The Study of Taiji in the Sword (太極劍學) from the Study of Bagua Sword (八卦劍學)

太極劍學

太極者劍之形式也無極而生乾坤之母左轉之而為乾像右旋之而為坤形劍之旋轉是內中一氣之 流行也此理是一字而生這○自這○而又生Ф也這Ф當中之一竪是由靜極而生動在人謂之眞意在丹道謂之先天眞陽一氣為慧劍在形意拳中謂之先天無形之橫拳在八卦劍 中謂之太極此式初動內雖有乾坤之理外未具乾坤之象所以謂之太極劍也譬諸坐功由神氣定住再垂簾塞兌回光觀玄之時此時劍之初動是萬物之母是以此劍不必格外再用 內功之氣劍之動作規矩法則無不是內家拳術之道與丹道學之理丹書云慧劍可以消身內之魔寳劍可以辟世上之邪。

孫祿堂

"The grand polarity, as a sword posture, arises from nonpolarity and gives rise to the trigrams of Qian and Kun. Leftward circle walking corresponds to Qian. Rightward circle walking corresponds to Kun. The spinning of the sword is a continuous flow inside. To make an image of this principle: an empty circle. From an empty circle arises a divided circle. Within this divided circle, movement is generated by the extreme of stillness. People call it “truth”. Elixirists call it “innateness”. The authentic active aspect when it is continuous is the “sword of wisdom”. In Xingyi Boxing, it would be considered the innate shapelessness of the crossing technique. In Bagua Sword, it is called “grand polarity”. In this posture, at the beginning of the movement, although internally there is the theory of Qian and Kun, there is not yet such a shape externally, and so it is called the GRAND POLARITY POSTURE. It is like during seated meditation when mind enters void. This initial movement with the sword produces all that follows. Therefore with this posture it is not necessary to use another kind of internal energy. The standard for the sword movements is always the same as the ways of internal boxing arts and elixirism. The Elixir Book says: “The ‘wisdom sword’ can take away the body’s demons. The ‘precious sword’ can ward away the world’s evils."

起點先將腰塌勁頭往上頂住勁兩肩往下垂着勁舌頂上腭口似張非張似脗非脗鼻孔出氣呼吸要 自然不可着意兩足亦往上蹬勁諸處之勁皆是自然用意不要用拙力再將左手大拇指與二指中指伸直無名指與小指用力屈回稍節與中節根節直着與中指相倂五指屈伸用力 要均匀左手之式並非與他劍揑訣相同取其五指屈伸左手不必格外用力此式能助右手之劍屈伸往來變化之力亦並非一定不易之規矩有時亦可五指俱伸因劍之形式而定學 者不可膠執再將右足往裏扭直與左足成為四十五度之式兩手自中陰中陽皆與右足往裏扭時亦同時往外扭扭至兩手皆至太陰式停住兩胳膊仍靠着身子再將兩腿徐徐曲下 兩腿裏曲不可有死灣子如圖是也右手之劍亦與兩腿下曲時同時胳膊靠着右脇劍尖往着左足尖前平着伸去與左足尖前邊成一交會線手仍是太陰劍把劍尖與心口平左手亦 於劍動時手太陰着同時胳膊靠着左脇往右胳膊肘後下邊穿去手背挨着右胳膊左胳膊靠着心口兩眼望着劍尖看去將神氣定住頭頂兩肩下垂有往回縮之意皆是自然不可用 拙力方可得着中和之氣而注於丹田也。

"To begin, first get your waist to have an energy of sinking, your head to have an energy of pressing up, your shoulders to have an energy of hanging down. Your tongue touches your upper palate, your mouth is flat but not flat, pursed but not pursed. The breath is through your nose. The breathing should be natural and must not be concentrated upon. Your feet have an energy of pressing up. Everywhere the strength is natural, for you should use intention rather than awkward exertion. Then your left thumb, forefinger, and middle finger extend, while the ring finger and little finger forcefully bend inward from the middle knuckle, the section from root knuckle to middle knuckle lined up next to the middle finger. The fingers use the same degree of strength whether bending or extending. Your left hand’s posture is not really the same as the pinched swordsman’s hex of other sword sets. When your fingers bend and extend, your left hand does not need to use extra force. Its posture can assist the power of the sword’s bending and extending, coming and going, and transforming, rather than being a fixed and unchanging shape, for sometimes all five fingers can be extended, in accordance with the sword posture, and so you must not be obsessed with grasping. Then your right foot twists inward to point straight, making a forty-five degree angle with your left foot. As your right foot twists inward, your hands twist outward from their half passive positions until they are each in a full passive position, your arms still close to your body. Then your legs slowly bend downward, though it must not be a dead bend. It is like the photo. As your legs bend down, and with your right arm close to your right ribs, the sword extends with a flat blade in front of you and in line with your left toes, the hand still in its full passive position. The sword handle and sword tip are at solar plexus level. During the movement, your left hand, also still in its full passive position, is close to your left ribs and threads under and behind your right elbow, the back of the hand close to your right arm, the arm close to your solar plexus. Your gaze is toward the sword tip. Your spirit and energy stay stable. Your head presses up, but your shoulders drop down and have an intention of shrinking in. Everything should be natural and there must be no use of awkward exertion. Then you can have an energy of centered harmoniousness and concentrate it into your elixir field."

