Tang Haos analysis of Wang Zongyue

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王宗岳太極拳經 / 王宗岳陰符鎗譜
AN ANALYSIS OF WANG ZONGYUE’S TAIJI BOXING CLASSICS AND CONCEAL & REVEAL SPEAR MANUAL
唐豪
by Tang Hao
[published May 1, 1936]
[translation by Paul Brennan, Nov, 2023]
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王宗岳考
[PART ONE] A LOOK AT WANG ZONGYUE HIMSELF

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王宗岳考目錄
CONTENTS FOR PART ONE

王宗岳的姓氏
[Chapter One] His Name
王宗岳的傳受源流
[Chapter Two] The Source of His Teachings
王宗岳的籍貫
[Chapter Three] His Birthplace
王宗岳的時代
[Chapter Four] The Era in Which He Lived
王宗岳發明太極長拳的附會
[Chapter Five] He Probably Did Not Invent Taiji Long Boxing
陰符槍是山右王先生發明的
[Chapter Six] Conceal & Reveal Spear is His Invention
山右王先生就是王宗岳
[Chapter Seven] The Spear Manual’s “Master Wang of Shanxi” is Surely Wang Zongyue
陳溝的春秋刀王宗岳也兼得其傳
[Chapter Eight] On the Spring & Autumn Halberd Set that He Also Received
王宗岳是怎樣一個人物
[Chapter Nine] What Do We Know about Him?
太極拳經是否王宗岳的著作
[Chapter Ten] Did He Write the Taiji Boxing Classics?
王宗岳太極拳經的一部附會於張三丰的來由
[Chapter Eleven] Did Any Part of His Classics Come from Zhang Sanfeng?

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王宗岳考
AN ANALYSIS OF WANG ZONGYUE

試把太極拳著述中所記的王宗岳來一看，只見得一股附會，標榜，盲從交織的烏煙瘴氣，直沖霄漢，而看不見別的。
關百益於其民元印行的太極拳經中所考證的
(A note of caution: examining the attribution of the Taiji Boxing Classics to Wang Zongyue risks leading us into a realm of tempting exaggerations, and we could find ourselves getting mindlessly drawn into the foul air of hero worship, blinding us to facts. Let’s not do that.)

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王宗岳的姓氏：
[CHAPTER ONE] HIS NAME

查派考記：
Guan Baiyi in 1912 published his booklet on the Taiji Boxing Classics, in which he examined the history of the art:
『有淮安王宗道者，嘗從三丰學道，永樂中，封圓通眞人，後入廬山採藥不返。或疑王宗岳，王宗道為一人，而此籍山右，彼籍淮安，又顯係二人也。又王漁洋有謂：「拳勇之技，少林為外家，武當張三丰為內家，三丰之後，有關中人王宗得其傳。」王宗卽王宗岳訛傳？抑岳字為衍文耶？』
There was a Wang Zongdao of Huai’an who studied Daoism from Zhang Sanfeng. During the reign of Emperor Yongle [1402–1424], he was conferred with the title of “Omnipresent Immortal”. He later went to Mt. Lu [birthplace of Pure Land Buddhism] to live as a hermit and never returned. Some think Wang Zongyue and Wang Zongdao were the same person, but since one was born in Shanxi and the other born in Huai’an [city in Jiangsu], they were obviously two people. Further confusion was added by Wang Shizhen: “Of the boxing arts, Shaolin is the external school and Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang is the internal school. After Zhang Sanfeng, there was a Wang Zong of Shaanxi who obtained Zhang’s teachings.” Who is Wang Zong? Is this a simple mistake for Wang Zongyue, merely a matter of accidentally leaving out the ‘yue’?

關百益拿籍貫的差異，來論斷王宗岳，王宗道是兩個人，可是，他忘掉應用這一方法到王宗，王宗岳身上去了。陳微明於其巳己―民十八出版的太極答問中，便這樣的指了出來：
Though Guan Baiyi reasoned that the difference of birthplace meant that Wang Zongyue and Wang Zongdao were two people, he forgot to apply the same criteria to Wang Zong and Wang Zongyue. Chen Weiming later addressed this point in his 1929 book:
『問：「三丰集曾載數傳而至關中王宗，王宗與王宗岳是一人抑係二人耶？」答：「王宗乃陝西人，宗岳山西人，以為一人者誤也。」』
Question: Zhang Sanfeng’s collected teachings were handed down to Wang Zong of Shaanxi. Are Wang Zong and Wang Zongyue the same person or are they two people? Answer: Wang Zong was from Shaanxi whereas Wang Zongyue was from Shanxi. They were not the same person.

關百益對於王宗岳的姓氏，尚抱一些懷疑態度，但對於
Guan Baiyi may have had doubts about Wang’s name, but not about:

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王宗岳的傳受源流，
[CHAPTER TWO] THE SOURCE OF HIS TEACHINGS

他卻肯定地說：
『祖師張眞人三丰，傳王先生宗岳。』
關氏此說，在其太極拳經敘中這是樣說明的：
Guan Baiyi affirmed that: “The founder Zhang Sanfeng transmitted the art to Wang Zongyue.” He explained this in the preface to his Taiji Boxing Classics in this way:
『辛亥秋，余獲太極拳經鈔本於京師，其題有：山右王宗岳先生太極拳論。又題有：武當山先師張三丰，王宗岳留傳。又論後注：右係武當山張三丰老師遺論。其說不一，愚意或為張三丰所遺留，王宗岳據以傳世者也。』
In the autumn of 1911, I obtained a handwritten copy of the Taiji Boxing Classics while in Beijing. It was titled “Taiji Boxing Treatise of Wang Zongyue of Shanxi”. This was then further clarified with: “These teachings were passed down through the generations from the founder Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang and Wang Zongyue.” However, a note at the end of the Treatise says: “These teachings were passed down from the founder Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang.” With the credit for the material confusingly switching between going to Wang, then to Zhang and Wang, then to Zhang, I think that what has been handed down could perhaps be writings of Wang based on teachings of Zhang.

不知這些題記，是王宗岳以後的人所妄加。而措辭含糊。並不能表明王宗岳是張三丰的門徒，況王宗岳後於張三丰者數百載，二人又怎能為師生呢？
關氏一方面疑太極拳經為張三丰所遺留，王宗岳據以傳世。一方面卻於其太極拳傳授源流中說：祖師張眞人三丰，傳王先生宗岳，由懷疑未決的問題，下肯定不移的論斷，這樣的論證方法，是靠不住的。
關氏又於王漁洋所舉的內家拳源流：『三丰之後，有關中人王宗得其傳。』句下註：此王宗恐卽王宗岳。於是，一般附會，盲從的武藝作家，便由此衍變出許多笑話來，如許禹生於其民十出版的太極拳勢圖解中說：
We do not know if some later generation presumptuously added such explanations or if they were just sloppily stated. They certainly cannot be said to indicate that Wang was a student of Zhang, though since Wang came hundreds of years after Zhang, there obviously could not have been a direct teacher-student relationship anyway. Guan on one hand suspects that “what has been handed down could perhaps be writings of Wang based on teachings of Zhang”, but on the other hand asserts that “the founder Zhang Sanfeng transmitted the art to Wang Zongyue.” He leaves the question unsettled, but then comes to a conclusion about it anyway, not a very reliable way to debate an issue.
　　Guan echoes Wang Shizhen’s statement about the source of the Internal School: “After Zhang Sanfeng, there was a Wang Zong of Shaanxi who obtained Zhang’s teachings.” But he then adds: “This ‘Wang Zong’ was probably Wang Zongyue.” This strained interpretation was then blindly followed by martial arts writers, leading to many laughable assertions, such as from Xu Yusheng in his 1921 book:
『有西安人王宗岳者，得其眞傳，名聞海內。溫州陳州人多從之學，由是由山陝而流傳於浙東。』
又說：
『王宗岳傳河南蔣發。』
Wang Zongyue of Xi’an obtained the authentic transmission and became renowned everywhere… Chen Zhoutong of Wen Prefecture learned it, and thereupon it spread from Shaanxi all the way to Zhejiang… It was taught by Wang Zongyue to Jiang Fa of Henan.

王宗是內家拳家，王宗岳是太極拳家。兩種拳法，雖均附會於張三丰，然試取兩家的練法，打法，色名，拳套名稱來比較，便知其截然不同。關百益沒有把這弄淸楚，於是他疑心內家拳家王宗，卽是太極拳家王宗岳，連二人相異的籍貫，也忽略了過去，這種考據方法，未免粗疏可笑。
關百益受許禹生之託而為校訂太極拳經，這在太極拳勢圖解中曾經提到過的。所以關氏之說，為許氏所深信不疑，他相信王宗岳卽王宗，同時因為王宗是關中人，關中卽陝西省，西安是陝西省的省會，於是就產生出『西安人王宗岳』這個附會來。以上這些話，吾想許禹生是不會否認的吧。至其『溫州陳州人多從之學』那話，想必從漁洋所述內家拳源流『宗傳溫州陳州同』那句話來的。觀其句中人多二字，決非手民誤植，而是將人名變為地名，豈非笑話。『王宗岳傳河南蔣發』那話，不知其何所根據？如此莫知所云的附會，眞敎人夠咋舌！
Wang Zong was a master of the Internal School. whereas Wang Zongyue was a master of Taiji Boxing. Zhang Sanfeng is dubiously given credit as the creator of both arts. However, based on their particular practice methods, fighting principles, terminology, and the posture arrangements of the solo sets, they are clearly not the same tradition. Guan Baiyi did not notice the distinction, and therefore came to the conclusion that the Wang Zong of the Internal School was probably Wang Zongyue of Taiji Boxing. Since he also ignores their different birthplaces, we can give this judgment of his research on the matter: amusingly careless.
　　Guan had been entrusted with the task of research by Xu Yusheng, as mentioned in Xu’s 1921 book: “In 1912, I asked the scholar Guan Baoqian [Baiyi] to analyze the versions and determine the correct text.” Assuming that Guan was right, Xu believed that Wang Zongyue was Wang Zong. Furthermore, since Wang Zong was from Guanzhong, Guanzhong being another name for Shaanxi, and Xi’an being the capital of Shaanxi, Xu then made the stretch to “Wang Zongyue of Xi’an”. I do not think that Xu would deny that this is what happened. (As for “Chen Zhoutong of Wen Prefecture learned it”, he was presumably just going along with Wang Shizhen’s “Wang Zong taught it to Chen Zhoutong of Wen Prefecture”.)
　　Whenever people add words to a text they have received, it is not some transcription error. To change a place name because of a person’s name is going too far. It is not clear where Xu got “Wang Zongyue taught Jiang Fa of Henan”. If that idea does not get cleared up, teachers will become very confused.

許氏之後的武藝著述，跟著盲從，附會的，如陳秀峯太極拳眞譜：
『武當山眞仙張三丰傳山右王宗岳，山右王宗岳傳河南溫縣陳州同。』
秀峯是楊班侯的弟子，又為班侯的親同鄕，大槪他是知道楊家的太極拳，是由河南溫縣陳氏得來，而不是由浙江溫州傳去的，所以他大膽地把陳州同的籍貫修改為溫縣。同時，這位陳秀峯先生，竟不知陳州同是明朝嘉靖間人，更自鼓自吹地附會著說：
After Xu Yusheng’s 1921 book, other martial arts writers blindly followed along with his dubious interpretation, such as Chen Xiufeng in his Authentic Manual of Taiji Boxing: “The immortal Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang taught Wang Zongyue of Shanxi. Wang taught Chen Zhoutong of Wen County, Henan.” Chen Xiufeng was a student of Yang Banhou, as well as his neighbor. He probably knew that the Yang family’s Taiji Boxing came originally from the Chen family’s art, in Wen County, which is in Henan, not Wen Prefecture, which is in Zhejiang. Therefore it was rather brazen of him to change Chen Zhoutong’s birthplace to Wen County. He also seemed to be completely unaware that Chen Zhoutong lived during the reign of Emperor Jiajing [1521–1566]. Chen Xiufeng furthermore talks himself up:
『山右王宗岳傳河南溫縣陳州同，溫縣陳州同傳廣平府南關楊班侯，廣平府楊班侯傳是城西鄕何營村文生陳秀峯，班侯槍法天下第一奇絕，秀峯刀法天下無雙。』
Wang Zongyue of Shanxi Chen Zhoutong of Wen County, Henan. Chen Zhoutong of Wen County taught Yang Banhou of the southern pass of Guangping Prefecture. Yang Banhou taught Chen Xiufeng of Heying Village, Chengxi Township. Yang Banhou’s spear skill was unsurpassed. Chen Xiufeng’s saber skill is unequalled.

徐哲東於其民十七出版的國技論略中也說：
『溫州陳州同，從王宗岳學。王宗岳又授河南蔣發。』
徐哲東的國技論略，是一部用考據方法來敘述中國武藝的著作。其中考異辨譌，頗具相當的見解。可是，他竟相信陳州同，蔣發是王宗岳的弟子，而不去考證一下，也不以之入存疑篇中，以待他人之考訂，率然盲從，顯然減少了這一著作的價値。
Xu Zhen wrote in his Brief Summaries of Our Martial Arts (1928): “Chen Zhoutong of Wen Prefecture learned from Wang Zongyue. Wang also taught Jiang Fa of Henan.” Xu Zhen’s book is an example of textual research, examining Chinese martial arts writings. Such cross-referencing both exposes errors and reveals where there is general consensus. However, it is surprising that he seems to accept the assertion that Chen Zhoutong and Jiang Fa were students of Wang instead of trying to verify it, or at least leaving it as an unanswered question for others to eventually prove one way or the other. When we blindly accept what these texts say, it actually diminishes their value.

楊澄甫於其民二十出版的太極拳使用法中說：
『三丰師傳山右王宗岳，王宗岳先師傳浙東，河南。』
楊澄甫雖則相信關百益那類的所謂考據，然而他比陳秀峯聰明多了，他知道溫州在浙東，溫縣在河南，他祖傳的太極拳是由河南得來的，所以他把關百益，許禹生二人的話，綜合起來，說王宗岳傳的是浙東，河南兩處。
Yang Chengfu wrote in his 1931 book: “Zhang Sanfeng taught Wang Zongyue of Shanxi… Wang then taught in Zhejiang and Henan.” Although Yang trusted Guan Baiyi’s type of textual research, he was more in line with Chen Xiufeng’s understanding. Aware that Wen Prefecture is all the way over in Zhejiang, while Wen County is in Henan, he took Henan as the source of Taiji Boxing, thus combining the statements of Guan Baiyi and Xu Yusheng by saying that Wang Zongyue taught in Zhejiang and Henan.

王宗岳的師承，王宗岳的傳授，在太極拳經上是考據不出來的，武藝著作家，偏要附會出一串上承下接的師弟來，可謂極盡編造扯謊之能事。不但王宗岳的傳授源流如是，卽
As to who Wang Zongyue learned from and who he taught, this is not revealed within the Taiji Boxing Classics. Nevertheless, martial arts writers persistently pass down the standard absurdities of how the art was transmitted, thereby earning themselves the title of “master” only when it comes to the skill of telling lies. This is not only the case when it comes to the source of Wang’s teachings, but also for:

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王宗岳的籍貫，
[CHAPTER THREE] HIS BIRTHPLACE

何嘗不是如是的呢！因為關百益疑王宗卽是王宗岳，又因為王宗是關中人，於是許禹生第一個在其太極拳勢圖解中，編造出王宗岳是西安人，不知太極拳經上，只記載王宗岳是山右人，山右者，今稱山西，以其在太行山之右也。關百益疑關中的王宗，卽山右的王宗岳，已是粗心之至，許禹生不知關中為陝西省之總稱，西安乃陝西省的府治，竟把關中變為西安，豈非天大笑話。依聲學舌繼許之後的，有：民十七出版的吳圖南科學化的國術太極拳，民二十一出版的田鎭峯太極拳，萬籟聲原式太極拳圖解等書，這種附會，盲從的態度，恐怕除了武藝著作家以外，是少見的吧！其次
How can we not know this? Guan Baiyi doubted that Wang Zong was the same person as Wang Zongyue because Wang Zong was said to be from Shaanxi. This is why Xu Yusheng in his 1921 manual said Wang was from Shaanxi, in the first published mention of that being the case. He furthermore specified that Wang was from Xi’an, unaware that the Taiji Boxing Classic which he included says in other versions of the text that Wang Zongyue was from Shanxi, being to the west of the Taihang Mountains [Shanxi meaning “West of the Mountains”].
　　For Guan Baiyi to doubt that Wang Zong was Wang Zongyue was too dismissive of him. Xu Yusheng was not sure if it was Shanxi or Shaanxi, but picked Shaanxi simply because Xi’an is the capital, silly reasoning. Various writers thereafter parroted this information, such as Wu Tunan’s 1931 manual, Tian Zhenfeng’s 1932 manual, and Wan Laisheng’s 1932 manual all blindly following Xu’s lead. This idea seems to be found only among martial arts writers, no other authors outside of martial arts circles.

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王宗岳的時代，
[CHAPTER FOUR] THE ERA IN WHICH HE LIVED

也多是臆測之辭，按內家拳所附會的張三丰，是宋徽宗時人，太極拳著作家之間，把王宗岳列為張三丰的門徒，這無疑是主張王宗岳為宋時人了。創這一說者為關百益，而盲從關的，有：陳秀峯的太極拳眞譜，楊澄甫的太極拳使用法等書。
許禹生則編造王宗岳為元世祖時人，而盲從許的，有田鎭峯的太極拳，萬籟聲的原式太極拳圖解等書。
陳微明於其乙丑！民十四出版的太極拳術中，則謂『王宗岳大約是淸初人。』但未能舉出其所根據的材料來，自是瞎猜。
姜容樵，姚馥春於其民十九出版的太極拳講義中，也認王宗岳為淸初人，據云：此說是根據其所得的乾隆太極拳鈔譜，可是據吾考證的結果，王宗岳雖為乾隆時代的人物，但是姜，姚的拳譜，吾以為不是乾隆時代的舊鈔本，其說詳拙著『關於太極拳經』一文。
姜容樵，姚馥春合編的太極拳講義，其中有一節關於
Furthermore, most accept the validity of the dubious assertion in the documents of the Internal School [specifically from the “Memorial Inscription for Wang Zhengnan”] that Zhang Sanfeng lived during the reign of the Song Dynasty emperor Huizong [1100–1126]. Many Taiji Boxing writers consider Wang Zongyue to be a student of Zhang Sanfeng, which would therefore mean that Wang lived during the Song Dynasty [960–1279]. Guan Baiyi was the first of them to state this explicitly, then blindly following his lead were Chen Xiufeng in his undated booklet and Yang Chengfu in his 1931 book.
　　Xu Yusheng pulled out of his own imagination that Wang Zongyue lived during the reign of Kublai Khan [1260–1294], then blindly following his lead were Tian Zhenfeng in his 1931 & 1932 books and Wan Laisheng in his 1932 book. Chen Weiming in his 1929 book said: “Wang Zongyue probably lived during the early Qing Dynasty.” However, being unable to find any reference in any historical documents, this is mere speculation.
　　Jiang Rongqiao and Yao Fuchun in their 1930 book also consider Wang to have lived during the early Qing Dynasty, based on their handwritten document which they claim is from the reign of Emperor Qianlong [1736–1795]. Although Wang himself might be from that era, I suspect that document is not (which I explain below in Chapter Fifteen). But on the subject of their 1930 book…

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王宗岳發明太極長拳的附會，
[CHAPTER FIVE] HE PROBABLY DID NOT INVENT TAIJI LONG BOXING

其說如左：
Jiang Rongqiao says:
『淸初太極專家王宗岳，發明太極長拳，並著拳論，始有長拳，十三式之別。考長拳雖亦取法十三式，而其中實包藏龍，蛇，鶴，虎，馬，鷄，鷹，熊，鳳，猴十形在內也。余與姚君馥春，同學太極於友人湯君士林，湯為許占鰲先生之弟子。客歲，余在吾師芳辰處，表演長拳半趟。先生謂：「斯術雖脫胎於十三式，其顯明易懂之理法與功用，實較十三式為廣」。余甚佩芳辰先生之治技而能知技也。蓋於民元之前，經倪成玉君之介紹，得識許占鰲先生。許謂：「斯術確為王宗岳嫡派，因傳流甚尠，故世人多知其長拳，特不知長拳之何若？至近今所謂長拳者，皆由十三式從而翻之，甲乙顚倒，先後互移，斯與此長拳有別矣」。余聆斯言，如獲至寶，秘而不宣者十餘年。而余友姚君已得斯術三昧，余則自愧仍未窺堂奧也。蓋許先生為郭雲深之弟子，與余師兆東先生為同輩，德高望重，決無妄語，聞其太極得自友傳，而非師授，故同門多未知其精太極。茲擬太極拳出版後，續邀姚君馥春，合編此太極長拳，以公同好，特述許先生言如上。』
In the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, Taiji expert Wang Zongyue created the Taiji Long Boxing set and also wrote the Boxing Treatise. There was then a distinction between the Long Boxing set and the Thirteen Dynamics. If we examine the Long Boxing set, although it is based on the Thirteen Dynamics, it actually contains qualities of ten animals: dragon, snake, crane, tiger, horse, chicken, eagle, bear, phoenix, and monkey.
　　Yao Fuchun and I learned Taiji together from our colleague Tang Shilin, a student of Xu Zhan’ao. Last year my teacher Li Jinglin did a demonstration of half of the Long Boxing set. He said that although this art emerged from the Thirteen Dynamics, its clarity of theory and function makes it actually a broader art than the Thirteen Dynamics. I greatly admire Li’s skill and his capacity for understanding the techniques. In 1912, I was introduced to Ni Chengyu, who had known Xu Zhan’ao.
　　Xu said: “This art is indeed descended from Wang Zongyue, but because it was passed down so rarely, many people know of Long Boxing and yet do not really know what ‘long boxing’ means. What people call Long Boxing nowadays came entirely from the Thirteen Dynamics, but they get flipped around, ancestor and descendant getting reversed, so that the art and the Long Boxing set end up being considered different things.”
　　When I heard these words, it was like finding a rare treasure, a secret I had been seeking for more than ten years. Yao has already achieved the knack of this art, whereas I am ashamed to have still not seen my way into its depths. Xu was a student of Guo Yunshen and a fellow student of Zhang Zhaodong. Being a virtuous person and highly regarded, he surely is not talking nonsense. As he learned Taiji from a friend rather than a teacher, many of his fellow students have therefore not been aware of his skill in Taiji. After this Taiji Boxing book is published, I will again be soliciting the help of Yao Fuchun to collaborate in sharing Xu’s Taiji Long Boxing set publicly, making special use of his explanations as above.

姜，姚自稱得王宗岳發明的長拳之嫡傳，其立意無非在標榜罷了。二人惟恐不能取信於社會，所以把許占鰲說得如何德高望重，說明他決無妄語，以為自己所得到的嫡傳來保證。其實拳家的扯謊，自古已然，於今為烈，姜，姚又豈能免此。查姜，姚所練的太極拳，與楊派大同小異，書中所列的圖勢，色名，其間雖稍稍有些異點，然而彼此對照起來，總不能否認是楊派的支流，但其太極拳講義中卻要說他們所練的太極拳，是陳耕雲之子某以友誼資格傳定州許占鰲，許傳湯士林，倪成玉等，湯傳姜，姚二人。按不佞在陳溝親見耕雲曾孫照旭演練其世代相傳的老架十三勢，與時下楊派大異其趣，因而考知楊派之祖楊福魁，已將照旭高祖陳長興所傳者改變其面目。（詳拙著太極拳史的研究。）故凡曾目覩兩家練法之人，一望而知其區別，姜，姚襲楊派之形貌，想要去冒充陳派底嫡傳，只能騙騙那些眼界不廣的人而已，陳耕雲之子某傳太極拳於姜，姚的師祖這話，不是姜姚在那裏扯謊，便是他們的師祖許占鰲在那裏扯謊，拿這件事來作證，許占鰲的德望，似乎不能保證長拳為王宗岳發明的東西，何況據吾親詣陳溝調查之所得，陳耕雲的子孫，都不會太極長拳，太極長拳，在陳耕雲之父陳長興那時早已失傳，現在只有拳譜還可以找到。同時，太極拳經上，也找不出長拳是王宗岳發明的根據來。
數年前，不佞在北平廠肆得陰符鎗譜與太極拳經合抄本一冊。鎗譜之前，有乾隆乙卯―五十九年佚名氏敘一篇，敘中說
Jiang Rongqiao and Yao Fuchun claim to be inheritors of Wang Zongyue’s invention of Taiji Long Boxing, really just to brag. Fearing themselves unlikely to prove their assertion to the martial arts community, they name-drop Xu Zhan’ao, who they say is “a virtuous person and highly regarded”, which somehow means that “he surely is not talking nonsense”, and this somehow guarantees the validity of what they have received. Seeing as martial arts masters have been lying ever since ancient times, it would understandably be hard for Jiang and Yao not to get taken in by someone they respect.
　　Examining the Taiji Boxing that Jiang and Yao practice, it is mostly the same as Yang Style. Although their book exhibits some slight differences in the arrangement of the postures and also the posture names, the material is nevertheless clearly Yang Style. However, their book explains the source of their art thus: “One of Chen Gengyun’s sons taught Xu Zhan’ao of Ding County out of friendship. Xu taught Tang Shilin and Ni Chengyu.” And Tang then taught Jiang and Yao. (I personally saw Gengyu’s great-grandson Zhaoxu practicing the “old frame” of the Thirteen Postures set. It looked very different to the Yang Style version that has come down to us, but as we already know, Yang Luchan made changes to what he learned from Zhaoxu’s great-great-grandfather Changxing, as I discussed in my Investigating the History of Taiji Boxing.) Both styles can be identified at a glance due to their differences. What Jiang and Yao is obviously Yang Style by its appearance. If they wanted to pass it off as Chen Style, only laymen who are unaware of the differences could be tricked.
　　When Jiang and Yao say that their Taiji Boxing was passed down from a son of Chen Gengyun, this does not mean they are lying to us, but that their teacher Xu Zhan’ao was lying to them. Apparently, Xu Zhan’ao being “a virtuous person and highly regarded” is not adequate to prove that Wang Zongyue invented Long Boxing after all. Furthermore, I personally visited the Chen Village to make a survey of what they have passed down. None of Chen Gengyun’s descendants know Taiji Long Boxing. It was already lost in the time of Gengyun’s father, Chen Changxing. All that remains nowadays are lists of postures for us to seek it in. There is also no indication in the Taiji Boxing Classics that Wang Zongyue invented Long Boxing.
　　A few years ago, I obtained a handwritten manuscript of Conceal & Reveal Spear and Taiji Boxing Classics from Beijing’s Store #4, its preface dated 1795. In the preface…

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陰符鎗是山右王先生發明的。
[CHAPTER SIX] CONCEAL & REVEAL SPEAR IS HIS INVENTION

其說如左：
The spear manual itself says:
『山右王先生，自少時經史而外，黃帝，老子之書及兵家言，無書不讀，而兼通擊刺之術，鎗法其尤精者也。蓋先生深觀於盈虛消息之機，熟悉於止齊步伐之節，簡練揣摩，自成一家，名曰陰符鎗。噫！非先生之深於陰符，而能如是乎？
辛亥歲，先生在落，卽以示予。予但觀其大略，而未得深悉其蘊，每以為憾！予應鄕試居汴。而先生適舘於汴，退食之餘，復出其稿示予。乃悉心觀之。先生之鎗，其潛也若藏於九泉之下，其發也若動於九天之上，變化無窮，剛柔相易，而其總歸於陰之一字，此誠所謂陰符鎗者也。
先生常謂予曰：「予本不欲譜，但悉心於此中數十年，而始少有所得，不以公諸天下，□□□□□，□□□□□！」於是將鎗法集成為訣，而明其進退變化之法，囑序於予，因誌其大略而為之序云。』
Master Wang of Shanxi has read studiously ever since his youth, not just Confucian classics, but every book on Daoism and military strategy as well. He also has a thorough understanding of the arts of fighting with weapons, especially skillful in spear methods. He has deep insight into the waxing and waning of opportunity, and the intricate rhythms of footwork. After isolating essentials and contemplating them deeply, he has created his own art, calling it “Conceal & Reveal Spear”. Without developing profound skill in both concealing and revealing, he would not have been able to achieve this.
　　In 1791, Wang was in Luoyang. During his time there, he shared his art with me. Although I was able to grasp the general ideas, I did not obtain a thorough understanding of all its refinements, which I have regretted ever since. When I later went to Kaifeng for the provincial civil-service exams, Wang also happened to be staying there at the time. After finishing a meal together, he brought out his spear manuscript to show me. I examined it carefully and found that his spear art involves stealth that is as though “hidden below the deepest ground”, display that is as though “moving above the highest sky”, and alternating endlessly between the two states.
　　With hardness and softness changing into each other in this way, you will ultimately discover wisdom that had been hidden. It therefore truly lives up to its name of Conceal & Reveal… Wang once told me: “I didn’t originally intend to write a manual. However, after decades of meticulous practice, I feel I’ve obtained something worthwhile, and if I don’t share it with the world, there might never be anybody else who knows these skills.” Therefore he now presents his spear art in a collection of instructions, illuminating his methods of advancing, retreating, and adapting. He has urged me to write a preface to his manuscript in order to give a general sense of what lies herein.

