Tai Chi Push Hands-Self Defense

This is the Self Defense course from decades back that, after a near disappearance with only one student for several years, has returned to its great vigor of four, likely more, of us--with one remarkable difference. All the members of this Winter Quarter class are tremendous players and teachers, deeply imbued with the soft yet explosive spirit of Tai Chi that I'm endlessly grateful to have from my teacher, Grandmaster William C. C. Chen.

I think of an image like The Four Horsemen, but four horsemen who are each patient, skiffful and sweet brothers for any others who might join the course as beginners, as less experienced. If you have an aspiration, even a curiosity, to grow some skill in Tai Chi's Self Defense, this is the ideal group to have as classmates. 

Although our curriculum is and, I feel, will always be more far reaching and adventurous than we can accomplish in a quarter, and so is very challenging to describe, the simplicity of two bedrocks does the most. Push Hands and Form Application.

In Push Hands, the clear and powerful focus will be on the dual basis of it all. First, learning to yield softly to an advance without resistance and consequently with great resourcefulness. Then, learning to advance, to push without muscular exertion and its perspiration.

The fascination with and enjoyment of those nuances is often a favorite conversation theme before meeting in the next week's class. And they begin to suggest shifts into marvelous psychological composure that deflates the tires of stress.

The other bedrock, Form Application, is just that. Experiencing in your own body the successful application of moves in the Form, gradually to full speed and power of impact, on each other in premium protective equipment that has given us a 100% safety record all these decades. And when you "get it", your most awesome blow or strike of the course, for instance, is the one in which you felt, "But I didn't do anything!"

As in all courses, if undecided you're warmly welcome to come as a guest and observe or try it out. To make room for an ease of decision.