Workshops delivered 2010 - 14 (examples)
Andrew Heckert - My understanding of Dr. Tao’s “not by force” push-hands
I have pursued the Grail of pushing hands without force for forty years. The expession, "not by force" is from Tao Ping-siang, classmate of William Chen and Ben Lo, student of Cheng Man-ching. He realised that ideal better than any one else I encountered. Many people talk about being soft and yeilding. Few can answer the question "How?". I understand Tao's method well enough to suggest how he did it, and to do a little of it myself.
Serge Dreyer - Pushing hands for beginners
1st day - the notion of let it go.
2nd day - spiraling Let it go: it's the very basic attitude to get in order to play pushing hands efficiently while respecting the very principles of tai ji quan (using a minimum of muscular strength, "listening" the opponent/partner, etc). It's easy to state but difficult to achieve, not to say impossible to be fully achieved, Because it doesn't imply so much the physical/technique dimension but the mental one (fear, aggressiveness, memory, etc). I will propose some basic exercises to improve in that direction. Spiraling: I will show through exercises that spiraling is the core of all movements in pushing hands to achieve efficiency combined with the let it go attitude.
Laura Stone - Soft Contact Connection
In these workshops we will explore Soft Contact Connection as the foundation for being fully present with another while allowing the space for the other to also relax into being fully present.
Step one: Soft Contact Connection in stillness.
Being in physical contact without pulling, pushing or intention to do anything.
The way is to deeply relax and let go while remaining fully awake and open.
The touch is gentle, forming exquisitely to the surface that is touched (matching).
The practice is with the mind of curiosity.
Step two: Applying the qualities of Step one with harmonious complete contact interaction.
The interaction is investigative, playful, healing.
Playing further with matching and joining in dynamic relationship (listening).
Step three: Applying the qualities of Step one and two to gradually higher stress situations.
Playing with “harder” contact, less space and time (yielding, neutralizing and uprooting)
Step four: Embodying “from nothing to something and something to nothing”.
Applying the qualities of soft contact connection while uniting intention and action into one focused, dynamic response (uprooting).
The results are:
Building a subtle mind-body database that expands the field of relaxed response before the automatic reaction response system kicks in.
Training a meditative mind and sensory system that remains open, receptive and responsive under stress.
The foundation is Grandmaster William C. C. Chen's T'ai Chi Ch'uan. The workshops will be given as a progressive series and are open to all styles and levels of practice. The exact content of individual and partner (push hands and applications) exercises will unfold according to those present.
Daan Hengst
Is practicing pushing hands and playing the Taiji form the only way to understand the Taiji principles? We will look for the similarities in daily activities (or sports) and pushing hands movements by focusing on relaxing, releasing, grounding and a good body structure.
If you are not familiar with some kind of sports, no problem . May be you do push a cart in the supermarket sometimes or pluck weeds in the garden, do you? No? None of these what so ever? Again no problem, we still can practice by using our imagination and visualization skills.
Part 1: Explanation of Taiji principles (why is Taiji Quan called an internal martial art) and
exploring the use of these principles in all kinds of movements
Part 2 : Exploring and practicing the principles like in dancing, tennis playing, lifting an object , pushing a wheelchair etc. With the same (relaxed) attitude we now try to understand the aim of Tui Shou (push hands).
Part 3: Summary of what has been practiced the days before .
Practising pushing hands with as little ( unnecessary ) muscle force as possible.
Workshops will run concurrently to maximse your choice
Scott Chaplowe
Pushing Hands. Partner exercises will stress rooting, absorption, sticking, footwork, closing and opening space, and redirecting and neutralizing force. Pushing hands is approached as an opportunity to provide clear and immediate feedback on fundamental tai chi principles in a safe, non-competitive, fun atmosphere.
Ronnie Robinson
A Mediative Approach to Push Hands Often during the
exercise of push hands we get under pressure and resort to instinctive
responsive that reduce our effectiveness and bring us away from the basic
principles of the art. Through adopting a meditative approach to this work
we can develop skills that inform us when we 'come out of ourselves' and
allow us to re-train our responses to be more effective. We will work with
increasing our connection to the ground, to ourselves and to our partner.