這山右王先生是誰呢？吾以為卽是王宗岳。茲將
Just who is this “Master Wang of Shanxi”? It seems to me that it is Wang Zongyue. Below I present the evidence for this:

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山右王先生就是王宗岳
[CHAPTER SEVEN] THE SPEAR MANUAL’S “MASTER WANG OF SHANXI” IS SURELY WANG ZONGYUE

的證據，述之於後。陰符鎗總訣云：
It says in the spear manual:
『身則高下，手則陰陽，步則左右，眼則八方。陽進陰退，陰出陽囘，粘隨不脫，疾若風雲。以靜觀動，以退敵前，審機識勢，不為物先。下則高之，高則下之，左則右之，右則左之。剛則柔之，柔則剛之，實則虛之，虛則實之。鎗不離手，步不離拳，守中禦外，必對三尖。』
Your body goes high and low. Your hand grips are passive [one palm facing downward] and active [other facing upward]. Your steps zigzag side to side. Your gaze goes all around.
　　Advance is active. Retreat is passive. Once passive, then go forth. Once active, then withdraw. Stick and follow without disconnecting. Be as sudden as winds and storms.
　　Use stillness to await movement. Use retreat to defeat advance. Look for opportunity and recognize the situation. Do not be the first to move.
　　If the opponent goes low, go high. If he goes high, go low. If he goes left, go right. If he goes right, go left.
　　If the opponent hardens, soften. If he softens, harden. If he fills, empty. If he empties, fill.
　　The spear techniques do not depart from boxing principles. The stepping does not depart from that of the boxing techniques. Defend your center by warding away all threats. You must align the three points [spear tip, front toes, nose].

訣中高下，左右，剛柔，虛實，進退，動靜，陰陽，粘隨，一一與太極拳經理論吻合，這是山右王先生卽王宗岳的一證。
太極拳經上的王宗岳藉山右，陰符鎗譜敘中的王先生也籍山右，這是山右王先生卽王宗岳的又一證。
太極拳經與陰符鎗譜合鈔在一起，其理論與文采，兩者又相合致，苟非同一人的著作，沒有這般巧合的事，這是山右王先生卽王宗岳的又一證。
有以上這些證據，證明了山右王先生，卽是著太極拳經的王宗岳，在另外沒有找到別的新證據可以修正此說之前，大槪不算十分武斷吧！
這陰符鎗譜與太極拳經之間，尚有春秋刀殘譜一種，其刀法現尚為陳溝傳習，刀譜亦可在陳溝拳家之間鈔得，據此以觀，王宗岳得陳溝之傳者，不單是太極拳一種，
These obsessive pairings of opposites – high and low, left and right, hardness and softness, emptiness and fullness, advance and retreat, movement and stillness, passive and active, sticking and following – one after another conform to Taiji Boxing theory, which alone hints at Master Wang being Wang Zongyue.
　　Both the Wang Zongyue of the Taiji Boxing Classics and the Master Wang of the spear manual are from Shanxi, another hint that they are the same man.
　　The Taiji Boxing Classics and the spear manual appear together in the same handwritten document. Their theories and writing style conform with each other so well that if they are not by the same author, it would be quite a coincidence indeed. Another hint.
　　Based on these clues, it seems clear that they are the same man, though I would be willing to retract this conclusion in light of new evidence to the contrary, provided it is not mere subjective speculation.
　　In between the spear text and the Taiji Boxing Classics also appears some text for the Spring & Autumn Halberd, a set which is still taught in the Chen Village. A copy of these instructions could have been obtained from any teacher in the village, indicating that Wang received other teachings from the Chen Village, not just Taiji Boxing.

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陳溝的春秋刀，王宗岳也兼得其傳。
[CHAPTER EIGHT] ON THE SPRING & AUTUMN HALBERD SET THAT HE ALSO RECEIVED

茲將民國二十年不佞在陳溝所得的春秋刀譜與這殘譜，並錄於後，以資考證。
Below is shown the instructions for the Chen family’s Spring & Autumn Halberd set, which I obtained from them in 1931, alongside the incomplete version that appears in the manual, in order for us to compare them:

春秋刀殘譜： Spear manual version:	陳溝春秋刀譜： Chen Village version:
『關聖提刀上霸橋， [1] GUAN YU LIFTS HIS HALBERD on the Bahe River bridge.	『關公提刀上霸橋， [1] GUAN YU LIFTS HIS HALBERD on the Bahe River bridge.
白雲蓋頂逞英豪。―原文豪作儫。― [2] CLOUDS COVER THE HEAD indicates a hero. (The original text uses 儫 instead of 豪, a variant character for “hero”.)	白雲蓋頂逞英豪。 [2] CLOUDS COVER THE HEAD indicates a hero.
上三刀嚇殺許褚， [3] With THREE UPWARD CUTS, he frightens Xu Chu to death.	上三刀嚇殺許褚， [3] With THREE UPWARD CUTS, he frightens Xu Chu to death.
下三刀驚退曹操。 [4] With THREE DOWNWARD CUTS, he scares away Cao Cao.	下三刀驚退曹操。 [4] With THREE DOWNWARD CUTS, he scares away Cao Cao.
白猿托刀往上砍， [5] WHITE APE CARRIES THE HALBERD chops through the upper area.	白猿拖刀往上砍， [5] WHITE APE DRAGS THE HALBERD chops through the upper area.
一掤虎就地飛來―原文飛作非。― [6] SPRINGING TIGER launches itself from the ground. (The original text uses 非 “not” instead of 飛 “flying”, an obvious transcription error due to identical pronunciation.)	一掤虎就地飛來。 [6] SPRINGING TIGER launches itself from the ground.
分鬃刀難遮難擋， [7] SWINGING THE BLADE SIDE TO SIDE is very difficult to block.	分鬃刀難遮難當， [7] SWINGING THE BLADE SIDE TO SIDE is very difficult to block.
十字刀劈壞―原文壞作懷。―胸膛。 [8] CROSS-SHAPED HALBERD chops through his chest. (The original text uses 壞 “evil” instead of 懷 “chest area”, an obvious transcription error due to a shared component and similar pronunciation [though it may have been intentional: “chop viciously to his chest”].)	十字刀劈砍胸懷。 [8] CROSS-SHAPED HALBERD chops through his chest.
囗囗囗囗囗囗囗， [9] (text missing)	翻身一刀往上砍， [9] TURNING AROUND WITH THE HALBERD chops through the upper area.
磨腰刀古樹盤根， [10] SLASHING TO THE WAIST withdraws to finish like an old tree’s twisted roots.	磨腰刀囘又盤根。 [10] SLASHING TO THE WAIST withdraws to finish like an old tree’s twisted roots.
左插花往上急砍， [11] LEFT INSERTING FLOWERS quickly chops through the upper area.	左插花往上急砍， [11] LEFT INSERTING FLOWERS quickly chops through the upper area.
舉刀磨旗懷抱月。 [12] RAISE THE HALBERD LIKE WAVING A BANNER, then EMBRACE THE MOON.	舉刀磨旗懷抱月。 [12] RAISE THE HALBERD LIKE WAVING A BANNER, then EMBRACE THE MOON.
舞花撒手往上騰， [13] FLOURISH AND LET GO WITH ONE HAND acts suddenly above,	五花撒手往上磨， [13] FLOURISH AND LET GO WITH ONE HAND wipes away above,
落在懷中又抱月。 [14] then bring the halberd down to again EMBRACE THE MOON.	落在懷中又抱月。 [14] then bring the halberd down to again EMBRACE THE MOON.
起刀反身往上沖， [15] LIFT THE HALBERD WHILE TURNING AROUND thrusts through the upper area.	率刀翻身往上砍， [15] LEAD THE HALBERD WHILE TURNING AROUND chops through the upper area.
刺囘一舉嚇人魂， [16] To STAB OUT AND IMMEDIATELY WITHDRAW will scare the enemy to death.	刺囘一舉嚇人魂。 [16] To STAB OUT AND IMMEDIATELY WITHDRAW will scare the enemy to death.
插花往左定―下缺。』 [17] ROLLING FLOWERS TO THE LEFT — (The text cuts off here [because it has come to the end of the page and there is obviously a leaf missing].)	翻花往左定下勢， [17] ROLLING FLOWERS TO THE LEFT plants and sinks down.
	白雲蓋頂又轉囘。 [18] CLOUDS COVER THE HEAD turns you around.
	右插花翻身往上砍， [19] RIGHT INSERTING FLOWERS turns around and chops through the upper area.
	再舉靑銅砍死人。 [20] LIFTING THE RUSTED BRONZE ends with chopping him to death.
	翻花往左定下勢， [21] ROLLING FLOWERS TO THE LEFT plants and sinks down.
	白雲蓋頂又轉囘。 [22] CLOUDS COVER THE HEAD turns you around.
	挑袍翻身猛囘頭， [23] CLOSING THE ROBE involves turning around with a fierce look in the eyes.
	十字分鬃直扎去。 [24] SWINGING SIDE TO SIDE INTO A CROSSED SHAPE stabs straight out.
	花刀轉下銅翻杆， [25] TWIRL THE HALBERD DOWNWARD like a bronze pole rolling over.
	左右插花誰敢拒。 [26] LEFT & RIGHT INSERTING FLOWERS will make none dare to oppose you.
	花刀轉下鐵門閂， [27] TWIRL THE HALBERD DOWNWARD to be like an iron bar sealing a door.
	捲簾倒退誰遮閉。 [28] With ROLLING UP THE SCREEN, STEPPING BACK, none will think to block what is coming.
	花―花下當脫一字。―左右往上砍， [29] FLOURISH THE HALBERD TO THE LEFT & RIGHT chops through the upper area. (There appears to be a word missing after 花 “flourish”, which is presumably 刀 “halberd”.)
	十字一刀忙舉起。 [30] After placing the CROSS-SHAPED HALBERD, quickly rise up.
	春秋刀遇五關內。』 This is the kind of spring & autumn halberd skill that guarded the passes north and south, east and west, and in the center.

春秋刀殘譜，在陰符鎗譜七絕與太極拳十三勢論之間。―廠本。
Here is how it appears within the document, the incomplete Spring & Autumn Halberd text appearing between the Four Verses of Seven-Character Lines and the Taiji Boxing Thirteen Dynamics Treatise:

十字刀與磨腰刀之間，陳溝刀譜，較殘譜多『翻身一刀往上砍』之句，其餘雖文字微有差異之處，然與吾的論證是不相背馳的。接著，再來研究
Between CROSS-SHAPED HALBERD and SLASHING TO THE WAIST, the Chen family’s list of instructions adds “TURNING AROUND WITH THE HALBERD chops through the upper area”. As for the rest of the text, despite some very minor differences, the two lists do not contradict each other.

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王宗岳是怎樣一個人物？
[CHAPTER NINE] WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT HIM?

陰符鎗譜佚名氏的敘告訴我們：王宗岳是山西人。他的治學，自少時經史而外，黃帝，老子之書及兵家言，無書不讀。辛亥歲―乾隆五十五年，他在洛，其後舘於汴。他兼通擊刺之術，尤精於鎗法，他悉心於此中者數十年，深觀於盈虛消息之機，熟悉於止齊步伐之節，簡練揣摩，自成一家，名曰陰符鎗。又將鎗法集成為訣，以公天下。敘末署乾隆乙卯，證明了他於乾隆五十九年尚好健在。他怎樣學得太極拳的呢？陰符鎗譜敘中不是說過他在汴，洛之間處過舘的嗎！太極拳的發源地，在河南懷慶府溫縣陳溝村，―一稱陳家溝，或稱陳家溝子，簡稱陳溝。如果我們要從開封或洛陽前去，只要乘隴海車由開封之西，洛陽之東的汜水，渡黃河十餘里地便到。因為氾水介於汴，洛之間，而溫縣則在氾水的對岸，明白了上述的地理，王宗岳之學得太極拳，當卽在其居留洛，汴的時期中。以鈔本中的春秋刀譜來看，他不但學得陳溝的太極拳，並且學得陳溝的春秋刀等武藝。他的武藝著作理論，受黃，老思想的影響，這也是佚名氏在敘中明白告訴我們的。
進一步，要討論的是：
The spear manual preface says that Wang was from Shanxi and describes his education thus: “has read studiously ever since his youth, not just Confucian classics, but every book on Daoism and military strategy as well.” In 1791, he was in Luoyang and then Kaifeng. “He also has a thorough understanding of the arts of fighting with weapons, especially skillful in spear methods.” After “decades of meticulous practice,” he reached the point that he had developed “deep insight into the waxing and waning of opportunity, and the intricate rhythms of footwork. After isolating essentials and contemplating them deeply, he has created his own art, calling it ‘Conceal & Reveal Spear’… He now presents his spear art in a collection of instructions,” in order to “share it with the world”. The preface was written in 1795, therefore he was obviously still alive and in good health at that time.
　　How did Wang learn Taiji Boxing? The preface does not mention where he stayed when traveling between Kaifeng and Luoyang [which are both cities in Henan and are about a hundred miles apart]. Taiji Boxing’s birthplace was the Chen Village in Wen County, Huaiqing Prefecture, Henan. (“Chen Village” is short for “Chen Ditch Village”, sometimes called “Chen Family Ditch”.) If we wanted to travel from Kaifeng or Luoyang nowadays, we would take the Longhai Railway, west from Kaifeng or east from Luoyang, and find ourselves at Sishui Village as the halfway point, which is just a few miles from the Yellow River, with Wen County right there on the other side. It is clear from this geography that for Wang to learn Taiji Boxing, he must have stayed within the area of Luoyang and Kaifeng for a period of time.
　　The handwritten document also contains the Spring & Autumn Halberd set, therefore Wang not only learned the Chen family’s Taiji Boxing, but also the Chen family’s halberd set.
　　Wang’s martial arts writings were influenced by his studies of Daoist literature, as the preface makes it clear that he read. Let us now discuss those writings:

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太極拳經是否王宗岳的著作？
[CHAPTER TEN] DID HE WRITE THE TAIJI BOXING CLASSICS?

太極拳經除同，禹，圖，鎭四本外，均有如左的一節註：
Apart from Ma Tongwen, Xu Yusheng, Wu Tunan, and Tian Zhenfeng, the rest all include this comment:

『此係武當山張三豐老先師遺論
This text relates to the inherited theories of the founder Zhang Sanfeng of Mt. Wudang.
―百本：此作右，豐作丰，無先字。
Guan Baiyi uses 右 instead of 此 (resulting in “the text above relates to…”), writes “Sanfeng” as 三丰 instead of 三豐, and uses 老師 instead of 老先師 (having the effect of “master” rather than “founder”).
秀本：此句作武當山眞仙張三峯老師遺論。
Chen Xiufeng writes this line as 武當山真仙張三峯老師遺論 instead of 此係武當山張三豐老先師遺論 (“These are the inherited theories of the founder, the immortal Zhang Sanfeng of Mt. Wudang.”)
容本：此句作以上係三丰祖師所著。―
Jiang Rongqiao writes this line as 以上係三丰祖師所著 instead of 此係武當山張三豐老先師遺論
(“This text relates to the writings of Master Zhang Sanfeng.”)

欲天下豪傑延年養生，
He wished for all heroes to live long healthy lives and not merely gain skill.
―百，容二本：養生作益壽。―不徒作技藝之末也。』
Guan Baiyi and Jiang Rongqiao use 延年益壽 instead of 延年養生 (reducing it to “live long lives”.)

右註，澄，微，鑑，致四本，都在十三勢論，太極拳解二篇之後。
Yang Chengfu, Chen Weiming, Wu Jianquan, and Xu Zhiyi place the comment after the linked text of Thirteen Dynamics Treatise and Taiji Boxing Techniques.
廠，百二本，都在太極拳論之後，
Store #4 and Guan Baiyi place it after the Taiji Boxing Treatise.
文本在十三勢論之後。
Huang Yuanxiu places it after the Thirteen Dynamics Treatise.
秀本在拳經全文之首。
Chen Xiufeng places it as an introductory comment at the very beginning of the classics.
容本則註在十三勢論，太極拳論，太極拳解三篇之後。
Jiang Rongqiao places it after the linked text of the Thirteen Dynamics Treatise, Taiji Boxing Treatise, and Taiji Boxing Techniques.

這九本註的地位，彼此不同，究竟那一篇是張三丰著的？那一篇是王宗岳著的？這批太極拳著作家，將瞠目無以對吧！這一節註，如果說王宗岳自己因為張三丰的神仙名重，假託了這位道人，以遂其文章登龍之術，那麼，他所著的陰符鎗譜，為何不同樣地也借重張三丰呢？陰符鎗譜且不肯假託古人，何況太極拳經？更就太極拳產生的時期來說，此拳為溫縣陳溝村陳王廷所發明，王廷，明末淸初人，國亡後隱居，取戚繼光三十二勢拳經，和黃庭經吐納之術，來創造出太極拳，這是在其遺詩及陳氏家譜中可以證明出來的。（詳見拙著戚繼光拳經。）張三丰至少是元末明初人，與王廷相去三百年，不但奉張三丰為太極拳鼻祖，出於附會，卽太極拳經中的一部，說是張三丰所遺留，也是受附會者所欺，況以太極拳經的整個內容來看，不僅其本身的文體，完全一致，與陰符鎗譜的文體，其至理論，亦無不同，足見太極拳經這一著作，出自山右王先生宗岳一手的推論，不是武斷的。至後人之所以附會於張三丰者，大槪體驗到此拳演練之法，與道家養生之術有貫通之處，同時，民間張三丰的印象，影響了這位好為附會的先生，註在王宗岳著作之後，這是很可能之事。茲將數百年來民間對於張三丰印象深刻與普遍的原因敘述於後，以明
Since the placement of this comment is not consistent, was a particular text actually written by Zhang Sanfeng or by Wang Zongyue? These Taiji Boxing writers have no answer other than a vacant stare. If with this comment Wang Zongyue himself was invoking the name of the revered Daoist immortal Zhang Sanfeng to give his art some extra clout, so be it. But then why not do likewise with a comment attached to the text of the Conceal & Reveal Spear? And if not for the spear text, why do so for the Taiji Boxing Classics?
　　Furthermore, there is the issue of the era in which Taiji Boxing began. This art was invented by Chen Wangting of the Chen Village, Wen County. Chen lived during the end of the Ming Dynasty, beginning of the Qing. After his nation fell to the Manchus, he lived a retired life. Making use of both the thirty-two postures of Qi Jiguang’s Boxing Classic and the rejuvenation techniques of the Yellow Courtyard Classic, he combined them to create Taiji Boxing. This is confirmed by a poem he left us and by other Chen family documents (which I discussed in my Analysis of Qi Jiguang’s Boxing Classic [1935]).
　　Zhang Sanfeng goes back to the end of the Yuan Dynasty, beginning of the Ming, hundreds of years before Chen Wangting, and yet not only are we expected to believe that Zhang was the founder of Taiji Boxing, but even that he was to some extent an author of the material – an outrageous deception. Furthermore, the entire content of the Taiji Boxing Classics not only has the same writing style throughout, but it it also the same writing style and same manner of thought in the Conceal & Reveal Spear. This is sufficient to show that the Taiji Boxing Classics are the work of a single author, and it is not just a subjective assertion to say that person is Wang Zongyue of Shanxi.
　　The main reasons that later generations have accepted the association of Zhang Sanfeng with the art are because the general ideas and training methods conform so well to Daoist health practices, and because Zhang Sanfeng is already such an iconic figure in the minds of common people. It is therefore very probable that this comment giving credit to Zhang was added by someone long after Wang Zongyue.
　　Now let us take a look at the centuries-long widespread influence of Zhang Sanfeng:

–

王宗岳太極拳經的一部，附會於張山丰的來由。
[CHAPTER ELEVEN] DID ANY PART OF HIS CLASSICS COME FROM ZHANG SANFENG?

明史方伎傳所記的張三丰：
It says in the Ming History of Wan Sitong, “Bios of the Talented” – Zhang Sanfeng:
『太祖故聞其名，洪武二十四年，遣使覓之，不得。永樂中，成祖遣給事中胡濙，偕內侍朱祥，齎璽書香幣往訪，遍歷荒徼，積年不遇。乃命工部侍郎郭璉，隆平候張信等，督丁夫三十餘萬人，大營武當宮觀，費以百萬計，旣成，賜名太和太岳山，設官鑄印以守。天順三年，英宗賜誥贈為通微顯化眞人。』
Emperor Hongwu, founder of the Ming Dynasty, heard of Zhang’s fame. In the twenty-fourth year of his reign [1391], he dispatched an envoy to seek Zhang, but never found him…
　　Emperor Yongle [1402–1424] dispatched his minister Hu Ying, accompanied by the palace attendant Zhu Xiang, to find Zhang, sending them with gifts for him of imperial titles, incense, and money. They travelled to the very edges of the nation for many years and never found him. He then ordered Guo Jin, public works minister, and Zhang Xin, marquis of Longping, to supervise a grand stake-out: three hundred thousand men encamping at Wudang to wait and see if Zhang would show up. This project ended up costing millions and produced no results except to earn Wudang the honorific name of “Great Taihe Mountain” and the official casting of coins that say “Sanfeng”…
　　In the third year of the Tianshun era [1459], Emperor Yingzong bestowed upon him the title of “The Comprehending-the-Profound Demonstrating-Transformation Perfected Man.”

明史胡濙傳：
It says in the Ming History of Zhang Tingyu, “Bios of Hu Ying”:
『惠帝之崩於火，或言遯去，諸舊臣多從者。帝疑之，遣濙頒御製諸書，並訪仙人張邋遢，徧行天下州，郡，鄕，邑，隱察建文帝所在。』
Emperor Jianwen appeared to die in a burning building, but some say he fled. All his old ministers let to follow him, making the new emperor worry that maybe he did get away after all. Emperor Yongle therefore dispatched Hu Ying with a public imperial proclamation to seek “Zhang the Slob”, to look for him everywhere, from province to prefecture, from city to town, but really with a private mission to find where Jianwen was hiding.

