Collection of Qi (氣斂) from the Five Key Words (五字訣)

三,曰氣斂

氣勢散漫，便無含蓄，身易散亂，務使氣斂入脊骨。呼吸通靈,周身罔間。吸，為合為蓄；呼，為開為發。蓋吸則自然提得起，亦擎得人起；呼則自然沉得下，亦放得人出。此是以意運氣，非以力使氣也。

李亦畬

"Third saying: collection of Qi
If the Qi and Jin are disorganized, it is not contained. The body is easily scattered, it is possible from the exterior to make the Qi enter and control the spine. The breathing is smooth, there is no gap in the whole body. To inhale is to gather, it is as storing up; to exhale is to open, it is as emitting. Inhalation naturally lifts (the Qi) allowing the rise (of the spirit of vitality); it can also lift the opponent. Exhalation naturally sink (the Qi) allowing it to keep down; it can also release towards the opponent. This means that Yi guides Qi, one should not use Li to employ Qi."

By Lǐ Yìyú (李亦畬), based on the translation by by Yang Jwing Ming (楊俊敏) presented in the book Tai Chi Secrets of the Wu/Li Style (太極拳武李氏先哲秘要) and various translations on the internet

Thirty-first Secret Song (歌訣三十一) from the The Thirty-Six Songs of Baguazhang (八卦掌三十六歌) Trigésima Primeira Canção Secreta (歌訣三十一) das Trinta e Seis Canções do Bāguàzhăng (八卦掌三十六歌)

歌訣三十一

人持利器我不忙，
飛劍遙遙到身旁。
看他來路哼哈避，
邪不勝正語頗良。

"I am in no hurry if the opponent holds a sharp weapon,
The flying sword reaches my side from a distance.
Watch its coming trajectory and use the Hen and Ha sounds to avoid it,
That evil cannot match the just is a rather good saying."

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"

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Baseado na tradução de Yang Jwing Ming (楊俊敏) e Liang Shou You (梁守渝) apresentada em "Baguazhang - Theory and Applications" (峨嵋八卦掌) e na tradução de Frank Allen e Tina Chunna Zhang em "The Whirling Circles of Ba Gua Zhang".

The Song of Mutual Destruction (相剋歌) by Jiāng Róngqiáo (薑容樵)

相剋歌

劈能克崩崩克橫，
橫能克鑽鑽克炮，
炮能克劈歸易理，
不外五行求奧妙。

薑容樵

"Pi is able to overcome Beng; Beng is able to overcome Heng.
Heng is able to overcome Zuan; Zuan is able to overcome Pao.
Pao is able to overcome Pi; this belongs to the change principle.
These subtilities are not beyond the five elements."

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

Excerpt from Attack by Stratagem (虛實) in The Art of War (兵法)

知彼知己，百戰不殆；不知彼而知己，一勝一負；不知彼，不知己，每戰必敗。

孫子

"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle."

Unless noted otherwise, all quotations of classical texts and accompanying translations come from the Chinese Text Project

Proper Treatment without Defects (對待無病抗) by Yáng​ Bān​hóu​ (楊班侯)

對待無病

頂，匾，丟，抗，失於對待也。所以為之病者，既失粘黏連隨，何以獲知覺運動?既不知己，焉能知人?
所謂對待者，不以頂匾丟抗相對於人也，要以粘黏連隨等待於人也。能如是，不但無對待之病，知覺運動自然得矣。可以進於懂勁之功矣。

楊班侯

"Go Against, Deficiency, Lose and Resist means missing proper treatment. The reason is that if one loses attach, adhere, connect and follow, how can one attain consciousness in movement? If one is not able to be aware of it on oneself, how can one be aware of it on the opponent?
What is called proper treatment is not to use Go Against, Deficiency, Lose and Resist with the opponent. It is capital to use attach, adhere, connect and follow to match the opponent. Being able to do so not only there are no defects on the manners, consciousness in movement will be obtained naturally. It will then be possible to progress in the practice of Understanding Jin."

Based on the translation by Yang Jwing Ming (楊俊敏) presented in the book Tai Chi Secrets of the Yang Style (太極拳楊氏先哲秘要)

Thirtieth Secret Song (歌訣三十) from the The Thirty-Six Songs of Baguazhang (八卦掌三十六歌) Trigésima Canção Secreta (歌訣三十) das Trinta e Seis Canções do Bāguàzhăng (八卦掌三十六歌)

歌訣三十

轉身變法步莫長，
擦地而行莫要慌。
看準來路方伸手，
巧女穿針穩柔剛。

"When turning the body and changing the techniques, the stepping should not be long.
Stroke the ground when walking, one should lose one’s head.
Observe the coming path and only then extend the hands.
Like a skilful girl threading a needle, be steady, soft and firm."

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"

"Quando se gira o corpo e se muda técnice, o passo não deve ser longo.
O pé roça o solo durante o movimento, é importante não se perder.
Observar a trajetória do movimento que chega, e só então estender as mãos.
O movimennto é como a agulha de uma constureira experiente, constante, suave e firme."

Baseado na tradução de Yang Jwing Ming (楊俊敏) e Liang Shou You (梁守渝) apresentada em "Baguazhang - Theory and Applications" (峨嵋八卦掌) e na tradução de Frank Allen e Tina Chunna Zhang em "The Whirling Circles of Ba Gua Zhang".

