Lessons Learned in the World of Martial Arts
得心應手 – "What the heart wishes, the hand accomplishes"
Many people are familiar with the concepts of Yin & Yang, but only just enough to know they exist. There's still a great deal of…
Continue reading → Yin Yang Theory: Examining The Basic Principles
A standard plot point for many Martial Arts movies goes like this: A person masters a powerful Martial Art; this person takes one or more…
Continue reading → The Central Lesson of The World of Martial Arts: 武德/Wu De – Martial Ethics
Happy World Taiji & Qigong Day to everyone who loves Kung Fu!! You heard it hear first, friends! I'm adding a translation of the Taijiquan…
Continue reading → In Honor of World Taiji & Qigong Day: Sun Style Taijiquan Refrence Material Book
太極拳中之扎棍。亦稱沾黏棍。或曰十三勢棍。有十三字訣。扎、開、合、崩、劈、點、掃、撥、撩、纏、帶、滑、截。 Taijiquan's Piercing Staff, also known as Sticking Adhering Staff, or Thirteen Patterns Staff, has a Thirteen Character Secret. Pierce, Open, Close, Bounce, Chop, Tap,…
Continue reading → 楊家太極棍/Yang Jia Taiji Gun – Yang Style Taiji Staff
∞太極刀。一名十三勢刀。有十三字訣。砍、刴、剗、截、刮、撩、扎、捛、劈、纏、搧、攔、滑。 Taiji Saber, also called Thirteen Patterns Saber, has a Thirteen Character Secret: Hack, Mince, Trim, Intercept, Scrape, Scoop, Pierce, Roll, Chop, Wind, Slap, Block,…
Continue reading → 楊家太極刀/Yang Jia Taiji Dao – Yang Style Taiji Saber
∞
掤捋擠按須認真，上下相隨人難進。 Peng, Lu, Ji, & An must be genuinely understood, when Upper & Lower Mutually Follow people find Entering difficult. 任他巨力來打我，牽動四兩撥千斤。 I allow his huge…
擎引鬆放四字 Raise, Draw, Relax, Release; Four Characters 擎開彼勁借彼力。中有靈字。 Lift & Open his Jin to Borrow his Li. This relates to Liveliness. 引到身前勁始蓄。中有斂字。 Your Jin begins…
無極而太極。太極動而生陽，動極而靜，靜而生陰。靜極復動。一動一靜，互為其根；分陰分陽，兩儀立焉。 Wuji becomes Taiji. Taiji moves & gives birth to Yang, movement at its extremity becomes stillness, & stillness gives birth to Yin. Stillness at…
Continue reading → 太極圖說/Taiji Tu Shuo – Taiji Diagram Explanation
太極者，無極而生；動靜之機，陰陽之母也，動之則分，靜之則合。無過不及，隨曲就伸。人剛我柔謂之走，我順人背謂之黏。動急則急應，動緩則緩隨。雖變化萬端，而理惟一貫。由著熟而漸悟懂勁，由懂勁而階及神明。然非用功之久，不能豁然貫通焉。虛靈頂勁，氣沉丹田。不偏不倚，忽隱忽現。左重則左虛，右重則右杳。仰之則彌高，俯之則彌深。進之則愈長，退之則愈促。一羽不能加，蠅虫不能落。人不知我，我獨知人。英雄所向無敵，蓋皆由此而及也。斯技旁門甚多，雖勢有區別，概不外乎壯欺弱，慢讓快耳。有力打無力，手慢讓手快，是皆先天自然之能，非關學力而有所為也。察四兩撥千斤之句，顯非力勝。視耄耋能禦眾之形，快何能為？立如平準，活似車輪。偏沉則隨，雙重則滯。每見數年純功不能運化者，皆自為人制，卒不能制人，則雙重之病未悟耳。欲避此病，須知陰陽。黏即是走，走即是黏。陽不離陰，陰不離陽，陰陽相濟，方為懂勁。懂勁後，愈練愈精，默識揣摩，漸至從心所欲。本是舍己從人、多誤捨近求遠。所謂差之毫釐，謬之千里，學者不可不詳辨焉。 Taiji is given birth by Wuji; it is the Pivot of Movement & Stillness, as well as the Mother of Yin & Yang; in…
1. 無極/Wuji 2. 太極/Taiji 3. 懶扎衣/Lan Zha Yi - Lazily Tying Back the Clothes 4. 開手/Kai Shou - Opening Hands 5. 合手/He Shou - Closing…
Continue reading → 孫氏太極拳/Sun Shi Taijiquan – Sun Style Taijiquan