讀了以上兩傳，可見成祖因太祖曾訪過張三丰，便借此為題，遣胡濙借內侍去隱察建文帝安在。成祖為甚麼要做這套把戲呢？當然為了政治上的顧忌，這是毫無疑義的。胡濙在外訪了十餘年，訪得惠帝遯去的消息不實，乃悉以所聞奏對。永樂為遮蓋天下耳目計，大營武當宮觀，這就是所謂假戲眞做之法。但，民間因胡濙表面上到處去訪求張三丰，故毘陵見聞錄有胡老尚書趕張邋遢之語，加之丁夫三十餘萬人，大營武當宮觀，旣成之後，又設官鑄印以守，天順三年，英宗更仰體先人之意，賜誥為通微顯化眞人，這些都是十分聳動社會視聽的事，因此，有明一代，民間對於張三丰印象的普遍與深刻，逈非其他道家可比。明亡以後，雍正年間的汪夢九，道光年間的李西月，還替這位邋遢道人編全集，足見其影響的久遠而不衰，這便是一切附會之所由。後人把王宗岳所著的太極拳經的一部來附會於張三丰，一方由於太極拳運氣之法，與道家養生之術相通，一方由於民間張三丰印象的普遍與深刻，造成了附會的因素，而思想滯留於數世紀以前的拳家，或則限於知識的淺薄，或則作為安身立命的法門，於是附會妖妄，標榜神仙，盲從瞎說之風，遂彌漫於武藝作家之間。
It is plain from the passages above that Emperor Yongle was inspired by his grandfather Hongwu’s quest for Zhang Sanfeng and borrowed the idea as a cover for Hu Ying and Zhu Xiang to look for Jianwen. Why was the emperor playing these games? Politics, of course. Poor Hu Ying was away from his home for more than ten years and never found so much as a clue as to where Jianwen went, though songs were later written about his quest. However, Yongle’s strategy of covering the eyes and ears of the nation, especially with his ostentatious Wudang encampment, succeeded at turning the lie into the truth.
　　For the common people, the image of Hu Ying looking everywhere for Zhang gave rise to the saying “Minister Hu chasing Zhang the Slob”. Add to that the three hundred thousand encamped at Wudang in wait for him, coins minted with his name on them, and an emperor so impressed at the thought of him that he gives him the grandiose title of “The Comprehending-the-Profound Demonstrating-Transformation Perfected Man.” Such sensationalism left a deep impression of him in the minds of people during the Ming Dynasty, to the point that he eclipsed all other Daoist figures.
　　Quite a while after the Ming Dynasty ended, Wang Mengjiu, who lived during the reign of Emperor Yongzheng [1722–1735], and Li Xiyue, who lived during the reign of Emperor Daoguang [1820–1850], wrote the Collected Works of this “Daoist Slob”, which is itself enough to show how enduring his influence was, and it is precisely that stubborn influence that is the source of the problem.
　　Later generations have mindlessly accepted that at least a portion of Wang Zongyue’s Taiji Boxing Classics came from Zhang Sanfeng, in part because Taiji Boxing’s methods of moving energy conform to those of Daoist cultivation arts, in part because Zhang Sanfeng is an iconic figure in the minds of common people. The idea has lingered through so many generations of martial arts masters, sometimes due to ignorance, sometimes due to complacency, that it has become customary to believe absurdities, to exaggerate reverence, and to blindly follow along with nonsense, and thus it has wormed its way into the minds of martial arts writers everywhere.

–

王宗岳太極拳經
[PART TWO] WANG ZONGYUE’S TAIJI BOXING CLASSICS

–

目錄
CONTENTS FOR PART TWO

太極拳經
[Chapter Twelve] Textual Analysis of the Taiji Boxing Classics:
　一　十三勢論
　1. Thirteen Dynamics Treatise
　二　太極拳論
　2. Taiji Boxing Treatise
　三　太極拳解
　3. Taiji Boxing Techniques
　四　十三勢歌
　4. Thirteen Dynamics Song
　五　打手歌
　5. Playing Hands Song
　六　十三勢行工心解
　6. Understanding How to Practice the Thirteen Dynamics
　七　十三勢名目
　7. A Comparison of the Posture Names for the Thirteen Dynamics Solo Set
廠本太極拳經校訂記
[Chapter Thirteen] My Corrections to the Spear Manual’s Text for the Taiji Boxing Classics
各本太極拳經文字同異之原因
[Chapter Fourteen] The Reasons for the Textual Variation in the Different Presentations of the Classics
關於太極拳經
[Chapter Fifteen] About the Taiji Boxing Classics
　一　太極拳經命名的由來及其篇名
　1. On the Source of the Titles for the Classics
　二　參校各本的說明
　2. A Comment about the Cross-Referenced Works
　三　拳經各篇的排列與標題
　3. Arrangement & Titling of the Classics in the Various Versions
　四　拳經中的兩節註
　4. On the Two Comments Appearing with the Classics
　五　文，百，容三本比較他本多出的歌，訣，文
　5. On the Additional Verse, Sayings, and Prose Text of Huang Yuanxiu, Jiang Rongqiao, and Guan Baiyi
　六　十三勢名目的說明與研究
　6. An Explanation about and Discussion of the Posture Lists for the Thirteen Dynamics Solo Set

–

太極拳經
[CHAPTER TWELVE] TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF THE TAIJI BOXING CLASSICS

一　十三勢論
1. THIRTEEN DYNAMICS TREATISE

一舉動，週身俱要輕靈，尤須貫串。
Once there is any movement, the entire body should be nimble and alert. There especially needs to be connection from movement to movement.
圖本：尤作猶。
Wu Tunan uses 猶 instead of 尤 (resulting in “always needs to be” instead of “especially needs to be”).

氣宜鼓盪，神宜內練，
The energy should be roused and the spirit should be refined within.
澄，微，文，百，鑑，致，圖，容，鎭九本：練作歛。
Yang Chengfu, Chen Weiming, Huang Yuanxiu, Guan Baiyi, Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, Wu Tunan, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng use 歛 instead of 練 (“collected within” instead of “refined within”).

無使有缺陷處，
Do not allow there to be cracks or gaps anywhere,
微，容二本：均無此句。
Chen Weiming and Jiang Rongqiao do not have this line.
鎭本：此句在無使有斷續處之後。
Tian Zhenfeng places it after 無使有斷續處 (“breaks in the flow”).

無使有高低處，
peaks or valleys anywhere,
澄，微，文，鑑，致，圖，容，鎭八本：高低均作凸凹。
Yang Chengfu, Chen Weiming, Huang Yuanxiu, Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, Wu Tunan, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng use 凹凸 instead of 高低 (“pits or protrusions” instead of “peaks or valleys”).

無使有斷續處。
breaks in the flow anywhere.
鎭本：處作時。
Tian Zhenfeng uses 時 instead of 處 (“at any time” instead of “anywhere”).

其根在於腳，
It starts from the foot,
澄，微，百，鑑，致，圖，容，鎭八本：均無於字。
Yang Chengfu, Chen Weiming, Guan Baiyi, Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, Wu Tunan, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng use 在 without 於 (still resulting in “from the”).

發於腿，主宰於腰，行於手指，
is sent through the leg, gets directed at the waist, and travels to the fingers.
澄，微，鑑，致，圖，容，鎭七本：行作形。
Yang Chengfu, Chen Weiming, Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, Wu Tunan, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng use 形 instead of 行 (“manifests at” instead of “travels to”)

由腳而腿而腰，總須完整一氣，向前退後，乃得機得勢，
From foot through leg through waist, it must be a fully continuous process. Whether advancing or retreating, you will then be in the right place at the right time.
澄，文，圖、三本：乃下多一能字。
Yang Chengfu, Huang Yuanxiu, and Wu Tunan add a 能 after 乃 (turning “you will then” into “you will be able to”).

有不得機得勢處，
If you do not achieve the right position at the right moment,
文本：有上多一若字，機下多一不字。
Huang Yuanxiu adds a 若 before 有 (making the “if” literal rather than just implied) and another 不 after 機 (expanding it to “if you do not achieve the right position and do not catch the right moment”).

身便散亂，其病必於腰腿求之，
causing your body to easily fall into disorder, the problem must be in the waist and legs, so look for it there.
鑑本：腰腿作腿腰。
Wu Jianquan flips 腰腿 into 腿腰 (turning “waist and legs” into “legs and waist”).

上下前後左右皆然。
This is always so, regardless of the direction of the movement, be it up or down, forward or back, left or right.
鑑本：此句作上下左右前後皆然。
Wu Jianquan orders the directions as “up or down, left or right, forward or back”.

凡此皆是意，
And in all of these cases, the problem is a matter of your intention
容本：無是字，皆下註在心二字。
Jiang Rongqiao uses 在心 instead of 是 (resulting in “lies with your intention” rather than “is a matter of”).
文本：是下多一在字。
Huang Yuanxiu adds 在 after 是 (also resulting in “lies with”).

不在外面，
and does not lie outside of you.
百本：無面字。
Guan Baiyi abbreviates 外面 to 外 (still resulting in “outside”).
文本：此句下尚多而在內也四字。
Huang Yuanxiu after this phrase adds 而在內也 (expanding it to “does not lie outside of you, being entirely internal”).

有上卽有下，
With an upward comes a downward,
澄，微，文，百，鑑，致，圖，容，鎭九本：此句下多有前卽有後五字，
Yang Chengfu, Chen Weiming, Huang Yuanxiu, Guan Baiyi, Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, Wu Tunan, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng after this phrase add 有前即有後 (“with a forward comes a backward”).
澄本：卽作則。
Yang Chengfu uses 則 instead of 即 (resulting in the same meaning).

有左卽有右，
with a left comes a right.
澄本：卽作則。
Yang Chengfu again uses 則 instead of 即.

如意要向上，
If your intention wants to go upward,
圖本：要作欲。
Wu Tunan uses 欲 instead of 要 (still resulting in “wants”).

卽寓下意，
then harbor a downward intention.
文本：無意字。
Huang Yuanxiu leaves out 意 (letting “intention” be implied rather than explicit).

若將物掀起而加以挫之之意，
For example, when you pull a plant out of the ground, you first have to add a breaking intention,
澄，微二本：意作力。
Yang Chengfu and Chen Weiming use 力 instead of 意 (“force” instead of “intention”).
容本：此句作譬之將植物拋起而加以挫折之力。
Jiang Rongqiao uses 譬之 instead of 若 (another way to say “like” or “if”), expands 物 to 植物 (making it a “plant” explicitly), 挫折 instead of 挫之 (reinforcing the act of “breaking” it), and likewise 力 instead of 意.

斯其根自斷，
thereby easily snapping its root.
百本註：斯一作斬。
Guan Baiyi uses 斬 instead of 斯 (turning it into “thereby severing its root so that it easily breaks away”).

乃壞之速而無疑。
In this way, it is broken off more efficiently and assuredly.
容本：此句作損壞之速乃無疑。
Jiang Rongqiao expands 壞 to 損壞 (making clear that the meaning is actual damage rather than just defeat, indicating that this line is still referring to the plant analogy rather than the opponent directly), and also uses 乃 instead of 而 (turning it into “more efficiently and thus more assuredly”).

虛實宜分淸楚，一處自有一處虛實，
Empty and full must be distinguished clearly. In each part, there is automatically a part that is empty and a part that is full.
澄，文二本：無自字。
Yang Chengfu and Huang Yuanxiu leave out 自 (“automatically”).

處處總此一虛實，
Everywhere it is always like this, an emptiness and a fullness.
文，百二本：此作有。
Huang Yuanxiu and Guan Baiyi uses 有 instead of 此 (turning it into “everywhere there is always an…”
文本：虛下多一一字。
Huang Yuanxiu adds another 一 after 虛 (reinforcing “an… and a…”)

週身節節貫串，勿令絲毫間斷耳。
Throughout the body, as the movement goes from one section to another, there is connection. Do not allow the slightest break in the connection.
澄，微，鑑，致，圖，鎭六本：勿均作無。
Yang Chengfu, Chen Weiming, Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, Wu Tunan, and Tian Zhenfeng use 無 instead of 勿 (rendering it as a less forceful “do not”).

–

二　太極拳論
2. TAIJI BOXING TREATISE

太極者，無極而生，
A grand polarity [tai ji] emerges from a state of nonpolarity [wu ji]
秀本：無上多一本字。
Chen Xiufeng adds a 本 before 無 (resulting in “a grand polarity originally emerges from a state of nonpolarity”).
百本：無上多一由字。
Guan Baiyi adds a 由 before 無 (clarifying “from”).
禹，鑑，致，圖，鎭五本：句下多動靜之機四字。
Xu Yusheng, Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, Wu Tunan, and Tian Zhenfeng add 動靜之機 after this line. (“It is the manifestation of movement and stillness.”)

陰陽之母也。動之則分，靜之則合，無過不及，隨曲就伸，
and generates the passive and active aspects [yin / yang]. When there is movement, passive and active qualities become distinct from each other. When there is stillness, they return to being indistinguishable. Neither going too far nor not far enough, comply and bend, then engage and extend.
同，微，容，鎭四本：曲作屈。
Ma Tongwen, Chen Weiming, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng use 屈 instead of 曲 (both meaning “bend”, though 屈 is more commonly paired with 伸 to mean “bend and extend”).

人剛我柔謂之走，我順人背謂之粘，
He applies hardness, so I use softness – this is yielding. I follow him when he backs off – this is sticking.
容本：我順人背作人背我順。
Jiang Rongqiao uses 人背我順 instead of 我順人背 (resulting in “he backs off, so I follow him – this is sticking”).
圖本：背作逆。
Wu Tunan uses 逆 instead of 背 (resulting in “my energy is smooth while his energy is coarse – this is sticking”).
澄，微，鑑，致，圖，容，振七本：粘作黏。
Yang Chengfu, Chen Weiming, Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, Wu Tunan, Jiang Rongqiao, and Chen Zhenmin use 黏 instead of 粘 (both meaning “sticking”, the two characters often being used as variants of each other).

動急則急應，
If he moves fast, I quickly respond,
圖本：應下多謂之速三字。
Wu Tunan adds 謂之連 (resulting in “if he moves fast, I quickly respond – this is connecting”).

動緩則緩隨，
and if his movement is slow, I leisurely follow.
圖本：隨作應，應下多謂之隨三字。
Wu Tunan adds 謂之隨 (resulting in “if his movement is slow, I leisurely respond – this is following”).

雖變化萬端，而理為一貫。
Although there is an endless variety of possible scenarios, this principle remains constant throughout.
同本：為作惟。文本：為作惟。
Ma Tongwen and Huang Yuanxiu use 惟 instead of 為 (making no difference).
微本：理為作惟性。
Chen Weiming uses 惟性 instead of 理為 (resulting in “this quality remains constant throughout”).
容本：此句作而理與性惟一貫。
Jiang Rongqiao writes 而理為一貫 as 而理與性惟一貫 (resulting in “this principle and quality remains constant throughout”).

由著熟而漸悟懂勁，
Once you have ingrained these techniques, you will gradually come to the point that you are identifying energies,
容本：悟作至。
Jiang Rongqiao uses 至 instead of 悟 (resulting in “you will gradually understand how to identify energies”).

由懂勁而階及神明，
and then from there you will work your way toward something miraculous.
文本：階及作漸及。
Huang Yuanxiu uses 漸及 instead of 階及 (resulting in “you will gradually reach something miraculous”).

然非用力，
But without a great deal of practice,
澄，微，秀，禹，百，鑑，致，圖，容，鎭十本：力下多之久二字。
Yang Chengfu, Chen Weiming, Chen Xiufeng, Xu Yusheng, Guan Baiyi, Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, Wu Tunan, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng add 之久 to the end of the line (expanding it to “practice over a long period”).
文本：力作功，下多至久二字。
Huang Yuanxiu uses 功 instead of 力 and adds 至久 (resulting in no change and likewise adding “long period”).

不能豁然貫通焉。虛領頂勁，
you will never have a breakthrough. Forcelessly press up your headtop.
微，秀，鎭三本：領作靈。
Chen Weiming, Chen Xiufeng, and Tian Zhenfeng use 虛靈 (“empty spirit”) instead of 虛領 (“emptily lead”) (either way having the effect of “forcelessly”).
容本：無此句，
Jiang Rongqiao does not include this line.

氣沉丹田，
Sink energy to your elixir field.
容本：無此句。
Jiang Rongqiao does not include this line.

不偏不倚，
Do not lean in any direction.
圖本：作中立不依。
Wu Tunan replaces this with 中立不依 (“Do not lean off-center”).

忽隱忽現，
Suddenly vanish and suddenly appear.
圖本：作乍隱乍現。
Wu Tunan uses 乍 instead of 忽 (an alternate word for “suddenly”).

左重則左虛，
When there is pressure on my left, my left empties.
容本：重作實。
Jiang Rongqiao uses 實 instead of 重 (“fullness” instead of “pressure”).
秀本：則左之左字作右。
Chen Xiufeng switches the second “left” to “right” (changing it to “with pressure on my left, there is emptiness on my right”).
圖本：虛上多一必字。
Wu Tunan adds a 必 before 虛 (resulting in “my left must empty”).

右重則右虛，
When there is pressure on my right, my right empties.
秀本：則右之右字作左。
Chen Xiufeng switches the second “right” to “left” (changing it to “with pressure on my right, there is emptiness on my left”).
圖本：虛上多一必字。
Wu Tunan again adds a 必 before 虛.
同，澄，微，秀，禹，百，鎭七本：虛作杳。
Ma Tongwen, Yang Chengfu, Chen Weiming, Chen Xiufeng, Xu Yusheng, Guan Baiyi, and Tian Zhenfeng use 杳 instead of 虛 (resulting in “my right disappears”).
圖本：虛作輕，其下多虛實兼到一句。
Wu Tunan uses 輕 instead of 虛 (“my right lightens”) and then adds 虛實兼到 (“Emptiness and fullness manifest simultaneously.”)

仰則彌高，
When he goes high, I go higher.
同，澄，微，文，秀，禹，百，鑑，致，容，鎭十一本：仰下多一之字。
Ma Tongwen, Yang Chengfu, Chen Weiming, Huang Yuanxiu, Chen Xiufeng, Xu Yusheng, Guan Baiyi, Xu Zhiyi, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng add a 之 after 仰 (which does not affect the meaning but better matches the pattern for the lines about advancing and retreating).
圖本：此句作仰高鑽堅。
Wu Tunan writes this line as 仰高鑽堅. (“When looking up, it is still higher. When drilling in, it only becomes harder.”)

俯則彌深，
When he goes low, I go lower.
同，澄，微，文，秀，禹，百，鑑，致，容，鎭十一本：俯下多一之字。
Ma Tongwen, Yang Chengfu, Chen Weiming, Huang Yuanxiu, Chen Xiufeng, Xu Yusheng, Guan Baiyi, Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng add a 之 after 俯 (which again does not affect the meaning but better matches the pattern for the lines about advancing and retreating).
圖本：無此句。
Wu Tunan does not include this line (replacing it with the “drilling” idea mentioned above).

進之則欲長，
When he advances, I want to make him overextend.
文，鎭二本：進作近。
Huang Yuanxiu and Tian Zhenfeng use 近 instead of 進 (resulting in “when he approaches”).
同，澄，微，文，秀，禹，百，鑑，致，容，鎭十一本：欲作愈。
Ma Tongwen, Yang Chengfu, Chen Weiming, Huang Yuanxiu, Chen Xiufeng, Xu Yusheng, Guan Baiyi, Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng use 愈 instead of 欲 (resulting in “I draw back farther than he can reach”).
圖本：無欲字。
Wu Tunan leaves out 欲 (resulting in “I make him overextend”).

退之則欲促，
When he tries to retreat, I want to crowd him.
同，澄，微，文，秀，禹，百，鑑，致，容，鎭十一本：欲作愈。
Ma Tongwen, Yang Chengfu, Chen Weiming, Huang Yuanxiu, Chen Xiufeng, Xu Yusheng, Guan Baiyi, Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng use 愈 instead of 欲 (resulting in “I crowd him ever closer”).
圖本：無欲字。
Wu Tunan again leaves out 欲 (resulting in “I crowd him”).

一羽不能加，蠅蟲不能落，
A feather cannot be added and a fly cannot land.
禹，鎭二本：蠅作一。
Xu Yusheng and Tian Zhenfeng use 一 instead of 蠅 (going from the more specific “fly” to the more general “insect”, which could also include even subtler bugs such as a mosquito or a gnat).
秀本：蟲作蚊。
Chen Xiufeng uses 蠅蚊 instead of 蠅蟲 (explicitly stating “neither a fly nor a mosquito can land” rather than just a fly).
禹，鎭二本：蟲作蠅。
Xu Yusheng and Tian Zhenfeng use 蠅蠅 instead of 蠅蟲. (resulting in “and any number of flies cannot land”).

人不知我，我獨知人，英雄所向無敵，
The opponent does not understand me, only I understand him. A hero is one who encounters no opposition,
容本：英作豪。
Jiang Rongqiao 豪雄 instead of 英雄 (an alternate way to say “hero”).

蓋皆由此而及也。
and it is always through this kind of method that such a condition is achieved.
澄，微，鎭三本：無皆字。
Yang Chengfu, Chen Weiming, and Tian Zhenfeng leave out 皆 (“always”).
圖本：此句作蓋皆由於此也。
Wu Tunan writes this line as 蓋皆由於此也. (“and it is due to this kind of method.”)
容本：此句作蓋皆由階而及也。
Jiang Rongqiao uses 階 instead of 此 (putting the emphasis on the “method” rather than “this”, but still producing the same sort of overall phrase through context).
文本：此句下多無力純剛四字。
Huang Yuanxiu then adds 無力純剛 (“Avoiding the use of force-against-against results in pure hardness.”)

斯技旁門甚多，雖勢有區別，槪不外乎壯欺弱，
There are many other schools of boxing arts besides this one. Although the postures are different between them, they generally do not go beyond the strong bullying the weak
文本：槪上多一惟字。
Huang Yuanxiu adds a 惟 before 概 (serving simply to reinforce 雖 “although” or could be used to replace it: “The postures are different between them, but they generally do not go beyond…”).
同，鎭二本：無乎字。
Ma Tongwen and Tian Zhenfeng leave out 乎 (making no difference).

慢讓快耳。有力打無力，
and the slow yielding to the fast. The strong beating the weak
禹本：打作讓。
Xu Yusheng uses 讓 instead of 打 (resulting in “the strong yielding to the weak”).

手慢讓手快，是皆先天自然自能，
and the slow submitting to the fast are both a matter of inherent natural ability
同本：是作此。
Ma Tongwen uses 此 instead of 是 (resulting in “and the slow submitting to the fast – these are both a matter of”).
澄，微，文，秀，禹，百，鑑，圖，容，鎭十本：自能作之能。
Yang Chengfu, Chen Weiming, Huang Yuanxiu, Chen Xiufeng, Xu Yusheng, Guan Baiyi, Wu Jianquan, Wu Tunan, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng use 之能 instead of 自能 (still resulting “natural ability”).

非關學力而有為也。
and bear no relation to skill that is learned.
文，禹，百三本：有下多一所字。
Huang Yuanxiu, Xu Yusheng, and Guan Baiyi add a 所 between 有 and 為 (resulting in “and therefore bear no relation to skill that is learned”).
同，澄，秀，容四本：無為字。
Ma Tongwen, Yang Chengfu, Chen Xiufeng, and Jiang Rongqiao leave out 為 (making no difference).

察四兩撥千斤之句，
Examine the phrase “four ounces diverts a thousand pounds”,
澄本：句作力。
Yang Chengfu uses 力 instead of 句 (resulting in “examine the notion of four ounces of force diverting a thousand pounds of force”).

顯非力勝，
which is clearly not a victory obtained through strength.
文本：此句作顯非蠻力所能勝。
Huang Yuanxiu expands this line to 顯非蠻力所能勝 (resulting in “clearly not a victory obtained through brute strength”.

觀耄耋能禦衆之形，
Or consider the sight of an old man repelling a group,
澄本：衆下多一人字。
Yang Chengfu adds a 人 after 眾 (which is redundant since 眾 on its own already means “group” or “crowd” and in fact contains three 人 within the character).
圖本：形作情。
Wu Tunan uses 情 instead of 形 (resulting in “consider the situation of”).

快何能為？立如平準，
which could not come from an aggressive speed. Stand like a scale.
文本：立上多一在字。
Huang Yuanxiu adds a 在 before 立 (resulting in “as long as you stand like a scale”).
圖本：立上多一惟字。
Wu Tunan adds a 惟 before 立 (also resulting in “as long as”).
澄本：如作及。
Yang Chengfu uses 及 instead of 如 (still resulting in “like” by context).
容本：平作秤。
Jiang Rongqiao uses 秤 instead of 平 (producing “scale” more explicitly).

活似車輪，偏沉則隨，雙重則滯，每見數年純工，
Move like a wheel. If you drop one side, you can move. If you have equal pressure on both sides, you will be stuck. We often see one who has practiced hard for many years
同，澄，微，文，秀，禹，百，鑑，圖，容，鎭十一本：工作功。
Ma Tongwen, Yang Chengfu, Chen Weiming, Huang Yuanxiu, Chen Xiufeng, Xu Yusheng, Guan Baiyi, Wu Jianquan, Wu Tunan, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng use 純功 instead of 純工 (still resulting in “practiced hard”).

不能運化者，率皆自為人制，
and yet is unable to perform any neutralizations and is always under the opponent’s control,
文本：無率字。
Huang Yuanxiu reduces 率皆 to 皆 (still resulting in “always”).
微，容二本：無皆字。
Chen Weiming and Jiang Rongqiao reduce 率皆 to 率 (reducing “always” to “usually”).
文本：句下多卒不能制人者則七字。
Huang Yuanxiu then adds 卒不能制人者則 (“and never able to control the opponent,”)

雙重之病未悟耳。惟欲避此病，
and the issue here is that this error of double pressure has not yet been understood. If you want to avoid this error,
同，澄，秀，禹，鑑，致，圖，容，鎭九本：無惟字。
Ma Tongwen, Yang Chengfu, Chen Xiufeng, Xu Yusheng, Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, Wu Tunan, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng leave out 惟 (making no difference).
百本：惟作故。
Guan Baiyi uses 故 instead of 惟 (resulting in “therefore if you want to avoid this error”).
微本：惟作若。
Chen Weiming uses 若 instead of 惟 (making the “if” more explicit).
文本：病上多一弊字。
Huang Yuanxiu expands 病 to 弊病 (adding emphasis to “error” and giving it a greater sense of “illness”).

須知陰陽，粘卽是走，
you must understand passive and active. In sticking there is yielding
微，鑑，致，圖，振，容，鎭七本：粘作黏。
Chen Weiming, Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, Wu Tunan, Chen Zhenmin, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng again use 黏 instead of 粘.

走卽是粘，
and in yielding there is sticking.
微，鑑，致，圖，振，容，鎭七本：粘作黏。
Chen Weiming, Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, Wu Tunan, Chen Zhenmin, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng again use 黏 instead of 粘.

