| Pushing Hands is practised with a partner. The same feeling of calm relaxation as is required in the forms is adopted here. It is not a competition and respect for one’s partner is essential. |
| The two people stand facing each other close enough reach each other easily, and take up the standard Tai Chi stance. |
| As the name implies one person (a) pushes against the back of the other’s wrist with the palm of the hand. The person being pushed (b) yields his/her whole body with the push but without moving the feet. Deflecting the push to the side with a circular motion of the arm and turning the hips (b) then pushes and (a) yields. |
| The continuous back and forth circular movement allows each partner to explore the use of relaxed contact and yielding, rather than force and blocking, to control. After learning the single-handed exercise there is a two-handed method of pushing hands to learn. |
| As with the single-handed form this is first practised statically. When this is understood it can be performed while stepping forward and back in harmony with pushing and yielding. |
