Learning Yi Jian Tai Chi and Push Hands 易簡太極拳與推手研習講義

                                    Learning Yi Jian Tai Chi and Push Hands

易簡太極拳與推手研習講義

 

A Teaching Handout for American Visitors

Explore the Chinese Tai Chi Institute and the Yi Jian tradition through natural movement (自然運動), borrowing force (借力), preparatory stretching (舒筋), and Designated Push Hands (指定推手). Learn about our work with blind and visually impaired students (視障學員), then use six practical lessons to connect form (拳架) with partner practice (推手).

 

1. The Chinese Tai Chi Institute (中華太極館)

The Chinese Tai Chi Institute in Taipei is a center for the preservation, teaching, and development of traditional Tai Chi Chuan. Its history is closely associated with Grandmaster Song Zhijian (宋志堅, 1909–2000), a teacher who brought together classical Chinese philosophy, disciplined movement study, and the practical art of push-hands. A fundraising effort for the Institute began in 1978, and the Institute opened in 1981. It welcomed practitioners from Taiwan and abroad to study and exchange ideas, with the preservation of traditional supple and yielding Tai Chi as a central mission.

 

The Institute is more than a place to learn a sequence of postures. Its teaching treats Tai Chi as an integrated discipline of body, mind, and interpersonal sensitivity. Students study form (拳架), foundational exercises (基本功), push-hands (推手), and the principles that connect them. The emphasis is on understanding how movement arises from coordinated changes of weight, waist and legs, rather than relying on isolated arm strength.

 

Master Wu Ronghui (吳榮輝), a disciple of Grandmaster Song and a leading teacher of Yi-Jian Tai Chi, has played an important role in sustaining this tradition. His instruction highlights relaxation without collapse, upright alignment, attentive contact, and the intelligent use of gravity, inertia, and ground reaction force (地面反作用力). In paired practice, students learn to receive and redirect an incoming force while preserving their own balance and freedom of movement.

 

The Institute also helps connect generations of practitioners. Through regular classes, teacher development, seminars, demonstrations, and competitions, its community provides opportunities for experienced teachers and beginners to learn from one another. The annual Zhijian Cup (志堅盃), held in memory of Grandmaster Song, is one example of the continuing commitment to both tradition and practical exchange.

 

2. Yi-Jian Tai Chi Chuan (易簡太極拳)

Yi-Jian Tai Chi Chuan was developed by Grandmaster Song Zhijian, drawing on his studies of Wu-style Tai Chi, his later training with Master Cheng Man-ching (鄭曼青), and his lifelong engagement with the I Ching (易經, Book of Changes). The name Yi-Jian means “Ease and Simplicity.” It is not a promise that Tai Chi can be mastered without effort. Rather, it expresses the idea that profound skill becomes natural, economical, and free from unnecessary tension.

 

The philosophy of the I Ching offers a framework for understanding Tai Chi: substantial and insubstantial (虛實), movement and stillness (動靜), and hardness and softness (剛柔) continuously interact and transform. In practice, these are not abstract opposites. They are experienced in every transfer of weight, every turn of the waist, and every exchange of force with a partner. The classical ideal of “using intention rather than force” (用意不用力) asks the practitioner to replace excessive effort with awareness and whole-body coordination.

 

The traditional Yi-Jian form consists of six sections and sixty-four postures (六十四勢), with 365 counted movements in its full training sequence. A shorter 34-posture competition version, drawn from selected sections, has also been developed. Detailed breakdowns help students learn the movement path, timing, and relationship between the body’s center and its extremities. Training draws on the Eight Methods of Natural Movement (自然運動八法), the essentials of Yang-style Tai Chi (楊式太極十要), and systematic attention to stepping, balance, and relaxation.

 

An important feature of this tradition is its insistence that the hands should not act independently of the body—often expressed as “No independent arm movement in Tai Chi” (太極不動手). In push-hands, practitioners learn to stick, adhere, continue, and follow (黏、貼、連、隨), without losing contact or resisting rigidly (不丟不頂). The Eight Methods—Peng, Lü, Ji, An, Cai, Lie, Zhou, and Kao (掤、捋、擠、按、採、挒、肘、靠)—are studied as coordinated whole-body actions rather than isolated techniques.

 

3. Recognition in Competition and International Exchange

Yi-Jian Tai Chi Chuan is both a living traditional art and a recognized competition routine. It is one of the six Tai Chi Chuan bare-hand routine categories included in Taiwan’s National Games for All (全民運動會), as documented in the official 2024 technical handbook. Yi-Jian practitioners also take part in national championships and international World Cup Tai Chi and push-hands events. The exact categories and rules vary by event and year; participation in a World Cup should not be taken to mean that every event uses the same six-routine program.

