> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.soundtaichi.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Reflections on Push Hands (Tui Shou) - URL: https://www.soundtaichi.com/reflections-on-push-hands-tui-shou/ - Published: 2026-10-14T00:47:10.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-16T00:37:14.000Z - Author: Chris Pritchard If you're into the martial aspect of Tai Chi then you know about push hands, or Tui Shou. If you're new to Tai Chi, push hands is a two-person practice where you try to unbalance the other person before they unbalance you. Now most practitioners probably would say something like push hands is how you learn to apply the techniques that are in the Tai Chi form, but I think how you apply the principles of the Tai Chi is not limited to physical interactions with other people. But that's a topic for another time. Before this year I had done only a bit of push hands here and there. My teacher, and my fellow Tai Chi brothers and sisters back in Ohio, weren't hugely into it, and my teacher's work really focuses more on how to handle (get out of the way of and respond to) committed strikes as far as martial applications go. But at the center where I practice Tai Chi now there is an emphasis by some of the instructors on push hands. Now the push hands that interests most of the people at this center is of the slow, cooperative type. No one is getting pushed feet away or thrown onto the ground. While it's an interesting practice that can be helpful in getting used to dealing with someone trying to move you and learning to listen, the most frustrating thing I've found is that most people are either not really interested in it or way too interested in it. Those that are not too interested usually have found themselves in a class or workshop they thought was about Tai Chi form, but the teacher introduces some time for push hands drills. People not interested in Tui Shou don't maintain physical contact, there's a near constant gap between their forearm or hands and their partner's. In this case there's no chance to feel the pressure of another person's force or to assess their intention. Their intention is to humor the teacher and hope the lesson plan shifts back to something applicable to form. On the other end are the people who love push hands. Some like to learn how to move and respond to an opponent's force, some like to dominate others, and others like to compete and brag about the medals they've won. When there's someone like a Dr. Tao around, who can unbalance others with softness and grace, a lot of the uninterested people do get their interest peaked. I mean who wouldn't want to cause someone to jump back without much noticeable movement or effort. But human nature kicks in when we're in situations where there is outside force acting upon us and what tends to happen is we get frustrated and respond with force of some kind. When I say force of some kind I don't mean we never use force, we can't move without some small amount of force, but typically we humans use too much force in response to outside pressure. And that's what I experienced again and again this past weekend when I took part in a push hands competition, always lots of force from myself and everybody else. I've been reading through *The Taijiquan Classics* by Barbara Davis, and a line from the *Exposition of Insights into the Thirteen Postures* has stuck with me this past week: "The spirit is comfortable, the body is peaceful." (pg. 80) As I drove up to the competition I thought about this line. I'm not sure how often my spirit is comfortable in general, but it never is when going into a competition. I've played table tennis for years now, and regularly play in tournaments, and it's never been in my nature to get pumped heading into a match. Once play is about to begin the nerves fire up. But the other thing this got me thinking about is why I do Tai Chi. *I do it to bring balance to myself, not to unbalance others*. The martial practice focuses on the later, and the former is found in practicing the form; at least for me. Of the many people I "felt" at the competition most were hard and always there was a point at which one of us jumped into quick and forceful action. Once that starts it can rarely be stopped. I started diving more into push hands this year mainly to show the people at the center that I could do it, it seems the only way to prove a grasp of Tai Chi, that the principles I practice and have been taught are sound. But sound principles can't stand on their own when sparring with another person. Emotions get in the way, and if you are not very experienced in a particular activity it doesn't matter how sound your principles are in anything else. I think I'll continue with push hands, but only to better myself as a person. At least that's my aim. To learn how to not fight back even when the other person is leaning in with all their weight and force. I think that is the true benefit of practicing push hands, though I do not think it is necessary (either for Tai Chi in general or for learning to respond to danger). I don't think most people doing competitive push hands are operating from a similar motivation. Most of what I witnessed is a desire to win or prove oneself, which is another way of saying a desire to conquer or dominate. I've never wanted to dominate, but I found that instinct does live within me. That is what I wish to extinguish and hopefully I will learn to heed the words of Professor Cheng Man-Ch'ing; to "Invest in loss." Here's an interesting discussion I found online that included various teachers talking about their experience in push hands: [Why Push HandsWhy Push Hands: Discussion on “Push Hands (Tui Shou)” during a Tai Chi Caledonia meeting with various teachers and students.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/10/e3/10e39c65-328a-4d11-842d-51824a0f76a5/content/images/icon/cropped-Icon-Forum-com-270x270-cc4bba03-574d-4367-907e-2a905a8f7e53.png)taiji-forum.com![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/10/e3/10e39c65-328a-4d11-842d-51824a0f76a5/content/images/thumbnail/joe-ph-63b179dc-a0cd-4ddc-bf93-7c04f3c5e2cb.jpg)](https://taiji-forum.com/tai-chi-taiji/tai-chi-interviews/push-hands/?ref=soundtaichi.com) --- **References** Davis, B., & Chen, W. (2004). *Taijiquan Classics: An annotated translation*. North Atlantic Books.