It recently came to my attention that some people don't know I did an English-language translation of the push-hands writings of the great Yang-style Taiji master Li Yaxuan. There are other pieces of LYX writings translated on the web, but this is the only version of his push hands teachings known to me, at least for now. Probably somebody will publish an official translation of LYX's entire push hands book at some point. The three sections can all be found in the articles on the page linked below:
Li Yaxuan on Push Hands and the Martial Art aspect of Taijiquan
One reason we kind of like Master LYX is that, in the middle of his broad overview of push hands training, out of nowhere he suddenly digresses to praise our line's founding teacher (who was LYX's junior classmate under Yang Chengfu), as quoted below:
Zheng Manqing was extremely skilled at issuing energy, and he possessed considerable intelligence as well as natural talent, so that when he pushed hands with a certain other adept, with one quick slap that man was instantly thrown up against the wall by Zheng (this happened at the Nanjing Military Academy and is attested by witness Mr. Zhang Yingzhen who was present on the scene).
Someone else wrote to ask why, in the new sticky mention of my book now featured at the top of this TCGS blog, I refer to the 'spirit power' of Taijiquan. LYX has explained this better than I ever could (fragment below is from Matthew Miller's translation of other writings of LYX, not found on my site linked above)
During the Qing Dynasty, under the reign of the emperor Xian Feng (1851 – 1861), some people referred to Tai Chi as Spirit Fist. I believe that this name is appropriate. The word "spirit" (shen) in "Spirit Fist" does not refer to gods and spirits (shen guai) but rather to nerves (shen jing, literally “spirit channels.”) The name “Spirit Fist” is appropriate because, first of all, in practicing gongfu one uses yi, spirit and qi rather than using force. Secondly, when faced with an opponent, one’s movements do not exclusively or primarily depend on the extension and contraction of muscles, but rather on subtle movement within these “spirit channels.” One’s changes and applications are artful and marvelous, and contain an immeasurable element. Hence, this gongfu was called Spirit Fist.
