《意拳論》《樁功與四形》王薌齋
This article is part 2 of the Good Work Library collection Yiquan and Dachengquan - Texts of Wang Xiangzhai and the Lineage.
The English translation was prepared directly from the captured Traditional Chinese source text. The Chinese source text follows the colophon.
Preface
Standing practice is the basic work of Yiquan. There are divisions in the method of holding the standing post: walking, standing, sitting, and lying. The purpose of holding the post for a long time is to cultivate inner force. To what degree must inner force be cultivated before one can say there is attainment? There must be a basis for testing it. This essay proposes to discuss briefly the effects of holding the post, for fellow students to consult.
Only when inner force can burst out as external force can one receive the true benefit of practicing boxing. One skilled in boxing is one whose force can rise up. The Four Forms are the most suitable forms for inner force to burst outward as external force. Therefore, while this text discusses the effects of holding the post, it also gives a simple explanation of the Four Forms.
Yiquan is a special boxing study. Since it is called a study, it should naturally have a theoretical basis. I have discussed the theoretical basis in mechanics elsewhere and will not repeat it here. But if students are to understand the scholarly source of Yiquan, it seems necessary to discuss its philosophical basis.
This text was originally one part of On Yiquan. At that time, because I wished to test whether those students who practiced boxing with me truly had real embodied understanding, I took this part out when showing On Yiquan. This was not selfishness on my part. I truly did not wish to chew food and mix it for others. Those who know me will say that my heart was careful; those who do not know me will ask what I was seeking.
Wang Xiangzhai, winter 1959, at his residence in Tianjin.
On the Realm of Standing Practice
In holding the post one must pass through three realms. Only when experience has attainment can it be called skill. What is called a realm is the psychological state and physiological state present while holding the post. Psychological function acts on physiology, and physiology acts on psychology; each reflects and illumines the other.
The late Qing scholar Wang Guowei once said that whoever accomplishes a matter must pass through three realms. The first is: "The belt grows gradually loose, and still there is no regret; for her one grows wasted and thin." The second is: "Last night the west wind withered the green trees; I climbed the high tower and gazed to the end of the road under heaven." The third is: "I sought her a thousand hundred times among the crowd; suddenly I turned my head, and there she was, where the lamplight was fading." Practicing boxing should also be like this.
The first realm of standing practice, psychologically speaking, is called "no regret." The student must believe firmly and without doubt, with a resolve that a hundred oxen could not pull away. Physiologically speaking, if one persists for a hundred days, there will be feeling. If one persists for three or four years, one will feel the four limbs swelling, the hands and feet growing warm, with a feeling as if lead were being poured into them. It is easier and faster to get feeling on the yin sides of the four limbs; it is harder and slower to get feeling on the yang sides. The yin and yang sides of the four limbs must all have the feeling of lead-pouring and swelling. Only then is there attainment. Only when one reaches this realm may one study skill.
The second realm of standing practice, psychologically speaking, is called "gazing to the end of the road under heaven." At this stage one must believe that the marvel of the way of boxing under heaven is honored by oneself alone, and that other schools do not have it. Physiologically speaking, after holding the post for five or six years, one will feel the two ears swelling. The brow and bridge of the nose seem to have something stirring and drumming inside. The neck and nape stand lifted, as though there were a great rope hanging and drawing from above. The scalp swells; beard and hair rise and swell; there is a feeling of a great stone pressing down on the crown. This is the work of the strong upward lift and straight crown in holding the post. At the same time, the feeling in the upper limbs gradually spreads to the buttocks and lower abdomen. At this point, the feeling in the four limbs increases day by day. When one reaches this realm, one feels a natural delight overflowing. Yet the force issued still does not come from the waist and spine; it remains mechanical force from the extremities.
The third realm of standing practice, psychologically speaking, is called "turning the head." Here one understands that instinctive living force is like a snake. "The spirit is solemn and the intention is quiet"; snapping the fingers and waving the hand are nothing but the sounds of nature. Turning back and looking again, one sees that all the methods practiced for ten years are like worn-out shoes, by principle to be thrown into ditch and ravine, while the very first things practiced were already the right fruit. Physiologically speaking, after persisting for about ten years, one feels swelling in the waist and spine. This feeling reaches straight to the grain path and the root of the groin. One then feels the body unceasing and as if cast, the body as if poured with lead, the muscles as one. Walking is like wading through mud. Lifting the hand raises edges. The body moves as if carrying waves. The waist and spine are boardlike and oxlike. Reaching this realm, movement naturally has the feeling of strange delight growing everywhere, and only then can the issued force become even and integrated. At this point the resources for combat are complete.
The years discussed above all come from my own embodied experience. For students, they may be slightly longer or slightly shorter. This depends on each person's natural endowment and skill. Duke Zeng Wen once said, "In accomplishing a task, natural talent makes up only three parts, and diligence makes up seven." This is not empty talk. Students should encourage themselves.
