Grandmaster Tse’s Tàijí Fist 211

Tuī Shǒu 推手 Training – Part 9

So when should we use punching and kicking? In the Chén Shì Tàijíquán 陈式太极拳 – Chén Style Tàijíquán form there is a lot of punching and some kicks in it. Most of the time, in the forms, we will punch with our right hand, however we should also practise punching with our left hand as well. In most Chinese Kung Fu forms we punch with the right hand or use a right handed attack. Most people are right handed and in the past, in China, the whole society was based on being right handed. If children were left handed, they were forced to use the right hand. This was because all the tools were made for the right hand or sometimes they could be used with either hand. Even so, it does not mean that we should not train the left hand. In fighting we should be able to use both hands and both legs, they should be equally as good.

So, when we are good at Tuī Shǒu 推手, we can start to use punching and kicking. When we use them, we should not be in contact and there should be some distance between you and your partner. Then once you have contact, you should catch their centre of gravity and try to make them lose their balance.