《斷手述要》王薌齋

This article is part 9 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

The methods of combat are divided into many gates and separate schools, yet in essence they all take boxing sets and techniques as their basis. Boxing sets and techniques are all human fabrications; they are not the study of bringing instinct into play.

Yiquan's duanshou - "breaking the incoming hand" - does not use boxing sets or techniques at all. It gathers the strengths of every gate and school into one. This is what is meant by "no strength is not gathered" and "collecting the great completion of the old." In Yiquan duanshou, the first essential is that force be even and complete; next, triangular pre-response; next, single-weighted issuing of force; further, that there be no minutest thing without method, while method abides in no-thought; finally, that form and force must return to one and spirit-intention must not cling to images. Therefore Yiquan duanshou is unlike the combat methods of other gates and schools, because what it values lies in bringing forth human instinctive living strength, not in local methods.

The models of Yiquan duanshou are not many, but extremely few: only several forms. Yet all are simple in shape and complex in intention. Their range of response is many-sided. The force they use is a kind of three-dimensional force, not merely force of point, surface, or line as in other gates and schools. This bodily force is not one partial method. It is truly a method of issuing force. If one can grasp this method of issuing force, then one has thought through more than half the Way of combat. This is exactly what others lack and what we alone possess. In studying Yiquan, everything does not lie in length of years, depth of work, or strength or weakness of constitution, and still less in the number of methods or the speed of movements. The key lies in whether there is true, sincere force. If there is this sincere force, and one can use the method of three-dimensional issuing, then in the boxing Way it is not difficult to enter the hall and inner chamber.

For the student, however, in ordinary days one must also use this method of issuing force to train instinctive living strength. Otherwise it will not become skill. This is what is meant by "the acquired returns to the innate." What this essay wishes to explain is precisely how to train human instinctive living strength, in order to reach the realm where "without expecting it, it is so," and "without knowing it has arrived, it arrives." From one example, infer three. I hope students will not be confined by what I say. They should push from what I say into what I have not said. Only this is valuable.

Even And Complete Force

Yiquan duanshou most values the even completeness of force and the combined use of the various kinds of force. One must reach "no movement in which nothing moves." Any movement of my body, whether slight or obvious, must be movement of the whole mechanism. If one finger moves, the hundred bones all move. Even the force issued by one tiny point of one finger is even and complete force. The intention of the whole body all arrives. Whether force is large or small, whether movement is slight or obvious, one is never allowed to issue force by breaking the body's wholeness.

To issue force without breaking the body, one must make the whole body have no fixed clinging point. As soon as there is a clinging point, issuing force will certainly break the body, and its force will have no way to be even and complete. Moreover, it is easy to be controlled by another. Therefore, if issuing force has no clinging, the body is not broken; if the body is not broken, force is necessarily even and complete. If one can be even, complete, unclinging, and unbroken, then wherever the other party touches me, I use that place to strike him. This is the true meaning of "the whole body's radiance is unbroken."

Therefore, in the moment of combat duanshou, whether active issuing of force or passive receiving and issuing of force, in me the intention has no fixed direction. I shoot without a set target. Six-sided support is round and lively; sudden attack and inner combat. Wherever I touch the opponent, that place startles and explodes. It is both round and lively and directly shooting. Spirit, intention, form, and force are like the wonder of sticky rice-cake. This lies precisely here. If force has clinging, breaks the body, and is not even and complete, one cannot reach this state. Yet one must know that force is born in pairs. When there are two, they can become one. Reversal is the use of force. If one wishes to spit out, one must first swallow. Without swallowing, spitting has no way to be born. If one swallows but does not spit, swallowing has no way to be completed. By the same principle, if one wishes to lift upward, one must press downward; if one wishes to go left, one must face right; within a forward strike there must be rear support. This is spirit round, intention square; form bent, intention straight.