If one holds the post for a long time but sees no clear effect, one must seek the reason in oneself. Either the posture is not correct, or the psychological state is having a side effect on physiology, or physiology is affecting psychology. In short, there must be a problem. One should seek verification from someone clear and skilled, and must not think oneself right. This is essential. This is essential.
Also, in holding the post, one must especially avoid holding a single posture dead. The various postures must be alternated and rotated, every day. At the same time, there must also be divisions of standing and lying. The standing forms and lying forms especially must be persisted in. Only in this way is there the function of regulating physiological function. Although each standing method can cultivate inner force, their effects are different; this is why, when standing practice is used to treat illness, the posture is set according to the person. If one dead-holds one posture, then from the viewpoint of combat it is one-sided. Students should be careful.
Within each day, it is suitable to hold the post for one hour to one and a half hours. The time of holding the post each day should take up two thirds of the total practice time, with one third used for testing force. Speaking from my experience, this is suitable, because standing practice is the basic work of Yiquan.
On the Four Forms
Only after holding the post reaches the realm of "the body whole as if cast," "the body as if poured with lead," "the muscles as one," and "the hairs like spears" may one speak of boxing. What is boxing? It is the rising-up of a student's force. It is not the name for a local method. In former days I wrote a poem titled Dance Appearance:
The body moves, wielding waves in dance; intention-force travels over the water's surface.
A swimming dragon and white crane play; winding back and forth, it is like a startled snake.
The muscles contain strong force; spirit is kept and the bones raise edges.
Wind and cloud spit out the splendid moon; heroic qi pierces the long rainbow.
What the poem calls "wielding waves," "swimming dragon," "white crane," and "startled snake" are all boxing forms. Yet the dancing of these boxing forms is also what is called health-dance or martial dance. In the Sui and Tang, health-dance was very flourishing; it was a method of health-preservation and combat at that time. It was practiced not only by martial men; many literati and scholars also practiced it. Later much of it was lost.
In recent times, the boxing scholar Huang Muqiao, on the basis of many years of experience in boxing and by reflecting on the postures of figures and pottery dancers in Dunhuang Tang wall paintings, began to imitate several postures of health-dance. At that time, when I traveled south to Huainan, I met Mr. Huang Muqiao and received his transmission. Thus I roughly obtained the true meaning of health-dance. I did not dare keep it secret, and again transmitted it to those who practiced boxing with me. Yet among them, only a little more than ten people could obtain the marvel of health-dance.
The prerequisite for practicing health-dance is reaching the realm of the four likenesses: the whole body as if cast, the body as if poured with lead, the muscles as one, and the hairs like spears. Otherwise it is hard for dance appearance to come out. If one dances, is it not merely shaking the four limbs? I have said in the past: strength is nourished within the body; force rises outside the bodily form. When holding the post reaches the realm of the four likenesses, inner force is complete. But how can this kind of inner force burst out and become external force, so as to receive the effect of combat? The Four Forms are the most suitable forms.
The dance method of the Four Forms follows the rule "form bent, force straight." In practice, one must always set up an imagined opponent and store power to fight with him. The fingers and wrists twist; the fingers change into claws and seize. Whether the hands rise in dance singly or together, the fingertips always point toward the opponent's mouth and nose. One must use the greatest ability to control the opponent's centerline and create threat for him. To control the opponent's centerline is also to keep one's own centerline from being violated.
Not only the index, middle, ring, and little fingers of the palm point at the enemy; the thumb too must bend, store power, and point in the same direction as the other four fingers. This palm method is fundamentally different from so-called internal boxing palms such as Taiji, and from external boxing palms such as Shaolin. This is the meaning of fingers clawing and seizing. If one wants the fingers to claw and seize, the wrist must not arch upward and must not collapse downward. Because it neither arches nor collapses, when it moves it must twist the wrist. Only then can it be round, lively, and able to control the enemy. It has the marvel of hooking, crossing, gathering, and stirring. The ten fingers must not be stiff and straight; all must be bent and storing. The fingers must separate, and the palm must hollow. If, during movement, the fingertips can have the feeling of passing electricity, this is the marvel of bent fingers and twisted wrist.
When the two arms move, they must never lose the forces of wrapping, rolling, bracing, and embracing. Within the standing post, mosquitoes and flies do not land. When the two feet advance and retreat, they must never lose the abilities of cutting, crossing, separating, and stabbing. In stepping, one does not yield even an inch. The shoulders must brace, and the elbows must spread sideways; only then do the two arms have wrapping, rolling, bracing, and embracing force. The crotch must sit, and the knees must lift and spread; only with a sitting crotch and lifting knees is there force, and only then are there the abilities of cutting, crossing, separating, and stabbing.
When one engages the opponent, I have no attachment and make him also have no attachment. The key lies in the twisting and crossing of shoulder and hip. The lively twisting and crossing of shoulder and hip must use the waist and spine as its power. Therefore, in practice, the waist and spine must shake and spiral like an axle. Only in this way can one use nonattachment to break attachment. When the two feet move, it feels as if one seeks movement in mud and snow. The weight of the two feet exchanges three and seven. The feet have no fixed position; the body has no fixed posture. Sometimes the rear step becomes the front step; sometimes the front step becomes the rear step. Front and back alternate; empty and solid mutually evolve, and by stepping one seizes the opponent's position.
