Push Hands in Virginia

In the late 1990s, I watched a push hands match in a tournament in Winchester, Virginia that, like the Energizer bunny, kept on going, even after its two competitors seemed drained of energy. Their intensity impressed me. That match is among those that piqued my interest in push hands.

In a push hands match during a tournament, two competitors face off, aiming to use balance, sensitivity, and Tai Chi principles to unbalance each other rather than overpower with strength. The match begins with light contact, often the backs of their wrists touching and their arms rounded and relaxed. Then, each person tests the other’s balance by pushing or seeking to redirect their movements.

Points are awarded based on how well a person can maintain their own balance and control the opponent’s movements. The match ends when a clear winner is determined by who best applies these principles, focusing more on technique and strategy than on physical strength.

For a quick, visual introduction to push hands, watch the beginning of this video by Michael Gilman.

The aforementioned match was also among the ones that motivated me to write this poem, a creative reconstruction in which I weaved together multiple memories to share some of my push hand reminiscences.

Trapped in Stillness 

Two bulky men, similar in build  
but neither sumo-size,  
each strained to shift their foe—  
the contest stalled ...  

strength had replaced skill,  
sleeveless shirts soaked with sweat  
squeezed in a closet without walls,  
four arms tiring toward stillness,
both men morphing into statues.

Explanation

The poem reimagines a push hands match I witnessed a century ago, mixing memory with metaphor to capture my interpretation of what I saw. While not a strict recounting of the match, it seeks to conveys the atmosphere, tension, and symbolism.

Two men, similar in build but not as large as sumo wrestlers, compete in a battle of skill and balance, trying to move each other. At first, their movements are precise, but over time, strength replaces skill, and the contest slows. The image of being “squeezed in a closet without walls” suggests the feeling of being trapped, unable to break free. As their arms tire toward stillness, it symbolizes how action fades into exhaustion. The final image, where the men morph into statues, reflects the shift from struggle to complete stillness.