Forward is the opposite of pushing

Sifu often tells us that pushing is wrong and I don't think I grasped this even slightly, until recently. (and still struggle to put it into practice.)

I was trying to complete a Tan Sao move with Sifu testing me. He was, as he always is, checking if I was using the little idea or the big idea to complete the movement. 

Despite his constant reaffirming of the it was the third try before I managed to complete the moment with the little idea. 

And I noticed something, the proceeding times I had felt the resistance in my shoulder. I had felt the force there like I was trying to counter act his force by reacting against it. On the third try it felt like I was doing the opposite. 

Because my joints were rotating the top of my shoulder was actually going backwards whilst my hand was going forward. Before I had been pushing with my shoulder which limited the joints freedom to move and had given sifu something to push against.

He says it is very common for people to want to react to the incoming force like this and that part of the habit we are trying to cultivate. We have to let go!