Category Archives: Push Hands (Tui Shou)

Push Hands (Tui Shou), Xing Yi

The energy of Shù (束)

Golden Chicken Frames Upward from Xing Yi Shi Er Hong Chui by Master Pei Xi Rong, translated by Joseph Crandall @ http:\\smilingtiger.net.

Shù or binding is a useful technique in martial arts. It incorporates connecting, accepting, leading, and restraining. It is considered one of the 5 yang energies in Xing Yi (and Xin Yi Liu He). Its also seen throughout other internal/external martial arts and is used for defensive purposes.

Well great Sifu I appreciate that info but so what? Why would we not want to constantly be leading into emptiness and using their own energy against them melding Yin and Yang together. Well there are just realities in the fighting world. Transformational energy is an extremely difficult task and while one of the most important tricks in your bag it should not be your only trick. Binding can create an opponent to lose their advantage and get them out of “their game.” It allows you to obtain an your own superior position and follow up with a strike they may not be prepared for. This example can be expertly demonstrated through the chicken form Rooster blocks up to Rooster flicks its feathers. Once you block you grab an opponents wrist and sink down. *Note your arm can slightly wraps around your opponents and your whole body must sink in a fast, firm, and stable manner. This will disrupt the opponent’s energy and momentum. This essentially “binds” them from attacking again at that moment. FYI this can then be followed up with Rooster flicks its feathers by issuing Zhǎn (展) energy and exploding up.

The importance of binding in internal martial arts is in the game-changing effect of disrupting your opponent and providing an advantage to yourself. The energy must be quick, strong, and rooted. The whole body must be incorporated. Shù primarily works in the linear up and down pathways (yet there are always circles within the linear). Connecting to the opponent is also important. Whether delivering a strike or intercepting one a fundamental principle in any IMA system is connecting and understanding their energy. Then one can use many different principles to bind an opponent. One can lead an opponent to emptiness or one can pluck and jerk an opponent. Another key is the move must get your opponent close to you. Why close? Because your are contracting your energy. Internally binding shrinks and gathers. You must put the energy into the joints and store it. This will enable an effective binding as you become strong like a tree or steel. Joints must be aligned, the body must be upright, the dan tian sunken, and the root must be firm. If executed correctly it cannot be broken or moved.

Now this energy must be practiced. Santi training or any gathering practice is beneficial to this type of training. Actually conducting standing training that exercises the muscles in this position is most beneficial though. It will be tense at first and most martial artists will only be able to hold positions like this for short periods. You will train low positions with arms close to your body. The energy will be focuses inward and sunken. Overtime the tension will ease as muscles learn to “relax” in this flexed position. Its also key to keep the joints properly aligned and “stacked” on each other. Your three sections will be connected and combined. Without the properly alignment and connection the muscles will not have a frame to relax into and injuries can occur. You will also not maximize the capability of this position to make it unbreakable and truly strong. Now its also key to remember to practice releasing and expansion methods or your body will become too “tight” and will not be able to issue energy properly. This can be saved for a later lesson though 😉

Neijia, Push Hands (Tui Shou)

Hua Jin (化動) – Neutralize/Transform Energy

Sifu Hart demonstrating Beng Quan, once Hua energy is understood it can be expressed even in solo practice.

The final steps of internal martial arts fighting involves neutralizing energy and transforming it.

Neutralizing energy can be done rather simply; a person can jam, block, dodge, push another’s strike or body to neutralize their energy. These methods are often seen in external arts and other combat sports that need to apply defense quickly yet effectively. Internal Martial Arts emphasizes a neutralization method that leads the energy into emptiness to gain advantage and potentially transform it in some fashion. The concepts are circles are extremely important here along with a connected and relaxed body. A curve allows one to redirect energy and gain the upper hand. Coiling and accepting energy can also allow for one to negate a person’s strike while storing up a great amount of that person’s “energy” or momentum. You can block their strike in any direction and the greater your “entire” body receives that strike the better you can nullify it. Maybe you block down and back up some. Or perhaps you coil their strike to the side while stepping at an angle. There are numerous ways to neutralize energy but masters do it with understanding, precision, grace, and calmness.

