#push hands

Tensegrity & Tai Chi & Qigong

We are held together by this concept.  Every part of us, whether it be a finger, an arm, a leg, a hair, an organ, or the torso, has its own ‘tensional integrity’ – something that holds that part of our anatomy in its shape, and also in position in relation to all our other parts. Noun: The property of skeleton structures that employ continuous tension members and discontinuous compression members…

A great photo from one of my seminars in Tallinn of a student from Poland training with an Estonian. It really captures the spirit of the Center, of our school, pushing each other to be the best versions of our selves, with a big smile on everyone's face.

One of my informal teachers is making a video series.

So my martial arts learning structure is.... a bit unorthodox. 

Usually, you have a class with a single teacher and some senior students, learn that particular style lineage, and develop and test it based on the recommendations of your teacher. 

I, on the other hand, started attending workshops with a group of higher-level practitioners, some teachers and some not, who got together once a week to do push hands. Most of them practiced Yang, though there was one Wu stylist; one of them taught me my short form, and goes over it with me when i return. 

Each of them would share the ways they’d learned to practice and apply the forms; they all had their differing emphases and methods that they’d trained, either through different lineages or personal backgrounds. 

Few are as unique as Damian, the tall dude in the ponytail here.

I shared some of the footage I have with Damian in one of my first posts on here. There’s also the push hands recorded of me and him from a couple of years back: 

Putting Backbone Into It (Shadow Boxing)

The Spinal Line.

Crown of head (not to be confused with the hair whorl)

Perineum (muscle between genitals & anus)

Point directly on the line between your 2 feet (variable if moving your weight back/forward between the feet).

The Spinal Line (when pushing an object/person). When working with someone else, or even a static object, the correctly connected line of the spine becomes even more important.

Recent Review-

Having studied Yang family Taijiquan and the Internal arts for more than 20 years, I can honestly say that Scott M. Rodell's Taiji is among the best I have seen, and more than that, he can use it in the real world. His insightful new translation of the Taijiquan Classics is sure to offer useful insights to practitioners who want to unlock the "secrets" to improving and deepening their practice. By providing not only translation, (and the original Chinese)  but useful detailed commentary and background as well as clear explanation of application, Master Rodell has provided us with a helpful guide for understanding the fundamental classics many have previously found to be enigmatic and difficult to comprehend.

Dai Andrews

Instructor at the Baltimore Academy of Defense

Thank you for reading. If you would like to receive my monthly newsletter with class updates and information please e-mail [email protected].

“Standing alone and unchanging, one can observe every mystery.Present at every moment and ceaselessly continuing, this is the gateway to indescribable marvels.“ –TAO TEH CHING Solo tai chi practice is standing meditation. In Holding, or Embracing, the Tree, stand in the “wu chi,” position-  translating literally to “without separation,” referring to the moment before distinction, a meditative…