I have pursued the Grail of pushing hands without force for forty years. The expession, "not by force" is from Tao Ping-siang, classmate of William Chen and Ben Lo, student of Cheng Man-ching. He realised that ideal better than any one else I encountered. Many people talk about being soft and yeilding. Few can answer the question "How?". I understand Tao's method well enough to suggest how he did it, and to do a little of it myself.
Serge Dreyer - Pushing hands for beginners
1st day - the notion of let it go.
2nd day - spiraling Let it go: it's the very basic attitude to get in order to play pushing hands efficiently while respecting the very principles of tai ji quan (using a minimum of muscular strength, "listening" the opponent/partner, etc). It's easy to state but difficult to achieve, not to say impossible to be fully achieved, Because it doesn't imply so much the physical/technique dimension but the mental one (fear, aggressiveness, memory, etc). I will propose some basic exercises to improve in that direction. Spiraling: I will show through exercises that spiraling is the core of all movements in pushing hands to achieve efficiency combined with the let it go attitude.
Laura Stone - Soft Contact Connection
In these workshops we will explore Soft Contact Connection as the foundation for being fully present with another while allowing the space for the other to also relax into being fully present.
Step one: Soft Contact Connection in stillness.
Being in physical contact without pulling, pushing or intention to do anything.
The way is to deeply relax and let go while remaining fully awake and open.
The touch is gentle, forming exquisitely to the surface that is touched (matching).
The practice is with the mind of curiosity.
Step two: Applying the qualities of Step one with harmonious complete contact interaction.
The interaction is investigative, playful, healing.
Playing further with matching and joining in dynamic relationship (listening).
Step three: Applying the qualities of Step one and two to gradually higher stress situations.
Playing with “harder” contact, less space and time (yielding, neutralizing and uprooting)
Step four: Embodying “from nothing to something and something to nothing”.
Applying the qualities of soft contact connection while uniting intention and action into one focused, dynamic response (uprooting).
The results are:
Building a subtle mind-body database that expands the field of relaxed response before the automatic reaction response system kicks in.
Training a meditative mind and sensory system that remains open, receptive and responsive under stress.
The foundation is Grandmaster William C. C. Chen's T'ai Chi Ch'uan. The workshops will be given as a progressive series and are open to all styles and levels of practice. The exact content of individual and partner (push hands and applications) exercises will unfold according to those present.
Daan Hengst
Is practicing pushing hands and playing the Taiji form the only way to understand the Taiji principles? We will look for the similarities in daily activities (or sports) and pushing hands movements by focusing on relaxing, releasing, grounding and a good body structure.
If you are not familiar with some kind of sports, no problem . May be you do push a cart in the supermarket sometimes or pluck weeds in the garden, do you? No? None of these what so ever? Again no problem, we still can practice by using our imagination and visualization skills.
Part 1: Explanation of Taiji principles (why is Taiji Quan called an internal martial art) and
exploring the use of these principles in all kinds of movements
Part 2 : Exploring and practicing the principles like in dancing, tennis playing, lifting an object , pushing a wheelchair etc. With the same (relaxed) attitude we now try to understand the aim of Tui Shou (push hands).
Part 3: Summary of what has been practiced the days before .
Practising pushing hands with as little ( unnecessary ) muscle force as possible.
Workshops will run concurrently to maximse your choice
Scott Chaplowe
Pushing Hands. Partner exercises will stress rooting, absorption, sticking, footwork, closing and opening space, and redirecting and neutralizing force. Pushing hands is approached as an opportunity to provide clear and immediate feedback on fundamental tai chi principles in a safe, non-competitive, fun atmosphere.
Ronnie Robinson
A Mediative Approach to Push Hands Often during the
exercise of push hands we get under pressure and resort to instinctive
responsive that reduce our effectiveness and bring us away from the basic
principles of the art. Through adopting a meditative approach to this work
we can develop skills that inform us when we 'come out of ourselves' and
allow us to re-train our responses to be more effective. We will work with
increasing our connection to the ground, to ourselves and to our partner.
