The ${10ar{1}2}$ twinning characteristics, such as active twin variants, volume fraction of twins with strain, twin morphology, twin texture and angle relationship between twins, were dependent on the activation mode (i.e., tension parallel to the caxis or compression perpendicular to the c-axis). The selection criterion of active twin variants was governed by the Schmid law. This activation of selected twin variants depending on the activation mode consequently caused a totally different plastic deformation behavior in two activation modes. The differences in the deformation characteristics, such as flow stress and work hardening rate, between both activation modes were explained in relation with activation stresses for slips and twinning, relative activities of twinning and slips during plastic deformation, grain refining effect by twin boundaries (Hall-Petch effect), and twinning-induced change in activities of slips.