陰不離陽，
The passive does not depart from the active
同，秀二本：陰作陽，陽作陰。
Ma Tongwen and Chen Xiufeng flip 陰 “passive” and 陽 “active”.

陽不離陰，
and the active does not depart from the passive,
同，秀二本：陽作陰，陰作陽。
Ma Tongwen and Chen Xiufeng again flip 陰 “passive” and 陽 “active”.

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，本是捨己從人，多悞捨近求遠，所謂差之毫釐，
for the passive and active exchange roles. Once you have this understanding, you will be identifying energies. Once you are identifying energies, then the more you practice, the more efficient your skill will be. By absorbing through experience and by constantly contemplating, gradually you will reach the point that you can “follow your feelings and do as you please”, though the initial stage is to “discard ego, follow others”, which often seems to get misheard as “discard what is near, seek what is far”. To guard against such a mistake, remember: “Miss by an inch,
微本：所作斯。
Chen Weiming uses 斯謂 (“there is this saying”) instead of 所謂 (“thus it is said”) (in either case having the effect of “keep this saying in mind”).
百本：差作謬，
Guan Baiyi uses 謬 instead of 差 (still resulting in “miss by an inch”).

謬之千里，
lose by a mile.”
百本：謬作差。
Guan Baiyi uses 差 instead of 謬 (making his rendition of the old saying 差之毫釐，謬之千里 “miss by an inch, lose by a mile” closer to the version in the Historical Records [“失之豪釐，差以千里”] rather than the version in the Book of Rites [“差若毫釐，繆以千里”]).
微，鑑，致，振，容五本：之作以。
Chen Weiming, Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, Chen Zhenmin, and Jiang Rongqiao use 謬以 instead of 謬之 (making it closer to the ancient versions).

學者不可不詳辨焉。是為論。
You must understand all this clearly. That is why it has been written down for you.

–

三　太極拳解
3. TAIJI BOXING TECHNIQUES

長拳者，如長江大海，
Long Boxing: it is like a long river flowing into the wide ocean,
容本：海作河。
Jiang Rongqiao uses 河 instead of 海 (resulting in “like the Yangzte River and the Yellow River, flowing on and on”).

滔滔不絕。
on and on ceaselessly…
微，鑑，致，容四本：絕下多一也字。
Chen Weiming, Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, and Jiang Rongqiao add a 也 (a final period).

十三勢者，
The thirteen dynamics are:
文本：十上多一純字。
Huang Yuanxiu adds a 純 at the beginning of this line (resulting in “Simply put, the thirteen…”).

掤，捋，擠，按，採，挒，肘，靠，
warding off, rolling back, pressing, pushing, plucking, rending, elbowing, and bumping –
秀本：捋作攄。
Chen Xiufeng uses 攄 instead of 捋. (This is probably a mistake, since 攄 is already a word meaning “to express” and has a completely different pronunciation from 捋. It is possible that what was intended was 慮 on its own, which would have the same pronunciation as 捋 and would result in the meaning of “induce anxiety”, a very reasonable thing to do to an opponent.)

此八卦也。進步，退步，左顧，右盼，中定，此五行也。合而言之，曰十三勢也。
which relate to the eight trigrams, and advancing, retreating, stepping to the left, stepping to the right, and staying in the center – which relate to the five elements. These combined [8+5] are called the Thirteen Dynamics.
文本：此句作十三勢者。
Huang Yuanxiu uses 十三勢者 instead of 十三勢也 (resulting in no difference).
容本：無也字。
Jiang Rongqiao leaves out the 也 (representing a period) at the end.

掤，捋，擠，按，
Warding off, rolling back, pressing, and pushing
秀本：捋作攄。
Chen Xiufeng again uses 攄 instead of 捋.

卽坎，離，震，兌，
correspond to ☵, ☲, ☳, and ☱
鑑，致二本：此句作乾，坤，坎，離。
Wu Jianquan and Xu Zhiyi uses the arrangement of 乾☰，坤☷，坎☵，離☲ instead of 坎☵，離☲，震☳，兌☱.

四正方也。採，挒，肘，靠，卽乾，坤，艮，巽，
in the four principal compass directions [meaning simply that these are the primary techniques]. Plucking, rending, elbowing, and bumping correspond to ☰, ☷, ☶, and ☴
鑑，致二本：此句作巽，震，兌，艮。
Wu Jianquan and Xu Zhiyi use 巽☴，震☳，兌☱，艮☶ instead of 乾☰，坤☷，艮☶，巽☴. This means that the eight trigrams for Wu and Xu look like:
☱☰☴
☲　☵
☳☷☶
instead of:
☴☲☷
☳　☱
☶☵☰
四斜角也。
in the four corner directions [i.e. are the secondary techniques].
本容，角作方。
Jiang Rongqiao uses 方 instead of 角 (making “corner” by implication instead of directly).

進，退，顧，盼，定，
Advancing, retreating, stepping to the left, stepping to the right, and staying in the center
鑑本：定作停。
Wu Jianquan uses 停 instead of 定 (“stopping” instead of “staying in the center”).

卽金，木，水，火，土也。
correspond to the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.
百本：此句作水，火，木，金，土也。
Guan Baiyi arranges them as “water, fire, wood, metal, and earth”.
容本：此句作水，火，金，木，土也。
Jiang Rongqiao arranges them as “water, fire, metal, wood, and earth”.

（註）
Notes:
圖本無此篇。
Wu Tunan does not include this text.
他本無篇名，今從百本。
The title used here for this text comes from Guan Baiyi. The others do not title it at all.
同本此篇，文字前後，微有不同，作：『長拳者，如長江大海，滔滔不絕。十三勢者，分掤，捋，擠，按，採，挒，肘，靠，進，退，顧，盼，中定。掤，捋，擠，按，卽坎，離，震，兌，四正方也。採，挒，肘，靠，卽乾，坤，艮，巽，四斜角也，此八卦也。進步，退步，左顧，右盼，中定，此金，木，水，火，土也，五行也。總而言之，曰十三勢也。』
Ma Tongwen rearranges the text thus:
　　Long Boxing: it is like a long river flowing into the wide ocean, on and on ceaselessly… The thirteen dynamics are: warding off, rolling back, pressing, pushing, plucking, rending, elbowing, bumping, advancing, retreating, stepping to the left, stepping to the right, and staying in the center. Relating to the eight trigrams: warding off, rolling back, pressing, and pushing correspond to ☵, ☲, ☳, and ☱ in the four principal compass directions. Plucking, rending, elbowing, and bumping correspond to ☰, ☷, ☶, and ☴ in the four corner directions. Advancing, retreating, stepping to the left, stepping to the right, and staying in the center correspond to the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. These combined are called the Thirteen Dynamics.
鎭本：無『長拳者，如長江大海，滔滔不絕』一節。十三勢者一節，作『十三勢者，掤，捋，擠，按，採，挒，肘，靠，進，退，顧，盼，中定是也。』
Tian Zhenfeng leaves out “Long Boxing: it is like a long river flowing into the wide ocean, on and on ceaselessly”. He then consolidates the rest of the text to simply “The thirteen dynamics are: warding off, rolling back, pressing, pushing, plucking, rending, elbowing, bumping, advancing, retreating, stepping to the left, stepping to the right, and staying in the center”.

–

四　十三勢歌
4. THIRTEEN DYNAMICS SONG

十三總勢莫輕視，
Do not neglect any of the thirteen dynamics,
澄本：總勢作勢來。
Yang Chengfu uses 勢來 instead of 總勢 (simplifying it to “do not neglect the thirteen dynamics”).
鑑，致，振，三本：總作勢。
Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, and Chen Zhenmin use 勢勢 instead of 總勢 (delivering the same meaning of “any of”).

命意源頭在腰膝。
their command coming from your lower back.
澄本：膝作際。
Yang Chengfu uses 腰際 instead of 腰膝 (making “lower back” clearer, 腰膝 actually meaning “lower back and knees” – surely an error of transcription).
同，微，秀，鑑，致，圖，振，容，鎭九本：膝作隙。
Ma Tongwen, Chen Weiming, Chen Xiufeng, Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, Wu Tunan, Chen Zhenmin, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng use 腰隙 instead of 腰膝 (also making “lower back” clearer, but is better still since 際 has a more similar pronunciation to 膝 than Yang Chengfu’s 際 does, making the accidental use of 膝 more understandable as a transcription error).
文本：膝作跨。
Huang Yuanxiu uses 腰跨 instead of 腰膝 (resulting in “lower back and hips”, which would probably be a reasonable alternative).

變轉虛實須留意，氣遍身軀不少痴。
You must pay attention to the alternation of empty and full,
then energy will flow through your whole body without getting stuck anywhere.
澄，微，文，秀，鑑，振，容，鎭八本：痴作滯。
Yang Chengfu, Chen Weiming, Huang Yuanxiu, Chen Xiufeng, Wu Jianquan, Chen Zhenmin, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng use 滯 instead of 痴 (still resulting in “without getting stuck”).

靜中獨動動尤靜，
In stillness, movement stirs, and then once in motion, seem yet to be in stillness,
澄，微，文，秀，百，鑑，致，圖，振，容，鎭十一本：獨作觸。
Yang Chengfu, Chen Weiming, Huang Yuanxiu, Chen Xiufeng, Guan Baiyi, Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, Wu Tunan, Chen Zhenmin, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng use 觸 instead of 獨. (The two characters have a different pronunciation, but with a similar written component, thereby understandably leading to a transcription error. 獨 would result in “in stillness there is only movement”, so was probably not the word intended.)
澄，微，文，百，鑑，致，圖，振，容，鎭，十本：尤作猶，
Yang Chengfu, Chen Weiming, Huang Yuanxiu, Guan Baiyi, Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, Wu Tunan, Chen Zhenmin, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng use 猶 instead of 尤. (Here is another transcription error. 猶 means “seem” and thus was surely the word intended, whereas 尤 would result in “then once in motion, there is especially stillness”.)
秀本：尤作又。
Chen Xiufeng uses 又 instead of 尤 (resulting in “then once in motion, there is also stillness”).

因敵變化是神奇。
for being receptive to what the opponent is doing is where the magic lies.
澄，微，文，鑑，致，圖，振，容，鎭九本：是作示。
Yang Chengfu, Chen Weiming, Huang Yuanxiu, Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, Wu Tunan, Chen Zhenmin, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng use 示 instead of 是 (resulting in “… is doing demonstrates a magical skill”).
秀本：是作施。
Chen Xiufeng uses 施 instead of 是 (also resulting in “demonstrates a magical skill”).

勢勢存心揆用意，
Posture by posture, stay mindful, observing intently,
同本：揆作窺。
Ma Tongwen uses 窺 instead of 揆 (another word for “observing” and which includes a quality of observing in minute detail).
微，文，容，鎭四本：存作揆。
Chen Weiming, Huang Yuanxiu, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng use 揆心 instead of 存心 (resulting in “focus your mind, observing intently”).
百，圖二本：存作留。
Guan Baiyi and Wu Tunan use 留 instead of 存 (still resulting in “stay mindful”).
微，文，容，鎭四本：揆作須。
Chen Weiming, Huang Yuanxiu, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng use 須 instead of 揆 (stay mindful, which requires concentration”).
百本註：揆用意，一作確著意。
Guan Baiyi uses 確著意 instead of 揆用意 (resulting in “stay mindful, fully concentrating”).

得來不覺費工夫。
for if something comes at you without your noticing it, you have been wasting your time.
鑑，致，振三本：工作功。
Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, and Chen Zhenmin use 功 instead of 工 (resulting in no difference).
圖本：得來不覺費工夫，作得來工夫不顯遲。
Wu Tunan uses 得來工夫不顯遲 instead of 得來不覺費工夫 (resulting in “for once you achieve that, your technique will never be gummed up”).

刻刻留意在腰間，
At every moment, pay attention to your waist,
同本：意作心。
Ma Tongwen uses 心 instead of 意 (still resulting in “pay attention”).

腹內鬆淨氣騰然。尾閭中正神貫頂，
for if there is complete relaxation within your belly, energy is primed.
Your tailbone is centered and spirit penetrates to your headtop,
秀本：神作直。
Chen Xiufeng uses 直 instead of 神 (resulting in “centered and thus there is a straightness that penetrates to your headtop”).
同，圖二本：中正作正中。
Ma Tongwen and Wu Tunan flip 中正 to 正中 (still making “centered”).

滿身輕利頂頭懸，
thus your whole body will be nimble and your headtop will be pulled up as if suspended.
文本：身作心。
Huang Yuanxiu uses 心 instead of 身 (resulting in “thus your mind will be filled with nimbleness…”).

仔細留心向推求，
Pay careful attention in your practice
秀本：向作去。
Chen Xiufeng uses 去 as an alternate to 向 (having the same effect of delving into the practice).

屈伸開合聽自由。入門引路須口授，工夫無息法自修。
that you are letting bending and extending, contracting and expanding, happen as the situation requires.
Beginning the training requires personal instruction,
but it is your own unceasing effort that is the key to mastering the art.
鑑，致，振三本：工作功。
Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, and Chen Zhenmin use 功 instead of 工 (still resulting in “effort”).
秀本：工夫作功用。
Chen Xiufeng uses 功用 instead of 工夫 (also still resulting in “effort”).
同，澄，微，文，秀，容，鎭七本：修作休。
Ma Tongwen, Yang Chengfu, Chen Weiming, Huang Yuanxiu, Chen Xiufeng, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng use 休 instead of 修 (a harmless transcription error, 休 being used as a variant of 修, the two words having identical pronunciation, rather than carrying its own meaning of “taking a break” which would confusingly contradict “unceasing effort”.)

若言體用何為準？意氣君來骨肉臣。想推用意終何在？
Whether we are discussing in terms of theory or function, what is the constant?
It is that mind is sovereign and body is subject.
If you think about it, what is emphasizing the use of intention going to lead you to?
同，秀二本：想作詳。
Ma Tongwen and Chen Xiufeng use 詳 instead of 想 (resulting in no meaningful difference to “if you think about it”).

益壽延年不老春。歌兮歌兮百四十，
To a longer life and a longer youth.
Repeatedly recite the words above,
微，容二本：四十作𠦜字。
Chen Weiming and Jiang Rongqiao write “hundred and forty” as 百𠦜字 instead of 百四十.

字字真切已無遺，
all of which speak clearly and leave nothing out.
同，澄，微，文，鑑，致，圖，振，容，鎭九本：已作義。
Ma Tongwen, Yang Chengfu, Chen Weiming, Huang Yuanxiu, Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, Wu Tunan, Chen Zhenmin, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng use 義 instead of 已 (resulting in “…clearly, with no ideas left out”).
秀本：已作意。
Chen Xiufeng uses 意 instead of 已 (also resulting in “no ideas left out”).

若不向此推求去，枉費工夫貽嘆惜。
If you pay no heed to those ideas, you will go astray in your training,
and you will find you have wasted your time and be left with only sighs of regret.
同，秀，二本：貽作遺。
Ma Tongwen and Chen Xiufeng use 遺 instead of 貽 (still resulting in “be left with”).
澄，微，鎭三本：惜作息。
Yang Chengfu, Chen Weiming, and Tian Zhenfeng use 息 instead of 惜 (still resulting in “sighs of regret”).

–

五　打手歌
5. PLAYING HANDS SONG

掤，捋，擠，按須認真，
The techniques of ward-off, rollback, press, and push must be taken seriously.
秀本：捋作攄。
Chen Xiufeng uses 攄 instead of 捋 for “rollback”.
鎭本：掤捋作捋掤。
Tian Zhenfeng flips 掤捋 (“ward-off, rollback”) into 捋掤 (“rollback, ward-off”).

上下相隨人難進，任他聚力來打咱，
With proper coordination between upper body and lower, the opponent will not find a way in.
It does not matter even if he uses his full power when he attacks me,
秀本：他作君。
Chen Xiufeng uses 君 instead of 他 for “him”.
同，澄，微，文，秀，百，鑑，致，圖，容，鎭十一本，聚作巨。
Ma Tongwen, Yang Chengfu, Chen Weiming, Huang Yuanxiu, Chen Xiufeng, Guan Baiyi, Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, Wu Tunan, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng use 巨 instead of 聚 (“great power” rather than “focused power” – either way resulting in “full power”.)
百本：咱作偺。
Guan Baiyi uses 偺 instead of 咱 for “I”.
同，微，鑑，致，圖，容，鎭七本：咱作我。
Ma Tongwen, Chen Weiming, Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, Wu Tunan, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng uses 我 instead of 咱 for “I”.

牽動四兩撥千斤。引進落空合卽出，
for I will tug with a mere four ounces of force to divert his of a thousand pounds.
Having thus guided him in to land on nothing, I then close in and shoot him out.
圖本：進作入。
Wu Tunan uses 入 instead of 進 (which would still result in “guided him in”).
百本註：合一作令。
Guan Baiyi uses 令 instead of 合 (which would alter it to “I decide to immediately shoot him out”).

粘連黏隨不丟頂，
I stick, connect, adhere, and follow, neither coming away nor crashing in.
鑑，致，圖，振四本：粘作黏。
Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, Wu Tunan, Chen Zhenmin use another 黏 instead of 粘 (both meaning “stick”).
秀本：丟頂作頂丟。
Chen Xiufeng flips 丟頂 to 頂丟 (switching it to “neither crashing in nor coming away”).
百本註：案前論四兩撥千斤之句，顯非力勝，觀耄耋能禦衆之形，快何能為等句，知粘連黏隨不丟頂下，尚有囗囗囗囗囗囗囗，囗囗耄耋能禦衆十四字，合上三韻、共成四韻，然參觀他本，亦至不丟頂而止，則知其下一韻佚之久矣。
Guan Baiyi adds this note: “The Taiji Boxing Treatise says: ‘Examine the phrase “four ounces diverts a thousand pounds”, which is obviously nothing to do with abundance of strength. Or consider the sight of an old man repelling a group, which could not come from an aggressive speed.’ This indicates that after the Song finishes with ‘neither coming away nor crashing in’, it ought to continue with one more couplet of seven-character lines:
Something something something else,
… an old man repelling a group.
Instead of the three couplets above, this would make a much more satisfying four couplets.
Although all the documents we have end it with ‘neither coming away nor crashing in’, a further couplet was likely lost long ago.”

又曰：彼不動，己不動，彼微動，己先動。
It is also said: If he takes no action, I take no action, but once he takes even the slightest action, I have already acted.
容本：此句作已意已動。
Jiang Rongqiao uses 已意已動 instead of 己先動 (specifying that “my intention has already acted”.)

勁似鬆非鬆，
My power seems to be relaxed but not relaxed,
同，澄，微，文，百，圖，容七本：無勁字。
Ma Tongwen, Yang Chengfu, Chen Weiming, Huang Yuanxiu, Guan Baiyi, Wu Tunan, and Jiang Rongqiao do not begin this line with 勁 (making “power” implied rather than explicit).

將展未展，勁斷意不斷。
about to extend but not fully extending. Although the power finishes, the intent of it continues.

（註）
Notes:
彼不動一節，同，澄，秀三本，列十三勢行工心解之後，
Ma Tongwen, Yang Chengfu, and Chen Xiufeng place this “it is also said” section after Understanding How to Practice instead of after the Playing Hands Song.
容本將此節割裂為二，彼不動至已意已動，列太極十三勢論之前，似鬆非鬆至勁斷意不斷，列十三勢行工心解之末，勁斷意不斷下，多藕斷絲亦連五字。
Jiang Rongqiao divides it into two parts, placing the “if he takes no action” text at the beginning of the Thirteen Postures Treatise, the “my power seems relaxed” text at the end of Understanding How to Practice. He also continues after “Although the power finishes, the intent of it continues” by adding: “When the lotus stalk is snapped, its fibers are still connected.”

–

六　十三勢行工心解
6. UNDERSTANDING HOW TO PRACTICE THE THIRTEEN DYNAMICS

以心行氣，務令沉著，
Use your mind to move energy. You must get your posture to settle.
同本：無令字。
Ma Tongwen leaves out 令 (making the “get” less deliberate but still resulting in it implicitly).

乃能收歛入骨。以氣運身，務令順遂，
Your energy will then be able to collect into your bones. Use energy to move your body. You must get your movement to be smooth.
同本：無令字。
Ma Tongwen again leaves out 令.

乃能便利從心。精神能提得起，
Your body can then easily obey your mind. If you can raise your spirit,
容本：無能字。
Jiang Rongqiao leaves out 能 (reducing it to “if you raise your spirit”).

則無遲重之虞，
then you will be without worry of being slow or weighed down.
百本註：虞一作處。
Guan Baiyi uses 處 instead of 虞 (resulting in “then you will be without any place in which you are slow or weighed down”).

所謂頂頭懸也。
The Thirteen Dynamics Song calls for the whole body to be nimble and the headtop to be pulled up as if suspended.
容本：頂頭作頭頂。
Jiang Rongqiao flips 頂頭 to 頭頂 (still meaning “headtop”).

意氣須換得靈，
Your mind must perform alternations nimbly,
同本：換作還。
Ma Tongwen uses 還 instead of 換 (an alternate way to say “alternations”).
容本：無須字。
Jiang Rongqiao leaves out 須 (making “must” implied rather than directly stated).

乃有圓活之趣，
and then you will have the qualities of roundness and liveliness.
微，容，鎭三本：趣作妙。
Chen Weiming, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng use 妙 instead of 趣 (turning “qualities” into “subtleties”).
圖本：之趣作趣味。
Wu Tunan uses 趣味 instead of 之趣 (turning “qualities” into “delights”).

所謂變動虛實也。
The Thirteen Dynamics Song says to pay attention to the alternation of empty and full.
同，微，秀，百，容，鎭六本：動作轉。
Ma Tongwen, Chen Weiming, Chen Xiufeng, Guan Baiyi, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng use 變轉 instead of 變動 (still making “alternations”).
文本：動作化，實下多一是字。
Huang Yuanxiu uses 變化 instead of 變動 (still “alternations”) and adds a redundant 是 after 實.

發勁須沉著鬆淨，
When issuing power, you must sink and relax,
鑑本：勁作動。
Wu Jianquan uses 動 instead of 勁 (giving it a sense of “when initiating the issuing of power,”)

專主一方。
concentrating it in one direction.
澄本：專上多一須字。
Yang Chengfu adds a 須 at the beginning (resulting in “and you must concentrate it in one direction”).
同，秀，百三本：主作注。
Ma Tongwen, Chen Xiufeng, and Guan Baiyi use 專注 instead of 專主 (which is a more correct way to say “concentrate”).
秀本：方下多一也字。
Chen Xiufeng adds a 也 at the end (giving the statement a final period).

立身須中正安舒，支撐八面。
Your posture must be straight and comfortable, bracing in all directions.
微，容，鎭三本：支撐作撐支。
Chen Weiming, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng flip 支撐 to 撐支 (still resulting in “bracing”).

行氣如九曲珠，無微不至。
Move energy as though through a winding-path pearl, penetrating even the smallest nook.
鑑，致，振三本：微作往。
Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, and Chen Zhenmin use 往 instead of 微 (resulting in “reaching everywhere it goes”).
百，鑑，致，圖，振五本：至作利。
Guan Baiyi, Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, Wu Tunan, and Chen Zhenmin use 利 instead of 至 (also resulting in “penetrating”).
同，微，文，秀，容，鎭六本：至作到。
Ma Tongwen, Chen Weiming, Huang Yuanxiu, Chen Xiufeng, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng use 到 instead of 至 (also having the effect of “penetrating”.)

（氣遍身軀之謂，）
The Thirteen Dynamics Song says that energy will then flow through your whole body.
同本：此句作所謂氣遍身軀也。
Ma Tongwen uses 所謂 at the beginning instead of 之謂 at the end (either way indicating the reference).
圖本：謂下多一也字，作正文。
Wu Tunan adds a 也 at the end [as Ma Tongwen does] (giving it a final period, also highlighting that there is a reference being made) and also mixes it into the main text rather than a parenthetical addition.
微，容，鎭三本：無此句。
Chen Weiming, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng leave this line out.

運勁如百鍊鋼，
Wield power like tempered steel,
文，鑑二本：勁作動。
Huang Yuanxiu and Wu Jianquan use 運動 instead of 運勁 (which would turn it into “the movement is like tempered steel” – somewhat unlikely, and so probably a transcription error).
文本：鋼上多一之字。
Huang Yuanxiu adds a 之 between 鍊 and 鋼 (still resulting in “tempered steel”).

何堅不摧。
so strong there is nothing tough enough to stand up against it.
澄本：何作無。
Yang Chengfu uses 無 instead of 何 (making it more explicitly a statement whereas it could otherwise be rendered as a question).

形如捕兔之鵠，
The shape is like a falcon catching a rabbit.
同，微，秀，鑑，致，圖，振，容，鎭九本：捕作搏。
Ma Tongwen, Chen Weiming, Chen Xiufeng, Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, Wu Tunan, Chen Zhenmin, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng use 搏 instead of 捕 (a more energetic way of saying “catching”).
微，容二本：鵠作鶻。
Chen Weiming and Jiang Rongqiao use 鶻 instead of 鵠 (more correctly a “falcon”).
文本：此句作形如搏鳥之鴞。
Huang Yuanxiu uses 搏鳥之鶚 instead of 捕兔之鵠. (鶚 is an osprey. 鳥 is a generic bird. Ospreys hunt fish, not other birds. If 鳥 is intended, it is likely a mistake for 魚 “fish”. If 鳥 is intended, 鶚 is likely a mistake for 鵠/鶻 “falcon”. Thus the result would be either “like an osprey catching a fish” or “like a falcon catching a smaller bird”.)

神如撲鼠之貓。
The spirit is like a cat pouncing on a mouse.
同，微，文，百，鑑，致，振，容，鎭九本：撲作捕。
Ma Tongwen, Chen Weiming, Huang Yuanxiu, Guan Baiyi, Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, Chen Zhenmin, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng use 捕 instead of 撲 (turning “pouncing on” into the less visceral “catching”).