 

Across Taiwan, Yi-Jian Tai Chi has been sustained through local classes, associations, and practitioners in multiple cities and counties. Its international reach extends to Japan, Europe, and North America. A Japanese Yi-Jian push-hands association publicly describes its connection to the Taiwanese tradition and offers training activities. Teachers associated with this lineage have also taught in France, Switzerland, and the United States. These exchanges allow Tai Chi to be shared not only as a cultural heritage, but as a practical language of movement that crosses national and linguistic boundaries.

 

For international students, the distinctive value of Yi-Jian lies in its union of classical ideas and observable practice. The body remains centered and responsive; movement follows intention; and force is managed through timing, alignment, and the coordinated action of the entire body. By studying the form and testing its principles through cooperative push-hands, practitioners seek not only technical proficiency, but also patience, adaptability, and mutual respect.

 

In this spirit, the Chinese Tai Chi Institute and the Yi-Jian tradition continue to invite practitioners from different backgrounds to study together: preserving the wisdom of earlier generations while making its principles understandable, teachable, and relevant to modern life.

 

 

 

Song Zhijian’s Eight Methods of Natural Movement

宋志堅宗師自然運動八法

Grandmaster Song Zhijian (宋志堅) developed these methods to make Cheng Man-ching’s principle of “no independent arm movement in Tai Chi” (太極不動手) understandable through practice. The arms move as part of a coordinated whole, following the waist and legs (腰腿) and the release of unnecessary tension. These eight training methods concern how movement arises; Peng, Lü, Ji, An, Cai, Lie, Zhou, and Kao (掤、捋、擠、按、採、挒、肘、靠) describe its martial expressions. [A, B]

1 Original body position 原體位

Maintain the relative relationship between the arms and torso while the body advances, retreats, or turns. The hands travel through space because the body carries them. “Maintain” does not mean stiffen: relax and maintain (鬆持), allowing the shoulders and elbows to remain supple. Seek stillness within movement (動中求靜) tangible.

2 Original space position 原空位

Keep a selected point, such as the palm, wrist, or elbow, in its original location in space while the body changes position around it. The joints adapt without dragging that point away or bracing against it. This develops movement within stillness (靜中求動) and distinguishes movement of the body from independent movement of the hand. [A, C]

3 Sinking and floating 沉浮

Coordinate settling and rising: as one side accepts weight, the other becomes available to move. Explore this relationship in stepping and arm transitions, preserving balance rather than adding an isolated lift. [D]

4 Body led movement 帶動

Translation, rotation, and rising or lowering of the body carry movement into the arms. Keep the torso balanced so that the hands receive the movement without initiating a separate push or pull. [D]

5 Advancing with the momentum 趁勢前進

Continue an existing movement through its transition. Sense how momentum carries the action onward, coordinating the next phase without an abrupt stop or a fresh shove from the hands. [D]

6 Swinging movement 盪動

Let successive movements flow into one another like overlapping waves. Explore the responsive swing arising from coordinated body movement, with relaxed arms and continuous balance. [D]

7 Reaction movement 反動

Use the interaction between the feet and ground to support changes of weight and direction. Coordinate the body so that this reaction reaches the hands without a separate arm thrust. [D]

8 Movement path 運動路線

Study straight transfers and curved turns, their axes, and their sequence. Let the hands follow the path created by the body, keeping transitions connected and free of unnecessary muscular effort. [D]

Practice focus

Begin with a short passage of Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail (攬雀尾). Observe whether the hand stays in its original location in space or travels with the torso. Then notice how settling, turning, and weight transfer connect the actions. In partner practice, check that these changes preserve both contact (不丟) and freedom from resistance (不頂). Work slowly enough to feel the difference between whole-body coordination (周身一家) and isolated arm effort (局部拙力).

Master Wu’s Five Sources of Force

吳榮輝老師借力的五個面向

In “The Economy of Tai Chi Chuan” (太極拳的經濟學), Master Wu describes borrowing gravity, reaction force, inertia, the force of one’s own waist and legs, and the partner’s force. These five aspects help practitioners recognize how movement and contact can be coordinated economically. They are a teaching framework, rather than five separate fundamental forces in physics. [A]

1 Gravity 地心引力

Gravity acts on the body continuously. Release unnecessary shoulder and arm tension, and allow the body’s weight to settle through a supported structure (鬆沉). Sinking should preserve central equilibrium (中定); it should not become a collapse of the chest, waist, or knees.

