Pushing Hands : 'Joining'

A common mistake when developing the ability to join is to misjudge the correct weight of contact. Either the touch is too light or too heavy. The body must be light and responsive and sometimes, at the beginning, the touch is too light. This prevents the underlying force of an opponent to be clearly detected and so prevents 'joining.'

At the beginning it is better to be a little too heavy and then you can lighten your contact as you become more confident that you are able to maintain 'joining.' If you are too light you cannot even begin to empty your partner's force.

After much practice your ability to detect your partner's force becomes heightened and you will be able to sense it without any touch.
Bristol 16.02.09