Lively (活) from Foundation (基礎)Redondo (圓) de Fundamentos (基礎)

活

活者，靈活之謂。無笨重遲滯之意。上述各節貫通後，則伸屈開合、進退俯仰，無不自由。所謂能呼吸，而後能靈活也。

"Lively means agile. There is no clumsiness to block the intention. As mentioned in the paragraphs above, after every segment is linked up extend and bend, open and close, advance and retreat, lower and raise, will all be done freely. This means that from the ability to breathe comes agility."

By Wú Gōngzǎo (吳公藻), based on the translation by by Yang Jwing Ming (楊俊敏) presented in the book Tai Chi Secrets of the Wu Style (太極拳吳氏先哲秘要).

""

De Wú Gōngzǎo (吳公藻), baseado na tradução de Yang Jwing Ming (楊俊敏) apresentada no livro Tai Chi Secrets of the Wu Style (太極拳吳氏先哲秘要).

Féng​ Zhèng​bǎo​ (馮正寳) demonstrating Bāguàzhăng (八卦掌) Training

The Explanation of Eight, Five and Thirteen Postures in Long Fist (八五十三勢長拳解) by Yáng​ Bān​hóu​ (楊班侯)

八五十三勢長拳解

自己用功，一勢一式，用成之後，含之為長，滔滔不斷，周而復始，所以名“長拳”也。萬不得有一定之架子，恐日久入於滑拳也，又恐入於硬拳也，決不可失其綿軟。周身往復，精神意氣之本，用久自然貫通，無往不至，何堅不推也。於人對待，四手當先，亦自八門五步而來。跕四手，四手碾磨，進退四手，中四手，上下四手，三才四手，由下乘長拳四手起，大開大展，練至緊湊，屈伸自由之功，則升之中，上成矣。

楊班侯

"After succeeding in one’s diligent study of each posture and each form, they should be kept as in one long, continuous, endless cycle called therefore “Long Fist”. The form should not become fixed, it should be feared that it gradually becomes smooth, it should also be feared that it gradually becomes stiff, one should not lose the continuous flexibility. The back and forth movement of the whole body is the root of the spirit of vitality, the intention and the energy. After a long practice, they will all be linked together naturally and can be used at will. When sparring correctly with an opponent, if the four hands are suitable, they will be first, this is originated from the eight doors and the five steppings. Variating the four hands, turning and coiling with the four hands, advance and retreat with the four hands, keep the central equilibrium with the four hands, go up and down with these four hands, harmonize the three powers with these four hands. Start from the basic four hands of “Long Fist”, open and extend widely until they become compact and tight. This bending and extending freely as wished is the achievement of a higher level of skill."

Based on the translation 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)

Drinking Alone with the Moon (月下獨酌) by Lǐ​ Bái (李白)

月下獨酌

花間一壺酒， 獨酌無相親；
舉杯邀明月， 對影成三人。
月既不解飲， 影徒隨我身；
暫伴月將影， 行樂須及春。
我歌月徘徊， 我舞影零亂；
醒時同交歡， 醉後各分散。
永結無情遊， 相期邈雲漢。

李白

"From a pot of wine among the flowers
I drank alone. There was no one with me –
Till, raising my cup, I asked the bright moon
To bring me my shadow and make us three.
Alas, the moon was unable to drink
And my shadow tagged me vacantly;
But still for a while I had these friends
To cheer me through the end of spring....
I sang. The moon encouraged me.
I danced. My shadow tumbled after.
As long as I knew, we were boon companions.
And then I was drunk, and we lost one another.
...Shall goodwill ever be secure?
I watch the long road of the River of Stars."

Unless noted otherwise, all translations of Tang Poetry come from the Chinese Classics and Translations website, tranlations by Witter Bynner.

The Five Organs and Their Associations (五) from The Essentials of Yue Fei's Boxing Art (附岳武穆形意拳術要論)

第五章　五、要論

今夫捶以言勢，勢以言氣，人得五臟以成形，即由五臟而生氣，五臟實為生性之源，生氣之本，而名為心、肝、脾、肺、腎是也，心為火，而有炎上之象，肝為木，而有曲直之形，脾為土，而有敦厚之勢，肺為金，而有縱革之能，腎為水，而有潤下之功，此乃五臟之義，而必準之于氣者，以其各有所配合焉，此所以論武事者，要不能離乎斯也，胸膈為肺經之位，而為諸臟之華蓋，故肺經動而諸臟不能靜，兩乳之中為心，而肺包護之，肺之下，胃之上，心經之位也，心為君火，動而相火無不奉合也，而兩肋之間，左為肝，右為脾，背脊十四骨節，皆為腎，此固五臟之位，然五臟之系，皆系于背脊，通于腎髓，故為腎，至于腰，則兩腎之本位，而為先天之第一，尤為諸臟之根源，故腐水足而金木水火土咸有生機，此乃五臟之位也，且五臟之存于內者，