Practice focus: During a small backward weight shift, notice whether the shoulders relax or become lifted and rigid. Allow weight to settle while the arms continue to support light contact.

2 Ground reaction force 地面反作用力

The ground exerts force on the feet in response to their interaction with it. Coordinated alignment and leg action allow this support to contribute to movement and transmission of force through the body. Ground reaction force is present even when standing still; relaxation helps organize its use rather than creating it.

Practice focus: In An (按), feel the connection from the supporting foot through the leg and waist to the point of contact. Avoid extending the arms independently to manufacture the movement.

3 Inertia and momentum 慣性力與動量

A moving body tends to continue moving unless acted upon by a net force. In practice, recognize the direction and timing of movement already underway. Follow and guide it instead of repeatedly stopping it and starting again with local muscular effort. Inertia is a property of mass, not an additional supply of energy.

Practice focus: During Lü (捋), notice your partner’s continuing forward movement. Maintain light contact and guide that movement with your own balanced retreat and turn.

4 Coordinated waist and leg action 腰腿帶動之力

Weight transfer, turning, and coordinated rotation of waist and legs (腰腿協同旋轉) bring the body into the action. The arms communicate this movement through contact. Maintain a relaxed shoulder and dropped elbow (鬆肩垂肘), without twisting the knees to force a turn.

Practice focus: Let the waist and legs carry the hands through a small turn. Check whether the shoulders remain quiet and whether the hands are moving together with the body.

5 The partner’s force 對手之力

Receive the incoming movement, maintain contact, and follow its direction and timing. Yielding (退讓) creates room to guide the force and the partner’s center of gravity (重心). Borrowing force begins with listening to jin (聽勁), rather than anticipating and imposing a technique.

Practice focus: If your partner advances, yield and turn while remaining connected. When the partner changes direction, adapt rather than continuing a predetermined pull or push.

Putting the five together

In one smooth exchange, gravity helps the weight settle, the ground supports the body, the waist and legs coordinate the turn, and the partner’s momentum continues through the shared contact. Study one aspect at a time, then integrate them. Keep the arms relaxed, supported, and responsive throughout (鬆持).

 

Introducing Designated Push Hands

指定推手對練簡介

Developed by Master Wu Ronghui (吳榮輝), the Designated Push-Hands Paired Routine (指定推手對練) gives partners a structured way to practice the relationship between form (拳架) and application (用法). A prescribed sequence allows both people to study timing, balance, contact, and changes of role together. Its educational purpose is to make the principles of supple push-hands (鬆柔推手) observable and repeatable.

Four complementary methods

The routine is organized into Stick and Adhere (黏貼法), Outer Connecting (外承接法), Inner Connecting (內承接法), and the Eight Methods (八法). The connecting methods are also described as outer and inner connecting or encircling methods (外套接法、內套接法) in the teaching texts. Follow the instructor’s demonstrated sequence and the commands for the version being practiced.

Stick and Adhere develops continuous contact while partners advance and retreat. Outer and Inner Connecting explore receiving and redirecting through coordinated changes of the hands and body. The Eight Methods integrate Peng, Lü, Ji, An, Cai, Lie, Zhou, and Kao (掤、捋、擠、按、採、挒、肘、靠) through whole-body movement.

The essence of practice 不丟不頂

Do not lose contact (不丟): Remain connected as your partner changes direction or distance. Keep the hands sensitive and available; neither withdraw prematurely nor chase with the arms ahead of the body.

Do not resist (不頂): Receive and follow the incoming movement without stiffening against it. Yield through the waist, legs, and joints while maintaining support and central equilibrium (中定). Yielding does not mean becoming limp or abandoning balance.

Stick, adhere, continue, and follow (黏、貼、連、隨): These qualities connect the entire exchange. Avoid gaps, sudden pressure, and competing intentions. When your partner advances, retreat; when you advance, allow your partner to retreat (彼進我退，我進彼退).

Relax and maintain (鬆持): Preserve the useful shape of the arms while releasing unnecessary tension. Contact should allow both partners to listen and adjust.

 

Charles Votaw on respecting the opponent

Charles Votaw’s essay “Push Hands—Respecting the Opponent” (以客為尊的推手藝術) explains the attitude underlying Master Wu’s approach. Respect the partner’s strength and abilities, remain humble, and use cooperation to develop skill. Charles writes: “If you are pushed, you yield. If you are pulled, you follow.” [A, pp. 129–132]

In training, respect also means caring for the other person’s balance. Charles describes helping a partner return to a safe position rather than allowing a fall. Both people gain opportunities to practice relaxation, yielding, sensitivity, and coordination. This makes mutual improvement (相互成就) a practical part of the exercise.