When movement begins, it follows intention and goes. Under the hands there remain traces. One feels the whole body as if meeting things. The three tips coordinate; the four centers respond to one another. If it is fast, fast is not allowed to float. If it is slow, slow is not allowed to become dull in appearance.
The bursting forth of force all lies in one instant. At this time, when facing a person, a poisonous heart is the best strategy, because force issues from intention. Only with fierce hands can one overcome the enemy, because the hands follow intention. Therefore, in practice, every movement needs imagined borrowing. In a movement without imagined borrowing, the body's force is not thick. During practice, the whole body must never lose the feeling of the body whole as if cast, the body as if poured with lead, the muscles as one, and the hairs like spears. This is what is meant by not letting intention break, not letting numinosity scatter, whole muddled unity, not forgetting and not losing. If it is so, only then does dancing have the realm of strange delight growing everywhere. Physiology acts on psychology; this is the health-preserving meaning of health-dance. Seen from this, the true skill of Yiquan is not obtained from movement. It must be sought in nonmovement. Therefore it is said, "The movement of nonmovement is the living and unceasing movement."
Practicing the Four Forms is a kind of directional training for inner force, making it able at any time and any place to burst outward as external force and to answer the effects of combat. Therefore, in practice, seek only whether it is comfortable or not; do not seek whether the posture is beautiful. Yet posture is truly the representative of form, so one must seek correct posture, meaning that it does not violate the laws of physiology, movement, and mechanics. If movement can follow the laws of mechanics and not lose the realm of the four likenesses, then large movement is correct and small movement is also correct. Otherwise none of it is correct.
In practice one must also be good at using the law of opposing unity between the body's external force and inner strength. The external force of the human body has four kinds. First is the body's gravity, the transformation of gravitational potential energy into gravitational kinetic energy; this is what is called "contending with the center of the earth." Second is the ground's supporting reaction force; this is what I call "about to fly up from the ground." Third is the resistance of the air; this is what I call "responding with the great atmosphere." Fourth is the opponent's acting force in combat; this is what I call "borrowed force." I give all these forces the name "universal contending force."
The internal force of the human body is the pulling force of the whole muscular body in the state of the four likenesses. This is what I call "whole-round contending force." The diaphragm's power, what I call "breathing spring force," is also one kind of the body's inner strength. If one wishes to receive true combat effect, whole-round contending force and universal force must gradually be made to fit the beat. The marvel of their action all lies in breathing spring force. Therefore it is said, "Exhalation and inhalation from the numinous source join with the universe"; and, "A shouting voice scolds and runs with the wind." For this reason, as soon as the diaphragm becomes tight, it is an error. Students should be careful.
I now explain the Four Forms one by one.
Wielding Waves
This form still follows the rule "form bent, force straight," and still must not lose the realm of the four likenesses. Concretely, it uses the forces of extending, contracting, pressing down, raising up, sinking, supporting, lifting, and drawing upward. When the human body stands and the two feet do not move, the trunk and the two arms at the same time make wave-like movements in opposite vertical directions. That is, the two arms raise and lift upward while the trunk sinks and sits downward; the two arms press down and probe downward while the trunk extends upward and lengthens. This is also opposite pulling and lengthening above and below. At this time the body's gravitational potential energy changes into gravitational kinetic energy, and the whole body has a kind of wave force, called the gravity wave. This fragrant force-wave is exactly what combat requires.
At the same time, the opposite pulling and lengthening above and below set up a longitudinal wave force. Borrowing the tendency of the two arms to roundly brace left and right, the longitudinal wave carries a horizontal wave within it. Only in this way is there the dance posture of Wielding Waves. During movement, the arms are one forward and one back. If the left hand is forward, send out the left foot; if the right hand is forward, send out the right foot. The two arms and trunk coordinate, extending and contracting, pressing and raising, pulling apart and lengthening above and below. The two hands walk an oval path. Left and right, advance and retreat, exchange without end. The image of this form is like a turtle swimming out of the water, wanting to float and yet sinking, sometimes floating and carrying waves and raising billows on the surface of the water. Therefore this form is also called the Spirit Turtle Emerging from the Water.
Swimming Dragon
This form still must follow the rule "form bent, force straight," and still must not lose the realm of the four likenesses. Concretely, it uses the forces of lifting, pressing, stroking, crossing, separating, closing, opening, and joining. The movement of this form is the same as Wielding Waves. It still needs to use the gravity wave to issue the forces of lifting, pressing, stroking, crossing, separating, closing, opening, and joining. The two arms and trunk coordinate, pulling apart and lengthening above and below. The difference is that the two arms, in front of the trunk, use the tendency of lifting, pressing, opening, and closing to walk an oval path. One must use the longitudinal wave to produce lifting and pressing force, and use the horizontal wave to produce the tendency of opening and closing. The longitudinal wave's height and depth, advance and retreat, use one another. Its image is like a dragon swimming in the blue sea. The dragon is the wave, and the wave is the dragon. The dragon moves and the wave moves; the wave draws and the dragon moves.
