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 Two students receive instruction in tuishou | |||||||||||||
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Pushing hands,Push hands or tuishou (alternately spelled tuei shou or tuei sho) is a two-person training routine practiced in internal Chinese martial arts such as baguazhang , xingyiquan ,tai chi,and yiquan . It is also played as an international sport akin to judo,sumo and wrestling,such as in Taiwan,where the biannual Tai Chi World Cup is held. [1]
Pushing hands is said to be the gateway for students to experientially understand the aspects of the internal martial arts:leverage,reflex,sensitivity,timing,coordination and positioning. Pushing hands works to undo a person's natural instinct to resist force with force,teaching the body to yield to force and redirect it. Some tai chi schools teach push hands to complement the physical conditioning of performing solo routines. Push hands allows students to learn how to respond to external stimuli using techniques from their forms practice. Among other things,training with a partner allows a student to develop ting jing (listening power),the sensitivity to feel the direction and strength of a partner's intention. In that sense pushing hands is a contract between students to train in the defensive and offensive movement principles of their martial art:learning to generate,coordinate and deliver power to another and also how to effectively neutralize incoming forces in a safe environment.[ citation needed ]
According to the Chen family of tai chi teachers,pushing hands was created by Chen Wangting (1600–1680),the founder of the Chen-style tai chi,and was originally known as hitting hands (da shou) or crossing hands (ke shou). Chen was said to have devised pushing hands methods for both empty hands and when armed with a spear. Other tai chi schools attribute the invention of pushing hands to mythical Zhang Sanfeng.
In tai chi,pushing hands is used to acquaint students with the principles of what are known as the "Eight Gates and Five Steps," eight different leverage applications in the arms accompanied by footwork in a range of motion,intended to allow students to defend themselves calmly and competently if attacked. Also known as the "13 original movements of tai chi",a posture expressing each one of these aspects is found in all tai chi styles. Training and pushing hands competitions generally involve contact but no strikes.
The three primary principles of movement cultivated by push hands practice are: [2]
The Eight Gates (Chinese :八門; pinyin :bāmén):
The Five Steps (Chinese :五步; pinyin :wǔbù):
The Eight Gates are said to be associated with the eight trigrams ( bagua ) of the I Ching ,the Five Steps with the five "phases" ( Wuxing ) of Taoist philosophy;metal,water,wood,fire,and earth. Collectively they are sometimes referred to as the "Thirteen Postures of Tai Chi" and their combinations and permutations are cataloged more or less exhaustively in the different styles of solo forms which tai chi is mostly known for by the general public. Pushing hands is practiced so that students have an opportunity for "hands-on" experience of the theoretical implications of the solo forms. Traditional internal teachers say that just training solo forms isn't enough to learn a martial art;that without the pushing hands,reflex and sensitivity to another's movements and intent are lost. Each component is seen as equally necessary,yin and yang,for realizing the health,meditative,and self-defense applications.
Pushing hands trains these technical principles in ever increasing complexity of patterns. At first students work basic patterns,then patterns with moving steps coordinated in different directions,patterns at differing heights (high,middle,low and combinations) and then finally different styles of "freestyle" push hands,which lead into sparring that combines closing and distancing strategies with long,medium and short range techniques. These exchanges are characterized as "question and answer" sessions between training partners;the person pushing is asking a question,the person receiving the push answers with their response. The answers should be "soft," without resistance or stiffness. The students hope to learn to not fight back when pushed nor retreat before anticipated force,but rather to allow the strength and direction of the push to determine their answer. The intent thereby is for the students to condition themselves and their reflexes to the point that they can meet an incoming force in softness,move with it until they determine its intent and then allow it to exhaust itself or redirect it into a harmless direction. The degree to which students maintain their balance while observing these requirements determines the appropriateness of their "answers." The expression used in some tai chi schools to describe this is "Give up oneself to follow another." The eventual goal for self-defense purposes is to achieve meeting the force,determining its direction and effectively redirecting it in as short a time as possible,with examples provided of seemingly instantaneous redirections at the highest levels of kung fu by traditional teachers. Pushing hands also teaches students safety habits in regard to their own vital areas,especially acupressure points,as well as introducing them to the principles of chin na and some aspects of the manipulative therapy or tui na also taught in traditional tai chi schools. At a certain point,pushing hands begins to take on aspects of qigong (chi kung),as the students learn to coordinate their movements in attack and defense with their breathing.
