"I highly recommend it to anyone interested in a higher-level understanding of this subject - it's written by Xiang Kai Zhang, who began his Push-Hands training under Chen Wei-ming, and later studied Wu style push-hands with Wang Ruen. His "personal recollections" near the end of this treatise are especially interesting and valuable, imho." - Michael Phillips
One of the all-time Best expositions of the theory of Push-Hands. Read the entire article here: http://www.wuwei.org/Taiji/Push-hands.html
begin excerpt********************************************
By Xiang Kai Zhang
People who practice T'ai Chi Ch'uan all know that practicing the form is the body (t'i), practicing push-hands is the use (yung). But are body and usage two different affairs? In order to answer this question, we must first clarify what is body: what is usage? Practicing the form, one never departs from the "13 Postures"; practicing the usage one also never departs from the the "13 Postures". Without the 13 Postures there is neither T'ai Chi Ch'uan nor push-hands.
The 13 Postures are:
- peng (ward-off)
- lu (roll-back)
- chi (press)
- an (push)
- ts'ai (pull-down)
- lieh (split)
- chou (elbow)
- k'ao (shoulder stroke)
- chin (advance)
- t'ui (retreat
- ku (look left)
- p'an (look right)
- ting (central equilibrium)
This is again well known by all. But when the average individual practices T'ai Chi Ch'uan or push-hands, does he pay attention to each of these thirteen postures? Naturally there are some who know that they must pay attention to this; but there are also many who imitate mindlessly. I dare say that even among those who practice the thirteen postures assiduously, there are those who practice the form but cannot "get it" or who practice the usage but cannot grasp the usage. Because of this the "Song of the Thirteen Postures" says, "If you don't diligently search for the meaning, you will only waste your effort and sigh (from disappointment)." Practicing the form is equivalent to understanding the essence of push-hands usage. Practicing the push-hands one utilizes applications attained from form practice. We can say that the entire body (or form) is functional and that the entire function (all applications) has a body. Accordingly, is there no difference between practicing form and push-hands? Yes, there is a distinction. Below, I will record what ancient T'ai Chi Ch'uan theoreticians have written regarding push-hands. After presenting my interpretations, we shall draw some conclusions. And finally, I will present research gleaned through my personal experience in push-hands. The T'ai Chi Ch'uan Classic says, "When the opponent is hard and I am soft, this is called tsou (yielding, moving away). When I follow harmoniously and the opponent gets backed up, this is called chan (adhering)." "Hard" has the significance of an attack.
But this should not be a hardness that is forceful or stiff. Rather, a good example would be the attacking movements of ward-off or press as used in push-hands. "Soft" has the significance of protecting, guarding or conserving (shou). But this should not be a softness that is weak or limp. Rather, a good example would be the defensive movements of roll-back or push as used in push-hands. Although "hard" and "soft" are nouns which stand in opposition as attack and defense, one should completely rely on i (intention, mindfulness, inner meaning) and posture. One should never use stiff, forceful energy to attack.
<snip>