形意拳之八勢練習法/Xingyiquan Zhi Ba Shi Lianxi Fa – Xingyiquan’s Eight Appearances Training Method

形意拳之姿勢, 其重要之點有八: 一曰頂, 二曰提, 三曰扣, 四曰圓, 五曰抱, 六曰垂, 七横順須知清 , 八起躦落翻須分明。

In Xingyiquan postures, there are Eight Major Points: first is Pressing, second is Raising, third is Arcing, fourth is Rounding, fifth is Embracing, sixth is Hanging, seventh Heng & Shun must be clear, eighth Rising, Drilling, Falling, Overturning must be distinct.

頂者, 頭往上頂, 舌尖頂上齶, 手往外頂是也。提者, 尾閭上提, 穀道內提是也。扣者, 胸脯要扣, 手背要扣, 腳面要往下扣是也。圓者, 脊背要圓，虎口要半圓，胳膊要月牙形，手腕外頂要月牙形，腿曲連彎要月牙形是也。抱者, 丹田要抱，心中要抱。胳膊要抱是也。垂者, 氣垂丹田，膀尖下垂，肘尖下垂是也。

Pressing is, the head must press upward, the tip of the tongue presses the palate, & the hands press outward. Raising is, the Weilu raises up, & the Gudao internally raises. Arcing is, the chest must arc, the back of the hands must arc, & the feet must arc downward. Rounding is, the back must round, the Tiger’s Mouth must be a semi-circle, the arms must be crescent shaped, the outer top of the wrists must be crescent shaped, & the legs must be continually bent into a crescent shape. Embracing is, the Dantian must be embraced, the Center must be embraced, & the arms must embrace. Dropping is, the Qi must drop to the Dantian, the upper arm’s tip must hang down, & the elbow’s tip must hang down.

橫者, 起也。順者, 落也。起者, 鑽也。落者, 翻也。起為橫之始，鑽為橫之終，落為順之始，翻為順之終。手起而鑽，手落而翻。足起而鑽，足落而翻。起是去，落是打，起亦打，落亦打。勿論如何起落鑽翻往来, 總要肘不離脅, 手不離心, 此形意拳之所宜注意之姿勢也。

Heng is Rising. Shun is Falling. Rising is Drilling. Falling is Overturning. Rising is Heng’s beginning, Drilling is Heng’s finish, Falling is Shun’s beginning, Overturning is Shun’s finish. The Hand Rises & Drills, the Hand Falls & Overturns. The Foot Rises & Drills, the Foot Falls & Overturns. Rising is going, Falling is striking, Rising is also Striking, Falling too is striking. Do not debate how Rising, Drilling, Falling, & Overturning go back & forth, nevertheless the elbows do not leave the ribs, the hands do not leave the center, these are the proper points to take note of in Xingyiquan’s postures.