靜如山岳，動似江河。
In stillness, be like a mountain, and in movement, be like a river.
微，鑑，致，振，容五本：似作若。
Chen Weiming, Wu Jianquan, Xu Zhiyi, Chen Zhenmin, and Jiang Rongqiao use 若 instead of 似 (another way to say “like”).

蓄勁如開弓，
Store power like drawing a bow.
微，容二本：開作張。
Chen Weiming and Jiang Rongqiao use 張 instead of 開 (resulting in no change).
秀本：開作彎，
Chen Xiufeng uses 彎 instead of 開 (resulting in “bending a bow”).

發勁如放箭，曲中求直，蓄而後發，力由脊發，
Issue power like loosing an arrow. Within curving, seek to be straightening. Store and then issue. Power comes from the spine.
秀本：脊作腰。
Chen Xiufeng uses 腰 instead of 脊 (“lower back” instead of “spine”).

步隨身換，收卽是放，
Step according to your body’s adjustments. To gather is to release.
微，文，容，鎭四本：下多放卽是收一句。
Chen Weiming, Huang Yuanxiu, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng then add 放即是收 (“and to release is to gather”).

斷而復連，往復須有摺疊，進退須有轉換，
Disconnect but stay connected. In the back and forth [of the arms], there must be folding. In the advance and retreat [of the feet], there must be variation.
秀本：須作要。
Chen Xiufeng uses 要 instead of 須 (softening “there must” to “there should”).
鑑，鎭二本：有作由。
Wu Jianquan and Tian Zhenfeng use 由 instead of 有 (“advance and retreat must be based in variation”).

極柔輭，然後極堅硬，
Extreme softness begets extreme hardness.
同，澄，微，秀，百，容六本：硬作剛。
Ma Tongwen, Yang Chengfu, Chen Weiming, Chen Xiufeng, Guan Baiyi, and Jiang Rongqiao 剛 instead of 硬 (another way to say “hardness).

能呼吸，然後能靈活，氣以直養而無害，
Your ability to be nimble lies in your ability to breathe. By nurturing energy with integrity, it will not be corrupted.
文本：以作宜。
Huang Yuanxiu uses 宜 instead of 以 (resulting in “energy should be nurtured with integrity”).

勁以曲蓄而有餘。心為令，氣為旗，腰為纛，先求開展，後求緊湊，乃可臻於縝密矣。
By storing power in crooked parts, it will be in abundant supply. The mind makes the command, the energy is its flag, and the waist is its banner. By seeking first the gross movement and then the finer details, you will be able to attain a refined level.
文本：乃作方，於作至。
Huang Yuanxiu uses 方 instead of 乃 (either way having the effect of “you will then be able to”) and 至 instead of 於 (either way unnecessary reinforcers of 臻 “attain”).
秀本：縝作愼。
Chen Xiufeng uses 慎密 instead of 縝密 (probably an error in transcription, for it would amount to the bizarre “achieving a quality of cautiousness” rather than going through the training with meticulous thoroughness, i.e. “attaining a refined level”).
文本：矣作也。
Huang Yuanxiu uses 也 instead of 矣 (both resulting in a final period).

又曰：先在心，後在身，腹鬆，
It is also said: First in your mind, then in your body. Your abdomen relaxes completely
微，文，容三本：鬆下多一淨字。
Chen Weiming, Huang Yuanxiu, and Jiang Rongqiao add a 淨 at the end (making it “relaxes completely”).
圖本：無此二字。
Wu Tunan leaves out 腹鬆 (“your abdomen relaxes”).

氣歛入骨，
and then energy collects into your bones.
圖本：氣上多以心行三字。
Wu Tunan adds 以心行 to the beginning of the line (resulting in “use mind to move energy, collecting it into your bones”).
秀本：骨下多三分靠胳膊五字。
Chen Xiufeng then adds 三分靠胳膊 (expanding it to “energy collects into your bones, a third of it in your arms”).
文本：骨下多一髓字。
Huang Yuanxiu adds 髓 to 骨 (expanding it to “bones and marrow”).

神舒體靜，刻刻在心，
Let your spirit be comfortable and your body calm. At every moment be mindful,
秀本：刻刻下多兩儀二字。
Chen Xiufeng adds 兩儀 after 刻刻 (resulting in “At every moment, the passive and active aspects should be on your mind”).
同，秀二本：在作存。
Ma Tongwen and Chen Xiufeng use 存心 instead of 在心 (resulting in “stay mindful” rather than “be mindful”).

切記一動無有不動，一靜無有不靜，
always remembering: if one part moves, every part moves, and if one part is still, every part is still.
同本：句下多視動猶靜，視靜猶動八字。
Ma Tongwen then adds 視動猶靜視靜猶動. (“Regard movement as stillness and stillness as movement.”)

牽動往來氣貼背，
As the movement leads back and forth, energy sticks to your back,
文本：背下多一脊字。
Huang Yuanxiu adds a 脊 after 背 (turning “back” into “spine”.)
秀本：此句作牽往來氣。
Chen Xiufeng leaves out 動 (making “movement” implied rather than directly stated).

歛入骨，
gathering in your spine.
容本：歛上多一復字。
Jiang Rongqiao adds a 復 before 歛 (expanding it to “and then gathers in your spine”).
同，微，文，百，致，圖，振，容，鎭九本：骨上多一脊字。
Ma Tongwen, Chen Weiming, Huang Yuanxiu, Guan Baiyi, Xu Zhiyi, Wu Tunan, Chen Zhenmin, Jiang Rongqiao, and Tian Zhenfeng add a 脊 before 骨 (better clarifying 骨 as indicating “spine”).
秀本：無此句。
Chen Xiufeng leaves out this line.

內固精神，外示安逸，邁步如貓行，運勁如抽絲，
Inwardly bolster spirit and outwardly show ease. Step like a cat and move energy as if drawing silk.
鑑，鎭二本：勁作動。
Wu Jianquan and Tian Zhenfeng use 動 instead of 勁 (resulting in “move as if drawing silk”).

全神意在精神，
Your whole mind should be on your spirit
同，澄，微，文，秀，圖，容七本：全身之神作身。
Ma Tongwen, Yang Chengfu, Chen Weiming, Huang Yuanxiu, Chen Xiufeng, Wu Tunan, and Jiang Rongqiao use 全身 instead of 全神 (resulting in “Throughout your body, your mind should be”).
秀本：意下多一思字。
Chen Xiufeng adds a 思 after 意 (resulting in “your mind and thoughts should be”)
同，秀，圖三本：精作蓄。
Ma Tongwen, Chen Xiufeng, and Wu Tunan use 蓄 instead of 精 (resulting in “should be on the storing of spirit”).

不在氣，在氣則滯，有氣者無力，無氣者純剛，
rather than on your energy, for if you are fixated on your energy, your movement will become sluggish. Whenever your mind is on your energy, there will be no power, whereas if you ignore your energy and let it take care of itself, there will be pure strength.
同本：無作養。
Ma Tongwen uses 養 instead of 無 (resulting in “whereas if you nurture your energy [by letting it take care of itself]”).
圖本：此句下多卽得乾坤行健之理所以十字。
Wu Tunan then adds 卽得乾行健之理，所以. (“To obtain the principle of ‘invigorating activity’ from hexagram 1 of the Book of Changes [i.e. “Nature acts with vigor. Likewise a gentleman ceaselessly improves himself.”], let your energy be like a wheel and your waist be like an axle.”)

氣如車輪，
The energy is like a wheel
秀本：氣作肢。
Chen Xiufeng uses 肢 instead of 氣 (resulting in “the limbs are like a wheel”).
致，鎭二本：如作若。
Xu Zhiyi and Tian Zhenfeng use 若 instead of 如 (another character for “like”).

腰如車軸。
and the waist is like an axle.
鎭本：如作若。
Tian Zhenfeng uses 若 instead of 如 (another character for “like”).
容本：如作似。
Jiang Rongqiao uses 似 instead of 如 (yet another character for “like”).
文本：軸下多是也二字。
Huang Yuanxiu adds 是也 after 軸 (having the effect of a final period).
圖本：軸下多一也字。
Wu Tunan adds a 也 after 軸 (also having the effect of a period).

（註）
Notes:
圖本：『先在心，後在身，以心行氣，歛入骨，神舒體靜，刻刻在心』等句。在腰如車輪也之後。
Wu Tunan pulls these lines down to the end here rather than leaving them in their usual place: 先在心，後在身，腹鬆，氣歛入骨，神舒體靜，刻刻在心 (“First in your mind, then in your body. Your abdomen relaxes completely and then energy collects into your bones. Your spirit is comfortable and Your body is calm. At every moment be mindful.”) He also slightly rewords them (先在心，後在身，以心行氣，歛入骨，神舒體靜，刻刻在心), producing this effect: “First in your mind, then in your body. Using your mind to move energy, it collects into your bones. Spirit comfortable, body calm – at every moment be mindful of this.”
百本：『刻刻在心切記』六字，作註不作正文。
Also, Guan Baiyi has “at every moment be mindful – remember this” as a parenthetical comment rather than a part of the main text.

–

七　十三勢名目
7. A COMPARISON OF THE POSTURE NAMES FOR THE THIRTEEN DYNAMICS SOLO SET

廠肆： spear manual:	同本： Ma Tongwen	澄本： Yang Chengfu	文本： Huang Yuanxiu	秀本： Chen Xiufeng	百本： Guan Baiyi
		太極起式 [1] TAIJI BEGINNING POSTURE	太極出勢 [1] TAIJI BEGINNING POSTURE
攬雀尾 [1] CATCH THE SPARROW BY THE TAIL	懶扎衣 [1] LAZILY PULLING BACK THE ROBE	攬雀尾 [2] CATCH THE SPARROW BY THE TAIL	攬雀尾 [2] CATCH THE SPARROW BY THE TAIL 掤捋擠按 [3] WARD-OFF, ROLLBACK, PRESS, PUSH	攬切危 [1] GRAB TO CUT OFF A THREAT 如風似閉 [2] WIND BLOWS THE DOOR CLOSED	攬雀尾 [1] CATCH THE SPARROW BY THE TAIL
單鞭 [2] SINGLE WHIP	單鞭 [2] SINGLE WHIP	單鞭 [3] SINGLE WHIP	單鞭 [4] SINGLE WHIP	打掌單鞭 [3] STRIKING PALMS, SINGLE WHIP	單鞭 [2] SINGLE WHIP
提手上勢 [3] RAISE THE HANDS	提手上勢 [3] RAISE THE HANDS	提手上式 [4] RAISE THE HANDS	提手上勢 [5] RAISE THE HANDS	合十字手 [4] CLOSING & CROSSING HANDS	提手上勢 [3] RAISE THE HANDS
白鶴亮翅 [4] WHITE CRANE SHOWS ITS WINGS	白鵝亮翅 [4] WHITE GOOSE SHOWS ITS WINGS	白鶴亮翅 [5] WHITE CRANE SHOWS ITS WINGS	白鶴展翅 [6] WHITE CRANE SPREADS ITS WINGS	下勢打靠 [5] LOW POSTURE, BUMPING 白鵝亮翅 [6] WHITE GOOSE SHOWS ITS WINGS	白鵝晾翅 [4] WHITE GOOSE DRIES ITS WINGS
摟膝拗步 [5] BRUSH PAST YOUR LEFT KNEE IN A CROSSED STANCE	摟膝腰步 [5] BRUSH PAST YOUR LEFT KNEE IN A CROSSED STANCE	摟膝抝步 [6] BRUSH PAST YOUR LEFT KNEE IN A CROSSED STANCE	左摟膝抝步 [7] BRUSH PAST YOUR LEFT KNEE IN A CROSSED STANCE	摟膝打肚掌 [7] BRUSH PAST YOUR LEFT KNEE, PALM STRIKE TO THE BELLY	摟膝拗步 [5] BRUSH PAST YOUR LEFT KNEE IN A CROSSED STANCE
手揮琵琶勢 [6] PLAY THE LUTE	手囘琵琶勢 [6] PLAY THE LUTE	手揮琵琶式 [7] PLAY THE LUTE	手揮琵勢 [8] PLAY THE LUTE	要步琵琶勢 [8] CROSSED STANCE, PLAY THE LUTE	手揮琵琶勢 [6] PLAY THE LUTE
	摟膝腰步 [7] BRUSH PAST YOUR LEFT KNEE IN A CROSSED STANCE	左右摟膝拗步 三個 [8] BRUSH PAST YOUR LEFT KNEE IN A CROSSED STANCE THREE TIMES – LEFT & RIGHT	左摟膝抝步 [9] BRUSH PAST YOUR LEFT KNEE IN A CROSSED STANCE 右摟膝拗步 [10] BRUSH PAST YOUR RIGHT KNEE IN A CROSSED STANCE 左摟膝拗步 [11] BRUSH PAST YOUR LEFT KNEE IN A CROSSED STANCE	再打胸掌 [9] PALM STRIKE TO THE CHEST
	手囘琵琶勢 [8] PLAY THE LUTE	手揮琵琶式 [9] PLAY THE LUTE	手揮琵琶勢 [12] PLAY THE LUTE
進步搬攔捶 [7] ADVANCE, PARRYING BLOCK, PUNCH	上步搬攬捶 [9] STEP FORWARD, PARRYING CATCH, PUNCH	進步搬攬錘 [10] ADVANCE, PARRYING CATCH, PUNCH	進步搬攔搖 [13] ADVANCE, PARRYING BLOCK, PUNCH	上步搬攬捶 [10] STEP FORWARD, PARRYING CATCH, PUNCH	進步搬攔捶 [7] ADVANCE, PARRYING BLOCK, PUNCH
如風似閉 [8] WIND BLOWS THE DOOR CLOSED	如封似背 [10] SEALING SHUT	如封似閉 [11] SEALING SHUT	如封似閉 [14] SEALING SHUT	豹虎推山 [11] LEOPARD & TIGER PUSH THE MOUNTAIN	如封似閉 [8] SEALING SHUT
		十字手 [12] CROSSED HANDS	十字手 [15] CROSSED HANDS	侍臣鵠立 [12] COURTIER STANDS POISED 合手 [13] CLOSING HANDS
抱虎歸山 [9] CAPTURE THE TIGER AND SEND IT BACK TO ITS MOUNTAIN 攬雀尾 [10] CATCH THE SPARROW BY THE TAIL	抱虎推山 [11] CAPTURE THE TIGER AND PUSH IT BACK TO ITS MOUNTAIN	抱虎歸山 [13] CAPTURE THE TIGER AND SEND IT BACK TO ITS MOUNTAIN	抱虎歸山 [16] CAPTURE THE TIGER AND SEND IT BACK TO ITS MOUNTAIN 掤捋擠按 [17] WARD-OFF, ROLLBACK, PRESS, PUSH	彆身捶 [14] TORSO-FLUNG PUNCH 身後捻步 [15] TWISTING STEP TO THE REAR 如風似閉 [16] WIND BLOWS THE DOOR CLOSED	抱虎歸山 [9] CAPTURE THE TIGER AND SEND IT BACK TO ITS MOUNTAIN 攬雀尾 [10] CATCH THE SPARROW BY THE TAIL
	單鞭 [12] SINGLE WHIP		斜單鞭 [18] DIAGONAL SINGLE WHIP	邪單鞭 [17] DIAGONAL SINGLE WHIP
肘底看捶 [11] GUARDING PUNCH UNDER THE ELBOW	肘底看捶 [13] GUARDING PUNCH UNDER THE ELBOW	肘底看錘 [14] GUARDING PUNCH UNDER THE ELBOW	肘底捶 [19] PUNCH UNDER THE ELBOW	肘底看捶 [18] GUARDING PUNCH UNDER THE ELBOW	肘底看捶 [11] GUARDING PUNCH UNDER THE ELBOW
倒輦猴 [12] RETREAT, DRIVING AWAY THE MONKEY	倒輦猴 [14] TURN AROUND TO DRIVE AWAY THE MONKEY	左右倒攆猴 [15] RETREAT, DRIVING AWAY THE MONKEY – LEFT & RIGHT	左倒攆猴 [20] RETREAT, DRIVING AWAY THE MONKEY – LEFT 右倒攆猴 [21] RETREAT, DRIVING AWAY THE MONKEY – RIGHT	倒捶猴 [19] RETREAT, DRIVING AWAY THE MONKEY	倒攆猴 [12] RETREAT, DRIVING AWAY THE MONKEY
斜飛勢 [13] SLANTED WINGS		斜飛式 [16] SLANTED WINGS	斜飛勢 [22] SLANTED WINGS	十字手 [20] CROSSED HANDS	斜飛勢 [13] SLANTED WINGS
提手上勢 [14] RAISE THE HANDS		提手上式 [17] RAISE THE HANDS	提手上勢 [23] RAISE THE HANDS	開合手 [21] OPENING & CLOSING HANDS	提手上勢 [14] RAISE THE HANDS
白鶴亮翅 [15] WHITE CRANE SHOWS ITS WINGS	白鵝亮翅 [15] WHITE GOOSE SHOWS ITS WINGS	白鶴亮翅 [18] WHITE CRANE SHOWS ITS WINGS	白鶴展翅 [24] WHITE CRANE SPREADS ITS WINGS	白鵝亮翅 [22] WHITE GOOSE SHOWS ITS WINGS	白鵝晾翅 [15] WHITE GOOSE SHOWS ITS WINGS
摟膝拗步 [16] BRUSH PAST YOUR LEFT KNEE IN A CROSSED STANCE	摟膝拗步 [16] BRUSH PAST YOUR LEFT KNEE IN A CROSSED STANCE	左摟膝抝步 [19] BRUSH PAST YOUR LEFT KNEE IN A CROSSED STANCE	左摟膝 [25] BRUSH PAST YOUR LEFT KNEE	摟膝打肚掌 [23] BRUSH PAST YOUR LEFT KNEE, PALM STRIKE TO THE BELLY	摟膝拗步 [16] BRUSH PAST YOUR LEFT KNEE IN A CROSSED STANCE
海底針 [17] NEEDLE UNDER THE SEA 扇通背 [18] FAN THROUGH THE BACK	手囘琵琶勢 [17] PLAY THE LUTE 按勢 靑龍出水 [18] PUSHING DOWN, BLUE DRAGON LEAVES THE WATER	海底針 [20] NEEDLE UNDER THE SEA 山通臂 [21] MOUNTAIN THROUGH THE ARMS	海底針 [26] NEEDLE UNDER THE SEA 蟾通背 [27] MOON THROUGH THE BACK	山桶碑 [24] LOWERING A STONE TABLET INTO A BARREL 靑龍出水 [25] BLUE DRAGON LEAVES THE WATER	海底針 [17] NEEDLE UNDER THE SEA 扇通背 [18] FAN THROUGH THE BACK
撇身捶 [19] TORSO-FLUNG PUNCH	三甬背 [19] THREE THROUGH THE BACK	撇身錘 [22] TORSO-FLUNG PUNCH	轉身撇身捶 [28] TURN AROUND, TORSO-FLUNG PUNCH	𥕦身竪肘 [26] TURN AROUND, UPRIGHT FOREARM 彆身捶 [27] TORSO-FLUNG PUNCH 鳳凰單展翅 [28] PHOENIX SPREADS A WING	撇身捶 [19] TORSO-FLUNG PUNCH
卻步搬攔捶 [20] WITHDRAW A STEP, PARRYING BLOCK, PUNCH		上步搬攬錘 [23] STEP FORWARD, PARRYING CATCH, PUNCH	上步搬攔捶 [29] STEP FORWARD, PARRYING BLOCK, PUNCH	退步搬攬捶 [29] RETREAT, PARRYING CATCH, PUNCH	卸步搬攔捶 [20] WITHDRAW A STEP, PARRYING BLOCK, PUNCH
上勢攬雀尾 [21] CATCH THE SPARROW BY THE TAIL		攬雀尾 [24] CATCH THE SPARROW BY THE TAIL	上勢攬雀尾 [30] STEP FORWARD, CATCH THE SPARROW BY THE TAIL 掤捋擠按 [31] WARD-OFF, ROLLBACK, PRESS, PUSH	上步如風似閉 [30] STEP FORWARD, WIND BLOWS THE DOOR CLOSED	上勢攬雀尾 [21] STEP FORWARD, CATCH THE SPARROW BY THE TAIL
單鞭 [22] SINGLE WHIP	單鞭 [20] SINGLE WHIP	單鞭 [25] SINGLE WHIP	單鞭 [32] SINGLE WHIP	單鞭 [31] SINGLE WHIP	單鞭 [22] SINGLE WHIP
雲手 [23] CLOUDING HANDS	抎手 [21] CLOUDING HANDS	左右抎手 [26] CLOUDING HANDS – LEFT & RIGHT	右雲手 [33] RIGHT CLOUDING HANDS 左雲手 [34] LEFT CLOUDING HANDS	雲手 [32] CLOUDING HANDS	雲手 [23] CLOUDING HANDS
		單鞭 [27] SINGLE WHIP	單鞭 [35] SINGLE WHIP	單鞭 [33] SINGLE WHIP
高探馬 [24] RISING UP AND REACHING OUT TO THE HORSE	高探馬 [22] RISING UP AND REACHING OUT TO THE HORSE	高探馬 [28] RISING UP AND REACHING OUT TO THE HORSE	高探馬 [36] RISING UP AND REACHING OUT TO THE HORSE	高探馬 [34] RISING UP AND REACHING OUT TO THE HORSE	高探馬 [24] RISING UP AND REACHING OUT TO THE HORSE
左右分腳 [25] KICK TO THE SIDE – RIGHT & LEFT	左右起腳 [23] LIFTING KICK TO BOTH SIDES	左右分腳 [29] KICK TO THE RIGHT SIDE – LEFT & RIGHT	右分腳 [37] KICK TO THE RIGHT SIDE 左分腳 [38] KICK TO THE LEFT SIDE	兩策腳 [35] WHIPPING KICKS	左右分腳 [25] KICK TO THE SIDE – RIGHT & LEFT
轉身蹬腳 [26] TURN AROUND, LEFT PRESSING KICK	轉身蹬一腳 [24] TURN AROUND, LEFT PRESSING KICK	轉身蹬腳 [30] LEFT TURN, LEFT PRESSING KICK	轉身蹬腳 [39] TURN AROUND, LEFT PRESSING KICK	一登腳 [36] LEFT PRESSING KICK	轉身蹬腳 [26] TURN AROUND, LEFT PRESSING KICK
進步栽捶 [27] ADVANCE, PLANTING PUNCH	踐步打捶 [25] STEP TWICE, PUNCH	左右摟膝抝步 [31] BRUSH PAST YOUR KNEE IN A CROSSED STANCE – LEFT & RIGHT	左右摟膝拗步 [40] BRUSH PAST YOUR KNEE IN A CROSSED STANCE – LEFT & RIGHT 進步栽捶 [41] ADVANCE, PLANTING PUNCH	上步指當捶 [37] STEP FORWARD, PUNCH TO THE CROTCH	摟膝拗步 [27] BRUSH PAST YOUR LEFT KNEE IN A CROSSED STANCE 進步栽捶 [28] ADVANCE, PLANTING PUNCH
翻身撇身捶 [28] TURN AROUND, TORSO-FLUNG PUNCH			轉身撇身捶 [42] TURN AROUND, TORSO-FLUNG PUNCH	𥕦身竪肘 [38] TURN AROUND, UPRIGHT FOREARM 彆身捶 [39] TORSO-FLUNG PUNCH 轉腳伏勢 [40] PIVOTING FOOT, SITTING-TIGER POSTURE	翻身撇身捶 [29] TURN AROUND, TORSO-FLUNG PUNCH
		進步栽錘 [32] ADVANCE, PLANTING PUNCH	進步搬攔捶 [43] STEP FORWARD, PARRYING BLOCK, PUNCH	搬攬捶 [41] PARRYING CATCH, PUNCH	進步蹬腳 [30] ADVANCE, PRESSING KICK
反身二起腳 [29] TURN AROUND, DOUBLE KICK	翻身二起 [26] TURN AROUND, DOUBLE KICK	翻身二起 [33] TURN AROUND, DOUBLE KICK	右蹬腳 [44] RIGHT PRESSING KICK	二起腳 [42] DOUBLE KICK	翻身二起腳 [31] TURN AROUND, DOUBLE KICK
上步挫捶 [30] STEP FORWARD, SCRAPING PUNCH	披身 [27] DRAPING THE BODY	左右 披身伏虎式 [34] DRAPING THE BODY, SITTING-TIGER POSTURE – LEFT & RIGHT	左右打虎勢 [45] FIGHTING-TIGER POSTURE – LEFT & RIGHT	退步伏虎勢 [43] RETREAT, SITTING-TIGER POSTURE	彎弓射虎 [32] BEND THE BOW TO SHOOT THE TIGER
雙風貫耳 [31] DOUBLE WINDS THROUGH THE EARS 披身踢腳 [32] DRAPING THE BODY, LEFT SNAPPING KICK 轉身蹬腳 [33] SPIN AROUND, RIGHT PRESSING KICK	踢一腳 [28] LEFT SNAPPING KICK 蹬一腳 [29] RIGHT PRESSING KICK	囘身蹬腳 [35] WITHDRAW FOR RIGHT PRESSING KICK 雙風貫耳 [36] DOUBLE WINDS THROUGH THE EARS 左蹬腳 [37] LEFT PRESSING KICK 轉身右蹬腳 [38] SPIN AROUND, RIGHT PRESSING KICK	右蹬腳 [46] RIGHT PRESSING KICK 雙風灌耳 [47] DOUBLE WINDS FILL THE EARS 左蹬腳 [48] LEFT PRESSING KICK 轉身右蹬腳 [49] SPIN AROUND, RIGHT PRESSING KICK	合手連三腳 [44] CLOSING HANDS, TRIPLE KICK	披身踢腳 [33] DRAPING THE BODY, RIGHT SNAPPING KICK 雙風貫耳 [34] DOUBLE WINDS THROUGH THE EARS 轉身蹬腳 [35] SPIN AROUND, RIGHT PRESSING KICK
	上步搬攬捶 [30] STEP FORWARD, PARRYING CATCH, PUNCH	上步搬攬錘 [39] STEP FORWARD, PARRYING CATCH, PUNCH	上步搬攔捶 [50] STEP FORWARD, PARRYING BLOCK, PUNCH	上步搬攬捶 [45] STEP FORWARD, PARRYING CATCH, PUNCH	上步搬攔捶 [36] STEP FORWARD, PARRYING BLOCK, PUNCH
	如封似背 [31] SEALING SHUT	如封似閉 [40] SEALING SHUT	如封似閉 [51] SEALING SHUT	豹虎推山 [46] LEOPARD & TIGER PUSH THE MOUNTAIN	如封似閉 [37] SEALING SHUT
		十字手 [41] CROSSED HANDS	十字手 [52] CROSSED HANDS	侍臣鵠立 [47] COURTIER STANDS POISED 合手 [48] CLOSING HANDS
	抱虎推山 [32] CAPTURE THE TIGER AND PUSH IT BACK TO ITS MOUNTAIN	抱虎歸山 [42] CAPTURE THE TIGER AND SEND IT BACK TO ITS MOUNTAIN	抱虎歸山 [53] CAPTURE THE TIGER AND SEND IT BACK TO ITS MOUNTAIN 攬雀尾 [54] CATCH THE SPARROW BY THE TAIL 掤捋擠按 [55] WARD-OFF, ROLLBACK, PRESS, PUSH	彆身捶 [49] TORSO-FLUNG PUNCH 身後捻步 [50] TWISTING STEP TO THE REAR 如風似閉 [51] WIND BLOWS THE DOOR CLOSED	抱虎歸山 [38] CAPTURE THE TIGER AND SEND IT BACK TO ITS MOUNTAIN
斜單鞭 [34] DIAGONAL SINGLE WHIP	斜單鞭 [33] DIAGONAL SINGLE WHIP	斜單鞭 [43] DIAGONAL SINGLE WHIP	斜單鞭 [56] DIAGONAL SINGLE WHIP	邪單鞭 [52] DIAGONAL SINGLE WHIP	斜單鞭 [39] DIAGONAL SINGLE WHIP
野馬分鬃 [35] WILD HORSE SENDS ITS MANE SIDE TO SIDE	野馬分鬃 [34] WILD HORSE SENDS ITS MANE SIDE TO SIDE	左右野馬分鬃 [44] WILD HORSE SENDS ITS MANE SIDE TO SIDE	左右野馬分鬃 [57] WILD HORSE SENDS ITS MANE TO LEFT AND RIGHT	白馬分鬃 [53] WHITE HORSE SENDS ITS MANE SIDE TO SIDE	野馬分鬃 [40] WILD HORSE SENDS ITS MANE SIDE TO SIDE
		上步攬雀尾 [45] STEP FORWARD, CATCH THE SPARROW BY THE TAIL	上步攬雀尾 [58] STEP FORWARD, CATCH THE SPARROW BY THE TAIL 掤捋擠按 [59] WARD-OFF, ROLLBACK, PRESS, PUSH	如風似閉 [54] WIND BLOWS THE DOOR CLOSED
	單鞭 [35] SINGLE WHIP	單鞭 [46] SINGLE WHIP	單鞭 [60] SINGLE WHIP	單鞭 [55] SINGLE WHIP
玉女穿梭 [36] MAIDEN SENDS THE SHUTTLE THROUGH	玉女穿梭 [36] MAIDEN SENDS THE SHUTTLE THROUGH	玉女穿梭 [47] MAIDEN SENDS THE SHUTTLE THROUGH	左右玉女穿梭 [61] MAIDEN SENDS THE SHUTTLE THROUGH – LEFT & RIGHT	玉女穿梭 [56] MAIDEN SENDS THE SHUTTLE THROUGH	玉女穿梭 [41] MAIDEN SENDS THE SHUTTLE THROUGH
		上步攬雀尾 [48] STEP FORWARD, CATCH THE SPARROW BY THE TAIL	上步攬雀尾 [62] STEP FORWARD, CATCH THE SPARROW BY THE TAIL 掤捋擠按 [63] WARD-OFF, ROLLBACK, PRESS, PUSH	如風似閉 [57] WIND BLOWS THE DOOR CLOSED
單鞭 [37] SINGLE WHIP	單鞭 [37] SINGLE WHIP	單鞭 [49] SINGLE WHIP	單鞭 [64] SINGLE WHIP	單鞭 [58] SINGLE WHIP	單鞭 [42] SINGLE WHIP
雲手下勢 [38] CLOUDING HANDS, LOW POSTURE	抎手 [38] CLOUDING HANDS 下勢 [39] LOW POSTURE	抎手 [50] CLOUDING HANDS 單鞭下勢 [51] SINGLE WHIP, LOW POSTURE	左右雲手 [65] CLOUDING HANDS – LEFT & RIGHT 單鞭 [66] SINGLE WHIP 斜身下勢 [67] SLANTING BODY, LOW POSTURE	雲手 [59] CLOUDING HANDS 單鞭 [60] SINGLE WHIP 下勢 [61] LOW POSTURE	雲手下勢 [43] CLOUDING HANDS, LOW POSTURE
金雞獨立 [39] GOLDEN ROOSTER STANDS ON ONE LEG	更鷄獨立 [40] CROWING ROOSTER STANDS ON ONE LEG	金鷄獨立 [52] GOLDEN ROOSTER STANDS ON ONE LEG	左右金鷄獨立 [68] GOLDEN ROOSTER STANDS ON ONE LEG – LEFT & RIGHT	更鷄獨立 [62] CROWING ROOSTER STANDS ON ONE LEG	金鷄獨立 [44] GOLDEN ROOSTER STANDS ON ONE LEG
倒輦猴 [40] RETREAT, DRIVING AWAY THE MONKEY	倒輦猴 [41] TURN AROUND TO DRIVE AWAY THE MONKEY	左右倒攆猴 [53] RETREAT, DRIVING AWAY THE MONKEY – LEFT & RIGHT	左右倒攆猴 [69] RETREAT, DRIVING AWAY THE MONKEY – LEFT & RIGHT	倒捻猴 [63] RETREAT, DRIVING AWAY THE MONKEY	倒攆猴 [45] RETREAT, DRIVING AWAY THE MONKEY
斜飛勢 [41] SLANTED WINGS		斜飛式 [54] SLANTED WINGS	斜飛勢 [70] SLANTED WINGS	十字手 [64] CROSSED HANDS	斜飛勢 [46] SLANTED WINGS
提手上勢 [42] RAISE THE HANDS		提手上式 [55] RAISE THE HANDS	提手上勢 [71] RAISE THE HANDS	開合手 [65] OPENING & CLOSING HANDS	提手上勢 [47] RAISE THE HANDS
白鶴亮翅 [43] WHITE CRANE SHOWS ITS WINGS	白鵝亮翅 [42] WHITE GOOSE SHOWS ITS WINGS	白鶴亮翅 [56] WHITE CRANE SHOWS ITS WINGS	白鶴展翅 [72] WHITE CRANE SPREADS ITS WINGS	白鵝亮翅 [66] WHITE GOOSE SHOWS ITS WINGS	白鵝晾翅 [48] WHITE GOOSE SHOWS ITS WINGS
摟膝拗步 [44] BRUSH PAST YOUR LEFT KNEE IN A CROSSED STANCE	摟膝拗步 [43] BRUSH PAST YOUR LEFT KNEE IN A CROSSED STANCE	摟膝抝步 [57] BRUSH PAST YOUR LEFT KNEE IN A CROSSED STANCE	左摟膝拗步 [73] BRUSH PAST YOUR LEFT KNEE IN A CROSSED STANCE	摟膝打肚掌 [67] BRUSH PAST YOUR LEFT KNEE, PALM STRIKE TO THE BELLY	摟膝拗步 [49] BRUSH PAST YOUR LEFT KNEE IN A CROSSED STANCE
海底針 [45] NEEDLE UNDER THE SEA 扇通背 [46] FAN THROUGH THE BACK		海底針 [58] NEEDLE UNDER THE SEA 山通背 [59] MOUNTAIN THROUGH THE BACK	海底針 [74] NEEDLE UNDER THE SEA 蟾通背 [75] MOON THROUGH THE BACK	山桶碑 [68] LOWERING A STONE TABLET INTO A BARREL 靑龍出水 [69] BLUE DRAGON LEAVES THE WATER	海底針 [50] NEEDLE UNDER THE SEA 扇通背 [51] FAN THROUGH THE BACK
	三通背 [44] THREE THROUGH THE BACK		轉身白蛇吐信 [76] TURN AROUND, WHITE SNAKE FLICKS OUT ITS TONGUE	𥕦身竪肘 [70] TURN AROUND, UPRIGHT FOREARM 彆身捶 [71] TORSO-FLUNG PUNCH
		白蛇吐信 [60] WHITE SNAKE FLICKS OUT ITS TONGUE		鳳凰單展翅 [72] PHOENIX SPREADS A SINGLE WING
		上步搬攬錘 [61] STEP FORWARD, PARRYING CATCH, PUNCH	進步搬攔捶 [77] ADVANCE, PARRYING BLOCK, PUNCH	退步搬攬捶 [73] RETREAT, PARRYING CATCH, PUNCH
上勢攬雀尾 [47] STEP FORWARD, CATCH THE SPARROW BY THE TAIL		進步攬雀尾 [62] ADVANCE, CATCH THE SPARROW BY THE TAIL	上勢攬雀尾 [78] STEP FORWARD, CATCH THE SPARROW BY THE TAIL 掤捋擠按 [79] WARD-OFF, ROLLBACK, PRESS, PUSH	上步如風似閉 [74] STEP FORWARD, WIND BLOWS THE DOOR CLOSED	上勢攬雀尾 [52] STEP FORWARD, CATCH THE SPARROW BY THE TAIL
單鞭 [48] SINGLE WHIP	單鞭 [45] SINGLE WHIP	單鞭 [63] SINGLE WHIP	單鞭 [80] SINGLE WHIP	單鞭 [75] SINGLE WHIP	單鞭 [53] SINGLE WHIP
雲手 [49] CLOUDING HANDS	抎手 [46] CLOUDING HANDS	抎手 [64] CLOUDING HANDS	左右雲手 [81] CLOUDING HANDS – LEFT & RIGHT	雲手 [76] CLOUDING HANDS	雲手 [54] CLOUDING HANDS
		單鞭 [65] SINGLE WHIP	單鞭 [82] SINGLE WHIP	單鞭 [77] SINGLE WHIP
高探馬 [50] RISING UP AND REACHING OUT TO THE HORSE	高探馬 [47] RISING UP AND REACHING OUT TO THE HORSE	高探馬 代穿掌 [66] RISING UP AND REACHING OUT TO THE HORSE, THEN THREAD THE PALM	高探馬 [83] RISING UP AND REACHING OUT TO THE HORSE 十字手 [84] CROSSED HANDS	高探馬 [78] RISING UP AND REACHING OUT TO THE HORSE 操手打掌 [79] GRAB, PALM STRIKE	高探馬 [55] RISING UP AND REACHING OUT TO THE HORSE
十字擺連 [51] SINGLE-SLAP SWINGING LOTUS KICK	十字腳 [48] CROSSED-BODY KICK	轉身十字腿 [67] TURN AROUND, CROSSED-BODY KICK	轉身單蹬腳 [85] TURN AROUND, SINGLE-SLAP RIGHT PRESSING KICK 從前擺連， 現經 澄甫先生 改為蹬腳。 (previously a swinging lotus kick, then changed to a pressing kick by Yang Chengfu)	𥕦身竪肘 [80] TURN AROUND, UPRIGHT FOREARM 十字奔 [81] CROSSED-BODY KICK	十字擺蓮 [56] SINGLE-SLAP SWINGING LOTUS KICK
摟膝指𦡁捶 [52] BRUSH PAST YOUR LEFT KNEE, PUNCH TO THE CROTCH	上步指𦡁捶 [49] STEP FORWARD, PUNCH TO THE CROTCH	進步指𦡁錘 [68] ADVANCE, PUNCH TO THE CROTCH	左摟練膝 指襠捶 [86] BRUSH PAST YOUR LEFT KNEE, PUNCH TO THE CROTCH	上步指當捶 [82] STEP FORWARD, PUNCH TO THE CROTCH	摟膝指𦡁捶 [57] BRUSH PAST YOUR LEFT KNEE, PUNCH TO THE CROTCH
上勢攬雀尾 [53] STEP FORWARD, CATCH THE SPARROW BY THE TAIL		上勢攬雀尾 [69] STEP FORWARD, CATCH THE SPARROW BY THE TAIL	上勢攬雀尾 [87] STEP FORWARD, CATCH THE SPARROW BY THE TAIL 掤捋擠按 [88] WARD-OFF, ROLLBACK, PRESS, PUSH	上步如風似閉 [83] STEP FORWARD, WIND BLOWS THE DOOR CLOSED	上勢攬雀尾 [58] STEP FORWARD, CATCH THE SPARROW BY THE TAIL
單鞭下勢 [54] SINGLE WHIP, LOW POSTURE		單鞭下式 [70] SINGLE WHIP, LOW POSTURE	單鞭 [89] SINGLE WHIP 斜身下勢下 [90] SLANTING BODY, LOW POSTURE	單鞭 [84] SINGLE WHIP 下勢 [85] LOW POSTURE	下勢單鞭 [59] LOW-POSTURE SINGLE WHIP
上步七星 [55] STEP FORWARD, BIG-DIPPER POSTURE	上步七星 [50] STEP FORWARD, BIG-DIPPER POSTURE	上步七星錘 [71] STEP FORWARD, BIG-DIPPER PUNCH	上步七星 [91] STEP FORWARD, BIG-DIPPER POSTURE	上步七星 [86] STEP FORWARD, BIG-DIPPER POSTURE	上步騎鯨 [60] STEP FORWARD, RIDE THE WHALE
退步跨虎 [56] STEP BACK, SITTING-TIGER POSTURE	下步跨虎 [51] STEP BACK, SITTING-TIGER POSTURE	退步跨虎式 [72] STEP BACK, SITTING-TIGER POSTURE	退步跨虎 [92] STEP BACK, SITTING-TIGER POSTURE	退步胯虎 [87] STEP BACK, SITTING-TIGER POSTURE	退步跨虎 [61] STEP BACK, SITTING-TIGER POSTURE
轉腳擺連 [57] SPIN AROUND, DOUBLE-SLAP SWINGING LOTUS KICK	轉腳擺連 [52] SPIN AROUND, DOUBLE-SLAP SWINGING LOTUS KICK	轉身雙擺蓮 [73] SPIN AROUND, DOUBLE-SLAP SWINGING LOTUS KICK	轉身雙擺連 [93] SPIN AROUND, DOUBLE-SLAP SWINGING LOTUS KICK	轉腳擺蓮 [88] SPIN AROUND, DOUBLE-SLAP SWINGING LOTUS KICK	轉腳擺蓮 [62] SPIN AROUND, DOUBLE-SLAP SWINGING LOTUS KICK
彎弓射虎 [58] BEND THE BOW TO SHOOT THE TIGER	彎弓射虎 [53] BEND THE BOW TO SHOOT THE TIGER	彎弓射虎 [74] BEND THE BOW TO SHOOT THE TIGER	彎弓射虎 [94] BEND THE BOW TO SHOOT THE TIGER	彎弓射虎 [89] BEND THE BOW TO SHOOT THE TIGER	彎弓射虎 [63] BEND THE BOW TO SHOOT THE TIGER
上步攬雀尾 [59] STEP FORWARD, CATCH THE SPARROW BY THE TAIL	雙抱捶 [54] DOUBLE PUNCH	上步搬攬錘 [75] STEP FORWARD, PARRYING CATCH, PUNCH	上步搬攔捶 [95] STEP FORWARD, PARRYING BLOCK, PUNCH	上步十字手 [90] STEP FORWARD, CROSSED HANDS
		如封似閉 [76] SEALING SHUT	如封似閉 [96] SEALING SHUT	上步如風似閉 [91] STEP FORWARD, WIND BLOWS THE DOOR CLOSED
		十字手 [77] CROSSED HANDS	十字手 [97] CROSSED HANDS
合太極 [60] CLOSING POSTURE		合太極 [78] CLOSING POSTURE	合太極 [98] CLOSING POSTURE		合太極 [64] CLOSING POSTURE