Wielding Waves and Swimming Dragon both use the gravity wave to receive combat effect. Therefore, when using them, one must master the looseness and tightness of the force-wave. Looseness stores strength; tightness issues force. Looseness and tightness, tightness and looseness: there is no wave that is not a billow. Waves mainly must have spring force. When this spring force meets a thing, it must burst out as explosive force. This is the storing, springing, startling, and exploding of intention.
When practicing Wielding Waves and Swimming Dragon, one must also have the body of "look up and it becomes higher; look down and it becomes deeper." If the opponent comes high, I go high with him, making him feel suspended in the air and losing weight, too high to reach. If the opponent comes low, I go low with him, making him feel as if he faces a deep abyss, swaying and about to fall, sinking deeper and deeper. This is the method of raising the body when high and contracting the body when low.
White Crane
This form still follows the rule "form bent, force straight," and still must not lose the realm of the four likenesses. Concretely, it uses the forces of scooping, chopping, drilling, stabbing, turning over, raising, wrapping, and twisting. Whenever any bent and stored part of my whole body acts on some part of the enemy's body and receives resistance, or whenever some part of the enemy's body acts on this place, so that deformation is about to occur, this bent and stored part of me immediately produces a kind of resisting force. The resisting force that stops deformation is elastic force; when it bursts out, it becomes explosive force. This kind of explosive force is exactly what combat requires. This is what I call "storing spring and startling explosion."
One must know that within the range in which my bent and stored part can extend and contract freely, the elastic force is directly proportional to the amount by which the bent and stored part stretches, or retracts. Therefore, when practicing this form, the range of movement of the two arms should be larger, in order to strengthen the direct intensity of explosive force.
During movement, the two arms alternately draw arcs from outside to inside. If high, the fingertips do not pass the crown; if low, they do not pass the navel. If the left arm rises first, send out the left foot; if the right arm rises first, send out the right foot. When drawing the arc, the two arms and hands must have the forces of scooping, chopping, drilling, stabbing, turning over, raising, and twisting. In practice, according to different imagined situations and borrowed images, the elastic force produced by the bent and stored parts of my arms may turn over and raise, wrap and twist, scoop and chop, or pull, drill, and stab, bursting out as explosive force.
The marvel of this form also lies in raising the foot to control the enemy. If the left arm rises first, then the left foot uses strength to rise horizontally and fall horizontally. When rising it must not be higher than the crease of one's solid foot. When falling it must not go beyond the enemy's chest. Lifting the knee and dropping the foot, strength issues in the hand; the force should come out as one sound. This falling-foot tendency is not kicking, stamping, thrusting, or stepping; it is truly a sudden settling. Using only explosive force, the two arms alternate and continue; the two feet are used together and mutually. Its image rather resembles a white crane breaking through an encirclement and about to fly up from the ground. Yiquan's "three fists and one foot" are transformed from this form.
Startled Snake
This form still follows the rule "form bent, force straight," and still must not lose the realm of the four likenesses. Concretely, it uses the forces of rising, sudden settling, swallowing, spitting, bracing, embracing, swinging, and raising. Its movement is the same as White Crane. It still needs to use the elastic force produced by bent and stored parts to issue rising, sudden settling, swallowing, spitting, bracing, embracing, swinging, and raising force.
In movement, if one sends out the left foot, raise the left arm and draw an arc from inside to outside, while the right arm, below the left arm, draws an arc from outside to inside. When advancing the right foot, the right arm arcs outward, while the left arm arcs below the right arm. During movement, according to different imagined situations and borrowed conditions, my bent and stored elastic force may burst out as explosive force in the forms of rising, sudden settling, swallowing, and spitting, or in the forms of bracing, embracing, swinging, and raising. Front and back, left and right, exchange without end. Its image is like a startled snake suddenly running, winding left and right with flashes of blade-light. The so-called three fists, drilling, wrapping, and stepping, and the three staffs, shoulder-head staff, chest-front staff, and behind-the-head staff, all transform out of this form. Its severity is beyond comparison.
White Crane and Startled Snake both use elasticity to obtain combat effect. Therefore in practice one must master retraction and extension. Retract in order to store strength; extend in order to issue force. If one is about to extend, one must first retract. If one is about to retract, one must first extend. Retraction and extension must be used everywhere, so that the whole body is like springs. When this spring force meets a thing, it must burst out as explosive force. Therefore White Crane and Startled Snake are also uses of storing spring and startling explosion.
When practicing White Crane and Startled Snake, one must also know that White Crane can control the horizontal, and Startled Snake can clamp the vertical. If the opponent comes out with both sides together, I wrap his force, making him rotate and pulling up his root. If the opponent advances alone, I release his momentum, making his force exhaust itself and his body pitch forward. This is the method of wrapping the force when it is horizontal and releasing the momentum when it is vertical.
On the Philosophical Basis of Yiquan
Concerning the philosophical basis of Yiquan, I do not wish to use much ink. I will only raise it in the form of philosophical propositions. Placing them side by side, it is not hard to see the true face of Yiquan.
