Instruction on the Eight Words Workout (正門八字功) by Dǐ Guóyǒng (邸國勇)

Excerpt from the Harmony of Difference and Sameness (參同契)

當明中有暗
勿以暗相遇
當暗中有明
勿以明相睹
明暗各相對
比如前後歩

石頭希遷

"In the light there is darkness,
but don't take it as darkness;
In the dark there is light,
but don't see it as light.
Light and dark oppose one another
like the front and back foot in walking."

By Shítóu Xīqiān, quoted from Sacred Texts

The Proper Gate for the Eight Words Workout (正門八字功) attributed to Lǐ Cúnyì (李存義)

正門八字功

展：展者，寬之意，即拓張手足也。
截：截者，裁也，以裁退敵手也，此 節最見身法。
裹：裹者，圍裹也，裹 敵手使其失其效用也，身旋而力柔，有以柔克剛之妙。
跨：跨如跨馬之勢，是言其形也，實則托跨之勢。
挑：挑之力在肩与腿，与蛇形相类而手稍高。
頂：頂之力在頭，故此以挺頭垂肩為好。
雲：《說文》云，“從雨雲，象雲回轉之形”今所用者，即借其回轉之意，其兩掌皆如行云之飄忽焉。
領：領者，受也，順勢而領取也。

李存義

"Spread-out : To spread-out means a broad intention, to expand and open up hands and feet.
Intercept : To intercept also means to cut back. Use cut back to withdraw from the opponent, this saves most of what is visible in the posture.
Bind : To bind means to wrap all around the opponent so he loses his effectiveness. The body whirls in a circle and the power is soft. To use softness to conquer strength is clever.
Step across : Step across like one has the posture of straddling a horse, this is the shape meant by this words. In fact, to be supported with posture of the straddle.
Poke : The power of poking resides on the shoulder and the leg, together they are as if they were coiled and the hand is somewhat high.
Push Up : The power of pushing up resides at the head. Therefore an erect head and the hanging shoulders is the proper posture.
Cloud: the classics say, “when raining, the clouds appear to have a rotating shape”, today we employ this idea of rotation to mean both palms of the hand move swiftly like a cloud.
Receive: To receive means to bear, to seize an opportunity and obtain it.
"

A white ceiling
all the emptiness
I need

Instruction on Nine Provinces Staff (形意九州棍) by Liú Dìngyī (劉定一)

Steal The Firewood From Under the Pot (釜底抽薪) from the Thirty-Six Stratagems (三十六計)

釜底抽薪

不敵其力，而消其勢，兌下乾上之象。

"When faced with an enemy too powerful to engage directly you must first weaken him by undermining his foundation and attacking his source of power."

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)

先在心,後在身,腹鬆淨,氣歛入骨,神舒體靜,刻刻存心. 切記一動無有不動,一靜無有不靜.

武禹襄

"First the intention, then the body; the abdomen is completely relaxed; the Qi condenses into the bone; the Spirit is comfortable and the body is calm; this should be engraved in one’s mind. One shall remember that if one part moves, nothing remains immobile; if one part is still, there is nothing that moves."

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.

Hán Xīngyuán (韓星垣)​ demonstrates Yìquán (意拳) Release of Power (發勁) and Tuī Shǒu (推手)

Spirit, Qi, Intention, Force, Coordinate to Become One (神氣意力，合一集中) from The Real Theory of Baguazhang (八卦掌真理篇) by Jiāng Róngqiáo (薑容樵)

神氣意力，合一集中

前面所說的精神、氣息、意識、力量等等各方面的鍛煉方法，它們並不是孤立的，而是合一集中的，不集中，動作就不能完整一氣，不合一，手腳就不能行動一致。所謂合一，就是手與腳合，肩與跨合，肘與膝合，神與意合，氣與力合，內與外合。所謂集中，就是這六合必須統一，和諧，協調，取得完整。

薑容樵

"All the preceding explanations on the spirit, energy intention and force are to be worked at the same time and should fuse with each other. They should not be practiced in isolation, they should rather be unified. If they are practiced in isolation, the movement cannot be unified, hands and feet cannot move as one. In the same way that and and feet need to coordinated, shoulders and hips need to be coordinated, elbows and knees are coordinated, the spirit and the intentioin are in harmony, the energy ant the force are in harmony, the internal and the external are coordinated. This called to focus, in other words these six coordinations unify in harmony and coordination, to obtain wholeness."

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

The Explanation of Taiji’s Proper Practice (太極正功解) by Yáng​ Bān​hóu​ (楊班侯)

太極下乘武事解

太極者，圓也。無論內外，上下，左右，不離此圓也；太極者，方也，無論內外，上下，左右，不離此方也；圓之出入，方之進退，隨方就圓之往來也。方為開展，圓為緊湊。方圓規矩之至，其孰能出此以外哉？
如此得心應手，仰高鑽堅，神乎其神，見隱顯微，明而且明，生生不已。欲罷不能。

"Taiji is round. Regardless of internal or external, up or down, left or right, it will not part from the circle. Taiji is square. Regardless of internal or external, up or down, left or right, it will not part from the square. Enter and exit with the circle, advance and retreat with the square; follow the square to the circle back and forth. The square is the root for opening and extending, the circle is the root for tightenting and compacting. The circle and the square are the established standards, what could depart this standard?
In this way, proficiency will be achieved, and it will go higher by looking up and get harder by drilling down, it will be subtler and subtler, appearing concealed but actually manifest, brighter and brighter, growing incessantly and continuing without end. "

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)