Yang-style Tai Chi Pushing Hands (Tui Shou) is a foundational partner exercise that helps practitioners develop sensitivity, balance, and internal strength. It’s an essential bridge between solo Tai Chi forms and practical application, teaching how to listen, yield, and redirect force rather than resist it.
Why Practice Pushing Hands?
- Develop Sensitivity – You learn to feel and respond to an opponent’s energy through touch.
- Improve Balance & Rooting – Strengthen your stance and ability to stay grounded under pressure.
- Refine Tai Chi Principles – Apply concepts like yielding, redirecting force, and maintaining relaxation.
- Enhance Martial Skills – While not purely combative, Pushing Hands builds reflexes for self-defense.
Fundamentals for Beginners
- Fixed Step vs. Moving Step – Beginners start with fixed-step exercises, where feet stay planted, focusing on upper-body control. Later, moving-step drills introduce footwork and mobility.
- Single-Hand vs. Double-Hand – Training begins with single-hand circles, emphasizing smooth energy exchange, then progresses to double-hand patterns for more dynamic interaction.
- Listening & Yielding – Instead of resisting force, you learn to absorb and redirect it, maintaining relaxation and structure.
- Ward-Off, Rollback, Press, and Push – These four fundamental energies (Peng, Lu, Ji, An) form the basis of Pushing Hands movements.
Warm-Up (5-10 minutes)
- Joint Loosening: Gently rotate wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles.
- Tai Chi Stance Practice: Stand in a relaxed Wu Ji posture—feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, spine upright.
- Slow Weight Shifting: Shift weight between feet to feel balance and rooting.
Basic Push Hands Drills
1. Single-Hand Circling (Fixed Step)
- Stand opposite your partner in a bow stance.
- Place one hand on your partner’s forearm.
- Begin circular movements, smoothly pushing and yielding.
- Focus on relaxation, listening, and maintaining contact.
2. Double-Hand Circling
- Both hands engage in rolling movements with your partner.
- Maintain softness and structure, avoiding forceful resistance.
- Keep your center aligned and move from the waist.
3. Yielding & Redirecting
- Partner applies gentle forward pressure.
- Instead of resisting, yield and redirect the force using waist rotation.
- Maintain balance and relaxation.
Moving Step Push Hands (Optional)
- Introduce stepping while maintaining connection.
- Practice absorbing and redirecting force while shifting weight forward and back.
Cool Down & Reflection
- Stand in Wu Ji posture, breathing deeply.
- Feet Placement – Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing forward.
- Knees Relaxed – Slightly bent, never locked, allowing flexibility.
- Hips & Tailbone – The tailbone is gently tucked, aligning the spine.
- Shoulders & Arms – Shoulders are relaxed and slightly open, arms hanging naturally.
- Head Position – Chin slightly tucked, with the crown of the head feeling lifted.
- Breathing & Focus – Deep, smooth breathing through the lower abdomen, with a calm and centered mind.
- Reflect on sensitivity, balance, and relaxation.
- Discuss observations with your partner.