First, Zhuangzi said, "That which makes things into things is not a thing." The meaning is that what makes material things become material things is not itself material. Yiquan holds that all forces are gatherings of spirit. It may also be said that force is not force. In other words, what makes force become force is not force; it is spirit, and it is intention. This is the substance of why Yiquan is named Intention Boxing.
Second, Laozi said, "Through non-action, there is nothing not done." Yiquan holds that "the action of action lies in non-action," and "the movement of nonmovement is the living and unceasing movement." What is called non-action and nonmovement in Yiquan is standing practice. What is called action and movement is testing force and issuing force. Yiquan values standing practice, and therefore it also belongs to the meaning of non-action. In former days someone gave Yiquan the name "the still practice of the ancient Daoists." This was not a term of criticism.
Third, Laozi said, "Reversal is the movement of the Dao." Yiquan holds that "when force is born there are two, and when there are two they can become one." This is the opposing unity of acting force and reacting force. It is what is meant by "contradictions, crossed and woven, must be unified."
Fourth, the Chan school of Buddhism says, "All dharmas are empty; this is precisely real appearance." It also says, "Do not think good, do not think evil; bring back to me the face before your father and mother were born." The face before father and mother were born is emptiness and nonbeing. Yiquan holds that "all kinds of force are produced from whole-round expansion, empty vastness, and no-self." Therefore it teaches people to "seek the solid in empty nonbeing; use it in empty space."
Fifth, Chan also says, "No method, no attachment." Yiquan likewise holds, "Not one method is set up; use nonattachment to break attachment." In combat, "I have no attachment and make the opponent also have no attachment." Not only resisting strength and using force are attachment; using techniques and methods is also attachment. Use nonattachment to break attachment. Break attachment and have no attachment.
Sixth, the Ming scholar Wang Shouren proposed the teaching of "extending innate knowing." Yiquan proposes the teaching of "bringing forth innate capacity." Wang Shouren said, "It is truly like water flowing toward dampness and fire going toward dryness." Its tendency is naturally so.
