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Does tai chi
involve physical contact?
Yes it does. Tai chi students explore qigong,
form and partner work.
Qigong and form are solo training methods. Partner work
involves training with other students.
Physical contact is necessary in order to receive feedback (tense/relaxed/connected
etc) and to practice the tai chi skills.
Some tai chi schools may offer
non-contact classes, but we do not.
If you are not comfortable with physical contact, we recommend that you consider
an alternative form of exercise.
Tai chi classes
All tai chi classes feature 3 main
areas of study:
qigong, form and pushing
hands. If you are not undertaking partner work, you are not
really training tai chi.
A lot of folks say they are
relaxed... that they are Christian or Buddhist or Muslim
or something that says you know I'm concerned
for my fellow man. But when somebody puts their hands on these people you'll see
that that priest or that monk or that rabbi becomes just as rigid and as violent
as anybody else who would never ever describe themselves as being God fearing.
Why? Cos they're not used to the pressure.
You would like to believe you're
relaxed and when someone puts their hands on you and pushes all of a sudden you
realise just how indignant you are about that whole thing happening.
Some people are very stretched and they have a full split or they are very
balanced on their hands and they can do a handstand but when you put your hands
on them all that ability goes out the window and they resort to Cro-Magnon
behaviour.
(Roberto Sharpe)
Partnered exercises
Apart from pushing hands there are dozens of other
partnered exercises. They vary considerably in purpose and difficulty. Many of
the exercises are concerned with yielding, alignment, footwork and sensitivity.
Looks aren't everything
A tai chi student may perform aesthetically pleasing solo movements yet be
massively tense. Their muscles may never soften.
Movements that should be powerful and connected are in fact flimsy and weak.
Proof
How can we determine substance? By feedback. By touching. By physically feeling
what is taking place. Partner work is vital in tai chi. It offers you
proof.
Neurotic?
There is a modern phobia of physical contact. People quite often do not
like to be touched. Yet, touch is one of our senses and if we ignore it, our
world becomes far lonelier.
Contact
In tai chi we consider touch to be very important. By working with
somebody else we can help them to feel how their own body operates and help
ourselves as well.
We encourage people to become accustomed to physical proximity from the
start of their training, to relax, soften and be receptive to other people.
4 ounces of pressure
If you cannot gauge how much force to use then you have no real skill.
Imagine picking up a glass...
If you cannot determine the necessary degree of pressure to apply, you will
either drop the glass or crush it in your hand. Neither outcome is
acceptable.
Nervous system
Tai chi teaches you how to use the least amount of force at all times.
This saves energy and is more efficient. Training your nervous system is
vital.
'Listen' to what is happening, be aware of the sensations and interpret the
feedback accurately.
Touch is as important as vision and hearing for learning and retaining
information. Lack of touch can lead to emotional disturbances, as well as
lessened intellectual ability and physical growth, reduced sexual interest,
and even immune system weaknesses.
(Harvard Medical School’s Harvard Health Publication, May 2009)
Clumsy
Clumsiness is an indication of low skill. As you progress through the
syllabus you must demonstrate a growing capacity to use the tai chi
properly. Ineptitude speaks for itself.
Pushing hands?
One common tai chi partner work method is called 'pushing hands'. There
are many different forms of pushing hands; each teaching its own unique
range if skills.
Consideration
It is very important to be considerate of your partner and keep their
wellbeing in mind at all times.
Partner work is a forum through which you can explore the syllabus, so each
person needs to work with the other person rather than against them. If your
partner is struggling, assist them by going easy.
If they are finding it too easy, try to gently challenge them.
Attitude & etiquette
Right conduct is an important part of tai chi training; your attitude says
what sort of person you are. We have a 'code of conduct' that all students
must follow during the class.
Safety
Some people get too vigorous during partner work... Again,
consideration is the key. Temper your actions by restraint at all times.
If your partner is in pain or discomfort, be considerate and ease off. They
are either doing something incorrectly or you are being too rough relative
to their ability level.
Tutoring
Do not tutor other students during partner work. Leave the teaching to the
instructor or a teaching assistant. If you do not know how to do something,
please ask.
Helping
You are quite welcome to give the following advice to your
practice partner:
You are tense
You are using force against me
You are banging against me
You are just using your arms
You are being clumsy/rough
You are being awkward
You have lost your composure
You are leaning
You are off-balance
You are spacing-out
You are doing the wrong exercise
These
are easily observable faults and you do not need to be an instructor to see
them.
Ad-libbing
Please perform the exercise you have been shown.
Changing the drill, altering the material or improvising is not appropriate
for a student.
You have insufficient knowledge,
experience and understanding to
start developing your own tai chi.
Just do the required exercise.
Chit-chat
It is quite OK to speak with your partner during an exercise providing
you are doing the work. The danger with talking is that people tend to use
talk as an excuse not to train.
This is a sign of laziness.
Communication
Touch is a form of communication. When a person is afraid or ill, physical
contact can help to reassure them. If you are emotionally calm and open to
other people, this will be transmitted through touch.
We can share our compassion without the need of words.
Truth
Some people smile and speak nicely but when you partner with them they are
not friendly at all. Their bodies are tense and they are brittle.
Instead or working with you, they compete. The truth of their nature is
revealed.
Not combat
Partner work is not combat.
In fact, it is the opposite of combat.
It is a means of safely practicing fundamental skills in a safe,
predictable, controlled manner.
In working with some of my
tai chi teachers I have the sense that at the
instant their hands touched my body, they knew a great deal about my
physical and emotional state. During these encounters, my teachers also
seemed to convey nonverbal information intentionally; it was as if their
touch and movements shared information with me. Becoming aware of their
physical, energetic qualities provided me with a reference against which I
could calibrate my own qualities and abilities.
(Harvard Medical School’s Harvard Health Publication, May 2009)
Page created
18 March 1997
Last updated
16 June 2023
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