參考文獻：
List of works referenced:

陰符鎗譜太極拳經。―鈔本。
Conceal & Reveal Spear / Taiji Boxing Classics (handwritten document)

馬同文太極拳譜。―鈔本。
Ma Tongwen’s Taiji Boxing Manual (handwritten document)

揚澄甫太極拳使用法。―上海福州路神州國光社發行。
Yang Chengfu’s Methods of Applying Taiji Boxing (published by the Society for Chinese National Glory, Fuzhou Rd, Shanghai)

陳微明太極拳術。―上海北西藏路致柔拳社發行。
Chen Weiming’s The Art of Taiji Boxing (published by the Achieving Softness Boxing Society – N Tibet Rd, Shanghai)

黃文叔太極拳要義。―石印本，與槍，劍，刀合刊，非賣品。
Huang Yuanxiu’s Essentials of Taiji Boxing (lithographic print, also includes material on spear, sword, saber – out of print)

陳秀峯太極拳眞譜。―石印本。
Chen Xiufeng’s Authentic Manual of Taiji Boxing (lithographic print)

關百益太極拳經。―油印本，非賣品。
Guan Baiyi’s Taiji Boxing Classics (mimeographed booklet – out of print)

許禹生太極拳勢圖解。―北平西單牌樓體育研究社發行。
Xu Yusheng’s Taiji Boxing Postures Explained (published by Beijing Westgate Physical Education Research Society)

吳鑑泉太極拳圖。―上海九福公司發行，非賣品。
Wu Jianquan’s Taiji Boxing Photographed (published by the Many Blessings Company of Shanghai – out of print)

徐致一太極拳淺說。―上海精武體育會寄售。
Xu Zhiyi’s Simple Introduction to Taiji Boxing (for sale from the Shanghai Jingwu Athletic Association)

吳圖南科學化的國術太極拳。―商務印書館發行。
Wu Tunan’s A More Scientific Martial Art: Taiji Boxing (published by The Commercial Press, LTD)

陳振民馬岳樑合編吳鑑泉氏的太極拳。―上海福州路新中國書店經售。
Chen Zhenmin & Ma Yueliang’s The Taiji Boxing of Mr. Wu Jianquan (for sale from New China Bookstore, Fuzhou Rd, Shanghai)

姜容樵姚馥春合編太極拳講義。―上海山東路武學書局發行。
Jiang Rongqiao & Yao Fuchun’s Taiji Boxing Explained (published by Martial Studies Press, Shandong Rd, Shanghai)

田鎭峯太極拳。―濟南世界書局大東書局發行。
Tian Zhenfeng’s Taiji Boxing (published in Jinan by World Press and Far East Press)

–

廠本太極拳經校訂記
[CHAPTER THIRTEEN] MY CORRECTIONS TO THE SPEAR MANUAL’S TEXT FOR THE TAIJI BOXING CLASSICS

本書太極拳經正文，是廠本原文而取各本訂正的。
The Taiji Boxing Classics presented in this book are based on the versions in the spear manual. However, there are many errors in its text, and so I have made certain necessary corrections:

從字義方面訂正的訛字如左：
[1] In this case, the wrong character was used because it had a similar meaning:

勁以曲經而有餘的經字，訂正為蓄字。
Correction: 經 should be 蓄, resulting in:
勁以曲蓄而有餘。
By storing power in crooked parts, it will be in abundant supply.
(勁以曲經而有餘 would otherwise result in “by putting power into winding channels”.)

從音，形兩方訂正的訛字如左：
[2] In these cases, the wrong characters were due to the same pronunciation and a shared written component:

玩整一氣的玩字，訂正為完字。
Correction: 玩 should be 完, resulting in:
由腳而腿而腰，總須完整一氣。
From foot through leg through waist, it must be a fully continuous process.
(玩整一氣 would otherwise result in “a playfully continuous process”.)

氣遍身區不少痴的區字，訂正為軀字。
Correction: 區 should be 軀, resulting in:
變轉虛實須留意，氣遍身軀不少痴。
You must pay attention to the alternation of empty and full, then energy will flow through your whole body without getting stuck anywhere.
(氣遍身區不少痴 would otherwise result in no change since it would be obvious that 身區 means 身軀 anyway.)

從音，義兩方訂正的訛字如左：
[3] In these cases, the wrong characters were used due to the same pronunciation and a confusion of meaning:

卽於下意的於字，訂正為寓字。
Correction: 於 should be 寓, resulting in:
如意要向上，即寓下意。
If your intention wants to go upward, then harbor a downward intention.
(即於下意 would otherwise result in “if your intention wants to go upward, it comes from a downward intention”.)

處處總此宜虛實的宜字，訂正為一字。
Correction: 宜 should be 一, resulting in:
處處總此一虛實。
Everywhere it is always like this, an emptiness and a fullness.
(處處總此宜虛實 would otherwise result in “everywhere it is always like this, that there should be an emptiness and a fullness”.)

靜之則和的和字，訂正為合字。
Correction: 和 should be 合, resulting in:
動之則分，靜之則合。
When there is movement, passive and active qualities become distinct from each other. When there is stillness, they return to being indistinguishable.
(靜之則和 would otherwise result in no change since it is clear from the context established by 動之則分 that 和 is to read as 合, which it is occasionally transposed for.)

須領頂勁的須字，訂正為虛字。
Correction: 須 should be 虛, resulting in:
虛領頂勁。
Forcelessly press up your headtop.
(須領頂勁 would otherwise result in “you must press up your headtop”.)

多悟捨近求遠的悟字，訂正為悞字。
Correction: 悟 should be 悞, resulting in:
本是舍己從人，多悞捨近求遠。
The initial stage is to “discard ego, follow others”, which often seems to get misheard as “discard what is near, seek what is far”.
(多悟捨近求遠 would otherwise result in “which often seems to get understood as”.)

並無一字浮衍陪襯的浮字，訂正為敷字。
Correction: 浮 should be 敷, resulting in:
此論句句切要在心，並無一字敷衍陪襯。
This essay contains one crucial sentence after another and does not have a single word that is superfluous or unnecessary.
(並無一字浮衍陪襯 would otherwise result in no change.)

字字眞切亦無遺的亦字，訂正為已字。
Correction: 亦 should be 已, resulting in:
歌兮歌兮百四十，字字真切已無遺。
Repeatedly recite the words above, all of which speak clearly and leave nothing out.
(字字真切亦無遺 would otherwise result in no change.)

枉費工夫噫嘆息的噫字，訂正為貽字。
Correction: 噫 should be 貽, resulting in:
若不向此推求去，枉費工夫貽嘆惜。
If you pay no heed to those ideas, you will go astray in your training, and you will find you have wasted your time and be left with only sighs of regret.
(枉費工夫噫嘆息 would otherwise result in “you will find you have wasted your time, which will make you wail and sigh”.)

外是安逸的是字，訂正為示字。
Correction: 是 should be 示, resulting in:
內固精神，外示安逸。
Inwardly bolster spirit and outwardly show ease.
(外是安逸 would otherwise result in “inwardly bolster spirit and outwardly there is ease”.)

從形，義兩方訂正的訛字如左：
[4] In these cases, the wrong characters were used due to a shared written component and a confusion of meaning:

斯致旁門甚多的致字，訂正為技字。
Correction: 致 should be 技, resulting in:
斯技旁門甚多。
There are many other schools of boxing arts besides this one.
(斯致旁門甚多 would otherwise result in no charge because of the force of context, “boxing arts” being implicit instead of directly stated.)

學者不可不詳辦巫的辦巫二字，訂正為辨焉。
Correction: 辦巫 should be 辨焉, resulting in:
學者不可不詳辨焉。
You must understand all this clearly.
(學者不可不詳辦巫 would otherwise result in “you have to understand that none of this is magic”.)

勢勢存心撥用意的撥字，訂正為揆字。
Correction: 撥 should be 揆, resulting in:
勢勢存心揆用意。
Posture by posture, stay mindful, observing intently.
(勢勢存心撥用意 would otherwise result in “Posture by posture, stay mindful, delaying the use of intention”.)

若言休用何為準與神舒休靜的休字，訂正為體字。
Correction: 休 should be 體, resulting in:
若言體用何為準？
Whether we are discussing in terms of theory or function, what is the constant?
&
神舒體靜。
Let your spirit be comfortable and your body calm.
(Neither 若言休用何為準 nor 神舒休靜 would otherwise result in any change since 休 is just a mistake for 体, a variant of 體 – meaning “theory” in the first instance, “body” in the second.)

所謂頂頭見也的見字，訂正為懸字。
Correction: 見 should be 懸, resulting in:
所謂頂頭懸也。
The Thirteen Dynamics Song calls for your whole body to be nimble and your headtop to be pulled up as if suspended.
(所謂頂頭見也 would otherwise result in “and your headtop to be on display”.)

發勁須沉者鬆淨的者字，訂正為著字。
Correction: 者 should be 著, resulting in:
發勁須沉著鬆淨，專主一方。
When issuing power, you must sink and relax, concentrating it in one direction.
(發勁須沉者鬆凈 would otherwise result in no change.)

何堅不推的推字，正訂為摧字。
Correction: 推 should be 摧, resulting in:
運勁如百鍊鋼，何堅不摧。
Wield power like tempered steel, so strong there is nothing tough enough to stand up against it.
(何堅不推 would otherwise result in “nothing tough enough to resist it”.)

從音，形，義三方訂正的訛字如左：
[5] Here is a case of the wrong characters due to all three problems of same pronunciation, shared written component, and confusion of meaning:
無為不立的為立二字，
Two corrections:
從音，義上將為字訂正為微字。
– sound & meaning: 為 should be 微;
從形，義上將立字訂正為至字
– shape & meaning: 立 should be 至.
This results in:
行氣如九曲珠，無微不至。
Move energy as though through a winding-path pearl, penetrating even the smallest nook.
(無為不立 would otherwise result in “move energy as though through a winding-path pearl, establishing itself everywhere”.)