Seen from this, what I said in On Yiquan, that the trials of Yiquan resemble the names of the learning of Laozi, Zhuangzi, Buddhism, and Daoism, is truly not a case of deceiving the world and stealing names. In On Yiquan, I used the method of dotting the dragon's eyes to break open the philosophy of Yiquan. I truly wished to tell students one truth: to practice Yiquan without accepting its philosophy is no different from pressing on a stone egg and hoping it will announce the morning. In the end nothing will be accomplished. Students must understand this principle.
Colophon
Translated directly from the Traditional Chinese text of 《意拳論》《樁功與四形》王薌齋, captured from the HK Yiquan Society public article archive and live-verified against the archive index on June 2, 2026.
Published in the Good Work Library under rights clearance received by the New Tianmu Anglican Church on June 2, 2026.
The English translation was independently prepared from the captured Chinese source for the Good Work Library. Source-text punctuation and evident web or OCR artifacts are retained in the Chinese appendix; the English follows the sentence sense of the captured text.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text: 《意拳論》《樁功與四形》王薌齋
Source: HK Yiquan Society article 2
前言
站樁是意關迫害基本功。持樁之法有行站坐臥之分，持久樁之目的是為了培育內勁。內勁培育至何種程度始為有得，須有其檢驗依據。本文即擬將持樁之效果。以扼要論述，供同好參考。
內勁能爆發為外力始能收到練拳之真實益處，善拳者力之奮也。四形為內勁爆發為外力之最適當的形式，故在論述持樁效果同時，文中亦將四形加以簡單說明。
意拳為一種特殊拳學。既謂之學，自應有其理論根據。關於力學理論根據，我曾在別處有所論述，此處茲不贅述。欲使學者明瞭意拳之學術淵源，對其哲理之依據似有加以論述之必要。
此文原系《意拳論》之一部分。當時欲試從我習拳諸生是否確有真實體識，故在出示《意拳論》時將這一部分抽出，非我自私，實不願嚼飯混人，知我者謂我心慮，不知我者謂我何求？
王薌齋 一九五九年冬于天津寓所
論樁功之境界
持樁需經歷三種境界，體認有得，方為功夫。所謂境界，即持樁時所有之心理狀態與生理狀態也。蓋心理作用于生理，生理作用于心理交相輝映也。
清末學者王國維先生嘗謂：凡成事者皆須經歷三種境界，一曰：衣帶漸寬終不悔，為伊消得人憔悴。二曰：昨夜西風凋碧樹，莉上高樓望盡天涯路。三曰：眾裏尋她千百度，驀然回首，那人卻在燈火闌珊處。習拳亦應如是。
樁功之第一境界，從心理上講謂之“不悔”。學者需堅信不疑，有百牛挽之不動決心。從生理上講堅持百日即有感覺。堅持三、四年，即覺四肢膨脹，手足發熱，有灌鉛之感。四肢陰面有感覺較易且快，其陽面有感覺則較難且慢。四肢之陰陽面皆須有灌鉛膨脹之感，方為有得，臻此境界始可學功。
樁功之第二境界，從心理上講謂之“望盡天涯路”此際須信天下拳道之妙，唯我自爾獨尊，，而他家所無也。從生理上講持樁至五、六年即覺兩耳膨脹，眉鼻樑覺如有物在內鼓動，頸項挺拔猶如頂上有大繩吊引，頭皮發脹、鬚髮飛漲，覺有大石壓頂之感。此即持樁時壯舉直頂豎之功也。同時上肢之感覺漸漸蔓延至臀部及小腹。至此四肢之感有日增焉。臻此境界，即覺天趣盎然矣。然所發之力還非源自腰脊而是梢節之機械之力也。
樁功之第三境界，從心理上講謂之“回首”此明本能活力如蛇。“神莊意靜”，彈指揮手，無非天籟。回過頭來再看，十年來所操各法，皆如敝履，理應棄之溝壑而不異初步所練即為正果。從生理上講堅持十年左右即覺腰脊有膨脹之感。此種感覺直達各穀道臊根，卻覺體不息如鑄，身如鉛灌，肌肉如一，行走似趟泥，抬手鋒棱起，身動如挾浪，腰脊板似牛。臻此境界，動則自有奇趣橫生之感，所發之力始能均整。至此技擊之資備矣。
