Trick wrote:I'm inline of this procedure too, first development/conditioning by solo exercises then add continued development/conditioning by partner work, probably a very common procedure but best to take it step by step...I think
I worked with push hands and push hands similar exercises and application from day one. Every class had a whole lot more partner work than solo work. When my teacher put pressure on me with his hand, he would say things like: "Relax better, turn your waist more, better stance, don't raise shoulders, sink elbows, don't go out too far, straighten up," etc, etc. A lot and a lot of small details were drilled. I took what I learned through partner exercises and put it into my forms and solo practice and my form was corrected from there. For me the correct principles were drilled from partner work, not from solo work. Orrigami_itto is correct with that there is nothing from the beginning to work with. But sometimes starting from empty is better. I don't know what method is better, but everything in my form and solo work always had a functional purpose. I would not want to be taught any other way. I see a whole lot of practitioners who have practiced a whole lot of solo work before push hands and similar exercises. Some of them have a completely wrong appreciation of balance and and they must re-learn a lot when they start partner work. Some of them are unwilling to or find it impossible to change because they have already a too strong and fixed idea of what they are doing. The result is a bad use of balance, tension, too much pressure etc.