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

行氣如九曲珠,無微不到.運勁如百鍊鋼,無堅不摧.

武禹襄

"Circulate Qi as if threading through nine curved pearls, not even the tiniest won’t be reached. Apply power (Jin) as if it was steel refined a hundred times, there is no stronghold one cannot overcome."

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)

一則

劉奇蘭先生云。形意拳術之道。體用莫分。自己練者為體。行之於彼為用。自己練時。眼不可散亂。或視一極點處。或看自己之手。將神氣定住。內外合一。不可移動。要用之於彼。或看彼上之兩眼。或看彼之中心。或看彼下之兩足。不要站定成式。不可專用成法。或掌或拳。望着就使。起落進退。變化不窮。是用智而取勝於敵也。若用成法。即能勝於人。亦是一時之僥倖耳。所應曉者。須固住自己神氣。不使散亂。此謂無敵於天下也。

郭雲深

"In the method of the Xingyi boxing art, there is no distinction between form and function, except that what you practice on your own is the form and what you do to an opponent is the function.
During solo practice, your eyes cannot be wandering around. Either look to a distant point or toward your own hand. Firmly consolidate your spirit and energy, inside and outside merging into one and never shifting apart.
When acting upon an opponent, you should either watch his eyes above, his middle section, or his feet below. Do not get stuck in an established pattern or focus on using an established method. Whether using palm or fist, observe the reason for it. In lifting and dropping, advancing and retreating, adapt limitlessly. You are thereby using your intelligence and seeking victory based on the opponent. If you use an established method, then you can be defeated by the opponent or even just by bad luck. Knowing this, you must consolidate your spirit and energy, and not let them be in disarray. This is what it means to be invincible."

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

Sacrifice the Plum Tree In Place of the Peach Tree (李代桃僵) from the Thirty-Six Stratagems (三十六計)Sacrificar a Ameixeira para Salvar o Pessegueiro (李代桃僵) dos Trinta e Seis Estratagemas (三十六計)

李代桃僵

势必有损，损阴则益阳。

"There are circumstances in which you must sacrifice short-term objectives in order to gain the long-term goal. This is the scapegoat strategy whereby someone else suffers the consequences so that the rest do not. "

Quoted from Chinese Classics and Translations

"Existem circunstâncias onde é necessárion sacrificar objetivos de curto prazo para garantir o objetivo de longo prazo. Esta é a estrégia do bode expiatório onde alguém sofre consequências de maneira que o resto não sofra."

Traduzido à partir de 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)

發勁須沉著鬆淨,專注一方.立身須中正安舒支撐八面.

武禹襄

"In order to emit power (Jin), one must be calm, collected and relaxed, concentrated in a single direction. The standing body must be centered, straight and serene, so you one handle the eight directions."

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.

Zhào Yǒngchāng (趙永昌) demonstrating Sòng Style Xíng​yì​quán (宋氏形意拳) Twelve Animals (十二形)

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

精神能提得起，則無遲重之虞。所謂頂頭懸也。
意氣須換得靈，乃有圓活之妙。所謂變轉虛實也。

武禹襄

"If one is able to raise the spirit of vitality, then there is no worry of being slow or clumsy. This is also called the top of the head is suspended. Yi (Intention) and Qi must exchange quickly; so the wonderful liveliness of the circle is present. This is also called the substantial and the insubstantial can transform in each other."

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.

Seven Advancing as One (七) from The Essentials of Yue Fei's Boxing Art (附岳武穆形意拳術要論)

第七章　七、要論

頭為六陽之首，而為周身之主，五官百骸，莫不惟此是賴，故頭不可不進也，手為先行，根基在膊，膊不進而手則却而不前矣，此所以膊貴于進也，氣聚中腕，機關在腰，腰不進，而氣則餒而不實矣，此所以腰貴于進也，意貫周身，運動在步，步不進而意則堂然無能為矣，此所以步必取其進也，以及上左必須進右，上右必須進左，其為七進，孰非所以著力之地歟，而要之未及其進，合周身而毫無關動之意，一言其進，統全體而俱無抽扯游移之形。

岳飛

"[1 – head] Your head is the source of the six active meridians and is the commander of your whole body, from senses to bones. There is no part that does not rely on it, therefore the head must advance.
[2&3 – hand & forearm] The hand is the first to go forth, but it is rooted in the forearm. If the forearm does not advance, the hand cannot go forward. This is why it is important for the forearm to advance.
[4&5 – energy & waist] Energy gathers in the wrist, but its engine lies in the waist. If the waist does not advance, the energy will not have enough energy to manifest. This is why it is important for the waist to advance.
[6&7 – intent & step] Intent courses through the whole body, but movement lies in the stepping. If the step does not advance, the intent is unable to proceed. This is why it is essential for the step to advance. Further, when going forward with your left, you must advance your right, and when going forward with your right, you must advance your left.
These are the seven parts that advance. Which of them is not therefore involved in the effort? The key is that before you advance, you unify your whole body so there is not the slightest notion of any isolated action. When you then decide to advance, no part is truantly doing its own thing."

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.

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

以心行氣，務令沉著，乃能收歛入骨。
以氣運身，務令順遂，乃能便利從心。

武禹襄

"One uses the Xin (mind) to conduct the Qi: the mind shall be calm, steady, therefore the Qi can condense into the bones. Because of the Qi the body moves, the Qi makes the movement smooth, therefore the body can easily comply with the mind."

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 the Inner Enterprise by Guǎn​zǐ (管子內業)

天主正，地主平。人主安靜，春秋冬夏，天之時也，山陵川谷，地之枝也，喜怒取予，人之謀也，是故聖人與時變而不化，從物而不移。能正能靜，然後能定。定心在中，耳目聰明，四枝堅固，可以為精舍。

管子

"The pivot of Heaven is uprightness. The pivot of Earth is flatness. The pivot of Man is quiescence. Spring, Autumn, Winter and Summer are the season times of Heaven. Mountain ridges and river valleys are the limbs of Earth. Showing pleasure or anger, taking or giving, there are the schèmes of man. The sage adapts with times but is not transformed, follows along with things but is not moved by them. He is able to be balanced and tranquil and so he is settled. With a settled heart within, the eyes and ears are keen and clear, the four limbs are strong and firm, he is fit to be the dwelling of the essence."

Translation proposed by The University of Indiana

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Traduzido a partir de Chinese Text Project

The Waist is like an Axle; the Hands are like Revolving Wheels (腰如軸立，手似輪行) from The Real Theory of Baguazhang (八卦掌真理篇) by Jiāng Róngqiáo (薑容樵)

腰如軸立，手似輪行

八卦掌在鍛煉時必須以腰部構成運動的軸心，手動必先身動，身動必先腰動，使腰帶動一切。八卦掌在換掌的時候必須使手臂的動作如車輪那樣形成圓圈，因為圓形動轉較為靈敏，又含著連環不斷的作用。

薑容樵

“During Baguazhang practice the waist constitutes the key axle of every movement: for the hands to move, the body must move first; for the body to move, the waist must move first; the use of the waist spurs all movements. In Baguazhang during the palms transformations it is necessary to apply a round shape and employ the hands and arms in revolving movements. Turning in circular movements in fairly agile and the result is to keep the chain of movements uninterrupted."

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