以上所談之年限，皆系我自身體識所得。在於學者或可略長，或可略短，均在於個人天賦與功力然耳。曾文正公曾謂：［成就事業天資僅作三分，而勤奮則占七分］此非虛語也，學者勉之。
持樁雖日久，但見效不著，須求之於己身，不是姿勢不正確，或既是心理起副作用于生理，或既生理起作用于心理，總之必有問題，當求證于高明，莫自以為是，切要！切要！
又持樁切忌死持一式，各式須交替輪流，每日如此。同時又須有站臥之分，站式與臥式尤須堅持。如是始有調配生理機能之作用。各式樁法雖皆可培育內勁，但各式之效應不同（故以樁功治病，才因人設式）若死持一式，從技擊角度看則為偏頗，學者慎之！每日之中持樁時間以一小時至一個半小時為宜。每日持樁之時間應占練功總時間的三分之二，以三分之一做試力，就我之經驗而論，如此為宜。蓋樁功為意拳之基本功之故也。
論四形
持樁而達於“體整如鑄”“身如鉛灌”，“肌肉如一”“毛髮如戟”之境界，始可言拳。拳者何？學者力之奮也，非局部方法之謂。昔日我曾有一首題為“舞相”的詩：
身動揮浪舞，意力水面行。游龍白鶴戲，迂徊似蛇驚。
肌肉含勁力，神存骨起棱。風雲吐華月，豪氣貫長虹。
詩中所說“揮浪”“游龍”“白鶴”“驚蛇”皆拳式也。然此拳式的舞蹈，亦即所謂“健舞”或“武舞”。在隋唐時氏健舞甚成為盛，為當時之養生術與技擊之法。不公武夫操之，即使文人學士亦多習之，後多失傳。近世拳學家黃慕樵先生本多年參拳之體會，並揣敦煌唐人壁畫之中人物與陶俑之舞姿，始將健舞之幾個姿態式仿出，此代之際，我南遊至淮南，得遇黃慕樵先生，遂得其傳，乃約略得其健舞之真意，我不敢麼其秘，曾再傳于從我習拳者，然其中能得健舞之妙者僅十餘人耳。
習健舞之先決條件則須達於四如境界，即能整體如鑄、身如灌鉛、肌肉如一、毛髮如戟，否則難出舞相。舞起來豈不是搖擺四肢而已。我過去嘗謂：勁營自體內，力奮形骸外。持樁而達於四如境界則內勁具矣。然如何將此種內勁爆發出來而成外力，以收技擊這效應，四形則為最適當之形式也。
四形舞法乃系依“形曲力直”之法則。習時須永設一假想之敵，對之蓄勢搏鬥。手指腕擰，指變爪攝，不論手起舞或單或雙，指端永遠指向對方口鼻，須用最大能力控制對方之中線，給敵造成威脅。控制對方中線亦即保持信已方之中線不受侵犯矣。不僅掌之食指、中指、無名指、小指皆指敵，既拇指亦須彎曲蓄勢與其他四指同指一方向。此種掌法與所謂內功拳如太極拳，外功拳如少林之掌法根本不相同，此即手指爪攝之意也。欲手指爪攝則腕不許上拱、不許下塌、不拱不塌故運行時必擰腕始能圓活制敵。具有鉤、錯、斂、搞之妙。十指不許僵直，皆須曲蓄；指要分、掌要凹，如果運行時指端可有透電之感，此即指彎腕擰之妙也。兩臂運行時永不許失去裹、卷、撐、抱之力，樁內蚊蠅不落。雙足進退永不許失去刀、義、分、刺之能，步法寸步不讓。戶要撐、肘要橫，兩臂始有裹、卷、撐、抱之力。襠要坐，膝要縱（橫），坐襠縱膝始有力，方有刀、義、分、刺之能。與對方交接我無執令彼亦無執，其決竅要在肩胯之扭錯。而肩胯之靈活扭錯又須以腰脊為動力，故習時腰脊須搖旋如軸，如是始能以無執而破有執也。雙足運行覺如在泥雪中求動，兩足重量三七互換。腳無定位，身無定勢，或以後步作前步，或以前步作後步，前後交替，工業區實互演以步法奪敵之位軒。運行起來自隨意走，手底留痕覺全身如與物遇，三尖協調，四心相印。若快，快不許飄浮，若慢，慢不許呆像（相）。
力之爆發皆在一瞬間。此時如襟人，心毒為上策，力由意發之故也。手狠方克敵，或隨意從之故也。故習時每一動作皆需假借，無假借之動作身體力不篤。習時周身永不許失去體整如鑄、身如鉛灌、肌肉如一、毛髮如戟之感。所謂意不使斷、靈不使散、渾噩一致、不忘不失也。如是，舞起來始有廳趣橫生之境界。生理作用于心理，此即健舞之養生意義也。由此看來，意拳之真功夫非自動中得來，須於不動中求之。故曰：“不動之動肪生生不已之動也”。
練習四形是對內勁的一種定向訓練，使之能隨時隨地爆發為外力以及技擊應付效用，故習進只求舒適與否，不求姿式好壞美觀與否。但姿式確是形之代表，故需求姿態工正確，即不違反生理運動力學之規律也。若動則能循力學之規律且不失四如之境界，其大動正確小動亦正確，否則均不正確。
習時還須病況善於運用人體外力與內勁之間的對立統一規律。人體外力有四種：人體重力，即重力位能向重力動能之轉化，此即所謂之“與地心爭力”；地面支撐反作用力，此我所說：“拔地欲飛”；空氣陰力，此我所謂之“與大氣呼應”；技擊時對方之作用力，此我所謂之“假借之力”。這些力我總名之曰“宇宙爭力”。人體內力即是處於四如狀態之整體肌肉拉力，此即我謂之“渾元爭力”。膈膜動力，此我所謂之“呼吸彈力”亦為人體內勁之一種。欲收技擊之真實效用，須使漸昂爭力與宇宙力須合拍，其作用之妙皆在於呼吸彈力也。故曰：“吐納靈源合宇宙”“喊聲叱吒走風”。因此只要橫膈膜一發緊即錯誤，故學者宜慎之。
現再將四形分項加以說明：
揮浪
此式仍依“形曲力直”之法則，仍須不失四如之境界。其具體則為運用伸、縮、抑、揚、沉、托、提縱之力。蓋人體站立時兩足不動，而軀體與兩臂同時作上下方向相反之波狀運動。即雙臂同時向上揚提而軀體卻往下沉坐，雙臂向下抑探險而軀體卻向上伸長，亦即上下對拔位長，此時人體重位能即轉化這重力動能，全身即有一種波浪力，謂之“重力波”。此種香力波正是技擊之所需也。同時上下對拔拉長蕩起縱波力，借雙臂左右圓撐之勢，使縱波之中夾帶橫波，如是始有揮浪之舞姿。運行時，以臂一前一後。若左手在前，則出左足，若右手在前則出右足。雙臂與軀體配合，上下伸縮抑揚對拔拉長，雙手走一橢圓形軌道。左右進退互換無窮。此式之形象猶如龜之遊出水面，欲浮而又沉，時賞賜地浮而挾浪揚波於水面，故此形又名神龜出水。
游龍
