Pushing Hands – Two Person Energy Work

Two-Person Energy Work

Pushing Hands is the first step into the martial aspects of the Taiji. A knowledge of the Taiji Long-Form is helpful but not necessary. Pushing Hands is practiced in a standing position and requires a reasonable level of balance and fitness; some physical contact is involved.

Core Concepts

The goal of Pushing Hands is to train the practitioner to “Listen, follow, stick and adhere” in order to control and channel energy coming from another person.

Listen
"Listening" is learning to use your Qi to feel the energy coming from your partner, feel where it is going and how substantial it is.

Follow
"Following" is training your body not to push against the incoming energy, but rather to gently deflect it out of harm’s way along its natural path.

Stick
"Sticking" is intercepting and connecting with the incoming energy so that you can manipulate it smoothly.

Adhere
"Adhering" is connecting with your partner's center through their limbs and body.

Skills Taught in This Class

• Body structure: You'll learn to create a physical structure that allows you to leverage the earth and your skeleton to absorb energy, enabling your muscles and tendons to move smoothly to redirect it.
• Single pushing hands: You'll learn the 4 basic neutralizations for dealing with incoming energy.
• Double pushing hands:You'll learn the 6 (more advanced) neutralizations, using both hands to deal with incoming energy.
• Taiji symbol training: You'll learn to use the Taiji symbol as a tool for neutralization and disabling your opponent. (This involves both solo and partner work.)
• Da Lu: The international routine for "Rollback and press."
• Peng, Lu, Ji, An: The international routine for practicing the four fundamental energies of the Taiji
• Cai, Lie, Zhou, Kao: The international routine for practicing the four secondary energies of the Taiji
• Centering: A two-person, low-impact exercise for  developing root, neutralization, and redirection