However, push hand training should not be considered a form of confrontation or competition. Traditionally, it is used within the lineage between colleagues or fellow practitioners to help each other develop and improve Tai Chi skills. There is a saying within the Tai Chi community in China, ‘connecting hands with a partner makes him an instant friend ‘两人一搭手，就是好朋友’。Therefore, the goal of any push-hand training session is not to push the other over or beat the opponent, but to test your own skills and seek to make improvement accordingly.

As is described in The Treatise on Tai Chi Chuan (attributed to Wang Zongyue王宗岳), ‘From familiarity with the applications, one gradually comprehends Jin; from the comprehension of Jin, one can reach wisdom’. From this, it is clear that comprehending Jin is an essential stage in striving for perfection in Tai Chi. To comprehend Jin, it is essential to go through push-hand training. However, one should not rush into push-hand training until he’s learned the forms properly and learned to use all the major applications.

 

What do the masters say about push-hands:-

      ‘ Applications fall within methods while use of Jin implies change. Applications are limited while change is infinite. Thus once one has learned the applications well, one should start push-hands training in order to comprehend Jin.’

      ‘Push-hand serves as a means to comprehending Jin...... Each posture of Tai Chi should be practiced accurately and performed with comfort and ease. Once accuracy and comfort is achieved, applications of the postures should be studied. Once one has learned to use each posture well, he’s said to have developed familiarity with applications (着熟). Even so, each application is only used in response to an individual act from the opponent. What if the opponent launches one attack after another or keeps changing his tactics in response to my applications? At such times, comprehension of Jin will comes to its use. Comprehending Jin imples using my disadvantage to reach at the disadvantage of the opponent......’

—- Wu Tu Nan

 

Tai Chi push-hand should be considered a method of  polishing and honing skills through training with a partner within the same lineage. It’s not combat skills in real combat situation.

   Push hand is an intermediate stage in between its forms and practical functions. Its main aim is to achieve the soul of Tai Chi as a form of internal martial art – comprehending Jin.

   Traditionally, Tai Chi push-hand is staged after form-learning, feeding-hands (喂手) and applications. It is used as a method to test the Tai Chi boxing principles and check the form work; to enable the learner to experience Tai Chi Jin and its changes; to enable the learner to gradually comprehend Jin through actual contact with the opponent so that he

may adapt  his moves accordingly to seek to place the opponent under his control.

—-- Li Lian                            Home