Kung Fu Tea

One of my preferred blogs, "Kung Fu Tea" brings a much needed lucid historical, sociological and political perspective to the study of chinese martial arts. It can be asked what such a view can add to one's practice, as at the end of the day it is the quality of the practice that counts. My point of view is that such perspective helps the modern practiotiner to demistify the art, and in doing so free the study from the more superstitious claims. These claims are often distracting from the concrete, pratical aspects of the practice.
Most of the historical records of the chinese martial arts as known today do not come from earlier than the nineteenth century. The last two centuries were a period of great transformation for China, it is naive to consider that the evolution of martial arts exist in isolation from this context. The perspectives, terminology and techniques passed down by tradition were and still are being strongly influenced by the social and political environment. The sincere practitioner can only gain in clarity by acknowledging this.
Even if there is a small accent on Wing Chun, the site adresses chinese martial arts in general, internal and external (if this differentiation really applies for this point of view). Some of my preferred subjects are the following

• religion
• pop culture kung fu

The review of lives and legends of great figures are also of great interest, as the accent in understanding the context of those lives and the relations with the art of those masters gives a new angle to the relations that the practice can have with our own lives. For my own practice, I found the articles immediately relevant :

• Zhang Sanfeng: Political Ideology, Myth Making and the Great Taijiquan Debat
• Sun Lutang and the Invention of the “Traditional” Chinese Martial Arts (Part I).

The Study of the Cannon Fist in Xingyi (形意炮拳學) from The Study of Xing Yi Quan (形意拳學)

形意炮拳學

炮拳者，屬火，是一氣之開合，如炮忽然炸裂，其彈突出，其性最烈，其形最猛。在腹內則屬心，在拳中即為炮。所謂炮拳似炮屬火者是也。其氣和則心中虛靈，其氣乖則心中朦味，其人必愚矣。其拳和則身體舒暢，其拳謬則四體失和矣。學者務深究此拳也。

孫祿堂

"The cannon fist is classified with the element Fire and is the opening and closing of the unified Qi. It is like the sudden explosion of a cannon shooting its shell, its nature is the most vigorous, its shape the most fierce. In the body it belongs to the heart. In boxing it is like an explosion. This is why it is said that the pounding fist is like a cannon and belongs to fire. When its Qi is harmonius, one’s bosom is empty and alert. When its Qi is irregular, one’s bosom is muddled, one will necessarily be deceitful. When the boxing is harmonius, the body is comfortable. When the boxing is erroneous, it makes the four limbs lose their coordination. This fist should be carefully studied by practitioners."

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.

Feign Madness But Keep Your Balance (假癡不癲) from the Thirty-Six Stratagems (三十六計)Finja Loucura mas Mantenha o Equilíbrio (假癡不癲) dos Trinta e Seis Estratagemas (三十六計)

假癡不癲

寧偽作不知不為，不偽作假知妄為；靜不露機，雲雷屯也。

"Hide behind the mask of a fool, a drunk, or a madman to create confusion about your intentions and motivations. Lure your opponent into underestimating your ability until, overconfident, he drops his guard. Then you may attack."

Quoted from Chinese Classics and Translations

"Esconda-se por trás de uma fachada de tolo, bêbado ou maluco para criar confusão sobre suas intenções e motivações. Faça com que seu oponente subestime suas habilidades até que, confiante, ele abaixe sua guarda. Este é o momento de atacar."

Traduzido à partir de Chinese Classics and Translations

Agility of the Body (身靈) from the Five Key Words (五字訣)

身靈

身滯則進退不能自如，故要身靈。舉手不可有呆像,彼之力方礙我皮毛，我之意已入彼骨裡，兩手支撐，一氣貫穿。左重則左虛，而右已去；右重則右虛，而左已去。氣如車輪，周身俱要相隨，有不相隨處，身便散亂，便不得力，其病於腰腿求之。先以心使身，從人不從已。後身能從心，由已仍是從人。由己則滯，從人則活。能從人，手上便有分寸；稱彼勁之大小，分釐不錯，權披來之長短，毫發無差；前進後退，處處恰合，工彌久，而技彌精矣。

李亦畬

"Second saying: agility of the body
If the body is stagnant, then one cannot move forward and backward smoothly, this is the reason why it is important for the body to be agile. Raising one’s hand should not look dull. As the opponent’s power just block my skin, my intention has already entered deep in his bones. Both hands support a single thread of unified Qi from beginning to end. If the opponent weights on the left, one voids the left and let the right go; it the opponent weights on the right, one voids the right and let the right go. Qi is like a wheel, each part of the body must follow one another. If one part does not follow, then the body is disorganized, it is not possible to gather force. If one has this problem, then the waist and legs must be investigated. First one uses intention to send instructions to the body to follow the opponent and not follow ones’s will. Afterwards, the body may follow the will, because it still follows the opponent. If one follows oneself, then the movement is sluggish, if one follows the opponent then the movement is lively. If one is able to follow the opponent, then top of the hand is very precise. When one weighs the opponent strength (Jin), one should distinguish the hundredths of it correctly and sense the power’s duration, when sending out there will not be an error even by a hairsbreadth. Going forward and backward, in all respects perfectly coordinated. The longer one works, the finer the skill."

By Lǐ Yìyú (李亦畬), based on the translation by by Yang Jwing Ming (楊俊敏) presented in the book Tai Chi Secrets of the Wu/Li Style (太極拳武李氏先哲秘要) and various translations on the internet