2017 Push Hands Workshop - upstate New York

6/30/17 - 7/3/17

Be soft and relaxed yet stay strong and rooted. My push hands skills have improved tremendously over the last few years thanks to these intensive push-hands workshops offered by Master Alex .

According to Master Alex, beginners in push-hands always stand with their front knee bent with a lot of tensions in their body, mistakenly believing that by doing so they can become more rooted and strong. I must admit that I have always thought I needed to grip the ground hard with my front foot in order to stay unyielding. Time and time again, he has illustrated that this is not the case. The more tense one stays, the easier one can get pushed over. When Master Alex pushes, I see that he stays mostly upright. His body is soft and relaxed, yet he is very rooted and powerful.

In this workshop, we practiced many exercises to help us become soft yet rooted. Particularly interesting were the drills that taught us how to relax our body quickly when the tension you have built up in your body is no longer viable. 18 hours of intense training really paid off. At the end of the workshop, I found myself pushing mostly in upright position. I have become more aware of my body, more aware of the oncoming energy. I can now move my body more efficiently to deflect and neutralize the opponent. I have become soft and fluid yet well rooted and very strong. What an exhilarating feeling...!

Group Photo by Philippe Daviet