I was very much inspired in reading this material:
Some excellent quotes are as follows:
When students begin learning push hands, they are usually afraid to relax completely, for fear that their partner or opponents will take advantage of their softness to suddenly launch a strong attack. What these beginners haven’t yet understood is that if you can give yourself up entirely to relaxation, an amazing power of ‘sensitive emptiness’ naturally emerges that allows you to easily handle anything that comes up. This continues to evolve until it reaches an extreme degree light relaxed power so that your offense becomes unstoppable and your defense is also an attack. Any position you assume is superior to the opponent and you come to totally dominate whoever you work with without any problem at all...
You should approach push hands with a light and alert spirit. Though you may have some combative skills don’t use them against him. Though you may have some techniques, don’t use those either. You must use your spirit to neutralize and counter. to make him feel he’s chasing the wind and grasping at shadows, as though he has nowhere solid to stand, as though there’s nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, let him defeat himself with his own actions, then he’ll be easily overcome. If you try to use techniques to block or counter his motions and attacks, he’ll be able to forestall your application of whole-body energy and all your efforts will be clumsy and futile.
Pay attention to this...
When you first touch hands in ordinary practice, you need to use a very light touch to feel him out, to follow along with him, responding and adapting to all his changes. You mustn’t pose even the slightest resistance...
You body is completely soft and
pliable, appearing to be boneless. No matter how your partner comes at you, you seem to be
able to absorb or redirect everything, extending and retracting at will, using invisible changes to
neutralize him...
Before you actually make physical contact, assume an attitude of emptiness. With that
established you can very lightly touch your partner’s hand. Once you have touched him, you
must not move of your own volition. Think of this phase strictly as a means of training your
sensitivity and awareness. Then you use your superior emptiness, awareness, perception, and
sensitivity to engage your spirit in order to neutralize even his slightest intent towards movement
against you, following and adhering without gaps or resistance...
I've found this commentary to be among the best i have ever read.
