Push Hands Meeting 2013 — A Report

A short report in the spirit of the friendly European push hands meetings, where practitioners of every style meet to test and refine their sensitivity.

Push hands (tui shou) is the bridge between solo Tai Chi form and living application. At a typical meeting, players pair up and rotate freely, working through fixed-step and moving-step exercises with the simple aim of staying relaxed, rooted and responsive while a partner gently tries to unbalance them.

Essentials of push hands

This film captures the core of what these meetings teach:

What makes these gatherings valuable

• Cross-style contact. Meeting players from other lineages quickly shows where your own habits help or hinder.
• Non-competitive spirit. The best meetings reward listening and softness over winning.
• Immediate feedback. The form can hide faults; a partner cannot.

If you have only ever practised the solo form, a push hands meeting is the single fastest way to understand what the classics mean by yielding and rooting. Watch the European events calendar for the next one near you.