Book excerpt: Push Hands is the "other" part of tai chi that makes your practice a true living art Tai chi push hands practice is a necessary next step for tai chi practitioners who wish to make their art come alive. Push hands practice requires two people to engage in a variety of "light touch" moving and walking routines. By practicing these movements, practitioners begin to develop tai chi's sensing, listening, and yielding skills. The Dao De Jing classic reminds us that "knowing others (an opponent) is important for knowing ourselves". By developing tai chi push hand skills, one begins to obtain a profound sense of feeling of ones' body and mind. This ability aids greatly in controlling body, balance, health, perseverance, compassion, and overall spirit.