Push Hands & 2-person Exercises

Description

Usually once a month, the 2024 dates are:-

2024 Saturday Classes:

• May 11th

• June 8th

• July 6th & 27th

• Sept. 7th

• Oct. 12th

• Nov. 9th

• Dec. 7th

* Notes on 2-Person Classes

Both the Tuesday 8.05pm class in Euston, and the Saturday courses in Westminster will focus on:

 Learning how to relax

 The use of the movements in Tai Chi Form (applications)

 Applying the movements so that you maintain your own integrity (centre of balance)

 Finding & working from the centre/core/Dantian

 Developing the sense of ‘feel’ when working with someone else

 Connecting your centre to your hands

 Turning a partner’s energy around so as to unbalance him/her

 We will also work on a 2-Person Tai Chi Form in order to understand applications of moves

Posture, Balance, and Intention.

By far the most important part of these classes is developing the ability to sense and be aware not only of one's own posture, balance, and intention, but also that of another person.

Relaxation.

Many of the exercises are ultimately about the ability to act from a very relaxed body and mind, so that (for example) if someone pushes towards you, you don't 'lock up' (the instinctive reaction), but instead you sense the push, and divert it. Initially it is this 'locking up' (which in effect makes you unable to move), that we are working on undoing.

This is about getting more control of your sympathetic nervous system (fight & flight), the 'stress' system, so that in difficult situations, you 'roll with the punches' better.