Upright (正) from Foundation (基礎)Centro (中) de Fundamentos (基礎)

正

正者，姿勢端正。每一姿勢，務宜端正，而忌偏斜。然各種姿勢，各不相同，或仰，或俯，或伸，或屈，非盡中正。是以其發勁，及其用意之方向，而求其重心。蓋重心為全體樞紐。重心立，則開合靈活自如，重心不立，則開合失其關鍵。如車軸為車輪之樞紐，若使車軸置於偏斜，而不适於車身之重心處，則車輪轉動，進退失其效用矣。故拳架之姿勢，務求正确，則重心平穩，要不自牽扯其重心，而辨別虛實也。

"Upright means that the postures are correct. It means that every posture should be appropriate and upright, no posture should be given up and slant. Differente types of postures exist that have nothing in common with each other, they face upward, look down, extend, bend, at the end not centered and upright. The emission of Jin and the direction of the intention request the weight center. This is because the weight center is the main hinge of the entire body. Once the weight center is established, then opening and closing are nimble and unconstrained; if it is not established, opening and closing will miss its pivotal point. It is like the axle, who is the major hinge of the wheel; if it is out of alignement and not located at the weight center of the car, then the wheels with turn back and forth without being effective. This is why the frame of the boxing is the posture, it is important that it is correct so the weight center is steady; otherwise the weight center will be shifted and it will be impossible to differentiate the insubstantial and the substantial."

By Wú Gōngzǎo (吳公藻), based on the translation by by Yang Jwing Ming (楊俊敏) presented in the book Tai Chi Secrets of the Wu Style (太極拳吳氏先哲秘要).

""

De Wú Gōngzǎo (吳公藻), baseado na tradução de Yang Jwing Ming (楊俊敏) apresentada no livro Tai Chi Secrets of the Wu Style (太極拳吳氏先哲秘要).

Baguazhang - Theory and Applications

As far as a Martial Art goes, Bāguàzhăng (八卦掌) seems to me the least likely to be treated on a book format. The rich and varied traditions, styles and approaches make a pure programatic book - as the ones usually seen for Tàijíquán (太極拳) - look very partial. In particular for a beginner like me, it is difficult to identify what are the good entry points.
This book overcomes these difficulties. Even if the technical overview is related to Swimming Body Baguazhang, a specific tradition, the content is laid out in a way that the western beginner can follow. And as any book on martial arts, it has to be approached as a support for the practice. The main use I have for this book is as a reference. The chapters on The Essence of Baguazhang and Training Concepts are extremely useful to frame the instruction received in the regular practice. It is really a companion book for the Baguazhang beginner.

Excerpt from Man in the World, Associated with other Men (人間世) in Zhuāng zi (莊子)

山木自寇也，膏火自煎也。桂可食，故伐之；漆可用，故割之。人皆知有用之用，而莫知無用之用也。

莊子

"The mountain by its trees weakens itself. The grease which ministers to the fire fries itself. The cinnamon tree can be eaten, and therefore it is cut down. The varnish tree is useful, and therefore incisions are made in it. All men know the advantage of being useful, but no one knows the advantage of being useless. "

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

Taiji Endless Workings of Advancing and Retreating (太極進退不已功) by Yáng​ Bān​hóu​ (楊班侯)

太極進退不已功

掤進捋退自然理，
陰陽水火相既濟。
先知四手得來真，
採捌肘靠方可許。
四隅從此演出來，
十三勢架永無已。
所以因之名長拳，
任君開展與收斂，
千萬不可離太極。

楊班侯

"That Peng advances and Lu retreats is the natural order,
As Yin and Yang, water and fire support each other.
First reach a genuine understanding of the four hands,
Then can the directions of Cai, Lie, Zhou and Kao be allowed.
Once the four cornes can be performed,
The thirteen postures go on without an end.
This is the reason for calling it Long Fist,
It allows one to master how to start and finish,
By all means one should not part from Tai Chi."

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)

The Study of the Smashing Fist in Xingyi (形意崩拳學) from The Study of Xing Yi Quan (形意拳學)

形意崩拳學

崩拳者，屬木，是一氣之伸縮，兩手往來之理也。勢如連珠箭，在腹內則屬肝，在拳中即為崩，所謂崩拳如箭，屬木者是也。其拳順則肝氣舒，其拳謬則肝氣傷。肝氣傷則脾胃不和矣。其氣不舒，則橫拳亦必失和矣。此拳善能平氣舒肝，長精神，強筋骨，壯腦力，故學者，當細研究也。

孫祿堂

"The smashing fist is classified with wood and it contains the unified Qi of stretching and contracting, and both hands going back and forth in order. The motion is like a succession of arrows, in the body it belongs to the liver, in boxing it is smashing. It is said it is like an arrow, its category is wood. When the boxing is appropriate, the Qi in the liver will be comfortable. If the boxing is irregular, it will injure the liver’s Qi. If the liver’s Qi is injured, the spleen and the stomach will not work with each other. An irregular Qi in the liver will put the crossing fist in disharmony. This fist can make an even Qi to unfold in the liver, enhance the vitality, strengthen the tendons and the bones, and fortify the brain. For these reasons students should study it in detail."

