This is a basic introduction to the skill of Pushing Hands.

 

Practiced alone as a form of meditation

It can help develop good habits for use within the form:-

A good stance

Co-ordinated movement

Turning the waist while shifting the weight from from leg to the other

Rotating the wrist

Dropping the elbow

Remaining relaxed

 

Practicing with a partner you become comfortable

being close to another person while remaining relaxed, calm

and moving automatically in response to external pressure/force.  

 

 

Pushing hands is where the practitioner is trying to

'become the ball, be the ball'

If someone exerts pressure on a ball by standing on it

the ball may compress or remain round depending on the pressure inside.

If the ball can remain round it will probably roll the person off.

The ball does not decide what direction it will roll before or during the vent.

That is dictated by the direction of the force applied.

 

Thus the Tai Chi practitioner trains to strengthen their 'internal' pressure 

to maintain their shape (good posture) like a fully inflated ball.

The reaction to pressure or force is not planned.

The body will produce a movement from the constantly repeated form

to deflect, control and overcome the incoming force. Hopefully.

That is the practitioner's ultimate goal.