Monday, June 8, 2009

Push Hands

I love watching Tai Chi push hands work. I learn from what I like and from what I don't like. Push hands has some interesting advantages - and some fatal flaws built into it's methodology. This sounds like the topic I will be covering for the next few days.

Here is a video showing interesting technique from a master. I really enjoy this film. He really has some excellent soft touch manipulation of body mechanics.

The bad thing to watch out for is their ukemi, rolls and falls. It seems almost universal in the tai chi world (on you tube anyway) that once technique is executed the uke flies away out of control. In this film uke even crashes into the audience. In some other films by this group they are doing throws, with poor ukemi on concrete.

So like the Yin and Yang, I feel this offers a best and worst of push hands. Very nice application of technique and principles, and poor receiving of technique.

7 comments:

  1. Off topic, but... I really like you header pic. Reminds me of the story that Tomiki allegedly told about 'painting the eyes of the dragon'

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  2. Yes, perhaps a little over-exagerated to please the master, and crowd.
    Point well-taken. Chinese arts do not have a good ground game. I think from the battlefield times, they figured that if you hit the ground, you were dead...

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  3. Patrick, twas on my mind when I put it up. Also to be sure I have a dragon fascination. The meaning of KyuRyu is "penetrate the essence of the dragon"

    Dojo Rat - please read Nick's article I posted a few days ago about ukemi. Bring a upsurge to the art of falling in CMA! after all it is the true art of self defense, just as much as doing technique!

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  4. I like this video:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Muf177A3HXg

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  5. Oh yeah - I found the picture of the eyes on Rick's blog, Cook Ding's Kitchen. Thanks for the find Rick! Please visit his blog when you get a chance!

    Rick, your video link is not working for me.

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  6. Let's try this:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUf1llA3HXg

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  7. hi eric -- with a background in toshu randori and kuzushi, i too appreciate the subtle work of push hands -- i think you might enjoy "Liuhebafa :Five Character Secrets" by Paul Dillon, published by YMAA

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