ability is useful for martial arts, relationships/family life, meditation, physical activity/sports, etc).
This will in turn help improve your form as things will seem easier once you remove those external influences.
A similar comparison could be made between standing postures and the form, with the postures being the more stable environment, and the task of keeping your alignments and mental focus/stability during movement a level higher.
So yes, personally I would say that if you can find a willing, or preferably enthusiastic partner, then go for it.
Hope this is useful,
Chris
Igor, in addition to my post, pushing hands as I described (without trying to win, just the two of you harmonizing) will help to open your body, clear your chi and quieten your mind. All necessary for health and development of practicing tai chi.
HI Igor, my answer is simple. If you are truly practising for your health then you are trying to eliminate tension & stress. Think about how tension and stress get incorporated into your body in the first place. Unless you live in a vacuum,… most if not all your tension and stress is created in your body by the “interactions” you have with others. You can do solo form untill you have eliminated all the tension you can find and yet the moment you do push hands and “interact” with another, you will find new tension/stress that you haven’t been able to get rid of doing just the form. Think of push hands as your opportunity to have help from another to find more ways to balance you body – Yin/Yang duality that must be resolved in order to find the Tao – the way. Enjoy push hands for the wonderful teaching tool that it can be. In Bruce’s DVD he mentions push hands as recognizing the “Reality” of life. It is where we live and breath – the present. I’m still working on this and thank all those people I have “Pushed Hands” with as I have found so much more I need to learn to “Relax”. Hope this perspective helps you!
If you push hands and are a beginner these are important:
1. alignment: when making circles in push hands the knees must not fall outward or inward when turning the waist while sitting back into the rear leg, moving forward into the front leg. Shift your weight to the rear and front without straining your system.
2. learn to do the above by yourself first. In single hands pushing imagine you are drawing a horizontal circle in the horizontal plane with the turning of your waist guiding your hand to draw the circle (in the air in front of you)
3. Once you are comfortable with this then find a partner and the two of you, touching the backs of your wrists while facing each other imagine the two of you are gently (with 3 ounces of pressure) holding a pencil between the backs of your wrists and ‘draw’ a horizontal circle together. Both of you relax and assist each other in making a smooth circle as you both shift weight and turn your waists to do so. Do not attempt to ‘get the other guy’ or win. Just make smooth circles back and forth like a friendly tennis volley.
4. When you can do this comfortably listen to how the two of you are ‘harmonizing your motions’ together,sort of a gentle back and forth, give and receive.
5. Now while doing this, pay attention to your alignments and levels of openness and relaxation.
6. PLAY! and really learn to HARMONIZE WITH YOUR PARTNER. Listen (ting jing) and flow until you feel like the two of you are ‘one’ system of movement.
7. After doing this comfortably start with one person ‘pushing’ (attacking) and one person receiving (staying in harmony) BE PLAYFUL! No matter how you are pushed (or pulled) maintain contact and turn all action into a circle of harmony.
Hey Lee,
Can you talk a little bit more about how doing push hands will “clear your chi”? I’ve heard Bruce talk about using Inner Dissolving to resolve the blocks that become noticeable when you’re pushing hands but I think your talking about something different?
Is there something about linking the energy of two people with physical contact that causes blocks to be cleared out of your system?
Janak
More so it makes it noticeable such that you can then do something about it.
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