Words of Wisdom on Push-hands ---Part two
By David Chen, 2002.

• Your attitude represents the level of your push-hands skill.

• Look for the quality of push-hands, not the result.

• The aim of push-hands should not be victory, but refining process.

• Develop the mind and awareness for your neutralizing skill.
  Eliminate the intention and desire for your discharging skill.

• Neutralizing and discharging are in the same circle of response.

• It is our push-hands partners who help us learn, not our ego.

• Higher-level Taiji players need no techniques, yet there are no techniques that will work on them.

• It is difficult to have a fair assessment of one’s skills based upon our subjective understanding.

• It takes a ten-pound force to push at the wrong angle, but it only needs a four-ounce push at the right spot.

• Be able to be soft to the soft style partners. Be able to be soft to the hard style, too.

• If you meet someone who is softer than you, you are suddenly become tense and stiff.P

• You have to drain the muscular out of your body
  in order to grow pure internal power.

• Beginners play push-hands from their arms.
  Juniors play push-hands from their waists.
  Senior students play push-hands from their root.

• Don’t initiate the push; opportunities lie within your response.

• Don’t rely on your hands; rather, rely on your body.
  Don’t rely on your body; rather, rely on your mind.
  Don’t rely on your mind; rather, rely on your opponent’s mind.

• The source of power comes from the mind, not from the body.

• The hands are the sensors; the feet are the triggers.
  Everything in between is a giant coiled spring.

• You are not limited to two hands; every part of your body can be an extra hand.

• Instead of your hands, your awareness should always be covering your body.

• Your mind should arrive at the target before your hands.

• Being as full as a sandbag takes a lot of qi to withstand.
  Being as light as curtain takes wisdom to neutralize.

• There are many "undefeated" champions nowadays.

• If you think like a hammer, everyone else would be a nail to you.
  ----Ed Young.
  

• You can be a one-time champion, or be a life-long neutralizer.