100% organized by locals, but foreigners were always welcome.
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So maybe some push-hands people just need to show up there and start pushing people around. 
I’m disappointed that I seem to have been singularly unlucky in finding push hands being practiced in the wild, having visited the likely areas during unpopular times like weekdays or a long vacation weekend, combined with possible dissipation of the previously-existing groups due to covid. I’m doing some web searches on the phrases 台北 太極拳 推手 公園 and there seem to be some relevant results, but nothing definitive yet.
An interesting anecdote, though from a long time ago, about taiji and other martial arts in Taipei parks can be read here: Donn Draeger & Robert Smith: Their Intersection Concerning Chinese Martial Arts - 古現武道 . There, Ellis Amdur says that when he was visiting martial artists in Taipei parks, he was warned about getting accidentally/intentionally hurt by ‘white crane’ groups in the parks, because their fighting method (using fingers as “beaks” to peck) was inherently dangerous and because their practice methods encouraged some kind of aggressive or unstable behavior.
I did notice that here on Forumosa there was a post last year from a white crane guy offering to teach: White Crane Fist.
Having seen mostly slow-moving taijiquan and qigong in Taipei parks, it’s hard for me to imagine seeing, in those same parks, more active, sparring-style practice. Does it still exist, post-covid? Inquiring minds want to know…
An update with some more information. I found this YouTube video from a guy in Taiwan doing push-hands.
I don’t recognize this location specifically, but I guess this must be 228 park in Taipei. According to the guy’s Facebook page, he/they seem to practice in 228 park from 10 AM to 12 PM Sundays.
My schedule wouldn’t have permitted me to visit the park at that time on Sunday, but at least this does seem to be an up-to-date piece of information about current push-hands practice in a Taipei park. Looks like authentic practice – in the above video, the guy who is pushed seems to do nothing, but the pusher “bounces” back against his opponent’s structure and flies backwards. I wish I could have experienced that myself! Maybe next time…
And, it seems that in Youth Park (青年公園) there is push-hands on Wednesday mornings from 8:30-10:30, where anybody interested can participate. https://www.facebook.com/suppletaichi/videos/青年公園鬆柔太極拳課程鬆柔推手的要訣在於推手訓練過程中教練必須具備輕靈的身手及身體之陰陽變化如太極拳論陰不離陽陽不離陰陰陽相濟方為懂勁陰陽之變在於雙手有動靜雙腳/985074592927784/
This is a Wing Chun guy. He seems to be pretty good at that, but I wouldn’t look to him for Taiji. Unfortunately, in this clip, he’s over reacting. The other clip is fairly typical of what you’ll find in many places which is the “wet noodle” push hands. The days of really good people are over. Most of them have died out and few of their students are interested or capable of continuing their teachings. Add to this lots of traditional and magical thinking and you end up with a whole lot of nothing.
228 used to have lots of different groups practicing starting around 7/8/9 am but a lot of that has changed over the past few years due to Covid and the idiots who control the park. They basically destroyed the areas where for decades people used practice. It’s shameful.
The biggest problem you’ll run into with most groups is that they have no training method. On top of that many believe they have skill, but can’t demonstrate it…because it’s only for special students or you’re not ready for it etc etc.
The closest you’ll get to practicing internal Chinese martial arts and learning applications is with Luo De Xiou who teaches at Chiang Kaichek memorial park. Otherwise, if you want to fight, do mma, bjj, boxing, or muythai.
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Yeah, I realized after re-watching the video that the pusher appears to be a student and the guy who is pushed away seems to be the teacher, and the teacher may have some motivation to over-react in order to prove that the technique or structure being taught works, when in fact it may not work so overtly.
Nope, that’s not me.
That’s where my interest lies. I did a bit of taijiquan decades ago and didn’t really think about it too much, but recently I’ve finally realized that taijiquan, and other internal Chinese martial arts, involve some very interesting, non-intuitive, and physically real internal body mechanics like fascial biotensegrity, full-body connected coiling power, and unusual use of internal body mechanics that “deceives” the opponent’s sense of touch/balance, giving you an opportunity to issue power in a quick and unexpected way to unbalance the opponent.
Thanks for the pointer! I found his home page here: https://www.yizong.org/index.php/en/example-styles/taiwan-classes . Are his classes at CSK memorial hall (CSK memorial park) free for observers to drop in?
That page also says that the classes at CSK memorial hall are baguazhang and xingyiquan, but the taijiquan classes are held at the following locations:
Wednesday 19-21h Yilan
Saturday 10-13 Tienmu, Taipei
The Wednesday location is not in Taipei, but the Saturday location may refer to “Tianmu Sports Park” in Taipei.
Good to keep in mind – now I have some more ideas for times/places to visit next time I’m in town.
Could you explain more about what happened? Who are the people who control the park, and what did they do to destroy the practice areas?