Discriminate Insubstantial and Substantial (分虛實) from The Ten Important Points of Tai Chi Chuan (太極拳十要)

分虛實

太極拳術以分虛實為第一義，如全身皆坐在右腿，則右腿為實，左腿為虛﹔全身皆坐在左腿，則左腿為實，右腿為虛。虛實能分，而后轉動輕靈，毫不費力﹔如不能分，則邁步重滯，自立不穩，而易為人所牽動。

楊澄甫

"The discrimination of insubstantial and substantial is the most important content in Taijiquan. If the entire body is all sitting on the right leg, then the right leg is substantial and the left leg is insubstantial. If the entire body is all sitting on the left leg, then the left leg is substantial and the right leg is insubstantial. When the insubstantial and substantial can be discriminated, then the turning and movement can be light and agile, without wasting too much power. If (they) cannot be discriminated, then the stepping is heavy and stagnant, the self stance is not steady and can be pulled and moved easily by the opponent."

By Yáng Chéngfǔ (楊澄甫), based on the translation by by Yang Jwing Ming (楊俊敏) presented in the book Tai Chi Secrets of the Yang Style (太極拳楊氏先哲秘要) and various translations on the internet

First Secret Song (歌訣一) from the The Thirty-Six Songs of Baguazhang (八卦掌三十六歌)

歌訣一

空胸拔頂下塌腰，
扭步掰膝抓地牢。
沈肩墜肘伸前掌，
二目須從虎口瞧。

"Relax the chest, lift up the crown of the head, and let the waist sink,
Twist the step, lock the knees together, grab the ground.
Sink the shoulders, drop the elbows, and extend the front palm forward,
Both eyes look through the tiger's mouth."

Based on the translations by Yang Jwing Ming (楊俊敏) and Liang Shou You (梁守渝) in "Baguazhang - Theory and Applications" (峨嵋八卦掌) and by Frank Allen and Tina Chunna Zhang in "The Whirling Circles of Ba Gua Zhang"

The Essence and Applications of Tai Chi Chuan (太極拳體用全書) by Yáng Chéngfǔ (楊澄甫) translated by Louis Swaim

Classics are the books that everyone should read and almost nobody does. This 1934 book by Yáng Chéngfǔ (楊澄甫) is a classic in its own right, as it was one of the books of its generation to open wide the tradition. It was not the only one, Sūn Lùtáng (孫祿堂) and others have done likewise. Moved by the nationalistic fervor of the time, they all wanted to share practices that would strenghen fellow countrymen. Being one among others does not diminish its merits, as the company is very noble, and this is one the first veritable book on the Yáng Style Tàijíquán (楊氏太极拳).
It reads like a manual, as it is supposed to do. The translator, Louis Swaim goes far in lifting ambiguity and clarifying the text for the western reader. More than the instructions themselves, the main interest for me is in the pictures: seeing the postures executed by a grand master is always a lesson in itself, even though a beginner like me cannot capture much of what is really going on.

Bāguàzhăng Applications (八卦掌打法) by Sūn Zhìjūn (孫志君)