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Finding compatible and capable Pushhands partners is extremely difficult.  Most practitioners come and go and few are dedicated to spend the time Pushhing that is needed to develop good skills.  This has always been a problem for me that I have never known how to deal with.  I have my weekly Pushhands Gathering.  I have my close Pushhands partners that I can meet with fairly frequently but it never seems to be enough.  Recently, circumstances have caused me to start using the Metro (Subway) to commute to work and back home.  While not the most enjoyable of traveling methods, you can change it around by using the time to practice your rooting and balance while the train is starting, stopping and rumbling around.  During those rush hour times when everyone is grabbing for the nearest pole or handle so they are not thrown around, the Pushhands practitioner can use this time to practice rooting.  Effectively the jarring movement of the train can come out of nowhere, similar to a push, and you must know how to lower your root and not resist the changes in direction too much or you will over compensate and be thrown the other direction.  This can of course be done on any moving platform, a bus or a boat for example. 

Relaxing the ankles and sinking the root.  Relaxing the leg muscles and not tensing the Kua (hips) all help with this skill.  Most of the time that people practice Pushhands with a partner, the concentration is on the upper body and the relaxation there.  While this is of course a very large part of the game, take some of the sensations from this practice to your next Pushhands practice and instead concentrate on the lower body relaxation also.  You will be amazed by how you notice all the tension you were holding in your lower body.  There is a dichotomy (something with seemingly contradictory qualities) there where you need to hold yourself upright and accept the force of the incoming push while at the same time being relaxed.  Pushhands in its basic principles is all about how you can mentally, physically and energetically overcome this dichotomy.

Give this a try when you have the time and post a comment.  I would love to hear people’s thoughts on this.  Keep on Pushhing!

Pushhands

One Response

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1. 

   Tvillar

   Sounds like a great way to practtice. Keep up the great advice.

   December 15, 2009 at 7:45 am