Pushing hands has become a part of competitive Chinese martial arts,especially those devoted to internal arts. The rules and the judging are subjective,problematic,and constantly in flux. [3]
Push hand contests is divided into two types.
Neijia is the collective name for the internal Chinese martial arts. It relates to those martial arts occupied with spiritual,mental or qi-related aspects,as opposed to an "external" approach focused on physiological aspects. The distinction dates to the 17th century,but its modern application is due to publications by Sun Lutang,dating to the period of 1915 to 1928. Neijing is developed by using neigong or "internal changes",contrasted with waigong or "external exercises".
Tai chi is an internal Chinese martial art practiced for self-defense and health. Known for its slow,intentional movements,tai chi has practitioners worldwide and is particularly popular as a form of gentle exercise and moving meditation,with benefits to mental and physical health.
Baguazhang is one of the three main Chinese martial arts of the Wudang school,the other two being tai chi and xingyiquan. It is more broadly grouped as an internal practice. Baguazhang literally means "eight trigram palm",referring to the bagua "trigrams" of the I Ching,one of the canons of Taoism.
Northern Praying Mantis is a style of Chinese martial arts,sometimes called Shandong Praying Mantis after its province of origin. It was created by Wang Lang (王朗) and was named after the praying mantis,an insect,the aggressiveness of which inspired the style. One Mantis legend places the creation of the style during the Song dynasty when Wang Lang was supposedly one of 18 masters gathered by the Abbot Fu Ju (福居),a legendary persona of the historical Abbot Fu Yu,to improve Shaolin martial arts. However,most legends place Wang Lang in the late Ming dynasty.
Chinese martial arts,often called by the umbrella terms kung fu,kuoshu or wushu,are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common traits,identified as "families" of martial arts. Examples of such traits include Shaolinquan (少林拳) physical exercises involving All Other Animals (五形) mimicry or training methods inspired by Old Chinese philosophies,religions and legends. Styles that focus on qi manipulation are called internal,while others that concentrate on improving muscle and cardiovascular fitness are called external. Geographical associations,as in northern and southern,is another popular classification method.
Liuhebafa quan is an internal Chinese martial art. It has been called "xinyi liuhebafa" (心意六合八法拳) and is also referred to as "water boxing" due to its principles.
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108-Form Wu family tai chi,also known as Wu Jianquan-style tai chi,is a traditional form of tai chi that originated in China. It is named after its creator,Wu Jianquan,who developed this style of tai chi in the early 20th century.
Yiquan,also known as dachengquan,is a Chinese martial art founded by the xingyiquan master Wang Xiangzhai. Yì (意) means Intent,quán (拳) means boxing.
The Lee style of tai chi (李氏太極拳) is closely related to a range of disciplines of Taoist Arts taught within the Lee style including Qigong,Daoyin,Ch'ang Ming,Traditional Chinese Medicine,Taoist alchemy,Feng Shou kung fu,and weapons practice. According to practitioners,it was first brought to the West in the 1930s by Chan Kam Lee and was subsequently popularized by Chee Soo who was the President of the International Taoist Society from 1958 until his death in 1994. The Lee style of tai chi comprises two forms known as 'the dance' and 'the form'. Other exercises include Yifu Shou or 'sticky hands',Whirling Hands,Whirling Arms,and various qi and Li development exercises. Lee style t'ai chi is related to Martial Arts training,and there are five distinct areas of development that comprise the whole Art:
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Fa jin,fajin or fa chin,is a term used in some Chinese martial arts,particularly the neijia (internal) martial arts,such as tai chi,xingyiquan,baguazhang,liuhebafa,ziranmen,bak mei,and bajiquan.
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Xingyiquan, or Xingyi,is a style of internal Chinese martial arts.
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