Pushing hand is the first introduction a Taiji practitioner will have to human interaction with the art. It is the foundation for the fighting aspects of the art, but it is more as well. Pushing hands offers a practitioner the opportunity to work with a classmate to test and see ones strengths and weaknesses, it allows one to gauge their own development, and is a handy tool for identifying shortcomings or unseen mistakes in one’s form and postures.
Pushing hands it has developed into a competition of its own. There are yearly competitions around the world now, and many participate, unfortunately some place pushing hands proficiency above actual taiji proficiency, thereby digressing it into a tug of war match testing each other’s strength rather than actually utilizing true taiji fundamentals. The problem there is that lower level practitioners have made an advancing tool the focus of their practice, thereby impeding their own advancement. It is key when practicing pushing hands that you are not competing with your partner, (unless you are actually taking part in a competition of course)
pushing hands is a tool for one to self analyzes and help a partner do the same.