You must accept the energy into your joints and the coiling parts of your body, compress them (but don’t overcompress — always maintain your root and center), keep them relaxed (yet connected) as possible. Song – Calmness and relaxation— is truly key to this point. However, the ideal of song is often lost in translation. If a person attacks you with a ferocious strike you are not going to be able to be a wet noodle and handle their energy. You will need structure, connection, and quickness to overcome and redirect it. The idea of song is to be as relaxed as possible to handle that energy. You will will still have energy, you may even tend to be on the hard side (Yin and yang are always together and mutual, you just must be more “yin” than the other person at that moment of accepting the strike to be able to redirect it). But if you are more relaxed than your opponent in that moment (even a hair) you will be quicker to react and overcome and thus gain the advantage (all other factors being equal). Again the more you can relax and find that sweet point the better.

Once you neutralize a strike what now? Attack? Continue to defend? This is where the concept of transforming comes in. There are numerous ways to transform energy; perhaps it is off-balance them, strike them, throw them or trap them, again applications are numerous and ideals will tend towards your strengths in the art. Transformational energy does require the use of your whole body connection to be effective. You need that “spring” throughout your body to “coil” and “uncoil.” To have a powerful strike or throw the body needs to be able to work together and use every inch of your body to produce a powerful effect.

In the end every fighting art works towards these ideals in some form or fashion. They neutralize attacks and react, putting themselves in ideal positions to attack with maximum power. Internal arts expounds and pontificates on this method. You will need to coordinate your movements and maintain proper structure throughout to maximize effect. Your whole body must develop a quick and sharp “Jin” energy, compressing and releasing effortlessly and timely. You must develop your intuition to be in the “right place” at the “right time.” You must be able to move and keep these characteristics in mind (as well as all the ones previously discussed in the blog). You train this in push hands and continue these ideals in fighting. Most internal fighters will want to connect through a block or touch of some fashion and continue that connection until the fight is over. The action is continuous, always countering and attacking: neutralizing, storing, transforming, releasing. At high levels this looks fluid and effortless. This level of fighting is truly hard to get to, its hyper-functional and requires a constant/consistent work against many different styles and opponents so you learn how to act and react to each style. Commonalities will exist but unique characteristics from each style will need to be explored against your own to learn the counters and gauge what energies are required and your effectiveness. Enjoy the grind, welcome the climb and work towards your own mastery.

Neijia, Push Hands (Tui Shou)

聽 Tīng and 懂 Dǒng Jin: Listening and Understanding Energy

These two jings are very important within IMA and all Martial Arts in general, internal stylists just specifically emphasize it.

Ting Jin is an easy Jin to discuss but truly takes time and dedication to understand and “get.” Listening Jin is based on touch with any part of your body (almost everyone begins this by learning to listen with their forearms and hands). You adhere-stick (Zhan nian – discussed in the last blog post linked here) to your opponent and learn to feel their “energy” and movement. When will they move? Through listening Jin it will be revealed to you.

Dong Jin is the next logical progression. Once you can “feel” their energy you must be able to understand it. Now you must answer, “How will they move.” Will they attack or defend? Will they move forward or backward? Understanding Jin can be used in offense or defense. Is their energy hard, is it coming at you? Or is is soft, are they deflecting or parrying your strike? Now you must also do this while you are attacking or defending. Whether you throw the kick or punch or defend against it the Jin must always be present to know what your opponent will do and/or how they will react.

Why do we train these Jin’s? To understand and overcome our opponent. “Well Sifu I will just overcome them with my superior offense! You know what they say… the best defense is a solid offense!” I cannot argue that having a solid offense is great but to reach the higher levels of fighting defense integrated with offense is the true key. Understanding your opponent and making the fight look effortless is truly amazing to watch. To react before they even seem to move makes it seem like your skills are on a level that seem mysterious. All martial arts have/discuss this skill as it gives you an edge– Boxers call it a sixth sense, IMA calls it having spiritual power. It’s not magical, its engrained. Discipline and repetition, putting one’s self in countless scenarios(compliant and non-compliant). Your body must be empty yet alert. It must be honed, trained. You “connect” with someone you will instantly be able to react with the techniques and skills you have attained. The confrontation will become a sort of dance, you will constantly be attacking and defending, becoming substantial and insubstantial. You must effortlessly move back and forth with your opponent, being empty and full interchangeably. You must never getting out of distance that you cannot “listen” to their energy while at the same time putting yourself in a superior position, usually at an angle or body alignment that allows for instant defense/offense. One does not truly hone these skills through countless hours of forms and basics (but they are foundational and there are reasons this is done as well 😉 you must take that leap of faith and train these skills against partners.

