Having a strategy

There is no simple answer to this.

The strategy used at the time depends on the circumstance, rules and opponent. Fixed/moving step pushing hands, san shou, or a street fight, again, changes the dynamic. So it needs to be adapted in the moment and from moment to moment.

Rather than looking for a quick solution to “this is how to get someone off balance”, it’s more important to stick to principles, tools and ideas that you are harnessing through tai chi chuan practice.

I don’t intend to rewrite the classics, as a lot of it is already there in the classics.

Some thoughts I hold on to during pushing hands/combat which you may call my “strategy” in my own words are;

Do not be too keen and eager to go chasing for the point, or knockout, whatever it may be. Let your opponent make the mistake, tease them, entice them… as long as you are not losing, what’s the problem?

HAVE A SET OF SHARP TOOLS

Have a few sharpened tools under your belt, but do not expect to use any if the opportunity is not presented to you.

ADAPT

Even though you may have certain tools, they can and should be adapted and mutated to fit any circumstance. One should not have a million techniques under their arsenal, but more so, a few techniques well refined, that can be adapted in a million ways.

USE PRINCIPLES OF PHYSICS

Search for the “root” in your movements, structure which lets you maximise your strength, explosive force with relaxation to maximise the effectiveness of your techniques presenting them with a force that they cannot deal with.

ADHERE

Always stick, and do not disconnect.

WAIT FOR THE MOMENT

Let the moment come, if it doesn’t give bait and create it. (I think the topic of the post is to do with this)

DO NOT BE PREDICTABLE

Give your opponent a false sense of ease and security, and exploit it.

KNOW YOUR LIMITS AND BOUNDARY

Keep your opponent under pressure, but do not overcommit your movements. Know your limitations of extension and yielding .. extend too much, and you will lose your root or be easily uprooted, yield too much, and you won’t be able to recover and risk being taken down to the floor.

SEARCH FOR EASE OF MOVEMENT AND TECHNIQUES

Your movements and techniques should be executed using the least force/effort, with maximum effect.

Whatever is said above, you need to bear in mind that you need to know what you want to achieve by getting someone off balance. There are ways to do it, which are fruitless, and do not improve your TCC… whilst there are other ways, that reenforce your principles, which could be used in real combat.

These are some principles, but I try not to become a prisoner of them.