A simple partner check

Begin with light contact. One partner advances slowly while the other retreats. Exchange roles without breaking contact. Ask: Did either person brace, grip, or rush ahead? Could both people remain centered? Was the contact comfortable enough for each person to notice the other’s changes?

 

 

 

Designated Push Hands in Competition

指定推手對練競賽發展

Designated Push Hands has entered both national and international competition programs. The paired routine is a distinct category from competitive push-hands bouts (競技推手): partners present a coordinated sequence for assessment. Its competition development brings increased attention to the quality of contact, coordinated movement, and the principles studied in class.

National Games for All 全民運動會

The official 2026 Tai Chi technical handbook lists men’s and women’s Designated Push-Hands Paired Routine events (男子、女子指定推手對練). The Tai Chi competition dates were October 18–21, 2026. This confirms its inclusion in the national program. [E]

President’s Cup National Tai Chi Championships 總統盃全國太極拳錦標賽

The published regulations for the 12th President’s Cup include Designated Push Hands as a paired event. This edition is scheduled for December 5–6, 2026; it is an announced competition inclusion, with the event still upcoming at the time of this handout. [F]

Taipei Youth Cup Tai Chi Championships 臺北市青年盃太極拳錦標賽     

The 2026 Taipei Youth Cup regulations include Designated Push Hands among the competition entries. This statement refers specifically to the Taipei Youth Cup held on April 26, 2026. [G]

World Cup Tai Chi Championships 世界盃太極拳錦標賽

The National Tai Chi Chuan Association’s 2025 training notice identifies Designated Push Hands as a paired event for the 9th World Cup. The notice covers the movements, competition rules, and judging, with Master Wu Ronghui and the coaching team listed as instructors. [H]

From class to competition

In preparation, learn the prescribed sequence and then refine its internal quality. A synchronized appearance alone does not establish listening to jin (聽勁), no loss of contact (不丟), or no resistance (不頂). Return repeatedly to light, cooperative practice so that the routine expresses these principles throughout.

Use the regulations for the particular event and year when preparing a competition entry. Requirements for age groups, partners, time limits, and the version of the routine can differ.

 

Twelve Stretching Exercises

舒筋十二式

The Twelve Stretching Exercises (舒筋十二式) belong to the preparatory training (基本功) taught alongside Yi-Jian Tai Chi. Yi-Jian course descriptions place this work together with stepping practice (五行步), body-loosening exercises (鬆身法), and form practice (拳架). Master Wu’s writing likewise treats stretching (舒筋) as part of the foundation for relaxed and supple movement. [A, I]

Purpose in this course

Use the exercises to explore comfortable lengthening (舒展), release unnecessary tension (放鬆), and notice how different parts of the body coordinate. The quality developed here should carry into the form and into partner contact. A large movement is useful only when it preserves control, ease, and awareness.

How to practice during the visit

Follow the instructor’s demonstration of the twelve movements in order. Observe the starting position, direction, weight distribution, and return to center before repeating each movement.

Move gradually and breathe naturally (自然呼吸). Use a range in which the neck, shoulders, waist, and hips can remain responsive. Avoid bouncing or forcing the body into an end position; reduce the range if the movement becomes painful or requires bracing.

Notice the distinction between lengthening and tightening. The body may open while the shoulders and arms remain relaxed. Release gently after each movement and observe whether standing and turning feel easier.

Connecting stretching to Tai Chi

After the stretching sequence, practice a short passage of Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail (攬雀尾). Notice whether the shoulders and elbows can soften while the legs support the movement. Then join hands and check whether this same ease remains under light contact.

The lesson is to carry freedom of movement into supported, coordinated action: relax without collapsing (鬆而不垮), remain attentive without becoming tense, and let the body move as one (周身一家).

Questions for practice

Where do I feel unnecessary tension? Can I reduce it without losing balance? Does greater ease in solo movement remain when I touch a partner? Which part of the stretching sequence most clearly helps me understand relax and maintain (鬆持)?

 

 

Tai Chi for Blind and Visually Impaired Students

視障學員太極拳與推手教學

We also teach Tai Chi form (拳架) and push hands (推手) to blind and visually impaired students (視障學員). This work extends the Chinese Tai Chi Institute’s teaching into an inclusive setting where people can learn through touch, movement, and close cooperation with a partner.

