形意拳三體/Xingyiquan San Ti – Xingyiquan’s Three Bodies

三體者, 天地人三才之象也。在拳中為頭手足是也。三體又各分為三節, 而內外相合。 頭為根節; 在外為頭, 在內為泥丸宮是也。脊背為中節; 在外為脊背, 在內為心是也。腰為梢節; 在外為腰, 在內為丹田是也。肩為根節, 肘為中節, 手為梢節。胯為根節, 膝為中節, 足為梢節。是三節之中, 又各有三節也。此理乃合於六書之九數。丹書云: “道虛無生一氣, 使從一氣產陰陽, 陰陽再合成三體, 三體重生萬物張。” 此之謂也。

What are the Three Bodies? The Three Powers, Heaven, Earth, & Humanity, are their image. In Boxing, they’re the head, hands, & feet. Each of the Three Bodies also divides into Three Sections, with Inside & Outside mutually joined. The Head is the Root Section; Outside is the Head, Inside is the Niwan Gong. The Thoracic Spine is the Middle Section; Outside is the Thoracic Spine, Inside is the Heart. The Waist is the Tip Section; Outside is the Waist, Inside is the Dantian. The Shoulder is the Root Section, the Elbow is the Middle Section, The Hand is the Tip Section. The Kua is the Root Section, the Knee is Middle Section, the Foot is the Tip Section. There are another Three Sections within each of these Three Sections. This principle thus accords with The Six Classes’ nine numerals. The Elixir Book says: “From nothingness, the Dao gives birth to the One Qi. Yin & Yang are produced from this One Qi. Yin & Yang then compose the Three Bodies. This is its meaning.”