A majority of people train these concepts through push hands. Push hands is a great exercise that I love to participate in but it’s limited in function. Advancing to restricted or freestyle push hands helps and I recommend as well but still limits capability. To get those skills that truly seem superior and appear mysterious I believe one must spar. Compliant at first through partner drills, as soon as you connect with your opponent “feel” their movement and understand how to counter. Blocking is easy but actually paying attention to their energy and body movement will give you the results you desire. Its about being present constantly (all wushu training is!). Once you have gone through a series of drills and feel comfortable begin non-compliant training. Have them randomly throw a punch or kick. Connect, feel, understand, react. From there multiple techniques and then free fighting. It’s a long road (years of dedicated practice to truly understand) with many many bumps and bruises. There will be times you feel like you are not “getting it,” there will be times like you are starting over, but if you strive through it the end goal is well worth it!

Neijia, Push Hands (Tui Shou)

Zhan Nian (沾黏) Jin

Sifu Hart discussing the finer points of Tui Shou.

Sticking/Adhering (沾黏) Jin is a fundamental jin within IMA.  From this Jin you can can dive deeper into listening, understanding, deflecting, and redirecting anothers Li (strength).  Sticking jin is tricky as it requires body parts to touch.  Usually IMA practitioners start with arms but once a working knowledge is understood any body part can be used.  The goal is to remain in contact of some sort to be able to use your other jins appropriately.  Your opponent will move and you will move with him, he will feel like he cannot “shake” you .  He attacks, you retreat… he retreats, you stay with him (attacking as necessary).  They are fast, you are fast… they are slow, you are slow.  This is why you must learn to listen, understand, and follow.  If you do not learn these jins, sticking energy becomes difficult if not impossible to maintain.  Yet without sticking jin these other jins become useless as well, they are all mutually beneficial and coordinate with eachother.

Another goal is to become as light as possible–Qing ( 轻) Jin.  Why light?  Being empty and light allows for you to “feel” their energy and to be able to react quickly/agilely.  Being heavy and strong makes it difficult to react quickly; not impossible but difficult and not the correct method to higher levels.  It also gives plenty of energy to the other person to “feel” and work with.  Among other things the greats of the past hollowed their chest,  rounded their backs, relaxed their shoulders and made their upper body empty (in reality this is a gross over generalization, once they mastered their body they were able to appear empty but be full and vice versa – their conceal and release became truly marvelous).  They were able to react instantly to situations and seamlessly follow, neutralize, and redirect their opponent.  Why?  Because they had mastered their sticking ability!

Most people train this method through push hands (Tui Shou).  This is a great method and preferred among many internalists.  But there are steps to this.  One must first work in a rooted position and then move to moving step (my method is restricted step then to freestyle).  It’s a great non-threatening environment to hone sticking skills and work on true lightness ability with those skills.  However to be truly great with this skill one needs to work into compliant and non-compliant sparring.  Learning to stick at a point of contact can be tricky when a punch or kick is executed (and even trickier when that punch and kick returns back to its owner).  One must learn to truly move with an opponent, blocking or evading a strike then returning with it slightly as you “attach” yourself to your opponent; with the true key being “staying” attached.  There will be several subtle movements and understanding fight distance, spacing, and angles truly become important.  If you can master sticking in a fighting environment you are your way to truly becoming mysterious.

In the end the higher level would be the touch becomes virtually non-existent.  You would stick to your opponent without them feeling anything from you.  You become like the air around them, incapable of identifying your presence but constantly feeling theirs.  Their will becomes  obvious while yours remains mysterious.   They become truly frustrated because of their inability to “touch” you and apply their yi (intent) and li (strength). It’s a lofty goal but one worth striving for.