The media is full of misinformation about martial arts and Taiji, particularly its focus on punches and kicks. Their dramatic exchange drives the imagination, especially when the hero is outnumbered. But nothing could be farther from the truth in real-life application. The exchange of blows is dangerous, with a fifty percent chance of failure. This success rate in some martial arts systems is acceptable, but not in Chen's. The objective is one hundred percent success, so it operates on the premise of "Nine Cages," coupled with tilting.
When an opponent is tilted in any direction, their connection to the upper and lower parts of the body and the ground is broken. In this situation, their attack is powerless and amounts to flailing about. Sifu Chen taught that only under this condition could a student, Fa Jing, deliver power to their opponent.
In push-hands, tilting is a primary objective a player tries to create in the challenger. It "uproots" the other person by cutting connections to linkages that can generate power, mainly their connection to the ground. Its importance cannot be underestimated and should be considered the introduction to Na energy, "locking" the opponent's joints.
When the opponent is titled or locked, the devastation they experience from a blow differs from when they are not. It rends the connective tissues. Tendons and fascia are torn apart, creating a unique " internal" injury that Chen's can produce.