Push Hands (Tui Shou) is partner practice. In Push Hands one takes the feelings and understandings that one has developed in form and applies them to a more demanding situation, one in which one has to take into consideration
another person. Push Hands is the perfect example of applying T'ai Chi
principles to the idea of relationships and general life experience.
Initially Push Hands is done with the idea of being a two person form, meaning that there is a set pattern of complimentray movements in which one person does a forward/Yang movement while the other person is receptive/Yin. The roles then reverse allowing for balance. This permits the student to begin to experience directly, through the body experience, the feeling of alternating
Yin and Yang movements and expressions, maintaining a sense of balance both within oneself as well as within the relationship. Push Hands, despite the popularity of contests and competitions over the past years, is not meant to be competitive. In good Push Hands, both participants win, nobody loses.
As the practice advances, the challenge grows )in that the forward/Yang move becomes deeper and more penetrating. This requires that the receptive/Yin person be willing and able to move accordingly, which in T'ai Chi is called "yielding". This quality of yielding is central to Push Hands and T'ai Chi in general because it is intended to teach a student the ability to let go of anything that is none essential in respect to the need to respond to the force or Yang energy. It is important to emphasize the idea of gýiving away everything that is none essential. In Push Hands one is never asked to give away one's center, root, integrity, or well being.
I teach that one of the great benefits to be derived from Push Hands is a redefining of what might be termed "true Yin" and "true Yang". In our culture we have very poor role models for each of these. Yin is often viewed as victimized and weak, while Yang is forceful and aggressive. In T'ai Chi the idea of Yin is defined as "moving towards strength", while the attributes of Yang are most often described as generosity and gentleness. Certainly this implies a tremendous shift of attitude, and Push Hands is the means by which to accomplish much of that.
