Tao Pingxiang (陶炳祥, 1919-2006) and the Four Directional Push Hands

Si Zheng Jue Shou (四正覺手) – Four Directional Push Hands, is considered by many teachers to be a fundamental practice for building Push Hands skills in Yang Style Taiji Quan. Some other teachers and practitioners, however, view it as a waste of time.

Grandmaster Tao Pingxiang, known as a master of the soft arts, held the view that practicing Push Hands drills was very important. I remember in our first meeting spending quite a long time doing the solo drill, first on one side and then the other. This was followed by dual practice.

Although the drills seemed simple and monotonous, Grandmaster Tao addressed the same points repeatedly. Foremost was to be soft and light; sensing, yielding, sticking, neutralizing, and redirecting the opponent’s force.

Drilling the same four movements tested my patience, since I had already been training Taiji Quan with Grandmaster William C. C. Chen for several years, and he had a different approach to Push Hands. I was filled with doubt but having experienced Grandmaster Tao’s subtle touch and ease in neutralizing an oncoming force, I endured and committed myself to practicing the Four Directional Push Hands and made it a regular part of my Push Hands classes.

All Yang Style Taiji Quan practitioners know that Si Zheng Jue Shou consists of Peng (掤) – Ward Off, Lu (捋) – Roll Back or Roll Away, Ji(擠) – Press, and An (按) – Push. These have been widely discussed by different teachers who offer their own interpretations.

Following is what I view as the key points.

The Goal of Practicing Four Directional Push Hands

The primary goal of practice is to develop tactile sensitivity while maintaining proper posture and applying the principles of Ting Jin (聽勁) – Sensing Energy, Dong Jin (懂勁) – Understanding Energy, and Hua Jin (化勁) – Neutralizing Energy.

Ting Jin is usually translated as Listening Energy, but I prefer the term Sensing Energy.

Through Ting Jin you are then able to apply Dong Jin; that is, you understand the weight and direction of the opponent’s force.

By understanding your opponent’s force, you are then able to apply Hua Jin and neutralize the opponent’s actions.

Although this is a concise explanation of these concepts, it is sufficient to guide one’s practice.

Bu Diu Bu Ding (不丟不頂) – Neither Losing Contact nor Resisting

Applying the principle of Bu Diu Bu Ding while practicing Four Directional Push Hands is instrumental for developing the skills that you can then apply in Free Style Push Hands. Bu Diu means not breaking contact or pulling away from the opponent’s touch. Bu Ding means not to resist the opponent’s action.

Your practice of Four Directional Push Hands must be guided by this principle so that you do not merely practice the drill by rote.

Zhan, Nian, Lian, Sui (沾粘連隨) – Adhere, Stick, Link, Follow

These concepts should guide not only your Push Hands practice but also apply to Taiji Quan Combat. They come into play as soon as you make physical contact with your opponent.

Zhan – Adhere means to touch and connect lightly.

Nian – Stick means to remain closely attached.

Lian – Link means to connect to your opponent’s actions.

Sui – Follow means to not lag behind or get ahead.

The Concept of Geng Ji (根基) – Rooting

While the Chinese characters 根基 translate as “foundation,” in Taiji Quan it implies “rooting” and represents your connection to the earth. When you root properly you feel as if your feet are sinking into the ground. The idea is akin to the spreading roots of a tree.

Geng Ji should be cultivated while practicing Four Directional Push Hands, but also while practicing the solo Taiji form or Zhan Zhuang – Post Standing.

The Taiji Classics state: “Qi Gen Zai Jiao, Fa Yu Tui, Zhu Zai Yu Yao, Xing Yu Shou Zhi (其根在腳, 發於腿, 主宰於腰, 形於手指) – “It is rooted in the feet, released through the legs, directed by the waist, and expressed through the fingers.”

This concept reveals the pathway of power in Taiji Quan, but power does not imply the use of muscular force.

A Final Word

Grandmaster Tao Pingxiang (also written as Tao Ping-Siang) used the pen name Peter P. S. Tao. He preferred the term “Jue Shou (觉手) – Sensing Hands.” He disliked the term “Tui Shou – Push Hands” and never used it. I have used it here because it is the term most widely recognized by the Taiji Quan community.