岳飛八要論/Yue Fei Ba Yao Lun – Yue Fei’s Eighth Essential Thesis

身法維何，縱橫高低，進退反側而已，縱則放其勢，一往而不返，橫則裹其力，開拓而莫阻，高則揚其身，而身若有增長之勢，低則抑其身，而身若有攢捉之形，當進則進，殫其身而勇往直冲，當退則退，領其氣而回轉伏勢，至于反身顧后，后即前也，側顧左右，使左右無敢當我，而要非拘拘焉為之也，必先察人之強弱，運我之機關，有忽縱而忽橫，縱橫因勢而變遷，不可一概而推，有忽高而忽低，高低隨時以轉移，不可執格而論，時而宜進，故不可退而餒其氣，時而宜退，即當以退，而鼓其進，是進固進也，即退而亦實以賴其進，若返身顧后，顧其后而以不覺其為后，側顧左右，而左右以不覺其為左右矣，總之機關在眼，變通在心，而握其要者，則本諸身，身而前，則四體不令而行矣，身而却，則百骸莫不冥然而處矣，身法顧可置而不論乎。

What is the Body Method? Vertical, Horizontal, High, Low, Advance, Retreat, Reverse, & Lateral, nothing more. Vertical is releasing the power in one direction so it doesn’t return. Horizontal is wrapping the Li in order to open up a seam that cannot be blocked. High is raising the body so that it seems to have grown in appearance. Low is to press down the body so that it seems to have a collected & squeezed shape. When Advancing is proper then Advance, the entire body bravely rushes straight ahead. When Retreating is proper then Retreat, lead the Qi to return, shifting to a bowed appearance. As for Reversing the Body to attend to the rear, the rear is the front, too. Lateral is attending to the left & the right, using the left & right so that none dare obstruct me. And yet, it is vital that this not be taken as an inflexible constraint. First, you must observe a person’s strengths & weaknesses to apply my stratagem. It must have suddenly Vertical & suddenly Horizontal, Vertical & Horizontal are the reason the Shi changes, you must not categorically reject either. It must have suddenly High & suddenly Low, High & Low may be used at any time to transform, you cannot hold to a standard view. When it’s appropriate to Advance you must not intentionally Retreat & discourage the Qi. When it’s appropriate to Retreat you should promptly Retreat, & yet encourage an Advance. Indeed, Advance is undoubtedly for Advancing, likewise the real use of Retreat also depends on Advancing. In this way, when Reversing the Body to attend to the rear I don’t consciously consider it the rear, when Lateral attends to the left & right I don’t consciously consider them left or right. In short, the mechanism is in the eye & adaptation is in the Mind, & once its essentials have been grasped it becomes the basis of all structure. When moving the body forward, the four limbs move without being commanded, when moving the body backward, not one of the hundred bones is out of position. Can the Body Method be established without being discussed?