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.

Lǐ Bǐng​cí (李秉慈​) demonstrating Wú Style Tàijíquán (吳式太極拳)

Part 1:

Part 2:

Thirty-fifth Secret Song (歌訣三十五) from the The Thirty-Six Songs of Baguazhang (八卦掌三十六歌) Trigésima Quinta Canção Secreta (歌訣三十五) das Trinta e Seis Canções do Bāguàzhăng (八卦掌三十六歌)

歌訣三十五

冰天雪地雨濘滑，
前腳橫使且莫差，
翻身切忌螺絲轉，
高低緊避乃為佳。

"Icy sky, snowy ground, it is slippery and muddy in the rain,
The front foot is employed horizontally; please don’t make a mistake,
When turning over, avoid to spin it,
Avoid difficult heights, then handling becomes fine."

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"

Excerpt from Energy (兵勢) in The Art of War (兵法)

故善戰者，求之于勢，不責于人，故能擇人任勢；任勢者，其戰人也，如轉木石，木石之性，安則靜，危則動，方則止，圓則行。故善戰人之勢，如轉圓石于千仞之山者，勢也。

孫子

"The clever combatant looks to the effect of combined energy, and does not require too much from individuals. Hence his ability to pick out the right men and utilize combined energy. When he utilizes combined energy, his fighting men become as it were like unto rolling logs or stones. For it is the nature of a log or stone to remain motionless on level ground, and to move when on a slope; if four-cornered, to come to a standstill, but if round-shaped, to go rolling down. Thus the energy developed by good fighting men is as the momentum of a round stone rolled down a mountain thousands of feet in height. So much on the subject of energy."

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

Center (中) from Foundation (基礎)Centro (中) de Fundamentos (基礎)

中

中者，心氣中和，神清氣沉。其根在腳，即是立點，重心繫於腰脊，所謂命意源頭在腰隙。精神含斂於內，不表於外，乃能中定沉靜矣。

"Center means that the state of mind is neutral, the spirit is clear and the Qi is sunk. The root is in the feet, this is the key point of standing, the weight center is linked to the waist and spine, it is said that life has its source on the waist. Vitality is contained internally, it does not manifest externally, in this way there is a quiet central equilibrium."

By Wú Gōngzǎo (吳公藻), based on the translation by by Yang Jwing Ming (楊俊敏) presented in the book Tai Chi Secrets of the Wu Style (太極拳吳氏先哲秘要).

""

De Wú Gōngzǎo (吳公藻), baseado na tradução de Yang Jwing Ming (楊俊敏) apresentada no livro Tai Chi Secrets of the Wu Style (太極拳吳氏先哲秘要).

Guiding principles for the Study of Wuji in Xingyiquan (總綱形意無極學) from The Study of Xing Yi Quan (形意拳學)

總綱形意無極學

無極者，當人未練之先，無思無意，無形無象，無我無他，胸中混混沌沌，一氣渾淪，無所向意者也。世人不知有逆運之理，但斤斤於天地自然順行之道，氣拘物蔽，昏昧不明，以致體質虛弱，陽極必陰，陰極必死。於此攝生之術，概乎未有諳也。惟聖人獨能參透逆運之術，攬陰陽、奪造化、轉乾坤、扭氣機，於後天中返先天，復初歸元。保合太和，總不外乎後天五行拳八卦拳之理，一氣伸縮之道。所謂無極而能生一氣者是也。
起點面正，兩手下垂，兩足為九十度之勢。此勢是順行天地自然之道，謂之無極形勢也。

孫祿堂

"Wuji means the state during the moment before practice when there is neither thought nor intention, neither shape nor form, neither self nor others, one’s mind is muddled in undistictive confusion, one’s qi is muddy, there is no intention towards any direction. Most people ignore the existence of the principle of inverse motion, and only know the ways of ordinary movement of heaven and earth. In this way Qi is restrained and this become hidden, the mind becomes unclear, the body gets week. They are unaware that extreme Yang leads to extreme Yin and extreme Yin leads to death. Alas, the method to keep fit is not well known. Only the sages can fully grasp the methods of inverse motion, to embrace the relationship between Yin and Yang, to control the natural principles, to reverse Heaven and Earth, to turn the Qi generation, to return from post-natal to pre-natal, to recover the original state of the beginning. To keep the whole in great harmony is nothing more than applying the applied principles of unified stretching and contracting from the Five Elements Boxing or Baguazhang. This is called the ability of generating the unified Qi from Wuji.
The starting point is upright, both hands hanging down, and keeping a 90 degree angle between the two feet. This posture follows the ordinary way of nature and is called the Wuji posture."

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.