"Stand on your right foot to advance with your left, then stand on your left foot to advance with your right.
When stepping, first the heel comes down, then the toes grip the ground. The step should be steady. The body should stand sturdy.
A punch is heavy and vigorous, leaving with the hand loose, then contacting with a completed fist. When making the fist, it should roll up tight to grasp with energy.
Above and below, the energy should be even. Going out and coming back is dictated by your mind. Your eyes, hands, and feet go along with the movement, no part overemphasizing nor underemphasizing, nothing acting independently.
The elbow lowers and covers, then the hand lowers and covers.
Your right foot begins, the elbow going forward. This is the exchanging of steps.
Punch from the center, putting the power of your whole body into the hand. Your hand acts through your mind and your mind acts through your hand. Advance with body and step so that in each step and punch, when one part moves, all parts move along with it. The key to issuing power is that when one part grasps in, the whole body grasps in, and when one part reaches out, the whole body reaches out. Grasp in all the way to your root, and reach out all the way with an advance. It is like a cannon tightly wrapped, which shoots that much more powerfully.
Regardless of what kind of attack, be it lifting up, pressing down, scraping, spinning, slashing, thrusting, hatcheting, elbowing, using the forearm, hip-slapping, headbutting, or whether it is advancing, retreating, the front hand and foot the same, the front hand and foot opposite, or whether it be forward or back, left or right, up or down, the various means of attack should all flow continuously one after the other.
When your hands go forth and are the first to occupy the “main entrance”, this is called skill.
Your joints should be coordinated. If they are not coordinated, there will be no power. When grabbing, the hand should be nimble. If it is not nimble, there will be randomness. When attacking, the hand should be quick. If it is not quick, it will be too late. When lifting, the hand should be lively. If it is not lively, it will not be quick. When striking, the hand should be followed upon. If it is not followed, there will be no reinforcements. Your intent should be poisonous. If there is no poison, there will be no precision. Feet and hands should be lively. If they are not lively, it will be risky. Your mind should be shrewd. If it is not shrewd, you will get tricked.
When attacking, you should have the fierceness of a seizing eagle. All that is seen outside is your skin, but within there is boldness. When the moment comes, act with skill. Never fear nor hesitate. Be both careful and courageous. Show a kind face to mask your vicious intent. In stillness, be like a scholar. In movement, be like a thunderclap.
The opponent’s incoming attack should be carefully observed. Is he tilting his head when he kicks? Is he lifting his arm when he punches? Is he twisting his torso when he steps forward? Is he leaning his torso when he strikes? Is he stepping out at an angle when he switches his feet? Is he pushing himself away when blocking and striking? Is he over-straightening his leg in order to get to you?
When guarding to the east, you must prepare against danger to the west. When there is emptiness above, there will be solidity below. The fast technique defeats the slow technique. There are countless cunning ways to attack, but the best will come from your own contemplations.
The real stuff is to be found in the common sayings.
Lifting seeks to drop. Dropping seeks to lift. Lifting and dropping should follow each other.
When torso and hands arrive at the same time, it is correct.
Using your thighs like scissors [i.e. your thighs squeezing together as your rear foot follows your front foot], target [with your hand] the opponent’s brow.
When you turn around, it is like a tiger searching a hillside, then like a delicate robe hanging from a tree that gives no shade [i.e. Decisively look behind you, but then wait in ghostly stillness for the moment to act.].
Lift your hand like a flash of lighting. Drop your hand like a crash of thunder. It is also like wind pushing aside rain, an eagle catching a rabbit, a hawk slipping through the forest, a rooster pecking away a goose, and like you are trying to [go through the opponent to] touch the ground.
When your hand lifts, the three centers are to be aligned with each other.
When you are still, be like one reading a book, and when you are in motion, be like a dragon or tiger.
When out of range to strike with your hands, both hands are to be guarding your ribs.
When attacked to your right side, meet it with your right side [and likewise for the left]. This will deal with an opponent quicker.
At a distance, strike with hand or foot. When close in, strike with elbow or knee. The two ranges should be understood when punching and kicking.
The direction of your head will compel the direction of your posture, but examine the opponent to be able to decide when to advance.
Do not outwardly reveal your intention, for if you do you are sure to fail.
To deal with an opponent quickly, consider the surrounding environment so as to strike from a superior position.
Your hands should be quick. Your feet should be nimble. The movements of the postures are like the steps of a cat. Your mind should be decisive. Your eyes should be focused. When your hands and feet act in unison, you are sure to win.
If your hand arrives but your step does not, your attack on an opponent will not have its full effect, but if hand and step arrive at the same time, the attack on the opponent will be like spreading grass aside.
When attacking above, go for the throat. When below, go for the groin. When to the side, go for the ribs. When to the middle, go for the solar plexus. When attacking forward, the range can be more than ten feet. When close in, it all happens within an inch.
When your body moves, it is like a wrecking ball going through a wall. When your foot comes down, it is like a tree planting roots.
Your hand lifts like a cannon shooting straight ahead. Your body should be like a writhing snake. “Attack its head, its tail counters. Attack its tail, its head counters. Attack its middle, head and tail counter together.” [Art of War, chapter 11]
When attacking forward, you must consider behind. To know how to advance, you must know how to retreat.
Your mind moves fast as a horse. Your spirit moves fast as the wind.
When you practice, there seems to be an opponent in front of you, yet when you fight an opponent, it is as though no one is there.
When your front hand lifts, your rear hand hastens after it, and when your front foot lifts, your rear foot closely follows.
You do not perceive your hands in front of you as hands, nor your elbows in front of your chest as elbows [because the key is the whole sum that they are merely parts of].
Neither attack nor advance just because you see a gap. [Control the opponent first, preventing him from covering his center when you attack, then go in.] Your fist is not to strike when you are lifting and dropping without purpose.
Once your hand lifts, your foot should come down. Once your foot comes down, your hand should lift.
Your mind should be ahead of the opponent’s, your intent should defeat him, your body should attack him, and your step should walk through him. What your front leg seems to add, your rear leg seems to further increase.
Your head should go up, your chest should go forward, your waist should lengthen, and your elixir field should wield energy. From headtop to foot, there should be a single energy running between them.
If you are afraid, you will lose. If you are unable to interpret his words or manner,you will be unable to guard against him, and you will certainly be unable to beat him to the punch.
The one who moves first becomes the teacher. The one who moves after becomes the student. The more you can give thought to advancing, the less you are being trained to retreat.
The three sections should be settled into place. The three points should align with each other. The four tips should be equal.
Understanding the three centers means more power. Understanding triple sectioning means more focus. Understanding the four antennas means more essence. Understanding the five elements means more energy. Understanding that none of the three sections are to be excessive or deficient means greater adaptability in lifting and dropping, advancing and retreating.
A posture is made by the “three turnings in nine revolutions” [the process of essence turning into energy, energy turning into spirit, spirit returning to void, exercised over and over again], and the mind should always be in charge. The cooperation of the five elements moves the two energies [passive and active – metal and water being passive, wood and fire being active, earth being a balance of both]. Practice constantly, never missing a day. When in a fight, there is struggle. But if you have been working at it for a long time, there will instead be naturalness.
These are words of conviction, not empty platitudes."
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.
