National Geographic Kung Fu Quest: At the Apex of Wudang (武當之巔)

Excerpt from Important Explanations for the Accomplishment of the Thirteen Postures (十三勢行功要解) by Wǔ Yǔxiāng (武禹襄)

收即是放,放即是收,斷而復連.

武禹襄

"To collect is to release, to release is to collect; join snap and return (to the original state)."

By Wǔ Yǔxiāng (武禹襄), based on the translation by Yang Jwing Ming (楊俊敏) presented in the book Tai Chi Secrets of the Wu & Li Styles (太極拳武李氏先哲秘要) and various translations on the internet.

Excerpt from Report of Liú Qílán (劉奇蘭) Sayings (述劉奇蘭先生言) in Boxing Concepts Explained Authentically (拳意述真)

三則

道藝之用者。心中空空洞洞。不勉而中。不思而得。從容中道。而時出之。拳無拳。意無意。無意之中。是真意。心無其心心空也。身無其身身空也。古人云。所謂空而不空。不空而空。是謂真空。雖空乃至實至誠也。忽然有敵人來擊。心中並非有意打他。無意即無火也隨彼意而應之拳經云。靜為本體。動為作用。即是寂然不動。感而遂通。無可無不可也。此是養靈根而靜心者所用之法也。夫練拳至無。拳無意之境。乃能與太虛同體。故用之奥妙而不可測然能至是者鮮矣。。

郭雲深

"The function of the Daoist arts is to empty the mind within. When there is no effort, there is centering. When there is no expectation, there is obtaining. Follow the easy balanced way and the moment will emerge. [It says in the Boxing Classics:] “The boxing is without boxing. The intention is without intention. Within no intention is true intention.”
The mind is without mind, for the mind is empty. The body is without body, for the body is empty. An ancient man [Kumarajiva in his commentary to the Diamond Sutra] described this as: “Empty but not empty, not empty but empty – this is known as true emptiness.” Even though you are empty, you thereby achieve perfect genuineness and sincerity. Suddenly an opponent attacks you, but within your mind there is no intention of striking him (no intention meaning no anger), and you follow his intention along and respond to it. It says in the Boxing Classics: “Stillness is the fundamental form. In movement lies the function.” By being silent and still, then upon sensing anything, you connect with it, and everything you do will be right. This is the method of “nurturing your virtue by bestilling your mind”.
When you have drilled the boxing to the point of nothingness, then you have in the boxing the condition of no intention, and then you can be one with the “grand emptiness” [the universe in its essence]. Thus you will act with such subtlety that you cannot be fathomed, and you will then have become a rare one indeed."

Excerpt from the translation by Paul Brennan, to be found in the Brennan Translation blog.

Trouble The Water To Catch The Fish (混水摸魚 ) from the Thirty-Six Stratagems (三十六計)

混水摸魚

乘其陰亂，利其弱而無主。隨，以向晦入宴息。

"Before engaging your enemy's forces create confusion to weaken his perception and judgment. Do something unusual, strange, and unexpected as this will arouse the enemy's suspicion and disrupt his thinking. A distracted enemy is thus more vulnerable."

Quoted from Chinese Classics and Translations

Excerpt from Important Explanations for the Accomplishment of the Thirteen Postures (十三勢行功要解) by Wǔ Yǔxiāng (武禹襄)

力由脊發,步隨身換.

武禹襄

"Power is emitted from the spine; steps follow the transformations of the body."

By Wǔ Yǔxiāng (武禹襄), based on the translation by Yang Jwing Ming (楊俊敏) presented in the book Tai Chi Secrets of the Wu & Li Styles (太極拳武李氏先哲秘要) and various translations on the internet.

Fire Above, Water below; Water is heavy, Fire is light. (火上水下，水重火輕) from The Real Theory of Baguazhang (八卦掌真理篇) by Jiāng Róngqiáo (薑容樵)

火上水下，水重火輕

心在上屬火，腎在下屬水，所謂「心火腎水」，也就是前面所說實腹暢胸的心要虛，腹要實的意義。

薑容樵

"The heart above corresponds to fire, the kidneys below correspond to water. Thus the phrase “Heart of fire, kidney of water” above says that the substantial abdomen and the empty chest are the sense of the empty heart and solid abdomen."

From the book Bāguàzhăng Practice Method (八卦掌練習法), by Jiāng Róngqiáo (薑容樵), based on the translation by Joseph Crandall