An established teaching program

The Taiwan Institute for the Blind (台灣盲人重建院) lists a Tai Chi Push Hands class taught by Master Wu Ronghui in its second-semester 2026 program. Its course description identifies the Chinese Tai Chi Institute’s coaching team and notes more than ten years of teaching experience with visually impaired learners. [J]

The work also extends into the community. A May 2023 report describes a class for visually impaired students at Keelung Railway Station’s south plaza, led by Master Wu with local Tai Chi instructors. More than twenty participants attended the first session. [K]

Learning through contact 以觸覺學習

In “Understanding the Five Techniques and Push Hands with Blind Individuals” (揣摩五法與盲人推手), Master Wu places sticking, adhering, continuing, following, and neither losing contact nor resisting (黏、貼、連、隨、不丟不頂) at the center of practice. Continuous contact gives partners a way to sense direction, pressure, timing, and changes in balance without relying on visual imitation. [A, pp. 189–191]

Listening to jin (聽勁) means sensing through contact. It asks every practitioner to notice what is happening in the shared movement. A partner’s touch becomes information: when the partner advances, yield; when the partner retreats, follow. Both people remain active learners.

Relaxed support and everyday movement 鬆持與日常動作

Master Wu’s “Outdoor Instruction for Visually Impaired Tai Chi Chuan” (視障太極拳戶外教學) discusses applying light, attentive arm use to white-cane handling (白手杖). He emphasizes a supported, responsive grip and arms that remain relaxed without collapsing or becoming slack (鬆而不垮、鬆而不懈). This illustrates how the quality of Tai Chi movement can be explored beyond the practice routine. [A, pp. 191–192]

Questions to discuss

 

1 Joining and Following

合與相隨

Key teaching points

Begin with joining (合). Make humility and yielding (謙讓) the foundation: “When my partner advances, I retreat; when I advance, my partner retreats” (彼進我退，我進彼退). Let go of insistence and sharpness, and accept the incoming movement. Through sticking, adhering, continuing, and following (黏、貼、連、隨), without losing contact or resisting (不丟不頂), experience moving together as one.

Source passages

“Blunt the sharpness; untangle the knots. Soften the light; become one with the dust” (挫其銳，解其紛；和其光，同其塵). — Laozi, Chapter 4, cited in “Designated Push Hands and Laozi” (指定推手與老子)

 

“Sticking (黏) means attracting, lifting, and drawing back. Adhering (貼) means remaining attached without separating. In push-hands, when the partner intends to advance and apply a technique, I draw the partner in with sticking jin (黏勁). When the partner tries to escape, I follow the movement, leaving the partner without a secure basis for either advancing or retreating. Once the skills of sticking and adhering are understood, one can naturally grasp the true meaning of continuing and following, without losing contact or resisting, and develop the skill of ‘leading the incoming force into emptiness, joining, and then issuing’ (引進落空合即出).” — “Exploring the Five Methods and Push Hands with Blind Practitioners” (揣摩五法與盲人推手)

 

“Following (隨) means going along with the movement. Its essentials are to let go of the urge to impose an outcome and of awkward force (拙力), and to follow the partner without crowding or separating, neither ahead nor behind. Sense the partner’s substantial and insubstantial states (虛實), movement and stillness (動靜), while remaining ready to issue.” — “Supple Push Hands Technique Training II”

Explanation and demonstration

As your partner advances, stick and draw in (黏引); as your partner retreats, adhere and follow (貼隨). After joining hands, your body and hands must continue to adapt to your partner’s changes. Explore the entire process of leading in, leading into emptiness, joining, and issuing. Do not focus only on issuing (發放) and overlook the preceding stages.

Form and partner practice

First practice Peng, Lü, Ji, and An (掤、捋、擠、按) in Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail (攬雀尾). Then join hands and practice advancing and retreating. Keep the arms light and nimble (輕靈). Maintain the original body position (原體位) relationship while shifting into a forward bow stance (前弓) and sitting back (後坐). Partners A and B alternate advancing and retreating, repeating the cycle.

Questions and checks

When your partner advances, do you first resist and then force yourself to retreat? When your partner retreats, do your hands chase ahead of your body? Can you release resistance and experience “soften the light; become one with the dust” through advancing and retreating?

Practice reminder

Begin by experiencing joining (合) through sticking while drawing back and adhering while moving forward. Maintain contact and central equilibrium (中定) before working on issuing.

 

2 Transmitting Jin without Adding Arm Force

手不另加拙力而勁能傳達

Key teaching points

“No independent arm movement” (不動手) means avoiding isolated, awkward arm force (拙力) and the urge to impose an outcome. Relax and maintain (鬆持), preserve contact, and let the arms follow the waist and legs (腰腿). Coordinate the whole body so that jin (勁) reaches the point of contact.

