Ch'en extrapolated the stillness in the T'ai-chi postures to the pushing hands (t'ui shou) exercise. He insisted that relaxation must be maintiained when yhou push a partner.. Bring your arms into play naturally. Let no more than four ounces of your opponent's energy come into your body. Try to neutrarlize this without recourse to your arms. There are two times for propitous pushing:
- When your opponents weight is to the rear, bring your rear foot just in back of your front foot, step off wtih your front foot and push and
- as he pushes, neutralize, and as he goes backward merge with his momentum and push.
Let your body do the pushing. Think of your forearms near the elbows, and actually soften your hands as you push. Insert your lead foot deeply into your opponent's posture so that when you push, your knee does not go over your toes. When you push sink your ch'i to your navel and give a light, almost inaudible kiai (sounding something like huh). As your heel hits, the entire body pushes outward, the effect aided by thinking in the direction of the push.
Chinese Boxing, Masters and Methods,section on William Ch'en, by Robert Smith, pages 81-83.