Master Chen Huixian on Push Hands

Master Chen and Michael Chritton

According to Chen Style Taichi Chuan, Push Hands (Tui Shou) was created by Chen Wangting (1600 – 1680), the creator of the Chen Style Taichi or all modern Taichi styles. Push Hands is a two-person training routine which is also practiced by other internal martial art practitioners. Push Hands training can improve one’s internal strength (or Nei Jin). Master Chen Huixian explained to the workshop attendees that through the skin touching with another person, a Taichi practitioner can learn the sensitivity, coordination and positioning and use leverage against an opponent at a right timing. Push Hands is the best routine to develop combat or self-defense techniques.

During the workshop at Bally's in St. Louis on Saturday Jan 30, Master Chen taught the basic Push Hands movements right after the teaching on Taichi Ba Fa and figure eight body weight shifting (see below video for a demo). During the Push Hands practice, two persons continuously touch each other’s wrist. She expounded how to use Taichi Ba Fa’s Peng, Lu, Ji, and An in four basic Push Hands routines: Single Hand Horizontal (Ping Yuan), Single Hand Vertical (Li Yuan), Single Hand Figure Eight, and Both Hand Circling. Master Chen said all four Push Hands routines are part of Wrapping Flower (Wan Hwa).

Master Chen and Michael Chritton

Master Chen is an experienced coach. She paired students up and asked them to practice with each other while she and her husband Michael Chritton walked around and provided hands-on instructions and corrections. Most students appreciated this type of instant personal training experience. Oftentimes, Michael worked with one student while the other watched and learned and then Michael would switch and push hands with the other. Master Chen also worked with students with this one-on-one approach.

Master Chen and Michael Chritton

Due to the time constraint, the workshop did not include Fixed Step (Ding Bu) or other higher level Push Hands training. But Master Chen and Michael demonstrated Two Hand Fixed Step Push Hands. According to Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei, there are five different levels of Push Hands: Wan Hwa, Ding Bu (Fixed Step), Forward/Backward Step, Da Lu, and Hwa Tui Bu (Moving Step). There are many variations in practice and require usage of all Ba Fa and Wu Bu (Five Steps: step forwards, step backwards, look right, look left and Central Equilibrium). Since Push Hands is quite interesting and dynamic, many of the students are looking forward to future opportunities to learn more on Push Hands.

Master Chen and Michael Chritton