The Study of the Drilling Fist in Xingyi (形意鑽拳學) from The Study of Xing Yi Quan (形意拳學)

形意鑽拳學

鑽拳者，屬水，是一氣之曲曲流行，無微不至也。鑽上如水在地中忽然突出，亦如泉水之上翻似閃。在腹內則屬腎，在拳中即為鑽。所謂鑽拳似閃屬水是也。其氣和則腎足，其氣乖則腎虛，腎虛則清氣不能上升，濁氣不能下降矣。其拳不順，真勁即不能長，而拙勁亦不能化矣。學者當知之。

孫祿堂

"The drilling fist is classified with water and its Unified Qi is bent and it spreads in every possible way. When drilling upwards, it is like water spurting suddenly out of the ground, as if the top of a spring flashes when turning over. In the body it belogs to the kidney, in boxing it is drilling. This is why it is said that the drilling fist springs up and is classified with water. When the Qi is harmonious, the kidney is full, when the Qi is irregular, the kidney is empty. An empty kidney means that a clean Qi cannon ascend, and the impure Qi cannot descend; the boxing is disturbed, real strength cannot be developed and the clumsy strength cannot be transformed. Practictioners are advised to be aware of this."

From the book The Study of Xing Yiquan (形意拳學), by Sūn Lùtáng (孫祿堂), based on the translation by Albert Liu and Dan Miller.

The Song of Zuànquán (鑽拳歌) by Jiāng Róngqiáo (薑容樵)

鑽拳歌

鑽拳似電性屬水，
生崩克炮手足腿，
起鑽落翻陰陽轉，
功至還虛是洗髓。

薑容樵

"Zuanquan is like lightning, its nature is affiliated with water.
It produces Beng and overcomes Pao, one must use hands, feet and legs.
Raise, drill, fall, overturn: the Yin and Yang turn.
The achievement arrives when one returns to nothingness and washes the marrow."

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