Tuishou in Southern France
https://www.taichicanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Tai-chi-raven-CREM-Monesties-.mp4 Near the love village of Monestiés, is a charming little retreat centre run by people who are so nice that even the wild animals come to them for help. Jean-Jacques and Annie, the marvelous hosts of Maraval, are well known to the tai chi communities in this part of the world. Jean-Jacques’ cachet got…
Read MoreThe Warrior’s Peace
“I am not a pacifist. I don’t believe in passive anything.” – Mahatma Gandhi When I tell people that I teach martial arts, and not violence, it becomes clear that few people truly understand the nature of martial arts, just as few understand the real nature of peace. It doesn’t help that the particular martial…
Read MoreA lot is not enough. The paradoxes of Practical Training methods in Tai chi Tuishou (Pushing hands).
There is a common argument made by martial art commentators about the need for pressure testing their martial art. This argument is often made in support of the benefits of martial sport, and competitive martial art practice. When speaking of the rare tai chi players such as myself, who teach tai chi as a martial…
Read MoreUpcoming WORKSHOPS, 2026
I will be visiting friends in Europe this summer, including France, Belgium, Germany, and the UK. I hope to visit other countries as well, if circumstances permit. Click here to see a list of some of the upcoming events. or… Contact me if you would like to host a workshop, or meet for some personal…
Read MoreThe Tuishou Paradox: Practical training is non-competitive
This year (2025), I will be doing a number of tai chi workshops and seminars in Canada and Europe. Some will focus on internal principles and qigong / neigong. Others will be all about tuishou (pushing hands). In these, I will be focusing on methods for improving the way students train, and avoiding the many…
Read MoreOne Person, Four Hands
Migrate this “Four hands”, or “4-direction tuishou” is a key part of tai chi training. But it is often neglected because of the challenges of teaching it correctly. It can also be difficult to find reliable training partners. This video shows how to practice the basic pattern by yourself. So, you will be more prepared…
Read MoreSofter pushes push harder than harder pushes
Migrate this In Tai chi, tuishou, and martial arts in general…in fact, in many things in life, there is a tendency to add more and more effort until we feel resistance, and then add still more effort until we overwhelm that resistance. But the true skill is in finding mechanical efficiencies. We must learn to…
Read MoreInternal power Contains External power
Migrate this This is a topic I will say a lot more about in future videos. Internal power and external power are used by both “internal martial arts” and the so-called “external martial arts.” The way that the different types of power are trained varies not only from style to style, or school to school,…
Read More“Brush Knee Push” (Zhou / elbow)
Tai chi techniques can be derived from the routines. But the real application is found in tuishou, (tai chi pushing hands). Tuishou involves subtle understanding of Newtonian mechanics, the relationships between mind and body, and the psychology of conflict resolution.
Read MoreThe Perils of Authority in Martial Arts
Pity the Grandmasters In traditional martial arts, there are often lineage holders who represent the highest authority with each particular style. This may be particularly true within Confucian family traditions, but lineage holders can be found nearly everywhere. Think of them as martial art royalty, like the head of a religion, or perhaps even as…
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