Source passages

“The true purpose of ‘no independent arm movement’ (不動手) is to prevent awkward force and the urge to impose an outcome from arising in the arms. These disturb the arms’ empty and quiet state (虛靜), preventing them from following the waist and legs and from remaining relaxed at all times. Grandmaster Song Zhijian therefore called this training method ‘relax and maintain’ (鬆持法).” — “The Feelings and Benefits of Relaxation” (放鬆後的感覺及好處)

“When using the waist and legs to move the arms, maintain the same state of mind and intention, taking care that awkward force does not intrude, alter the movement path, create contrived actions, and destroy the natural movement of Tai Chi…” — “The Nine Key Principles of Tai Chi” (太極拳九字訣)

“Partner A uses ground reaction force (地面反作用力) through the body to perform An (按) forward. Partner B uses ground reaction force through the body to retreat smoothly backward, following the incoming movement…” — Excerpt from “Designated Push Hands Routine” (指定推手套路)

Five aspects of borrowing force

Explore gravity (地心引力), ground reaction force (地面反作用力), inertia (慣性力), force generated through waist and leg movement, including rotation (腰腿帶動之力), and the partner’s force (對手之力). Notice how each works with relaxation (鬆) and stability (定), without adding a separate, rigid push from the arms.

Explanation and demonstration

First demonstrate the waist and legs leading, with the arms following. Then gently contrast this with independently extending the arms, raising the shoulders, or pushing stiffly. Ask the receiving partner: Is contact continuous? Does a sudden patch of stiffness appear in the shoulders or arms? Does the body remain centered and stable?

Form and partner practice

Explore receiving jin (接勁) in White Crane Spreads Its Wings (白鶴亮翅), receiving jin in Single Whip (單鞭), and Cai (採) through partner contact. Practice one short segment at a time with light contact. Relax the shoulders and drop the elbows (鬆肩垂肘), then let the waist and legs lead. Exchange roles and compare the quality of contact.

Practice reminder

The arms must relax and maintain while receiving and supporting contact (承接). Avoid adding isolated arm force merely to produce an immediate result.

 

 

 

3 Borrowing the Partner’s Force

借對方之力與內套接法

Key teaching points

The keys to borrowing force (借力) are sticking and adhering (黏貼), going with the incoming movement (借力順勢), and guiding the partner’s center of gravity (牽引重心). First accept the incoming movement. Then yield, turn the body, and receive with both hands to guide its direction. Explore how the partner’s existing forward momentum can lead to loss of balance.

Source passages

“The essential quality of supple push-hands (鬆柔推手) is lightness and agility in the body and hands. Only with this quality can one guide the partner’s center of gravity by sticking, adhering, continuing, and following, without losing contact or resisting (黏、貼、連、隨、不丟不頂).” — “Supple Push Hands Technique

Training II” (鬆柔推手招法訓練（二）)

“Partner B’s right hand sticks and adheres to Partner A’s right wrist joint, while the left hand sticks and adheres to the elbow joint. Borrowing the force and following its direction, B’s right hand sticks and adheres to the upper inner side of A’s right arm.” — Excerpt from “Advanced Right Peng Lü Cai An Method — Inner Connecting Method” (進階右掤捋採按法（內套接法）)

“Partner B’s right hand sticks and adheres to the upper part of Partner A’s right arm… guiding and controlling A’s center of gravity. B’s left hand borrows the force and follows the movement, adhering forward toward A’s shoulder.” — Same essay; excerpt with references to illustrations omitted

Demonstration sequence

Stick and adhere at the wrist and elbow (腕肘黏貼) → retreat and turn with the movement (順勢退轉) → receive at the upper arm (上臂承接) → adhere forward to the shoulder with the other hand (貼進肩部).

Demonstrate each part separately, then connect them. Contact moves from the wrist and elbow to the upper arm, while the other hand follows toward the shoulder. Coordinate both hands with the changes in the waist and legs.

What to observe

1. Where does the original incoming force go?

2. After the receiving partner yields and turns, does the advancing partner continue moving forward?

3. When does one hand take over the contact, and when does the other move toward the shoulder?

4. How do the partner’s center of gravity and support change before balance is lost?

Form and partner practice

First use Lü (捋) and An (按) in Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail (攬雀尾) to practice transitions through the waist and legs and coordination of both hands. Then practice a short segment of the Inner Connecting Method (內套接法). Move slowly and stop as soon as your partner begins to need a balance adjustment. Exchange roles and repeat.

Practice reminder

Explore how the body and hands receive the incoming movement and guide the center of gravity. Learn hand placement together with the whole-body action. Do not grip the wrist and elbow and pull using arm strength alone.

