Introduction

Are you a martial arts practitioner who would like opportunities to work with partners to compliment your solo training and your in-class experience? You're probably not looking for a new style or a new school-- just more chances to practice with a range of abilities, backgrounds, and body-types. There are plenty of other women and men from all martial backgrounds looking for the same thing. Let's find a place in the park and train!

About

  • What it is

    A simple partner practice with a lifetime of depth.

    A place to develop structure, sensitivity, timing, and difficult skills without making every exchange about winning.

    A framework for safely increasing comfort with contact, conflict, and intensity.

  • What it is not

    A contest of raw strength. The practice is about cultivating skill.

    A structured class, even when teachers happen to be present. Everyone shows up to practice with and learn from one another.

    Fight Club—or a sparring group. Nothing wrong with those things, but that's for another time and place.

  • Basics

    "Push Hands" or "Tui Shou" covers a range of partner exercises for developing structure, sensitivity, coordination, and martial timing.

    Practice can be highly structured and fixed, or freestyle and moving. Partners choose the format and intensity together.

Push Hands around the Bay

Recurring places to meet training partners, compare approaches, and practice.

Ohlone Park Push Hands

Berkeley · Monthly

Ohlone Park Second Saturdays

When
Second Saturday · 10am–1pm
Where
Ohlone Park · Berkeley

The long-running open Bay Area gathering: cross-style, varied experience levels, and a different mix of people every month.

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Thousand Oaks Push Hands

North Berkeley · Weekly

Thousand Oaks Push Hands Group

When
Saturdays · 10am–12pm
Where
Thousand Oaks Elementary

A smaller group with a deep pool of experience. Everyone is welcome, and it is also the Ohlone rain-out fallback.

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Peninsula Push Hands

Peninsula · Three times weekly

Peninsula Push Hands

When
Sun 10am · Tue 5:30pm · Thu 5pm
Where
Menlo Park and Laurelwood Park, San Mateo

Primarily Chen-style fixed-pattern practice, with practitioners of other Push Hands approaches welcome.

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Aerial view of Livermore, California

Livermore · Monthly

May Nissen Park Fourth Sundays

When
Fourth Sunday · 10am
Where
May Nissen Park · Livermore

A new open gathering beginning October 25, 2026, modeled after the Ohlone and Thousand Oaks meetups. Expected meeting area: near the park restrooms.

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Your Group Here

Host or organize an open Push Hands event in the Bay Area? Let people know where the fun is.

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Information and Links to resources