We have begun to explore the Yangjia Michuan Taiji Tuishou (Push Hands) exercises in our Saturday intermediate class. Wang Yen-nien taught the complete set of 15 exercises at the NYCYMT sponsored 1996 Workshop, which took place at the West Side YMCA and at Mercy College in the Summer of 1996. With help from others, and Master Wang’s permission and encouragement, I was able to document the event and have made the videos available for those who wish to study and learn Yangjia Michuan Taijiquan. As we begin to practice each exercise I will post corresponding links for study. There will most likely be ads that come up, which I have no relation or connection to, as these videos are on my YouTube channel. This blog/site will remain ad free.
Click here for access to the other Push Hands exercises
We have been publishing Mark Linett’s Tuishou notes from his time learning from Master Wang in Taiwan. Here is an excerpt from Mark’s notes about Push Hands exercise # 3. It is a suitable companion to the video and will help students better understand the tuishou journey.
Tuishou Exercise # 3
Xiang Hou Wan Yao
Bend Backward from the Waist
In the third basic exercise, we practice absorbing a push to the chest by sinking the chest and relaxing and tucking the lower back. To maintain our root, the lower back and the chest have to be relaxed so that there is a connection with the back foot. Relaxing the chest from inside out is the key here. If the receiver of the push maintains a stiff and tense chest then it is quite an easy proposition for the pusher. Slowly practice rooting a direct push to the chest into the back leg. If the push is long and deep, then it is might be necessary to turn the waist. If we bend back too far back, though, it may be too difficult to return a push. It is better to return to a neutral position before attempting a return push.
In T’ai Ch, too little and too much are both considered errors.
There are three possibilities for the position of the hands when you are being pushed at the chest and bending back with the arms raised. The palms can either face down or up. With the palms up, it is possible when bending back to lightly take hold of the elbows of the attacking partner and turn the waist to yield lead his/her partner into the void. By moving in this way, we are practicing Cai (pull down). If the palms are down then you are in a better position to connect to your partner’s arms. Then yielding and pushing can be accomplished in one motion. It is obviously much slower to have to do two movements but with the palms down, the yielding upward and the pushing can be done in one continuous movement. By bringing both arms up in the way we generally practice this movement we are creating balance in the movement.
The third possibility way to respond to an attack to the chest is to place both hands on the outside of the elbows of the attacking partner. The initial movement is to break the power of the incoming push by moving the attacker’s elbow together toward the center of his/her chest and then pushing. Here it is very important to relax the chest in Hang Shiung Bau Bei. This looks like two movements but it is really one movement. Try not to break off or separate from his push but follow his/her push and to listen to the direction and force of it.
If you are the partner who is doing the pushing, look closely at how your partner absorbs your push. Is your partner absorbing or resisting your push? You can tell if he is resisting since you will feel a hardness. This hardness is the point where you can push off from.
Practice the turning of the waist so that it becomes a habit.
Practicing Bending Backward from the Waist helps to improve the flexibility in the back and to gather energy in the bend.