GAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!

My teacher still follows that stupid philosophy that Tai Chi uses no force in pushands!!! I know that the Tai Chi classics say not to use force against force, and not to use stiff force, but they specifically say to use various forms of relaxed, nonresistant force (jing) by the truckloads. My teacher is very skilled and knowledgable in internal and external styles, except that whenever he sees anyone using any application of force in Tai Chi--even very relaxed whole-body force--he says that it is external; as if all use of force is bad Tai Chi!

There is this persistant misconception that defense in Tai Chi is about yielding and not being there (which is true) and that offence in Tai Chi is nonexistant or consists solely of yielding untill the person overextends and falls over by themselves. If that is true then Tai Chi sucks.

GRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!

My teacher is much more skilled than I am, and he is a good teacher and I have learned a lot from him and owe him much--just this one thing drives me crazy!!!

Emasculated Taijiquan is a sad, sad sight (just an expression, ladies--I've had my ass kicked by girls who I would swear must have had bigger balls than me). Keep it real.

i think what your teacher means is, if you have to exert any strain or force to make your opponent fall, youre doing it wrong. if done right, the guy should seem to float. but dont get mad or frustrated if you cant do it right te first couple of times, just keep trying till you get it.

maybe you would enjoy judo, which employs the same concept of sensitivity, but it is optional, powerslams are okay too, its just that the "soft way" makes things alot easier.

apprentice here,
let me say something if i may, if your teacher has his own opinions, let him have them. Either get over it, or find a new teacher. You should be glad to have a teacher, that as you seem to think, is knowledgeable.
ttfn
apprentice