Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip # 355
Push Hands (Tui Shou)Videos
After a practice in the Park, Stephanie (an instructor at the Studio) said that she had just watched the Push Hands video series that we produced for PTTV (public television) around the year 2000. Stephanie hadn’t watched them for some time and was very enthusiastic about the information relayed and the way it was presented. There are two videos of 60 minutes each, now up on YouTube for free. Even if you don’t study Push Hands, I believe these are worth viewing. Lots of principles that relate to the form, especially in the first volume.
We haven’t had a Push Hands class since the beginning of the pandemic. I hope you can find a partner you can work with to experience what these exercises feel like inside your own body. I believe there is nothing as instructional as partner work to explore the many layers of Tai Chi. Good luck.
Yang Tai Chi Tui Shou- Push Hands Vol 1
Copy and paste into YouTube or search engine.
Continuous Movement
We have been spending quite a bit of time these past months on making the Form one, continuous movement. No stops. Today I had one of those ah-ha thoughts.
As most of us know, continuous movement builds strength and power. Once you get “up to speed” it doesn’t take much energy to keep the momentum going. If you make a stop between moves, it takes much more energy to get going again. Think about it. Why spend energy when you don’t need to.
It is similar to gas consumption. The stop and go of in town driving uses a lot more gas than steady, highway cruising. So spend the time to figure how to link all your movements so you cruise through the form. Even stopping in the form takes extra energy. If you are pushing or striking, it takes quite a bit of energy to stop the momentum and change to something else.