訂正其倒書者如左：
[6] In this case, two characters were flipped around:

勿令毫絲間斷耳的毫絲二字，訂正為絲毫。
Correction: 毫絲 should be 絲毫, resulting in:
週身節節貫串，勿令絲毫間斷耳。
Throughout the body, as the movement goes from one section to another, there is connection. Do not allow the slightest break in the connection.
(勿令毫絲間斷耳 would otherwise result in no change since it would be obvious that the characters are flipped and what the intended meaning is.)

訂正其說漏者如左：
[7] In these cases, there is a missing word:

腹內鬆淨騰然，淨下脫一氣字；
Correction: between 淨 and 騰 should be added a 氣, resulting in:
刻刻留意在腰間，腹內鬆淨氣騰然。
At every moment, pay attention to your waist, for if there is complete relaxation within your belly, energy is primed.
(腹內鬆淨騰然 would otherwise result in “within your belly, let there be complete relaxation and alertness”.)

然後堅硬，後下脫一極字，悉為補入。
Correction: between 後 and 堅 should be added a 極, resulting in:
極柔輭，然後極堅硬。
Extreme softness begets extreme hardness.
(然後堅硬 would otherwise result in “extreme softness begets hardness”.)

–

各本太極拳經文字同異的原因
[CHAPTER FOURTEEN] THE REASONS FOR THE TEXTUAL VARIATIONS IN THE DIFFERENT PRESENTATIONS OF THE CLASSICS

各本太極拳經文字間的大同小異，大槪不外左列幾種原因：
The reasons for the variations in the text are generally no more than these three:
一，傳鈔沿訛。
1. errors in transcription,
二，本於心得而為添改。
2. insightful changes,
三，妄自添改。
3. reckless changes.

傳鈔沿訛者，類如校訂記訂正的各字是。
Transcription errors were already covered in the previous chapter.

與原文文體不能辨別其出於二手者，祇能認為歷來太極拳家本於心得所為之添改，今已不能指出其孰為原文？孰為添改之文？但參證各本，其遣辭命意，多本相同而一二本獨異，或文采不類者，亦可察知非為原文。如：
It is hard to distinguish an original text from a secondhand copy. We can only assume that Taiji masters over the generations have made changes based on their personal insights, and so it is difficult nowadays for us to identify what is the original text and what are the changes. However, by examining the various versions, we can see that they mostly agree on word choice and ideas, only one or two at a time standing out as being different, in some places having suspiciously prettier words than the others, and in this way we can say what is likely not original. Here are some examples:

若將物掀起而加以挫之之意，
For example, when you pull a plant out of the ground, you first have to add a breaking intention.
容本作譬之將植物掀起而加以挫折之力。
Jiang Rongqiao uses 譬之 instead of 若 (another way to say “like” or “if”), expands 物 to 植物 (making it a “plant” explicitly), 挫折 instead of 挫之 (reinforcing the act of “breaking” it), and 力 instead of 意 (“force” instead of “intention”).

工夫無息法自修，
It is your own unceasing effort that is the key to mastering the art.
秀本作功用無息法自休。
Chen Xiufeng uses 功用 instead of 工夫 (still resulting in “effort”, but with more of a sense of specifically doing something).

動急則急應，動緩則緩隨，
If he moves fast, I quickly respond, and if his movement is slow, I leisurely follow.
圖本作動急則急應謂之連，動緩則緩應謂之隨。
Wu Tunan writes this as 動急則急應謂之連，動緩則緩應謂之隨 (“If he moves fast, I quickly respond – this is connecting. If his movement is slow, I leisurely respond – this is following.”)

不偏不倚，
Do not lean in any direction.
圖本作中立不依。
Wu Tunan replaces this with 中立不依 (“Do not lean off-center”).

忽隱忽現，
Suddenly vanish and suddenly appear.
圖本作乍隱乍現。
Wu Tunan uses 乍 instead of 忽 (a more active word for “suddenly”).

無氣者純剛下，
If you ignore your energy and let it take care of itself, there will be pure strength.
圖本多卽得乾坤行健之理所以十字。
Wu Tunan then adds 卽得乾行健之理，所以, connecting to the following line (氣如車輪，腰如車軸。) (“To obtain the principle of ‘invigorating activity’ from hexagram 1 of the Book of Changes [i.e. “Nature acts with vigor. Likewise a gentleman ceaselessly improves himself.”], let your energy be like a wheel and your waist be like an axle.”)

參證他本，均可以看出是添改的。
By comparing these variations to the other versions, we can conclude that the examples above are changes rather than original text.

妄自添改的，如：
Here are examples of reckless changes:

尤須貫串，
[Once there is any movement, the entire body should be nimble and alert.] There especially needs to be connection from movement to movement.
圖本作猶須貫串。
Wu Tunan uses 猶 instead of 尤 (resulting in “always needs to be” instead of “especially needs to be”).

無使有斷續處的處字，
Do not allow breaks in the flow anywhere.
鎭本作時。
Tian Zhenfeng uses 時 instead of 處 (“at any time” instead of “anywhere”).

有不得機得勢處，
If you do not achieve the right position at the right moment, [the problem must be in the waist and legs.]
文本機下多一不字。
Huang Yuanxiu adds another 不 after 機 (expanding it to “if you do not achieve the right position and do not catch the right moment”).

處處總此一虛實，
Everywhere it is always like this, an emptiness and a fullness.
文本作處處總此一虛一實。
Huang Yuanxiu adds another 一 after 虛 (reinforcing “an… and a…”)

而理為一貫，
[Although there is an endless variety of possible scenarios,] this principle remains constant throughout.
微本作而惟性一貫；
Chen Weiming uses 惟性 instead of 理為 (resulting in “this quality remains constant throughout”).
容本作而理與性惟一貫。
Jiang Rongqiao writes this line as 而理與性惟一貫 (resulting in “this principle and quality remains constant throughout”).

左重則左虛，
When there is pressure on my left, my left empties.
圖本作左重則左必虛。
Wu Tunan adds a 必 before 虛 (resulting in “my left must empty”).
右重則右虛，
When there is pressure on my right, my right empties.
圖本作右重則右必輕。
Wu again adds a 必 before 虛 and uses 輕 instead of 虛 (resulting in “my right lightens”).

仰則彌高，
When he goes high, I go higher. [When he goes low, I go lower.]
圖本作仰高鑽堅。
Wu Tunan writes this line as 仰高鑽堅. (“When looking up, it is still higher. When drilling in, it only becomes harder.”)

英雄所向無敵，
A hero is one who encounters no opposition,
容本作豪雄所向無敵。
Jiang Rongqiao 豪雄 instead of 英雄 (an alternate way to say “hero”).
蓋皆由此而及也，
and it is always through this kind of method that such a condition is achieved.
容本作蓋皆由階而及也。
Jiang uses 階 instead of 此 (putting the emphasis on the “method” rather than “this”, but still producing the same sort of overall phrase through context).

顯非力勝，
[Examine the phrase “four ounces diverts a thousand pounds”,] which is clearly not a victory obtained through strength.
文本作顯非蠻力所能勝。
Huang Yuanxiu expands this line to 顯非蠻力所能勝 (resulting in “clearly not a victory obtained through brute strength”.

觀耄耋能禦衆之形，
Or consider the sight of an old man repelling a group, [which could not come from an aggressive speed.]
澄本作觀耄耋能禦衆人之形；
Yang Chengfu adds a 人 after 眾 (which is redundant since 眾 on its own already means “group” or “crowd” and in fact contains three 人 within the character).
圖本作觀耄耋能禦衆之情。
Wu Tunan uses 情 instead of 形 (resulting in “consider the situation of”).

立如平準，
Stand like a scale.
文本作惟在立如平準；
Huang Yuanxiu adds a 在 before 立 (resulting in “as long as you stand like a scale”).
圖本作惟立如平準；
Wu Tunan adds a 惟 before 立 (also resulting in “as long as”).
澄本作立及平準。
Yang Chengfu uses 及 instead of 如 (still resulting in “like” by context).

惟欲避此病，
[The error of double pressure has not yet been understood.] If you want to avoid this error,
文本作惟欲避此弊病。
Huang Yuanxiu expands 病 to 弊病 (adding emphasis to “error” and giving it a greater sense of “illness”).

掤，捋，擠，按須認眞，
The techniques of ward-off, rollback, press, and push must be taken seriously.
鎭本作，捋，掤，擠，按須認眞。
Tian Zhenfeng flips 掤捋 (“ward-off, rollback”) into 捋掤 (“rollback, ward-off”).

乃有圓活之趣，
[Your mind must perform alternations nimbly,] and then you will have the qualities of roundness and liveliness.
圖本作乃有圓活趣味。
Wu Tunan uses 趣味 instead of 之趣 (turning “qualities” into “delights”).

氣歛入骨，
[Your abdomen relaxes completely] and then energy collects into your bones.
文本作氣歛入骨髓。
Huang Yuanxiu adds 髓 to 骨 (expanding it to “bones and marrow”).
氣歛入骨下，秀本多三分靠胳膊。
Chen Xiufeng then adds 三分靠胳膊 (expanding it to “energy collects into your bones, a third of it in your arms”).

刻刻在心，
At every moment be mindful.
秀本作刻刻兩儀存心。
Chen Xiufeng adds 兩儀 after 刻刻 (resulting in “At every moment, the passive and active aspects should be on your mind”).

以上只須在修辭方面一看，顯與原文不類，所以可斷其出於妄自添改。
These changes are stylistically jarring, giving themselves away as not being original text, and so I classify them as reckless changes.

此外原文沿訛，如：百，圖二本無微不利的利字，應加改正而反不改。案成語中只有無往不利及無微不至，而沒有無微不利的成語。
There are also sometimes errors in the original text itself that get slavishly recopied but actually ought to be corrected, for instance Guan Baiyi and Wu Tunan’s use of 無微不利 for “[move energy as though through a winding-path pearl,] penetrating even the smallest nook”. This should probably be changed because while there are the common sayings of 無往不利 (“succeeding at everything attempted”) and 無微不至 (“attending to every detail”), there is no common saying of 無微不利 (which outside of the context of the “winding-path pearl” would read at face-value as “succeeding at every detail”).

黃梨洲王征南墓誌銘：『三丰為武當丹士，徽宗召之，道梗不得進，夜夢元帝授之拳法，厥明，以單丁殺賊百餘。』這段神話，只要你是有常識的，你會不會相信？
For another example of something that gets mindlessly recopied, Huang Zongxi’s “Memorial Inscription for Wang Zhengnan” (1669) says: “This art began with Zhang Sanfeng of the Song Dynasty, an elixirist of the Wudang mountains. Emperor Huizong summoned him, but his route was blocked and he could not get through. That night in a dream, the first Song Emperor gave him the boxing method, and the next day he killed more than a hundred bandits single-handed.” This folk tale is common knowledge, but hardly believable.

–

關於太極拳經
[CHAPTER FIFTEEN] ABOUT THE TAIJI BOXING CLASSICS

一　太極拳經命名的由來及其篇名
1. ON THE SOURCE OF THE TITLES FOR THE CLASSICS

這一著作的原名，在先本不稱經，以陰符鎗的名為譜來參證，應當稱為太極拳譜方合。其名為太極拳經者，始自關百益。
關百益的太極拳經敘云：
These texts were not originally called “classics”. The spear booklet is called the Conceal & Reveal Spear “Manual” To be consistent with this, we probably ought to refer to a Taiji Boxing “Manual”. Calling this material the Taiji Boxing “Classics” comes from Guan Baiyi. He explains this in the preface to his Taiji Boxing Classics:

『竊謂此拳之妙用，大意以柔克剛，靜制動，順破逆為主，其旨同於道家，其理合乎儒論。考之陸淸獻太極論曰：「寂而不動，卽太極之陰靜也，感而遂通，卽太極之陽動也，感而復寂，寂而復感，卽太極之動靜無端，陰陽無始也。」此太極性之理，與太極之理，本自相同，其關於身心者一也，尊之曰經，似無不宜。』
In my opinion, this boxing art’s marvels can be summed up as: softness overcoming hardness, stillness controlling motion, and smoothness defeating coarseness. It has a Daoist sensibility and a Confucian reasoning. Let us examine an excerpt from the “Taiji Treatise” of Lu Longqi [a famous Neo-Confucian during the early Qing Dynasty]:
　　“Quietude is unmoving. This is the grand polarity’s [tai ji] passive aspect in stillness. Agitation is excessive. This is the grand polarity’s active aspect in motion. Agitation goes back to quietude. Quietude goes back to agitation. This is the grand polarity’s quality of movement and stillness without end, passive and active without beginning.”
　　Clearly the study of the nature of the grand polarity and the principles of “Grand Polarity Boxing” have fundamentally the same goal: unification of body and mind. Therefore to honor these texts by calling them “classics” seems appropriate.

太極拳經的篇名，是酌採廠，百二本來的。
The names I have assigned to each of the classics are based on those used in the spear manual and Guan Baiyi’s booklet:

一舉動的篇名，題為十三勢論。
The text that begins with “Once there is any movement…” is titled the “Thirteen Dynamics Treatise”.

太極者的篇名，題為太極拳論。
“A grand polarity emerges from a state of nonpolarity…” is titled the “Taiji Boxing Treatise”.

長拳者的篇名，各本都無，關百益題為太極拳勢，今從之。
“Long Boxing: it is like a long river flowing into the wide ocean…” is not individually titled in any of the books, not even the spear manual. Only Guan Baiyi titles it (“Taiji Boxing Techniques”) and so his is the title I have adopted.

十三總勢莫輕視，題為十三勢歌。
“Do not neglect any of the thirteen dynamics…” is titled the “Thirteen Dynamics Song”.

以心行氣的篇名，題為十三勢行工心解。
“Use the mind to move energy…” is titled “Understanding How to Practice the Thirteen Dynamics”.

掤，捋，擠，按須認眞，題為打手歌。
“The techniques of ward-off, rollback, press, and push must be taken seriously…” is titled the “Playing Hands Song”.

攬雀尾等色名，題為十三勢名目。
“CATCH THE SPARROW BY THE TAIL…” is titled “Posture Names for the Thirteen Dynamics Solo Set”.

–

二　參校各本的說明
2. A COMMENT ABOUT THE CROSS-REFERENCED WORKS

本書太極拳經正文，卽不佞在廠肆所得與陰符鎗譜的合鈔本子。其取以參考校訂附註在正文之下的：計有
In this book, the text for the Taiji Boxing Classics was copied from the handwritten spear manual I obtained from Store #4 and then cross-referenced against these books:

馬同文太極拳譜鈔本。
Ma Tongwen’s Taiji Boxing Manual (handwritten document)

民國二十年出版的楊澄甫太極拳使用法。
Yang Chengfu’s Methods of Applying Taiji Boxing (published 1931)

民國十四年出版的陳微明太極拳術。
Chen Weiming’s The Art of Taiji Boxing (published 1925)

民國十八年出版的黃文叔太極拳要義。―石印本―
Huang Yuanxiu’s Essentials of Taiji Boxing (lithographic print, published 1929)

未載出版年月的陳秀峯太極拳眞譜。―石印本―
Chen Xiufeng’s Authentic Manual of Taiji Boxing (lithographic print, undated)

民國十年出版的許禹生太極拳勢圖解。
Xu Yusheng’s Taiji Boxing Postures Explained (published 1921)

民元出版的關百益太極拳經。―油印本―
Guan Baiyi’s Taiji Boxing Classics (mimeographed booklet, published 1912)

民國十八年出版的吳鑑泉太極拳圖。
Wu Jianquan’s Taiji Boxing Photographed (published 1929)

民國十六年出版的徐致一太極拳淺說。
Xu Zhiyi’s Simple Introduction to Taiji Boxing (published 1927)

民國二十年出版的吳圖南科學化的國術太極拳。
Wu Tunan’s A More Scientific Martial Art: Taiji Boxing (published 1931)

民國二十四年出版的陳振民，馬岳樑合編的吳鑑泉氏的太極拳。
Chen Zhenmin & Ma Yueliang’s The Taiji Boxing of Mr. Wu Jianquan (published 1935)

民國十九年出版的姜容樵，姚馥春合編的太極拳講義。
Jiang Rongqiao & Yao Fuchun’s Taiji Boxing Explained (published 1930)

民國二十一年出版的田鎭峯太極拳。
Tian Zhenfeng’s Taiji Boxing (published 1932)

廠肆鈔本，簡稱廠本。餘取編著者名號中一字，如楊澄甫太極拳使用法，簡稱澄本是以號著稱者取其號，以名著稱者取其名，不拘拘於義例。
The handwritten Store #4 booklet is throughout this book usually called the “spear manual”. The rest of the referenced works are abbreviated simply to the their author’s names, for instance Yang Chengfu’s Methods of Applying reduced to just “Yang Chengfu”, making things much simpler.

關百益的太極拳經，是許禹生囑他校訂的，其太極拳勢圖解緒言中，有如左之說明：『拳經傳於世者，約有數種，然鈔襲相傳，魚魯莫辨，壬子歲，曾囑關君葆謙校訂。』
Guan Baiyi’s booklet exists at the behest of Xu Yusheng, as Xu states in his own book: “There are several versions of the Taiji Boxing Classic that have been passed down to us, but due to all the retranscribing of the text, with words getting transposed for other slightly different words, it is hard to distinguish which version is correct. In 1912, I asked the scholar Guan Baoqian [Baiyi] to analyze the versions and determine the correct text.”

–

三　拳經各篇的排列與標題
3. ARRANGEMENT & TITLING OF THE CLASSICS IN THE VARIOUS VERSIONS

廠本：
Spear manual:
一，十三勢論，其標題為先師張三豐，王宗岳傳留太極十三勢論。
1. Thirteen Dynamics Treatise (titled “Wang Zongyue’s Transmission of Zhang Sanfeng’s Taiji Thirteen Dynamics Treatise”)
二，太極拳論，太極拳解兩篇，其標題為山右王宗岳先師太極拳論，題下有一名長拳，一名十三勢九字。
2. Taiji Boxing Treatise & Taiji Boxing Techniques (titled “Wang Zongyue of Shanxi’s Treatise on Taiji Boxing, Also Called Long Boxing or Thirteen Dynamics”)
三，十三勢歌。
3. Thirteen Dynamics Song
四，十三勢行工心解。
4. Understanding How to Practice the Thirteen Dynamics
五，打手歌。
5. Playing Hands Song
六，十三勢名目。
6. List of Posture Names

同本：
Ma Tongwen:
一，十三勢名目，其標題為十三勢架。
1. List of Posture Names (titled “Thirteen Dynamics Solo Set”)
二，太極拳論，其標題為山右王宗岳先生太極拳論。
2. Taiji Boxing Treatise (titled “The Taiji Boxing Treatise of Wang Zongyue of Shanxi”)
三，十三勢歌。其標題為十三勢行工歌訣。
3. Thirteen Dynamics Song (titled “Secrets of How to Practice the Thirteen Dynamics”)
四，打手歌。
4. Playing Hands Song
五，十三勢行工心解，其標題為打手要言。
5. Understanding How to Practice the Thirteen Dynamics (titled “Essentials of Playing Hands”)
六，太極拳解，無標題。長拳者之上，有：一名長拳一名十三勢九字。
6. Taiji Boxing Techniques (untitled, beginning with “Long Boxing, also known as Thirteen Dynamics, is like a long river”)
打手歌後之彼不動一節，列十三勢行工心解之末。
(The “if he takes no action, I take no action” section that follows the Playing Hands Song is instead placed at the end of Understanding How to Practice.)

澄本：
Yang Chengfu:
一，十三勢論，太極拳解兩篇，其標題為祿禪師原文。
1. Thirteen Dynamics Treatise & Taiji Boxing Techniques (together titled “An Original Text by Yang Luchan”)
二，十三勢名目，其標題為太極拳十三式。
2. List of Posture Names (titled “Taiji Boxing Thirteen Dynamics Solo Set”)
三，十三勢歌。
3. Thirteen Dynamics Song
四，打手歌，無標題。
4. Playing Hands Song (untitled)
五，十三勢行工心解，其標題為王宗岳原序。
5. Understanding How to Practice the Thirteen Dynamics (titled “An Original Text by Wang Zongyue”)
六，太極拳論，其標題為王宗岳太極拳。
6. Taiji Boxing Treatise (titled “Wang Zongyue’s Taiji Boxing Treatise”)
打手歌後之彼不動一節，列十三勢行工心解之末。
(The “if he takes no action, I take no action” section that follows the Playing Hands Song is instead placed at the end of Understanding How to Practice.)

微本：
Chen Weiming:
一，十三勢論，太極拳解，太極拳論三篇，其標題合稱太極拳論。
1. Thirteen Dynamics Treatise, Taiji Boxing Techniques & Taiji Boxing Treatise (together titled “Taiji Boxing Treatise”)
二，十三勢歌。
2. Thirteen Dynamics Song
三，十三勢行功心解。
3. Understanding How to Practice the Thirteen Dynamics
四，打手歌。
4. Playing Hands Song
十三勢名目，列目錄。
List of Posture Names (listed with his Contents)

文本：
Huang Yuanxiu:
一，十三勢論，其標題為太極拳論。
1. Thirteen Dynamics Treatise (titled “Taiji Boxing Treatise”)
二，太極拳論，太極拳解二篇。其標題合稱王宗岳先師太極拳論，下註一名長拳，一名十三勢。
2. Taiji Boxing Treatise & Taiji Boxing Techniques (together titled “Wang Zongyue’s Taiji Boxing Treatise, Also Called Long Boxing or Thirteen Dynamics”)
三，十三勢行功心解。
3. Understanding How to Practice the Thirteen Dynamics
四，十三勢歌。
4. Thirteen Dynamics Song
五，十三勢名目，其標題為太極拳名稱。
5. List of Posture Names (titled “Taiji Boxing Posture Names”)
六，打手歌。
6. Playing Hands Song

秀本：
Chen Xiufeng:
一，太極拳解，無標題。
1. Taiji Boxing Techniques (untitled)
二，十三勢歌，其標題為用工歌訣。
2. Thirteen Dynamics Song (“Secrets of How to Practice”)
三，十三勢行工心解，其標題為十三勢用工心解。
3. Understanding How to Practice the Thirteen Dynamics (using 用工 instead of 行工 – still conveying “practice”)
四，打手歌。
4. Playing Hands Song
五，太極拳論，其標題為山右王宗岳先生太極拳論，下註一名長拳，一名十三勢。
5. Taiji Boxing Treatise (titled “Wang Zongyue of Shanxi’s Taiji Boxing Treatise, Also Long Boxing or Thirteen Dynamics”)
六，十三勢名目，其標題為太極拳著勢譜。
6. List of Posture Names (“List of Taiji Boxing Postures”)
打手歌後之彼不動一節，列十三勢行工心解之末。
(The “if he takes no action, I take no action” section that follows the Playing Hands Song is instead placed at the end of Understanding How to Practice.)

百本：
Guan Baiyi:
一，太極拳論。
Taiji Boxing Treatise
二，太極拳解。長拳者之上，有：太極拳一名長拳，一名十三勢十二字。
2. Taiji Boxing Techniques (beginning with “Taiji Boxing is also called Long Boxing or Thirteen Dynamics. Long Boxing is like a long river…”)
三，十三勢行工心解。
3. Understanding How to Practice the Thirteen Dynamics
四，打手歌。
4. Playing Hands Song
五，十三勢名目。
5. List of Posture Names
六，十三勢歌，其標題為太極十三勢目歌。
6. Thirteen Dynamics Song (titled “Taiji Thirteen Dynamics Song”)
七，十三勢論，其標題為太極十三勢總論。
7. Thirteen Dynamics Treatise (titled “Taiji Thirteen Dynamics Treatise”)

鑑本：
Wu Jianquan:
一，十三勢論，太極拳解二篇，其標題合稱太極拳論。
1. Thirteen Dynamics Treatise & Taiji Boxing Techniques (together titled “Taiji Boxing Treatise”)
二，太極拳論，其標題為太極拳經，旁註山右王宗岳遺著。
2. Taiji Boxing Treatise (titled “Taiji Boxing Classic” and credited with “by Wang Zongyue of Shanxi”)
三，十三勢歌。
3. Thirteen Dynamics Song
四，十三勢行功心解。
4. Understanding How to Practice the Thirteen Dynamics
五，打手歌。
5. Playing Hands Song
六，十三勢名目，其標題為太極拳姿勢之名稱及其次序。
6. List of Posture Names (titled “Taiji Boxing Posture Names and Their Sequence”)

致，振二本：
Xu Zhiyi and Chen Zhenmin:
各篇排列，與鑑本同。惟十三勢名目，其標題為太極拳式名稱及其次序，餘與鑑本標題相同。
Everything the same as Wu Jianquan, except in the case of the posture list (also titled “Taiji Boxing Posture Names and Their Sequence”, but using 式名稱 for “posture names” instead of 姿勢之名稱).

圖本：
Wu Tunan:
一，太極拳論。
Taiji Boxing Treatise
二，十三勢論，其標題為太極拳用功祕訣。
2. Thirteen Dynamics Treatise (titled “Secrets of Applying Taiji Boxing”)
三，十三勢行工心解，其標題為太極拳行功心法。
3. Understanding How to Practice the Thirteen Dynamics (titled “Understanding How to Practice Taiji Boxing”)
四，十三勢歌，其標題為太極十三勢歌。
4. Thirteen Dynamics Song (titled “Taiji Thirteen Dynamics Song”)
五，打手歌。
5. Playing Hands Song
十三勢名目，其標題為太極拳勢，另列目錄中。
List of Posture Names (titled “Taiji Boxing Techniques” – listed within his Contents)

容本：
Jiang Rongqiao:
一，十三勢論，列歌訣二之後，無標題。
1. Thirteen Dynamics Treatise (untitled, following Song #2)
二，太極拳論割裂為二，太極者至不能豁然貫通焉，列歌訣三之後，不偏不倚至學者不可不詳辨焉，列歌訣四之後，無標題。
2. Taiji Boxing Treatise (untitled, following Song #3 and split into two parts with Song #4 placed between “unless you practice a lot over a long time, you will never have a breakthrough” and “do not lean in any direction”)
三，太極拳解，列歌訣五之後，無標題。
3. Taiji Boxing Techniques (untitled, following Song #5)
四，十三勢歌，其標題為十三勢歌訣六。
4. Thirteen Dynamics Song (titled “Song #6: Thirteen Dynamics Song”)
五，十三勢行工心解割裂為二，以心行氣至進退須有轉換之後，極柔輭至乃可臻於縝密矣之前，雜以歌訣七，其標題為十三勢行功心解。
5. Understanding How to Practice the Thirteen Dynamics (split into two parts with Song #7 placed between “in advance and retreat, there must be variation” and “extreme softness begets extreme hardness”)
又打手歌，另列第九章。歌後彼不動一節，亦割裂為二，彼不動至已意已動，列十三勢論之前，似鬆非鬆至勁斷意不斷，列全文之末，勁斷意不斷下，多藕斷絲亦連五字。
(The Playing Hands Song is placed within the pushing hands chapter instead of among the classics. The “if he takes no action, I take no action” section that follows the Playing Hands Song is split into two parts, the first half placed before the Thirteen Dynamics Treatise, the “seem to loosen but not yet loosen…” half placed at the end of Understanding How to Practice, finishing with “when the lotus stalk is snapped, its fibers are still connected”.)

