Relating form practice to push hands

I remember that in my previous posts, I wrote that I had no idea how form practice is related to push hands. But now, I am gaining a bit of insight.

In form practice,

1. Imagine you are facing an enemy
2. Relax like in push hands
3. Be ready
4. Listen for your opponent
5. Know the uses for every move
6. Move and act decisively

In push hands, we learn to relax, and listen for your enemy's jin or force. A form is a compendium of moves you should use in a real situation against real enemies, so listening should be implemented into form practice too! Taiji functions by feeling your enemy’s jin, it is originally part of the form, Feel for your enemy, be ready!

Every taiji move has an attacking and defending part to it. While doing these moves, be clear about the uses of all the moves and how best to execute with taiji principles. When moving in and out, know where, when and how you are defending, know when where and how you should attack. Have in mind a back up plan if the opponent should dodge your attack or attack you from somewhere else. When in front, be ready to move backwards according to the opponent’s force. When behind, be careful of your opponent who is attacking. React according to your opponent’s force always.

Next, push hands helps in using the form.

· Know how to approach your opponent

After undergoing push hands practice, you should clearly know how to approach your enemy, where is the best position to place your hand or attack so that your enemy will be locked down, pulled away, diverted away, will lose balance etc.

You should know how to stand, how to retreat, how to advance, how to move.

You should know how to best use the moves in situations, you should have these not in you mind, but in your natural reflex. This is the use of push hands in form practice.

Push hands makes form practice useful. It is the brain behind the body. While forms are the ways to express push hands. They go hand in hand and are inseparable for taiji practice.