 

 

 

 

 

4 The Inner Quality of Lightness and Relaxation

輕靈與鬆持的內在品質

Key teaching points

Light and nimble hands (輕靈) are relaxed without collapsing (鬆而不垮), and relaxed without becoming inattentive or slack (鬆而不懈). They sense and adjust to subtle changes. Imagine cradling a newborn: provide support and care so that contact remains steady and comfortable.

Source passages

“A baby’s body is soft and delicate. When holding a baby, one must have light, nimble, relaxed, and supple body and hands to give the baby a sense of safety and comfort.” — “Tai Chi and Infants” (太極拳與嬰兒)

“This is also the quality of body and hands required for listening to jin (聽勁) in Tai Chi. It is part of whole-body movement. Carefully release awkward local force in the arms, and integrate the functions of the different parts of the body to ensure the baby’s stability and comfort.” — Same essay

“The essential point is for the muscles, joints, sinews, and bones of both arms to remain relaxed without collapsing, and relaxed without becoming slack. Through intention (意念), maintain inner relaxation in the arms; outwardly, the arms should appear neither limp nor rigid…” — Same essay

“The state is like cradling a newborn in both arms, or a hen carefully incubating her eggs: a little more force is too much; a little less is insufficient.” — “The Nine Key Principles of Designated Push Hands” (指定推手九字訣)

“The body and hands must neither exert excessive force nor become even slightly inattentive. In other words, the arms remain relaxed without becoming slack, and relaxed without collapsing.” — “Outdoor Tai Chi Teaching for Visually Impaired Students” (視障太極拳戶外教學)

Explanation and demonstration

Hold both arms as though cradling a baby, and explore continuous, appropriate support. You cannot suddenly let go, nor can you hold rigidly out of fear of dropping the baby. Remain attentive, relaxed, and supple, adapting to small changes. Bring this same quality into partner contact.

Form and partner practice

Relax and maintain (鬆持) while adding small advances, retreats, and waist turns. Ask your partner whether contact feels steady and comfortable. Check whether the arms remain relaxed internally, whether the outer shape (外形) provides support, and whether the arms become rigid or collapse as soon as the body moves.

Practice reminder

Use the images of cradling a baby and a hen incubating eggs to explore careful attention without tension, and suppleness without carelessness.

 

5 Putting the Nine Key Principles into Practice

以敬落實九字訣

Source passages

“Respectful attentiveness, stillness, stability, slowness, evenness, softness, roundness, relaxation, and integration” (敬、靜、定、慢、勻、柔、圓、鬆、整).

“The first of the Nine Key Principles is respectful attentiveness (敬).”

“Jing (敬) means treating the matter with care and seriousness (慎重其事).” — “The Nine Key Principles of Tai Chi” (太極拳九字訣)

“In practicing the form, maintain a careful state of mind and intention, guarding against awkward force in the body that creates isolated force in the arms. Once such isolated force arises, it interferes with coordination among the different parts of the body. Their energies can no longer be integrated or brought into play when needed.” — Same essay

“In both training methods described above, in addition to careful attention, maintain a cheerful state of mind so that body, mind, and spirit can remain in their best state of relaxation.” — Same essay

Key teaching points

Respectful attentiveness (敬) means caring for every movement. Remain cheerful and relaxed; do not let the pursuit of speed or strength introduce isolated, awkward force. In the sinking method (沉降法), attend to the shoulders and elbows relaxing and sinking. In the method of leading movement through the body (帶動法), attend to the waist and legs moving the arms. Throughout, preserve an empty and quiet state (虛靜) in the body and hands.

Form practice

Repeat the same short segment of Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail, checking one group of qualities each time.

Respectful attentiveness and stillness (敬、靜): Focus without impatience, noticing changes in the body, hands, and contact.

Stability and relaxation : Maintain central equilibrium (中定) while releasing unnecessary tension.

Slowness, evenness, and softness (慢、勻、柔): Make transitions slow, even, and continuous, without sudden increases in force.

Roundness and integration (圓、整): Connect the movements, allowing the waist, legs, and arms to follow one another so the whole body works as one (周身一家).

Verification through partner contact

After joining hands, check whether the suppleness of solo practice remains. If contact immediately creates stiffness, reduce the size of the movement and slow down. Return to a short segment of the form to rediscover relax and maintain (鬆持) and movement led by the waist and legs (帶動).

Practice reminder

Use respectful attentiveness (敬) to sustain care, and a cheerful mind to sustain relaxation. Explore the Nine Key Principles (九字訣) individually in form and partner practice, and verify them repeatedly.