此式仍須依“形曲力直”之法則，仍須不失四如之境界，然具體則系運用提、按、撫、橫、分、閉、開、合之力，此式這運行與揮浪同，仍需利用重力波以發提、按、撫、橫、分、閉、開、合之力。雙臂與軀體配合上下對拔拉長。所不同者在於雙臂在軀體之兩前以提按開合之勢走橢圓形軌道。須以 縱波出提按之力，以橫波出開合之勢。縱波高低進退互用。其形象若一龍遊蒼海，龍即是浪，浪好是龍，龍行浪動，引動龍行。
揮浪、游龍二式皆系利用重力波以收技擊之效應。故用時需掌握力波之鬆緊。松以蓄勁，緊以發力，松緊緊松無波不浪。波浪主要需有彈力，此種彈力遇物即須爆發為炸力，此即意之蓄彈驚炸也。
習揮浪遊龍二式，又須有仰之則彌高，俯之則彌深之身，對方高來我則高以行之，使有淩空失重，高不可攀之感。對方低來我則低以行之，使有如臨深淵搖搖欲墜愈陷愈深之感受，此即高則揚其身，低則縮其身之法也。
白鶴
此式仍依“形曲力直”之法則，仍須不失四如之境界。然具體則系運用摟、劈鑽、刺、翻、揚、裹、擰之力。蓋我之整體任一曲蓄部位，當其作用於敵體之某一部位而受陰，或當敵體之某一部位作用於此處，即將發生變形時，我之此一曲蓄部位即產生一種陰力，陰止變形這彈性力，即爆發之為炸力。此種爆發之炸力正是技擊之所需，此即我所謂之“蓄彈驚炸”。必須知在我曲蓄部位伸縮自如之限度內，彈性力與我曲蓄部位之伸展量（或徊縮量）成正比。故練習此形時兩臂運行之幅度應大些，以增強爆發力之直射強度。
運行時兩臂交替自外向內畫弧。若高，指端不過頂，若低，指端不過臍，設左臂先起則出左足，右臂先起則出右足。劃弧時，兩手臂須有摟、劈、鑽、刺、翻、揚、擰之力，習時需根據不同之假想、假借，我手臂曲蓄部位所產生之彈性力或翻揚、或裹擰、或摟劈、或拉鑽刺爆發為炸力。此式之妙還在於起腳制敵。若左臂先起的則左腳用勁橫起橫落。起須不高於自已實腳之腠，落時不超於敵胸，提膝、腳落勁發於手，力出應為一聲此種落腳之勢並非踢、蹬、踹、踩、實為頓也。只運用爆發力兩臂交替連用，雙足一齊互用，其形象頗似白鶴突圍拔地欲飛也。意拳之“三拳一腳”即從此式化出。
驚蛇
此式仍依“形曲力直”之法則，仍須不失四如之境界，然具體則運用起、頓、吞、吐、撐、抱、悠、揚之力。此式之運行與白鶴同，仍需利用曲蓄部位所出之彈性力而發起、頓、吞、吐、撐、抱、悠、揚之力。運行時若出左足則起左臂，自內向外劃弧，同時右臂在左臂下自外向內劃弧。進右足，右臂向外劃弧，同時左臂在右臂下劃弧。運行時根據不同之假想、候借，我叫曲蓄之彈性力可以起、頓、吞、吐之形式爆發為炸力，亦為撐、抱、悠、揚之形式爆發為炸力。前後左右互換無窮，其形象宛似驚蛇乍走，左右迂徊刀光閃。所謂三拳（鑽、裹、踐）、三棍（肩頭棍、胸前棍、腦後棍）皆從此式中化出，厲害無比也。
白鶴、驚蛇二式皆系利彈性以得技擊之效應。故習時需掌握徊縮量與伸展量，回以蓄勁，伸以發力。將欲伸之，則必回之；將欲回之，則必伸之；回伸須致用遍體似彈簧。此種彈力遇物即須爆發為炸力。故白鶴驚蛇二式亦系蓄彈驚炸之運用也。
習白鶴驚蛇二式又須知白鶴能制橫，驚蛇可夾縱。對方齊出，我則裹其力，使之旋轉而拔根；對方獨進，我則放其勢，令彼力盡而前俯。此即橫則裹其力，縱則放其勢之法也。
論意拳之哲理根據
關於意拳之哲理根據，我不想多用筆墨，只以哲學命題之形式提出，彼此對照，自不難看出意拳之真正面貌也。
一、莊子曰“物物者非物”。意即使物質成為物質，並非物質。意拳主張一切力量都是精神之集合。亦可謂力者非力也。換言之，使力成為力者並非力，乃精神也、意念也。此即意拳所以名為意拳之實質所在。
二、老子曰：“無為而無不為”。意拳則主張“有為之為也于無為”，“不動之動乃生生不已之動”。所謂“無為”與“不動”意拳則為樁功，所謂“有為”與 “動”則為試力與發力。意拳重視樁功，故亦系“無為”之義。昔日有人贈意拳是“古道家之靜功”，此非貶詞也。
三、老子曰“反者道之動”。意拳則主張“力生有兩，兩則能一”，即作用力與反作用力之對立統一。所謂“矛盾錯綜須統一也”。
四佛門禪宗有云：“萬法皆空，即為實象”，又云：“不思善，不思惡，還我父母未生時之面目來。”父母未生時之面目即“空也、無也”。意拳則主張“各項力量都由渾元擴大空油無我產生出來。”因此教人“虛無求切實，運用在虛空”。
五、禪宗又云：“無法無執”。意拳則又主張“一法不立，無執破執”。技擊時“我無執令對方亦無執”。不僅抗勁用力為有執，使用招術方法亦有執。以無執破有執，破執而無執也。
六、明氏學者王守仁提出：“致良知”之說，意拳則主張“發揮良能”之論。王守仁說：“實如水流濕，火就燥。”其勢然也。
由此看來我關於《意拳論》中所說意拳試與老莊佛釋一切學理名稱謹似，實非欺世盜名之說也。在意拳論裏我所以用畫龍點睛之法道破意拳哲理，實欲告訴學者一個真理，習意拳而不接受其哲理，則無異按石卵而盼司晨，終無所成。學無所成。學者不可不明此理。
Source Colophon
Source text: article 2 of the HK Yiquan Society article archive, captured in articles_with_content.json on June 2, 2026, and live-verified against the public archive index the same day.
The source appendix includes only the article text. Photographs, book scans, manuscript images, and separate book-page editorial matter are not reproduced here.
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