<span class="chinese-post-title">掤</span> Ward-off in <span class="chinese-post-title">太極拳合步四正推手解</span> The Explanation of Tai Chi Chuan's Harmonious Stepping in Four Sides of Pushing Hands

掤法向外，駕禦敵人之按手，使不得按至胸腹貼近。故曰掤。此掤字取意，與說文釋義稍異。掤之方式，左右同其用法，最忌板滯。板者，不知自己之運動。滯者，不知敵人之取舍。既不知己，又不知彼，則不成為推手矣。遲重者，必以力禦人，便成死手，非太極家之所取也。必曰掤者，黏也非杭也。手向外掤，意欲黏回，又不使己之掤手與胸部貼近。得化勁全賴轉腰，一轉腰則我之掤勢巳成矣。

楊澄甫

"The technique of Ward-off (Peng) is directed outward. It is used to defend against the opponent's Press (An) to make him unable to Press (An) and block the chest and the abdomen. This is called Peng (Ward off). The meaning of the Ward-off (Peng) character differs slightly from the explanation in the Shuowen (traditional dictionary from the Han dynasty). In the Ward-off (Peng) manner, both right and left are treated in the same way, the most important is to avoid stiffness. If stiff, one cannot feel one’s own movements. If sluggish, one cannot know the opponent’s choices. If one is not aware of oneself and does not know the opponent, then it cannot push hands. When one is slow and heavy, Muscular Force (Li) has to be used to resist the opponent. The hands become ordinary dead hands. This is not what is aimed by the Taiji styles. Ward-off (Peng) is necessarily adhering and not resisting. The Ward-off (Peng) hands are directed outward, the Yi Intention (Yi) is to adhere and revolve, and one does not allow the hands press to one’s own chest. One should use Neutralizing Jin (Hua Jin) by relying on the waist's turning. Once the waist is turned, then the formation of Ward-off (Peng) is completed."

Dictated by 楊澄甫口述 Yang Chengfu, noted by 陳微明筆述 Chen Weiming, based on the translation by 楊俊敏 Yang Jwing Ming presented in the book 太極拳楊氏先哲秘要 Tai Chi Secrets of the Yang Style and various translations on the internet.