Folding in Taijiquan

The purpose of push hands training is to nurture the skills of stick, adhere, join, and follow. The sets are cooperative in nature because timing is extremely important in training application. The exercise is not meant to be a competition and competing in it yields negative results such as habitual bracing and habitual use of strength to achieve one’s goals. When I began studying this art I studied the principles as well and use them as guides. Violating any principle suggests that one’s level of competence is not up to the task. This example shows a concept known as folding. The idea is that I can strike my opponent with my fist, my elbow , or my shoulder. If a punch is parried I will simply move to the next joint and strike with that joint. The following example has Alex and I working in a pattern and when he pushes I pivot to his side and flank him while taking his attacking hand into emptiness. This is also A folding Method that I learned from the fast form.