鎭本：
Tian Zhenfeng:
一，十三勢論，其標題為太極拳論。
1. Thirteen Dynamics Treatise (titled “Taiji Boxing Treatise”)
二，太極拳論，其標題為太極拳經。
2. Taiji Boxing Treatise (titled “Taiji Boxing Classic”)
三，十三勢歌。
3. Thirteen Dynamics Song
四，太極拳解之第二節，―無第一節。―及十三勢行工心解，其標題為十三勢行功心解。
4. Taiji Boxing Techniques (without “Long Boxing is like a long river…”) & Understanding How to Practice the Thirteen Dynamics (together titled “Understanding How to Practice the Thirteen Dynamics”)
五，打手歌。
5. Playing Hands Song
六，十三勢名目，其標題為太極拳各勢名稱。
6. List of Posture Names (titled “Names of the Taiji Boxing Postures”)

禹本
Xu Yusheng:
祇有太極拳論一篇，其標題為太極拳經，後註此論係張三丰先生入室弟子王君宗岳所作。
Xu’s manual contains only the Taiji Boxing Treatise, which he titles “Taiji Boxing Classic”, followed by commentary text which is presented as being written by “Master Zhang Sanfeng’s disciple Wang Zongyue”.

標題上先師某某傳留，某某師原文，某某原序，這無疑是後人給加上去的。所以讀了廠本十三勢論的標題，必然使人發生疑問，是張三丰傳留下來的呢？還是王宗岳傳留下來的？讀了廠，澄，文三本太極拳解的標題，和澄本十三勢行工心解的標題，必然使人發生疑問，是楊祿禪的原文呢？還是王宗岳的著作？這顯明是後人胡亂添加的證據。
The mentions in the titles above about it being a “transmission from so-and-so” or an “original text by such-and-such” were undoubtedly added by later generations. The spear manual’s title for the Thirteen Dynamics Treatise (“Wang Zongyue’s Transmission of Zhang Sanfeng’s Taiji Thirteen Dynamics Treatise”) raises the question: transmitted from Zhang or Wang? The titles for Taiji Boxing Techniques from the spear manual (“Wang Zongyue of Shanxi’s Treatise on Taiji Boxing”), Yang Chengfu (“An Original Text by Yang Luchan”), and Huang Yuanxiu (“Wang Zongyue’s Taiji Boxing Treatise”), as well as Yang Chengfu’s title for Understanding How to Practice (“An Original Text by Wang Zongyue”), raise the question: an original text by Yang or Wang? Clearly these were authorial credits carelessly added by later generations.

–

四　拳經中的兩節註
4. ON THE TWO COMMENTS APPEARING WITH THE CLASSICS

太極拳經除同，禹，圖，鎭四本外，均有如左的一節註：
Apart from Ma Tongwen, Xu Yusheng, Wu Tunan, and Tian Zhenfeng, the rest all include this comment:

『此係武當山張三豐老先師遺論
This text relates to the inherited theories of the founder Zhang Sanfeng of Mt. Wudang.
―百本：此作古，豐作丰，無先字。
Guan Baiyi uses 右 instead of 此 (resulting in “the text above relates to…”), writes “Sanfeng” as 三丰 instead of 三豐, and uses 老師 instead of 老先師 (having the effect of “master” rather than “founder”).
秀本：此句作武當山眞仙張三峯老師遺論。
Chen Xiufeng writes this line as 武當山真仙張三峯老師遺論 instead of 此係武當山張三豐老先師遺論 (“These are the inherited theories of the founder, the immortal Zhang Sanfeng of Mt. Wudang.”)
容本：此句作以上係三丰祖師所著。―
Jiang Rongqiao writes this line as 以上係三丰祖師所著 instead of 此係武當山張三豐老先師遺論
(“This text relates to the writings of Master Zhang Sanfeng.”)

欲天下豪傑延年養生
He wished for all heroes to live long healthy lives and not merely gain skill.
―百容二本：養生作益壽。―不徒作技藝之末也。』
Guan Baiyi and Jiang Rongqiao use 延年益壽 instead of 延年養生 (reducing it to “live long lives”.)

澄，微，鑑，致四本，都註在十三勢論，拳解二篇之後。
Yang Chengfu, Chen Weiming, Wu Jianquan, and Xu Zhiyi place the comment after the linked text of Thirteen Dynamics Treatise and Taiji Boxing Techniques.
廠，百二本，都註在太極拳論之後。
The spear manual and Guan Baiyi place it after the Taiji Boxing Treatise.
文本註在十三勢論之後。
Huang Yuanxiu places it after the Thirteen Dynamics Treatise.
秀本列拳經全文之首。
Chen Xiufeng places it as an introductory comment at the very beginning of the classics.
容本註在十三勢論，太極拳論，太極拳解三篇之後。
Jiang Rongqiao places it after the linked text of the Thirteen Dynamics Treatise, Taiji Boxing Treatise, and Taiji Boxing Techniques.
關於這一節註的討論，已在拙著王宗岳考一文內詳說。
Regarding the comment itself, I have already discussed it in Part One.

此外，還有一節註，各本均註在太極拳論之後。
This comment is in all versions placed after the Taiji Boxing Treatise:

『此論句句切要在心，
This essay contains one crucial sentence after another
―秀本：無此論二字。
Chen Xiufeng leaves out 此論 (resulting in “this essay” or “this text” by implication rather than directly stated).
百本：分作此論切要，句句在心二句。―
Guan Baiyi flips 句句 and 切要 (which is actually a better fit for “one crucial sentence after another”).

並無一字敷衍陪襯，非有夙慧
and does not have a single word that is superfluous or unnecessary. But if you are not smart,
―百本：慧下多一者字。
Guan Baiyi adds a 者 after 慧 (resulting in “if you are not a smart one”).
容本：慧下多之人二字。―
Jiang Rongqiao adds 之人 after 慧 (resulting in “if you are not a smart person”).

不能悟也。
you will not be able to understand it.
―容本：不作未。―
Jiang Rongqiao uses 未能 instead of 不能 (still resulting in “not be able”).

先師不妄傳人
The founder did not lightly teach the art,
―廠本：無人字，據他本補入。―
The spear manual uses 傳 instead of 傳人 (still resulting just as clearly in “teach”).

亦恐枉費工夫耳。』
for he did want to go to the effort only to have it wasted.
觀右註『此論………先師不妄傳人』之語，必然是後人給加上去的。
This comment was surely added by a later generation.

–

五　文，容，百三本比較他本多的歌，訣，文
5. ON THE ADDITIONAL VERSE, SAYINGS, AND PROSE TEXT OF HUANG YUANXIU, JIANG RONGQIAO, AND GUAN BAIYI

文本：十三勢論前多出的文：
At the beginning of the Thirteen Dynamics Treatise, Huang Yuanxiu adds [a passage from the early Qing Dynasty novel 豆棚閑話 Gossip in the Bean Shed, chapter 12]:
『未有天地以前，太極無窮之中，渾然一氣，乃為無極。無極之虛氣，卽為太極之理氣，太極之理氣，卽為天地之根荄，天地之根荄，化生人物，始初皆屬化生，一生之後，化生者少，形生者多，譬如木中生蟲，人身生蝨，皆是化生，若無身上的汗氣，木中的朽氣，那裏得這根荄，可見太極的理氣，就是天地的根荄之領袖也。』
Before there was a universe, within the infinity of space was the single indistinct energy of non-polarity [wu ji]. Then from this neutral energy came the principle of grand polarity [tai ji], which is the foundation of the universe and for the evolving of people and things, the beginning of all transformation. Once life gets going, there is sometimes change from one form into another, leading to the frequent generating of new forms. For instance, insects are born from within trees and lice come to life upon the human body. These are both examples of changing states of life. If there was no sweat on the body or decaying wood within trees, how would such situations come to be? From this can be seen that the grand polarity [i.e. the engine of creative interaction between the passive and active aspects] is the guiding principle of the universe.
『下註此處疑有遺漏六字。』
He then admits that this passage probably does not really belong at the beginning of the Treatise.

容本：十三勢論之前，多出的歌與文。
Before the Thirteen Posture Treatise, Jiang Rongqiao adds a piece of verse and a section of text.
歌：―歌訣一。
The verse is called “Song 1”:
『順項貫頂兩膀鬆，束烈下氣把𦡁撐，胃音開勁兩捶爭，五指抓地上彎弓。』
Extend your neck and draw up your headtop, your arms both loosening.
Strongly bind energy downward, bracing it upward at your crotch.
Sound it from your gut when you express power, beating with your fists.
While your toes grip the ground, your upper body bends like a bow.
文：
Text:
『虛靈頂勁，氣沉丹田，提頂調𦡁，心中力量，兩揹鬆，然後窒。開合按勢懷中抱囗，七星勢，視如車輪，柔而不剛。』
『由腳而腿，由腿而身，練如一氣，如轉鶻之鳥，如貓擒鼠。發動如弓發矢，正其四體，步履要輕隨，步步要滑齊。』
Forcelessly press up your headtop. Sink energy to your elixir field. Lift your headtop and suspend your crotch. Do this by means of mental strength. Loosen both sides of your back and then the energy will be sealed in. Open and close as you push, embracing in front of your chest. The Big Dipper posture rotates like a wheel, using softness rather than hardness…
　　From foot through leg to body, develop a single flow. Be like a turning falcon, or a cat catching a mouse. Issuing is like loosing an arrow from a bow. Properly align your limbs. Your steps should be nimble and coordinated. Your stepping should be smooth and even.

太極拳論之前，多出的文：
Before the Taiji Boxing Treatise, Jiang adds this section of text:
『拿住丹田之氣，鍊住元形，能打哼哈二氣。』
Focusing on the energy of your elixir field returns you to a primal state in which you can use the two types of breath: “heng” and “ha”.

十三勢歌之後，多出的文：
After the Thirteen Dynamics Song, Jiang adds this section of text:
『內三合與外三合。』
『骨節相對，開勁攀稍為陽，合披坑窰相照，分陰陽之義，開合引進落空，分寬窄老嫩，入笋不入笋，有擎靈之意。斤對斤，兩對兩，不丢不頂，五指緊聚，六節表正，七節要合，八節要扣，九節要長，十節要活，十一節要静，十二節抓地。三尖相照，上照鼻尖，中照手尖，下照足尖，能顧元氣，不跑不滯，妙令其熟，牢牢心記。能以手望槍，不動如山，動如雷霆，數十年工夫，皆言無敵，果然信乎？高打高顧，低打低應，進打進乘，退打退跟，緊緊相隨，升格未定，沾黏不脫，拳打立根。』
The three internal unions join with the three external unions…
　　The joints are to be naturally aligned. An energy of opening reaches to the extremities and has to do with the active aspect. An energy of closing then drapes over every gap, mirroring the active aspect [as the passive aspect]. Passive and active are thus made distinct. Opening and closing draws the opponent in to land on nothing. The extent of his skill, his experience or inexperience, is thereby made clear. Whether you get the knack of this or not depends on a mentality of maintaining naturalness.
　　Equal his force, pound for pound, ounce for ounce, neither coming away nor crashing in. Your fingers should be “gathered together”. Furthermore, your joints should be correctly placed. There should be combining, concaving, extending, liveliness, stillness, and grabbing the ground.
　　The three tips align with each other: above – the tip of the nose, middle – the fingertips, below – the toes. You will thus be able to attend well to primal energy. Neither rushing nor getting stuck, subtlety will lead to skill. Keep this firmly in mind.
　　Be able to regard your hand as a spear. Be still as a mountain, then move like a thunderclap. After several decades of training, all talk of being invincible will become true. If he attacks high, gaze high. If he attacks low, respond low. If he advances to attack, ride his advance. If he retreats to attack, follow his retreat. Stay constantly close to him amidst the inconstant rising and falling, sticking to him without coming away. While your fists attack, stand rooted.

以上文，容二本多出的歌與文，與十三勢論，太極拳論，太極拳解，十三勢歌，十三勢行工心解，打手歌的文采，絕不相同，可以斷其絕非王宗岳的手筆。
The above additional texts from the books of Huang and Jiang simply do not have the same elegant style as the other classics, and so we can conclude that they were assuredly not written by Wang Zongyue.

容本：十三勢論之前，多出的歌：―歌訣二。
Jiang adds a second piece of verse before the Thirteen Posture Treatise, called “Song 2”:
『舉動輕靈神內歛，莫敎斷續一氣研，左宜右有虛實處，意上寓下後天還。』
Move lightly and nimbly, spirit gathering within.
Show no interruption in the movement, for it should be continuous.
When your left has to do something, your right also has something to do, for empty and full have their places.
When your upward intention contains a downward, bad habits return [i.e. it brings stiffness to the opponent’s posture].

太極拳論之前多出的歌：―歌訣三。
Jiang adds a third piece of verse before the Taiji Boxing Treatise – “Song 3”
『拿住丹田鍊內功，哼哈二氣妙無窮，動分靜合屈伸就，緩應急隨理貫通。』
Focus on your elixir field to smelt internal skill.
Within “heng” and “ha”, there are endless subtleties.
With passive and active dividing in movement and blending in stillness, bend and extend.
Responding slowly to slowness and quickly to quickness, the theory will be realized.

又太極拳論不能豁然貫通焉之後，不偏不倚之前，多出的歌：―歌訣四。
Jiang adds a fourth piece of verse in the midst of the Taiji Boxing Treatise, placed between “unless you practice a lot over a long time, you will never have a breakthrough” and “do not lean in any direction”, taking the place of “forcelessly press up your headtop and sink energy to your elixir field” – “Song 4”:
『忽隱忽現進則長，一羽不加至道藏，手慢手快皆非似，四兩撥千運化良。』
Suddenly appearing and disappearing – the more he advances, the farther away you seem.
When a feather cannot be added to you, you have reached the Way.
The slow being defeated by the fast has no resemblance [to skill that has been trained].
When four ounces diverts a thousand pounds, you are neutralizing sublimely.

太極拳解之前，多出的歌：―歌訣五。
Jiang adds a fifth piece of verse before Taiji Boxing Techniques – “Song 5”:
『掤，捋，擠，按四方正，採，挒，肘，靠斜角成，乾，坤，震，兌乃八卦，進，退，顧，盼，定五行。』
Ward-off, rollback, press, and push are the four cardinal directions [i.e. the four primary techniques].
Pluck, rend, elbow, and bump are the four corner directions [i.e. the four secondary techniques].
They are associated with the eight trigrams – Qian, Kun, Kan, Li, and Xun, Zhen, Dui, Gen.
Advance and retreat, stepping left and right, and staying put – these are associated with the five elements.

十三勢行工心解進退須有轉換之後，極柔輭之前，多出的歌：―歌訣七。
Jiang has no “Song 6” [the sixth piece of verse being the Thirteen Dynamics Song], but places a “Song 7” in the midst of Understanding How to Practice, between “in the advance and retreat, there must be variation” and “extreme softness begets extreme hardness”:
『極柔卽剛極虛靈，運若抽絲處處明，開展緊湊乃縝密，待機而動如貓行。』
From extreme softness, extreme hardness comes naturally.
When the movement is like drawing silk, at every point there is clarity.
Through opening up then closing up, you will gain a refined subtlety.
Await the moment, then make your move, stepping like a cat.

以上五首歌，歌訣二詠十三勢論。歌訣三，四詠太極拳論。歌訣五詠太極拳解。歌訣七詠十三勢行工心解。
Song 2 is presented as part of the Thirteen Dynamics Treatise, Song 3 and Song 4 as part of the Taiji Boxing Treatise, Song 5 as part of the Taiji Boxing Techniques, and Song 7 as part of Understanding How to Practice.

所有太極拳的理，王宗岳已在論解中詳述，這些敷衍陪襯的詩歌，大槪是後進太極拳家的作品，把王宗岳的著作，歸納在幾首詩歌中，以便記誦的。如果這五首歌也是王宗岳的原作，那麼，決不會他本絕物，而容本獨有之理。加之姜容樵最善扯謊，他對於著作的態度，極不忠實，尤其足以證明吾的論斷是有理由的。
Taiji Boxing theory was already described in detail by Wang Zongyue. These superfluous poems were perhaps the works of some less literate Taiji master, who interspersed them in Wang’s texts as a means of summing up Wang’s principles and making them more easily memorizable. If these five poems were indeed written by Wang, that is fine, but then surely they would not have been left out of every other collection of the classics, only appearing in Jiang Rongqiao’s. We can only conclude that these poems are an enormous fraud perpetrated by Jiang. There is no attempt to be faithful to the writing style of the classics, and that in itself is sufficient to validate this judgment.

又容本十三勢歌之後，多出的二十字訣：
After the Thirteen Dynamics Song, Jiang furthermore includes a “Twenty-Word Formula”:
『披，閃，擔，搓，歉，黏，隨，拘，拿，扳，輭，掤，摟，摧，掩，撮，墜，續，擠，攤。』
Scattering, flashing, carrying, rubbing, reserving,
sticking, following, arresting, grabbing, reversing,
softening, warding, dragging, breaking, covering,
pinching, falling, continuing, pressing, spreading.

百本打手歌之後，多出的文：
Guan Baiyi adds this piece of text after the Playing Hands Song:
『又曰：行則動，動則變，變則化，化化無窮。』
It is also said: With action there is movement, with movement there is adaptation, and with adaptation there is transformation, transforming without end.
參證他本亦無，自非原文。
This passage does not appear in any of the other versions, so is obviously not original text.

據姜容樵說，他所得的太極拳譜有二本，一是乾隆時的抄本，一是光緒初年的木板本，與近世所傳者大同小異，然一觀其多出的歌，訣，文，豈止小異，簡直大有不同。按照吾的觀察，容樵稱其得到乾隆抄本，及光緒初木板本的話，全是扯謊騙人，吾來舉些證據給讀者看。
Jiang Rongqiao says that he obtained two Taiji Boxing manuals: “a handwritten document from the reign of Emperor Qianlong [1736—1796] and a block-printed text from the beginning of the reign of Emperor Guangxu [1875], which differ from modern texts in some small ways.” However, one glance through his additional material shows that they are not some small differences, but enormous ones. On the basis of this, it seems to me that his claims of “from the reign of Emperor Qianlong… from the reign of Emperor Guangxu” are fraudulent. I will demonstrate this with two more pieces of evidence:

查十三勢行工心解中，收卽是放之後，斷而復連之前，容本多放卽是收一句，如果原文確有此句的話，那麼，斷而復連之下，應該有連而復斷四字，方成其為重復叮嚀對比的文句，考放卽是收之句，最早見於民國十四年出版的陳微明太極拳術一書中，吾所見的廠，同鈔本，及民國元年關百益根據數種舊鈔本考訂的太極拳經，均無此四字，故吾疑此四字是陳微明所添加的。姜容樵的太極拳講義，於民國十九年出版，書中此句的來源，當然錄自陳微明的太極拳術，光緒初的木板本是謊話，乾隆時的抄本，尤其是騙人。茲再舉出一個無可辯飾的證據來以證吾言。
Within Jiang’s presentation of Understanding How to Practice, between “to gather is to release” and “disconnect but stay connected” he adds “to release is to gather”. If the original text actually does have this line, that is fine, but in order to be consistent with the symmetry of “to gather is to release, to release is to gather”, surely “disconnect but stay connected” ought to be followed by “stay connected but disconnect”. The use of “to release is to gather” first appears in Chen Weiming’s 1925 book. It is absent from the early handwritten documents: the spear manual, Ma Tongwen, Guan Baiyi’s 1912 booklet. Therefore I suspect that Chen Weiming added it himself. Since it appears in Jiang Rongqiao’s 1930 book, he probably got it from Chen Weiming’s book. Clearly “from the reign of Emperor Qianlong… from the reign of Emperor Guangxu” is a lie and scam.

陳秀峯太極拳眞譜有如左之一節：
Here is a section from Chen Xiufeng’s Authentic Manual of Taiji Boxing:
又曰：彼不動，已不動，似鬆非鬆。彼微動，已先動，將展未展，勁斷意不斷。陳秀峯加此：彼不動，已先動，勁斷神不斷，藕斷絲又連。』
It is also said: If he takes no action, I take no action, about to loosen but not yet loosening. But once he takes even the slightest action, I have already acted, extending but not fully extending. Power finishes, but intention continues. (In my opinion, this should be amended to: “He takes no action, but I have already acted. Power finishes, but spirit continues. Snap the lotus stalk, its fibers are still connected.”)
陳秀峯加藕斷絲又連之證據。―太極拳真譜。
Here is an image of the actual page which shows [middle of the page] that Chen has added the use of the saying “snap the lotus stalk, its fibers are still connected” himself:

藕斷絲連之句，是陳秀峯所添加，容本藕斷絲亦連之句，雖『又』字改為『亦』字，然終歸是陳秀峯之手筆，那是不可否認的。光緒初的木板本，不是謊話嗎？乾隆時的抄本，不尤其是騙人嗎？所以容本中多出的歌，訣，文，如菜中的雜樣，而不是出於一手，時的文章。
This use of the old proverb “snap the lotus stalk, its fibers are still connected” was by his own admission added by Chen Xiufeng. Therefore Jiang Rongqiao’s inclusion of it, even though he switches Chen’s use of 又 to 亦 (still meaning “still”), was obviously copied from Chen. Again, “Emperor Qianlong, Emperor Guangxu” – lies. Jiang Rongqiao’s additional pieces of poems, sayings, and prose are a blatant mish-mash of items from varying sources rather than the work of a single author from a certain era.

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六　十三勢名目的說明與研究
6. AN EXPLANATION ABOUT AND DISCUSSION OF THE POSTURE LISTS FOR THE THIRTEEN DYNAMICS SOLO SET

十三勢名目，各本均有不同，本書以廠本為正文外，並將馬同文太極拳譜，黃文叔太極拳要義，陳秀峯太極拳眞譜，關百益太極拳經所載名勢，附列於後。餘如陳微明太極拳術，許禹生太極拳勢圖解，徐致一太極拳淺說，吳圖南科學化的國術太極拳，陳振民，馬岳樑的吳鑑泉氏的太極拳，姜容樵，姚馥春的太極拳講義，田鎭峯的太極拳，均為易購之書，吳鑑泉的太極拳圖，雖為非賣品，然其十三勢名目，可參看徐致一，吳圖南，陳振民，馬岳樑著作。所以不再附註。
楊澄甫太極拳使用法，出版後交神州國光社發行，因為內容太質而不文，例如書中『有說一力強十會』之下，註有禮二字，『我說一巧破千斤』之下，註不錯二字，這是都江湖套語，號稱能文章的楊氏門弟子，看見了覺得面子上有些那個，反對將該書發售，所以不久卽行收囘，現已不易購得，故其名勢，亦附於正文之後。
王宗岳的原著，不佞斷其無並十三勢名目，所有的十三勢名目，是各派自己添加上去的。所以楊派手裏的太極拳經，其十三勢名目便為楊派的，武派手裏的太極拳經，其十三勢名目便為武派的，楊派之中，又分出若干支流，其太極拳經中的十三勢名目，又各隨其支流而不同，這也是有力的證明。
The list of posture names for the solo set varies from style to style. This volume treats the spear manual’s version as the basic list, then alongside it presents the versions of Ma Tongwen, Huang Yuanxiu, Chen Xiufeng, and Guan Baiyi. As for the posture lists of Chen Weiming, Xu Yusheng, Xu Zhiyi, Wu Tunan, Chen Zhenmin & Ma Yueliang, Jiang Rongqiao & Yao Fuchun, and Tian Zhenfeng, their books are easy enough to find. Wu Jianquan’s book is out of print, but his posture list is the same as that of Xu Zhiyi, Wu Tunan, and Chen Zhenmin & Ma Yueliang, therefore those books can be consulted and there is no point including his list with the others in this volume.
　　After copies of Yang Chengfu’s Methods of Applying Taiji Boxing started getting distributed by the Society for Chinese National Glory, there were second thoughts. Its content was felt to be too crude and unpolished. For example, following “there is a saying that one strong man can defeat a group of ten” appears the comment that “this is reasonable”, and after “my own saying is that one skillful trick can defeat a force of a thousand pounds” appears “this isn’t bad either”. These are the kinds of unsophisticated clichés that wandering street performers would spout. Yang’s more “scholarly” students looked upon this style of writing as being potentially diminishing toward the prestige of the art, so they opposed further sales of the book, and not long after it was withdrawn. It is nowadays, just a few years later, already hard to find a copy. Therefore I decided to also include Yang’s posture list among the other examples.
　　In my opinion, Wang Zongyue’s original writings probably did not include the list of posture names for the solo set, instead each style added its own version of the list to accompany the main text. The classics possessed by the Yang Style lineage holders present the Yang Style posture list, whereas the classics possessed by the Wu Yuxiang Style lineage holders present the Wu Yuxiang Style posture list. Within Yang Style itself, there is yet further branching off into sub-styles, and the posture lists attached to the classics possessed by those teachers are consequently affected. It is the variations within the posture lists that make the strongest case for the division of styles.

TANG HAO’S ANALYSIS OF WANG ZONGYUE

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