Push hands is a training tool to develop and to check your abilities and to get a feedback where you are right now on your way to mastership.
People who neglect these exercises because they just want to practice the health and the meditation aspect of Tai Chi, without getting involved into the martial art aspect, do not understand that the perfection and integration of the martial art aspect of Tai Chi leads to a more perfect aligned, rooted and relaxed body structure, that will greatly influence the free flow of chi and the amount of chi flowing through your body.
So mastering the martial arts aspect is essential if you want to improve the health benefit you will get from practicing Tai Chi.
Your meditation or focus will greatly improve by practicing push hands.
Who will be able to get a master out of focus? See for yourself.
See also: Ling Kong Jing (Empty Force) Demo by Master Shr on Bill Moyers Special
Huang Sheng-Shyan, ???, Huang Hsing-hsien (WG) or Huáng Xìngxián (py) was born in 1910 in Minhou County of the Fujian province in Mainland China. He began studying Fujian White Crane with Xie Zhong-Xian at the age of 14.
In 1947 he resettled in Taiwan where he became a disciple of Cheng Man-ch’ing. Yang Ch’eng-fu as the grandson of the Yang style founder, had been Cheng Man-Ching’s teacher.Huang committed himself to this tradition for the next 45 years.