"In boxing arts, we discuss postures, and to do that, we discuss energy. The posture is made by the five organs in the body, for the energy is generated from the five organs. The five organs are truly the source of our life force and the basis of generating energy. They are the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys.
The heart relates to the element of fire, which blazes upward. The liver relates to the element of wood, which bends and straightens. The spleen relates to the element of earth, which supplies abundance. The lungs relate to the element of metal, which obeys and overthrows. The kidneys relate to the element of water, which soaks downward. These are the relationships for the five organs. Their energies must be maintained at the right level, for they each play their role within a cooperative whole. A discussion of martial matters cannot avoid this.
The diaphragm is where the lung energy is positioned. It is the canopy for the other organs. When the lungs move, the other organs are unavoidably affected. At the center of the chest is the heart. The lungs are wrapped over it and protect it. Under the lungs and above the stomach is where the heart energy is positioned. The heart is ruler over [the other body parts associated with] the element of fire. When it moves, all the other fire correspondences [such as the vessels, the blood, and the tongue] accord with it. Behind the ribs on the left [right] side is the liver, and on the right [left] side is the spleen. To the sides of the lumbar vertebrae are the kidneys.
This is how the five organs are positioned, but as for their relationship, they are all connected through the spine to the essential fluid of the kidneys. Positioned in the waist, the kidneys are the first stage in the processing of innate energy and are the basis for the other organs. When the kidney fluid is sufficient, all of the five elements have vitality. This is why the five organs are positioned as they are.

各有其定位，而具于身者，亦自有所專屬，領頂腦骨背腎是也，兩耳亦為腎，兩唇，兩腮皆脾也，兩發則為肺，天庭為六陽之首，而萃五臟之精華，實為頭面之主腦，不啻一身之座督矣，印堂者，陽明胃氣之衝，天庭性起，機由此達，生發之氣，由腎而達于六陽，實為天庭之樞機也，兩目皆為肝，而究之上包，為脾，下包為胃，大角為心經，小角為小腸，白則為肺，黑則為肝，瞳則為腎，實為五臟之精華所聚，而不得專謂之肝也，鼻孔為肺，兩頤為腎，耳門之前為膽經，耳后之高骨，亦腎也，鼻為中央之土，萬物資生之源，實中氣之主也，入中為血氣之會，上衝印堂，達于天庭，亦為至要之所，兩唇之下為承漿，承漿之下為地閣，上與天庭相應，亦腎經位也，領頂頸項者，五臟之道途氣血之總會，前為食氣出入之道，后為腎氣升降之途，肝氣由之而左旋，脾氣由之而右旋，其系更重，而為周身之要領，兩乳為肝，兩肩為肺，兩肘為腎，四肢為脾，兩肩背膊皆為脾，而十指則為心、肝、脾、肺、腎是也，膝與脛皆腎也，兩脚根為腎之要，涌泉為腎穴，大約身之所系，心者為心，窩者為肺，骨之露處皆為腎，筋之聯處皆為肝，肉之厚處皆為脾，象其意，心如猛虎，肝如箭，脾氣力大甚無窮，肝經之位最靈變，腎氣之動快如風，其為用也，用其經，舉凡身之所屬于某經者，終不能無意焉，是在當局者自為體認，而非筆墨所能為者也，至于生克制化，雖別有論，而究其要領，自有統會，五行百體，總為一元，四體三心合為一氣，奚必昭昭于某一經絡節節而為之哉。

岳飛

"The five organs have their fixed positions within, but also have special areas of association throughout the body, for instance the neck, headtop, brain, bones, and back are related to the kidneys. The ears are also related to the kidneys. The lips and cheeks are related to the spleen. The hair is related to the lungs. Tianting [the acupoint at the center of the forehead] is the source of the six active meridians, the gathering place of the essence of the five organs. Truly it is the leader of the face, and is no less than the supervisor over the whole body.
Yintang [the acupoint between the eyebrows] is the major spot on the stomach meridian. When vitality awakens at Tianting, it is because of activity at Yintang, and when energy is generated from the kidneys and reaches to the six active meridians, it is indeed because of the activity at Tianting.
The eyes as a whole are related to the liver, but as for the specific parts of the eye: the inner corner is related to the heart energy, the outer corner is related to the small intestine, the sclera is related to the lungs, the iris is related to the liver, and the pupil is related to the kidneys. Truly this is the place where the essence of the five organs is gathered, and is not just related to the liver.
The nostrils are related to the lungs. The cheeks are related to the kidneys. The forward flap of the ear is related to the energy of the gallbladder. The area of skull rising up from behind the ear is also related to the kidneys. The nose is related to the center, the source of sustenance for all parts [seeing as air is the most basic fuel we take in], and is truly lord over the central energy."

Excerpt from the translation by Paul Brennan of "The Art of Xingyi Boxing" (形意拳術) by Lǐ Jiànqiū​(李劍秋), to be found in the Brennan Translation blog.

Round (圓) from Foundation (基礎)Redondo (圓) de Fundamentos (基礎)

圓

圓者，圓滿之謂。每一姿勢一動作， 務求圓滿，而無缺陷。則能完整一氣，而免凸凹斷續之病。推手運用各勁，非圓不靈。能圓則活，處處能圓，則無往不利。

"Round means consummate. Every posture is a complete action, in which one engages to be consummate and without flaws, and therefore be able to unify the movement, and avoid the flaw of the intermittent concave and convex. It is put to use in each and every Jin in Tuishou, if it is not round it is not effective. If the movement can be round, it is lively. If every movement is round, then one will be always successful."

By Wú Gōngzǎo (吳公藻), based on the translation by by Yang Jwing Ming (楊俊敏) presented in the book Tai Chi Secrets of the Wu Style (太極拳吳氏先哲秘要).

""

De Wú Gōngzǎo (吳公藻), baseado na tradução de Yang Jwing Ming (楊俊敏) apresentada no livro Tai Chi Secrets of the Wu Style (太極拳吳氏先哲秘要).