Translation by Paul Brennan of "Study of Bagua Sword" (八卦劍學) by Sūn Lùtáng (孫祿堂), to be found in the Brennan Translation blog.

The Study of Wuji in the Sword (無極劍學) from the Study of Bagua Sword (八卦劍學)

無極劍學

劍學之無極者，當人執劍身體未動之時也，此時心中空空洞洞混混沌沌一氣渾然，此理是一字生這〇，一字者先天之至道，這〇者無極之形式，是先天一字之所生。人生在世，未嘗學技動作自然，是道之所行，是一字也。及手執劍正立身體未動，是一字生這〇也。譬諸靜坐功夫，未坐之時，呼吸動作是先天道之自然之所行，如同一字也。甫坐之時，兩腿盤跌兩目平視，雖未垂簾觀玄兩手打扣，而心中空空洞洞無思無想一氣渾然，如同〇也。及心神定住，再扣手垂簾塞兌觀玄，又如同這矣。所以劍學與丹道，初無差別，分之則二合而為一，是即劍學無極之理，天地之始也。或者丹書雲：道生虛無，返回練虛合道，是此意也。學者細參之，此理大中秘密言之。

孫祿堂

"The study of Wuji in the sword refers to a man standing and holding the sword, and his body not yet moving. At this moment the center is empty and formless, the unified qi is undivided. This principle is represented by an empty circle, this character (the circle) and the pre-natal heaven follow the same way. The circle is the form of Wuji, it is the symbol of the creation of the Pre-natal. When people are born into the world, before they had learned skills, their natural movements are spontaneous in the Taoist way. When one holds the sword and stands up before the start of the movement, the symbol of the circle is generated.It is like doing sitting meditation, without sitting. Breathing is natural as the pre-natal dao, as the symbol (circle). At the time of sitting, both legs drop and both eyes look levelly ahead. Although you are not blindfolded, you still see the darkness, both hands closed. The interior is empty; there are no thoughts, no consideration, the one qi is undivided as the circle. The attention is still, again the hands turn inward and hang like a curtain, stop looking, this is like a dot in a circle. There is no difference between the study of the sword and the Daoist alchemy, the two are one. The principles of Wuji in the study of the sword are the same of those of the beginning of the world. The Dan Shu says “the Dao is born out of empty nothing, the practice of returning joins the Emptiness to the Dao”, this is the meaning. The student must pay detailed attention; this principle is one of the major secrets."

起點面正，身子直立不可俯仰，兩手下垂直，兩足為九十度之形式。右手執劍，手為中陰中陽之訣式，劍尖與劍把橫平直，左手五指伸直手心靠著腿，兩手兩足不可有一毫之動作。心中空空洞洞，意念思想一無所有，兩目望平直線看去，亦不可移轉，將神氣定住。此式自動而靜由一而生這〇，即為無極形式，內中一切情形與八卦拳學無異，此道執械則為劍，無械即是拳，所以八卦拳學於各種器械莫不包含，學者可與八卦拳并參之。

"The starting point is to look upright. The body stands upright, it should not pitch forward or backward. Both hands hand down straight. The feet form a 90 degree angle. The right hand holds the sword. The hand shape middle Yin middle Yang is the secret. The point of the sword together with the sword handle are leveled. The five fingers of the left hand are stretched out, the palm is near the leg. Neither hands nor feet should have one bit of movement. The mind is empty. There are not thoughts at all. Both eyes gaze at the horizon. The sight is set at the distance, it does not wander around. The vitality shall be present. This form is naturally moving and yet still, one is born from zero, this is the Wuchi form. In all circumstances it is part of the Study of Bagua Quan. This is the way to hold a weapon and make it function as a sword. Because the study of the fist is without weapon, the study of Bagua Quan includes all kinds of weapons. The student can combine (the study of the sword) with Bagua Quan."

From the book The Study of Bagua Sword (八卦劍學), by Sūn Lùtáng (孫祿堂), based on the translation by Joseph Crandall