 

6 Connecting Form and Push Hands

拳架與推手體用相連

Teaching approach

A lesson need not cover many topics. Explain each point clearly, demonstrate it thoroughly, and verify it through partner contact. Follow the sequence of explanation, demonstration, practice in segments, exchange of roles, and return to the form. Repeat this process to deepen understanding step by step.

Source passages

“To apply the relaxed and supple movements of the form to push-hands skills, and thereby connect form and push-hands as foundation and application (體用相連)…” — Excerpt from “Tai Chi Push Hands Offensive and Defensive Techniques” (太極拳推手攻守招法)

“Repeated practice of the Tai Chi form and push-hands techniques brings insight, enabling us to verify the soundness of the principles underlying both.” — “Tai Chi and the Three Great Principles of the I Ching” (太極拳與《易經》三大原則)

Cook Ding and the three stages of practice

The essay “Zhuangzi’s Cook Ding Cuts Up an Ox and the Three Stages of Tai Chi Practice II” (莊子「庖丁解牛」與太極拳修練的三個階段（二）) illustrates the progression from learning the outer shape (外形), through integration, to natural adaptation.

Stage 1 Imitation and analysis

“When I first began cutting up oxen, all I could see was the whole ox” (始臣之解牛之時，所見無非牛者).

Begin with the Five Steps (五行步), the Eight Methods of Tai Chi (太極八法), and the outer shape of the movements. When the parts of the body are not yet connected, break movements down and explore them individually. First make advancing and retreating, directions, contact points, and basic body coordination (身法) clear.

Stage 2 Integration and continuity

“After three years, I no longer saw the whole ox” (三年之後，未嘗見全牛也).

As the form becomes familiar, gradually experience the whole body working as one (周身一家). Substantial and insubstantial in the feet (虛實), movement and stillness in the hands (動靜), and hardness and softness in the body (剛柔) change with the whole-body action. Connect the separate movements and check that the waist, legs, and arms follow one another.

Stage 3 Listening to jin and adapting naturally

“Now I meet it with the spirit rather than looking with my eyes. Sensory knowing stops, and the spirit moves as it wishes” (方今之時，臣以神遇而不以目視，官知止而神欲行).

Through long practice, sense the partner’s substantial and insubstantial states and hardness and softness in push-hands. Stick, adhere, continue, and follow, without losing contact or resisting (黏貼連隨、不丟不頂). The body adjusts to the movement without deliberate thought about each technique. Use small advances, retreats, and transitions to check whether lightness, central equilibrium, and following remain.

Closing review

Return to five themes: joining through humility (謙讓求合); transmitting jin through the waist and legs (腰腿帶動傳勁); borrowing force by sticking, adhering, and following the movement (黏貼順勢借力); maintaining lightness through relax and maintain (鬆持); and practicing the Nine Key Principles with respectful attentiveness (敬). Return to the form, then check your understanding through partner contact, allowing insight to deepen gradually.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources and Further Reading

資料來源與延伸閱讀

 

[A] Wu Ronghui, Supple Tai Chi Chuan Push Hands (鬆柔太極拳推手). Supplied bilingual manuscript: pp. 26, 65, 68–70, 77–82; Charles Votaw, “Push Hands—Respecting the Opponent,” pp. 129–132; teaching for visually impaired students, pp. 189–192.

[B] Wu Ronghui, “The Content and Training Essentials of Tai Chi” (太極拳的內涵及訓練要訣).Source

[C] Wu Ronghui, teaching accounts on original body position and original space position, and “Counterintuitive Supple Tai Chi in the United States.”Source

[D] Chang Rong-da (張榮達), “Eight Methods of Natural Movement,” May 2003; reproduced by the Lotus Hill Yi-Jian practice group. Concise teaching summaries above follow this account, with supplementary explanations from Wu’s writing.Source

[E] 2026 National Games for All, official Tai Chi technical handbook, approved February 13, 2026.Source

[F] National Tai Chi Chuan Association, 2026 12th President’s Cup announcement and linked competition regulations.Source

[G] Taipei Tai Chi Chuan Association, 2026 Taipei Youth Cup competition regulations, January 19 version.Source

[H] National Tai Chi Chuan Association, 2025 9th World Cup Designated Push-Hands Paired Routine workshop notice, northern region, July 2.Source

[I] New Taipei City Community University course listing, Yang-style Yi-Jian Tai Chi, 2021 spring program; includes Twelve Stretching Exercises.Source

[J] Taiwan Institute for the Blind, second-semester 2026 community course descriptions, Tai Chi Push Hands class.Source

[K] Chung Hwa Daily, “Tai Chi Classes for Visually Impaired Students at the Railway Station Plaza,” May 5, 2023; syndicated by Yahoo.Source