Significance of yielding

One of the most difficult aspects of learning kung fu, is yielding or being soft.  On a very basic level, this means that your muscles are relaxed rather than tense and your joints mobile rather than being held in place. 

This is not just physical, your mind must yield also, be able to change and adapt to what is happening.  Your body must be mobile and loose. 

The transmission of energy from the ground through the body and out through the fingers can only be done if your muscles are relaxed and your joints and tendons are mobile.  If you lock any part of your body up by using tension then the energy will be impeded.

Partner work drills

Pushing hands, monkey paws and the yielding exercise can all appear perplexing when starting on the journey to learning tai chi.  It can be difficult to grasp the purpose of drilling these.

As students progress through the syllabus and understanding of the martial elements of tai chi develop, the ingenuity of these exercises becomes apparent.   

The skills developed from these drills become essential to combat.