Friday, July 26, 2013

Ancient Way to Keep Fit

The book in itself is a beautiful object, what I would classify as an arty book. It contains a rather long list of Qì​gōng (氣功) routines from different times and periods. Its paintings and drawings are well reproducted, it is printed on quality paper, the ensemble is quite a nice catalog of ancient routines.
It should not though be taken for an instructional book. There is no such intention, as far as I see: there are no descriptions of the routines, no details, no additional instructions. I would argue that it is impossible to learn Qì​gōng (氣功) or Internal Martial Arts (内家武術) from any book. This book has no such ambition and is still a good companion, its value is on the historical perspective that it provides.

Friday, July 19, 2013

The Song of the Legs (股) in the Nine Songs of Xing Yi Quan (形意拳九歌) by Jiāng Róngqiáo (薑容樵)


左股在前,
右股後撐,
似直不直,
似弓不弓,
雖有直曲,
每見雞形。
薑容樵
"The left leg is in front.
The right leg supports in the rear.
They look straight without being straight.
They look like a bow without being a bow.
Although they are both straight and curved,
Each has the appearance of a chicken’s leg."

From the book Xing Yi Mother Fists (形意母拳), by Jiāng Róngqiáo (薑容樵), based on the translation by Joseph Crandall

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Loot a Burning House (趁火打劫) from the Thirty-Six Stratagems (三十六計)

趁火打劫

敵之害大,就勢取利,剛決柔也。
"When a country is beset by internal conflicts, when disease and famine ravage the population, when corruption and crime are rampant, then it will be unable to deal with an outside threat. This is the time to attack."

Quoted from Chinese Classics and Translations

Friday, July 5, 2013

Fourteenth Secret Song (歌訣十四) from the The Thirty-Six Songs of Baguazhang (八卦掌三十六歌)

歌訣十四

此掌與人大不同,
前手後手力相通。
欲使梢兮先動根,
招招如是不得松。
"This palm is very different from others.
The power (Li) of the front palm and the rear palm are connected.
If one wishes to use the tip of the branch, one must move the roots.
This applies to every move, thus it should not be neglected."

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"