Ward Off Left

Three Ways to Practise

There are three ways to practise.

When you concentrate to improve and develop your habit to use the 'correct technique' it is the first method. For example, as you go through the form you might focus on moving from the feet or alignment of the body, etc.

The second method is to put your emphasis on relaxation, but without allowing the body to collapse and compress. Remember to draw out the bones.

Finally, practise with spirit. Here you concentrate to use your 'mind intent.' To do this you will need to know the application of the postures. So, the intent moves first, the eyes then lead the force and the body follows.
During this method the mind intent should not break or loose focus. There are a number of key ways in which the mind breaks.

The attention should not move to the stepping leg. Stepping comes naturally from the movement of the force and mechanically is often following the movement of the torso and the turn of the waist.

The eyes should remain open and not blink.

There should be no break between the end of one posture and beginning of the next. Likewise, after issuing a force there should be no break before rejoining with the next application. In other words the transitions should be smooth. Ultimately one should abandon the concept of a separation between one feature and another. For example between one posture and another, between self and other, between ground and foot, and so on.
Bristol 24.02.09

Step Forward, Deflect downwards, Intercept, Punch

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

Pushing Hands Class : Rollback, Press and Single Whip

After learning the basic techniques of movement and contact this was then applied to rollback.

A variation of single whip was used to empty the press.

It is a basic idea that force is not opposed by force. So when feeling the force of press towards the chest, the chest if emptied of substantial resistance and the hips and legs soften to further empty the force. Then the right hand aligns with the bones of the opponent and adds a gentle force along the line of the bones and introduces a turning force as you turn at the waist and pull using the hook hand.

This description is intended as a reminder rather for those students present rather than a complete explanation.

Pushing Hands Class : Review

To move correctly the foot must push the body so that the body movement is controlled by the feet. In this way the body can move as one piece and then there is internal quiet and the movement of an opponent is easy to detect and respond to.

The method of using the foot is as follows : if the right foot is forward and the left arm presents ward off, then, when your opponent pushes towards your arm, you respond by pushing back from your right foot and sinking the hip crease on the front of the body and allow the force of the push to turn your pelvis to the left whilst moving the weight back.

Touch, Stick, Follow and Join.
The basic qualities of contact are touch, stick, follow and join."Touch" is simple contact, skin to skin. "Stick" means that you keep contact as your partner moves. This enables you to "follow." "Join" is more difficult to master in practice but it is important to be clear what it means.

When you 'join' you are able to feel within the contact of your partner a substantial quality which corresponds to the actual force which would push you over if it were allowed to. This quality is dynamic and changes constantly depending on the intent of your opponent. To be able to read your opponent's force you must have a clear perception of this force and be able to 'join' with it. This really is like a kind of energetic sticking at a deeper layer.

When your opponent makes contact, you do not allow them to 'join.' However, you 'join' with them.

If you are able to 'join' with your opponent's force you can then learn to empty their substantial force whilst maintaining contact with them. This called 'neutralising' your opponent's force.

In some cases you empty their force through your own body and in other situations you may lead their force away from you body.
Bristol 15.02.09