Push Hands: The Handbook for Non-competitive Tai Chi Practice With a Partner [Hardcover]

Herman Kauz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1997

Push-hands is a form of tai chi practiced with a partner to achieve inner development, as well as for exercise, fighting, training, and self-defense. This long-awaited follow-up to the bestselling Tai Chi Handbook begins with a series of form corrections for solo practitioners and then presents detailed instruction for the practice of push-hands. 200 photos.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This book amounts to a detailed private lesson in Tai Chi (with a non-competitive partner) by one of the most well-known experts on Tai Chi, Herman Kauz, author of "Tai Chi Handbook." Practicing Tai Chi with a partner amounts to a physical manifestation of a cooperative approach to living, a tangible way of experiencing balance and cooperative interaction. Unlike some of the more competitive martial arts like karate and judo, which can be actually stressful to some, Tai Chi with a partner, "push hands," is almost meditative and requires careful attention to one's own and to a partner's strength, weakness, position, balance--and even to a certain extent, state of mind--to help rather than overcome or beat one another.

Review

Kauz is a real teacher, open, generous and undogmatic. -- Robert W. Smith, co-author of Asia Fighting News

Kauz is an established authority. -- Journal of Asian Martial Arts --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Overlook Hardcover; 1 edition (March 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879517549
• ISBN-13: 978-0879517540
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,631,778 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Push Hands: my personal experience as a student, October 10, 2003

By 

Ronnie Lee Claxton (Ramona, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Push Hands: Handbook for Non-competitive Tai Chi Practice with a Partner (Mass Market Paperback)

This books is an excellent source of philosophy and technique. It is not a substitute for a qualified instructor.

Being a student of Herman's is quite an experience. His knowledge and expertise is extensive, as is his patience. Push hands does not involve pushing, but more of an attempt to discover the balance of your partner, while at the same time hiding yours from them. In essence, it teaches you about yourself and about others. It requires you to live in the moment, and not think about attaining goals per se. It will increase your awareness, and teach you the true principals of Tai Chi.

If you are serious about learning the real Tai Chi, then push hands will help you a great deal. But be patient.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Push hands explained, October 23, 2009

By 

ARNOLD BREIS "Abreis" (Bronxville, NY United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Push Hands: Handbook for Non-competitive Tai Chi Practice with a Partner (Mass Market Paperback)

I am a tai chi teacher for over 22 years and find master Herman Kauz's book on push hands a great reference tool for my students. It's extremely well written and explains not only the push hands form, but gives very helpful hints on ways to improve your practice and lifestyle.

To those unfamiliar with Push Hands it is a non-competitive Tai Chi practice with a partner. Both meditative and athletic, it is a method of expressing oneself with a partner in a non-judgmental yet effective manner. It teaches one to be in accord with the stresses of everyday life and the Taoist philosophy of "letting go" which encourages the release of the blockages that prevent us from gaining a keen understanding of our true nature and how we respond to other people.

During Push Hands practice the designated attacker tries to push his or her partner off balance using a minimum of force and without moving their feet. The defender tries to avoid the push by redirecting the opponent's force, also without moving his or her feet. If done correctly neither side will be able to take advantage of the other and a true partnership is realized.

Those of us who are involved in working with others, in a decision-making role or in everyday situations, will find Push Hands a profound way of dealing with these confrontations. After some time in practice, we will notice options and ideas that we would not have thought of or entertained before we began the exercise.

Anyone who has taken a course in the Martial Arts may find Push Hands the ideal alternative to the hard and stressful aspects of competition. To the Tai Chi practitioner, Push Hands represents the transition of the solo form into a partner exercise with profound repercussions.

Master Herman Kauz's book is an expression of this ideal to anyone who is open enough to read it thoroughly.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars TC Push Hands by Kauz of little practical help, July 9, 2009

By 

Emanuel Polioudakis (Auburn, AL, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Push Hands: Handbook for Non-competitive Tai Chi Practice with a Partner (Mass Market Paperback)

Kauz is sincere and seems to have considerable experience, expertise, and charisma. Much of the book is a lament on the human situation and a comment on how Tai chi might improve the world. Only a few pages are actually devoted to the steps of Push Hands, and even these descriptions are not as clear as they should be. He begins to get across the ideas of centering, feeling your partner's energy, feeling the circulation of pressure (force or energy), and what to do as energy diverges from the center - but then he does not develop the ideas in words or diagrams. I have not reviewed other Tai Chi Push Hands material but I think you should look elsewhere carefully first. Good luck.