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 to view 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 # 6. It is a suitable companion to the video and will help students better understand the tuishou journey.

Exercise 6 – Single Arm Horizontal Circle

DAN SHOU HUA YUAN TUISHOU

One arm moves in a horizontal circular movement This one-hand pushing exercise is often practised as a warmup exercise before moving onto free pushing. It is an excellent way to practice listening (Ting Jing), to develop yielding ability using Peng, and learning how to use the entire body to make a one hand push. 

To begin the exercise both partner are standing facing one another. One partner stands in (Ward Off) Peng position and the other partner connects to his/her partner’s wrist with the palm of his hand. The person doing the first push (which is generally practiced slowly at first) is standing in the down position and the partner in the Peng position is standing up. As the pusher rises 

he/she pushes out at chest level. The person in Peng position listens and feels the push whether it is slow or fast and yields to the push by turning his/her elbow in towards the center of the body while sinking onto his/her back leg. At the same time that the Peng is yielding to the Push he/she is also turning his/her hand over so that  it is resting on the top of the wrist of his/her partner. By turning  his/her hand over he is rotating the force away against his Peng. If the push is quite strong and he is having some  difficulty yielding to it, he can grasp his partner’s  wrist and turn his push to the side. Thereby, opening the side of the partner’s body in preparation for a push.

An important aspect of this movement is to be in contact and maintain contact with the partner’s Peng arm and not to push it with hard strength but with Yi (the Chi will be there). If you are in Peng, listen for the push and slowly fold the elbow and yield to it.