第八章 八、要論
身法維何，縱橫高低，進退反側而已，縱則放其勢，一往而不返，橫則裹其力，開拓而莫阻，高則揚其身，而身若有增長之勢，低則抑其身，而身若有攢捉之形，當進則進，殫其身而勇往直冲，當退則退，領其氣而回轉伏勢，至于反身顧后，后即前也，側顧左右，使左右無敢當我，而要非拘拘焉為之也，必先察人之強弱，運我之機關，有忽縱而忽橫，縱橫因勢而變遷，不可一概而推，有忽高而忽低，高低隨時以轉移，不可執格而論，時而宜進，故不可退而餒其氣，時而宜退，即當以退，而鼓其進，是進固進也，即退而亦實以賴其進，若返身顧后，顧其后而以不覺其為后，側顧左右，而左右以不覺其為左右矣，總之機關在眼，變通在心，而握其要者，則本諸身，身而前，則四體不令而行矣，身而却，則百骸莫不冥然而處矣，身法顧可置而不論乎。
身法維何，縱橫高低，進退反側而已，縱則放其勢，一往而不返，橫則裹其力，開拓而莫阻，高則揚其身，而身若有增長之勢，低則抑其身，而身若有攢捉之形，當進則進，殫其身而勇往直冲，當退則退，領其氣而回轉伏勢，至于反身顧后，后即前也，側顧左右，使左右無敢當我，而要非拘拘焉為之也，必先察人之強弱，運我之機關，有忽縱而忽橫，縱橫因勢而變遷，不可一概而推，有忽高而忽低，高低隨時以轉移，不可執格而論，時而宜進，故不可退而餒其氣，時而宜退，即當以退，而鼓其進，是進固進也，即退而亦實以賴其進，若返身顧后，顧其后而以不覺其為后，側顧左右，而左右以不覺其為左右矣，總之機關在眼，變通在心，而握其要者，則本諸身，身而前，則四體不令而行矣，身而却，則百骸莫不冥然而處矣，身法顧可置而不論乎。
"What are the methods for the body? To release and rein in, to go high and low, to advance and retreat, to turn and incline.
To release is to express power, sending it all in one direction so it does not get turned back. To rein in is to bind up power, building it up so no one will be able to resist it.
To go high is to raise the body up so it seems to be lengthened. To go low is to bow the body down so it seems to be squeezed in.
When it is time to advance, I advance, springing with my body, valiantly charging straight in. When it is time to retreat, I retreat, leading my energy so that it reverses me into a crouched posture [i.e. prepared to spring forward again].
When turning around to face behind, what is behind becomes what is in front. When facing to the left and right, I ensure no one dare attack me from the side.
It is important that these points not be turned into a restrictive formula.
I must first observe an opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, which will give me my strategy. I suddenly release and suddenly rein in, adjusting according to the situation, for I must not be stubborn about when to use one or the other. I go suddenly high or suddenly low, adapting as circumstances demand, for I must not hold to a preconceived pattern.
When it is appropriate to advance, I must not retreat and thereby make myself timid. When it is appropriate to retreat, I should retreat, and yet with a readiness to advance. Therefore, advancing is a matter of advancing whole-heartedly, and retreating is also actually a matter of advancing.
When I turn around to face behind me, I have no notion of it as being behind. When I face to either side, I have no notion of them as being a left or a right. To sum up, operations are in your sight and adaptations are in your mind. [To clarify the summing up, your view of the situation is always forward and your sense of your changing surroundings is always inside you.]
Once the essentials have been grasped, they become the basis for the whole body. When going forward, every limb moves uncommanded, and when withdrawing, every bone arrives without a thought. However, these things cannot be considered without being described."
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.
To release is to express power, sending it all in one direction so it does not get turned back. To rein in is to bind up power, building it up so no one will be able to resist it.
To go high is to raise the body up so it seems to be lengthened. To go low is to bow the body down so it seems to be squeezed in.
When it is time to advance, I advance, springing with my body, valiantly charging straight in. When it is time to retreat, I retreat, leading my energy so that it reverses me into a crouched posture [i.e. prepared to spring forward again].
When turning around to face behind, what is behind becomes what is in front. When facing to the left and right, I ensure no one dare attack me from the side.
It is important that these points not be turned into a restrictive formula.
I must first observe an opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, which will give me my strategy. I suddenly release and suddenly rein in, adjusting according to the situation, for I must not be stubborn about when to use one or the other. I go suddenly high or suddenly low, adapting as circumstances demand, for I must not hold to a preconceived pattern.
When it is appropriate to advance, I must not retreat and thereby make myself timid. When it is appropriate to retreat, I should retreat, and yet with a readiness to advance. Therefore, advancing is a matter of advancing whole-heartedly, and retreating is also actually a matter of advancing.
When I turn around to face behind me, I have no notion of it as being behind. When I face to either side, I have no notion of them as being a left or a right. To sum up, operations are in your sight and adaptations are in your mind. [To clarify the summing up, your view of the situation is always forward and your sense of your changing surroundings is always inside you.]
Once the essentials have been grasped, they become the basis for the whole body. When going forward, every limb moves uncommanded, and when withdrawing, every bone arrives without a thought. However, these things cannot be considered without being described."
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.