螳螂拳短打緊要/Tanglangquan Duan Da Jin Yao – Tanglangquan’s Short Strike Essentials

進退虛實, 躥跳出入
Advance, Retreat, Empty, Solid,
Leap, Jump, Exit, Enter

閃賺騰挪, 開合收閉
Dodge, Cheat, Clear, Shift,
Open, Close, Take, Shut

長短起落, 剛柔硬軟
Long, Short, Rise, Fall,
Hard, Soft, Stiff, Flexible

各有所長, 慎勿疏忽
Each one has its place, be careful not to neglect them.

進退虛實/Advance, Retreat, Empty, Solid

進退内有虛實，虛實中有進退。

Inside Advance & Retreat there is Empty & Solid,  within Empty & Solid there is Advance & Retreat.

躥跳出入/Leap, Jump, Exit, Enter

躥者，縱身直往，有飛鼠脫之妙，跳者，跌足上衝，有彈丸離弦之奇，敏捷迅速，一力齊舉，橫豎迭用，出入兼需。

Leaping is springing straight ahead, it has the subtlety of a flying squirrel taking off. Jumping is stamping the foot rising vigorously, it is surprising like a pellet leaving the bowstring, nimble & fast. Use full strength to rise evenly, alternating use of horizontal & vertical. Simultaneous Exiting & Entering are required.

閃賺騰挪/Dodge, Cheat, Clear, Shift

閃者如燈炸目瞬，是象而化，杳無可寻，掌拳肘膝，俱宜用之，若只作躲閃，之閃，則辜負此字矣，賺者哄也，騰者擱也，挪者移也，俱有閃字在内。

Dodging is like a lantern exploding in the blink of an eye, its form changes, disappearing without a trace. Palms, fists, elbows, & knees using it is suitable without exception. If you only regard it as evading, then your Dodge unworthy of this character. Cheating is deceiving. Clearing is putting aside. Shifting is removing. They all have the Dodging character within without exception.

開合收閉/Open, Close, Take, Shut

開者展也，合者合手以圈開之勢也，大開大合，小開小合，反開正合，正開反合，身法步法，隨手而變，收者突出而驟回也，閉者閉門使不能得入也，回有出勢，閉伏開機，開合與收閉一串，但橫言之，則為開合，豎言之則為收閉。

Opening is extending, Closing is joining hands in order to circle & open the posture. There is Big Opening & Big Closing, Small Opening & Small Closing, Reverse Opening & Straight Closing, Straight Opening & Reverse Closing. The Body Method & Footwork follow the hands & vary. Taking is unexpectedly going out & suddenly returning. Shutting is closing the door & making it impossible to enter. Returning has the potential to go out, Shutting conceals the chance to Open. Opening & Closing are strung together with Taking & Shutting. However, when discussing horizontal then it’s Opening & Closing, when discussing verticle it’s Taking & Shutting.

長短起落/Long, Short, Rise, Fall

長短者忽長忽短，或一手自為長短，或兩手互相長短，短變為長，長化為短，亦兼出入進退而言之也，起者打下而翻上也，落者出上而捎下也，中落中起，旁落旁起，中落旁起，旁起中落，左右連環，起止莫酌。

Long & Short are suddenly Long & suddenly Short. Maybe one hand is itself Long & Short, maybe both hands are mutually Long & Short. Short changes to become Long, Long transforms to become Short, while also simultaneously Exiting, Entering, Advancing & Retreating too. Rising is striking below & overturning above, Falling is going out above & taking below. There is center Falling & center Rising, one side Falls & one side Rises, center Falling & side Rising, side Rising & center Falling, left & right are interlocked, don’t deliberate over where they begin & end.

剛柔硬軟/Hard, Soft, Stiff, Flexible

剛者不可屈，硬者不可破，柔如迎風柳條，而纏繞不脫，軟如曲水浸沙，而無微不如入。

Hardness cannot be bent, Stiffness cannot be broken, Soft is like a willow branch in the wind twisting with no escape, Flexible is like flowing water soaking powder with nowhere too small to enter.