William C. C. Chen's Push Hands Videos

Root down, fill up. Don't push forwards (NYC, 2015-2016). (00:14:11)

In these push hands sessions, we see Grandmaster Chen teaching his students how to do the basic forward push. He uses serving coffee and tea on a tray to demonstrate the motion.

He shows pushing with a towel to help students understand about using indirect force instead of direct force.

From: William C. C. Chen

To watch this clip of Grandmaster Chen teaching push hands, click on picture

How to push without tensing (Hanover, Germany, 2011). (00:09:19)

Grandmaster Chen demonstrates the difference between "energy pushing" and pushes that come from tensing the muscles of the arms and legs.

He shows how to uproot an opponent, how to disappear under a push (without injuring your back), how to resist by sinking down instead of using muscles to push back, and how to drag down a person who is pushing by their arm. He illustrates the difference between slow fa-ching (pushing) for push hands and fast fa-ching for martial arts applications.

From: William C. C. Chen and Nils Klug (Body Mechanics DVD)

To watch this clip of Grandmaster Chen teaching push hands, click on picture

Maintain your shape. Empty out the chest and arm (NYC, 2015-2016). (00:04:17)

Here Grandmaster Chen teaches push hands students an advanced form of pushing - to the side.

He shows keeping a rounded "gorilla shape" and filling up, with the energy expanding from the base (the big toe and ball of the foot).

From: William C. C. Chen

To watch this clip of Grandmaster Chen teaching push hands, click on picture

Advanced pushing and neutralization techniques. (00:07:39)

We see Grandmaster Chen teaching push hands in a revealing private session with an advanced student. (NYC, late 1970' or early 1980's)

From: William C. C. Chen

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Energetic pushing hands instruction from Master Chen (NYC, 2002). (00:07:20)

This episode of Sam Masich's Taiji People series follows Master Chen through a push hands class. We see William training his children Tiffany and Max, as well as U.S. and world champion, Josh Waitzkin.

From: William C. C. Chen and Sam Masich

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Yielding first when being pushed and then pushing (Spain, 2011). (00:02:14)

We see Grandmaster Chen teaching students how to relax and yield while being pushed. Then, he shows a push that can be done after yielding.

Finally, he works with a student on a pull that can be issued when she is pushed. (His senior student, Luis Molera, is filming in the background.)

From: William C. C. Chen and Manolo Mazon

To watch this clip of Grandmaster Chen teaching push hands, click on picture

Yield, neutralize, and pull (Spain, about 2010). (00:02:32)

Grandmaster Chen shows and talks about yielding with the whole body and neutralizing. He explains how this "investment in loss" enables winning against a bigger and stronger opponent.

From: William C. C. Chen and Manolo Mazon

To watch this clip of Grandmaster Chen teaching push hands, click on picture

When going to the side is better than going straight back (NYC, 2015). (00:00:30)

Grandmaster Chen shows students how to get the target of a push out of the way, instead of falling into the trap of moving straight back and getting stuck.

From: William C. C. Chen

To watch this clip of Grandmaster Chen teaching push hands, click on picture

Rare clips of push hands and martial arts applications. (00:02:02)

The video starts out with senior students of Grandmaster Chen showing a basic push hands, loosening and yielding exercise. Grandmaster Chen explains the use of shoulder strike in push hands, with the audience participating.

(Most of this video focuses on his students demonstrating martial arts applications derived from the Tai Chi form.) (8mm, no sound)

From: William C. C. Chen

To watch this Tai Chi demo, click on picture

Focus on the chest wall and not the arm to pull (NYC, 2016). (00:01:03)

Grandmaster Chen teaches push hands students how to pull, keeping the knee in. He shows how holding the correct shape, with the elbow up, helps to connect the fingers doing the pulling with the toe on the ground.

From: William C. C. Chen (00:01:03)

To watch this clip of Grandmaster Chen teaching push hands, click on picture

Workshop for Tai Chi and martial arts enthusiasts (Hawaii, 1970's or 1980's). (00:03:31)

Grandmaster Chen works with students to improve their push hands. He's emphasizing yielding and moving with the whole body as opposed to using the arms to push.

At the end, he teaches a wrist lock. (8mm, no sound)

From: William C. C. Chen

To watch this clip of Grandmaster Chen teaching push hands, click on picture