South Bay Pushhand Lessons & Practica

☯️ PROGRAM

In a series of Sundays, come learn 双推手 Double Pushhands (double-hand pushhands) in a detailed and structured way, without rushing and fumbling. The primary objective is for participants to be able to play basic Chen Style double-hand pushhand with a partner of similar proficiency continuously (for beginners), and variations of double-hand pushhand (for intermediates). A second objective is for all participants to practice with different partners for enhanced ease and sensitivity.

Each Sunday’s class is organized in the following way: 

  • 9 – 9:30 am — Beginner Lesson
  • 9:30 – 10 am — Beginner Practica (guided practice)
  • 10 – 10:30 am — Intermediate Lesson
  • 10:30 – 11 am — Intermediate Practica (guidded practice) 

Beginners are welcome to stay for unguided practice if there are other interested partners.

Intermediates are welcome to join beginner practica (and lesson) for a review/warmup or more practice.

Why is it important to learn Double Pushands? 

Double Pushhands in fixed steps is the foundation of partnered practice in taijiquan. The ability to practice Double Pushhands with a partner opens up a wide range of possibilities for building sensitivity, enhancing self awareness, and also reflecting on the details and taijiquan principles in the hand forms.

Why is Single Pushhand (singlehand pushhand) not a sufficient building block to Double Pushhands? 

Though it may feel intuitive to learn Single Pushhand and use that as a foundation for Double Pushhands, the latter is significantly more complex and requires a different set of building blocks in muscle memory and whole body coordination. For example, the direction of body turn is opposite when receiving/neutralizing a push in Single vs Double Pushhands. 

Who is it for? 

Both beginners and intermediate students of taiji pushhands (see prerequisites below). 

✅ PREREQUISITES:

All participants must meet ONE of the following prerequisites: 
– have studied Chen Taijiquan with me and/or other instructor(s) on a weekly basis for 6 months or more
– can perform a Chen Style Taijiquan form (Laojia Yilu or a simplied form) independently for 3 minutes

Beginners: No prior experience in pushhand is required. 

Intermediates: Ability to practice Double Pushhand basic pattern (fixeds step, one direction okay) with 2 intermediate-level partners for 1+ minutes each smoothly. (Consult with me if unsure.)

📣 WHAT PARTICIPANTS ARE SAYING:

  • “We’re now prepared to practice with more confidence, and without feeling as lost. I know this is just the first baby steps, but I look forward enthusiastically to learning more. Thanks for enabling us to truly begin this facet of our Taiji journey.”
  • “It’s the first time double push-hands clicked for me since I started my Taiji journey thanks to your effective teaching :)”
  • “Thank you so much for breaking down the movements of double hand push! I finally feel clear about the four variations. And I am more confident to practice with someone who doesn’t know the pattern.” 
  • “We all learned a lot today… Thank you for teaching in bite-sized pieces.”

📍 LOCATION:

Los Altos, CA (location available after registration is confirmed)
Outdoor park. Free street parking.  

📆 DATES & TIME:

Series 1: April 19, May 3, May 17, May 31
Series 2: June 28, July 5, July 19, July 26
Sign up for a series or choose any 4 or more dates.

Sunday 9-11am 

💲 FEES:

Beginner (9-10am): $25 per class (drop-in) or $80 per series (see dates above)
Intermediate (10-11am): $25 per class (drop-in) or $80 per series (see dates above)

💳 PAYMENTS:

Please pay in advance so we can maximize our class time. Payment can be accepted via Zelle / Venmo / PayPal (instructions below). If you’d like to pay with credit card (series only), please indicate your preference below. 

📝 REGISTER:

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