Birds and beasts each have their special instinctive living strength. Yet their living strength and first natural force are innate and not produced through acquired conscious cultivation. Human instinctive living strength is also innately possessed, but because of the various pressures of society it weakens, even becoming submerged and not manifest. Through acquired training one can restore and strengthen it. This is the human being's second natural force. This natural force is the capital of combat duanshou. It must be trained so that it becomes a force unique to human beings: when desired, it comes out, and when it comes out, it has a proper way. Because the forms used to train this living strength may differ, the forms in which it appears during duanshou may also differ from person to person. Forms are not one, but force must be even and complete and must not break the body. In force there are not two.

The forces used by Yiquan - explosive force, rotating force, inertial force, lever force, centrifugal force, spring force, and so on - cannot be used separately. In practice it is also impossible to use them separately. If one uses them separately, one cannot reach even completeness, and they become local and partial methods. The various forces must be used in combination. In particular, one must borrow the opponent's force to complete one's own force. One must know that every kind of force is the unity of muscular receiving and releasing with spiritual imagination. If either is missing, force does not become force.

This even and complete force must be nourished by standing methods, recognized and obtained through testing force, and made single through duanshou training. Even and complete force is the capital of combat. Duanshou is its concrete use. The issuing of force is not force of point, line, or surface, but three-dimensional force: standing force, horizontal force, and vertical force unified into one body. Therefore ordinary practice must not specialize one-sidedly in any one of them. Standing force, when issued, must take horizontal and vertical force as supports; only then can standing force have direction. Likewise, when vertical force is issued, it must take standing and horizontal force as supports; only then can vertical force have direction. Therefore in ordinary practice one must train three forces becoming one body and six forces interwoven. Wherever my body touches the opponent, that place becomes the edge-face that suddenly attacks the opponent. Three forces becoming one body, six forces interwoven, and edge-face sudden attack are all collections of spirit. Therefore the practice of duanshou must seek method by intention, and method must then be kept in no-thought and come out from no-intention. Only this is valuable.

Triangular Pre-Response

Yiquan's combat is not an attacking boxing art, but an art of self-defense. Therefore Yiquan combat specially speaks of duanshou, meaning "to break the hand the enemy may bring." Good guarding is good attacking. For this reason, in combat, the joints of the whole body and the folded places of concrete body area should all form obtuse triangles, because triangles can produce pre-response force. Whether the opponent strikes with fist or kicks with foot, I send the hand out to break his incoming force. The pre-response force produced by the triangles of the whole body can decompose his concentrated stress. Moreover, the hand I send out is even and complete force, so he will certainly find it hard to oppose.

Triangles not only possess pre-response force. Every kind of force I issue is also a division and cooperation of triangular taut release and spiritual imagination. Therefore triangular force is truly an important rule of Yiquan. Any triangle formed anywhere above or below in the whole body is a point of component force. Issuing force and receiving-issuing force are in practice the search everywhere for a resultant-force point. Once the resultant force is obtained, it can replace countless component forces.

Therefore one must remember not to let the triangular component forces produced by joint pulling destroy the balance of the whole, that is, the even and complete force. One must, in the through-connection of each joint's pulling force, seek the resultant-force point of each movement, that is, the even completeness of force. This is the meaning of form bent, intention straight. Therefore in ordinary practice, every joint of the whole body must contain a bent posture in even the smallest degree. At the same time, no joint is without release, indulgence, and extension; tautness and release serve each other. Because no joint is not an obtuse triangle, and because there is no flat surface but an oblique surface meeting the strike, and especially because there is no fixed triangle but straight shooting within the bent, when my arm and the opponent's arm make contact, the triangle's spiral force turns without ceasing. It goes against while following the force, and contains attack within guarding.

My whole body is made of living triangles, like one great spring, constantly waving, soft and quiet yet startlingly elastic, rising and falling like turning waves on water. Triangle spiral force and triangle spring force truly come from living triangles. Therefore when receiving and issuing force, movement must be through living triangles; otherwise it is hard resistance, and resistance necessarily clings. If one practices in this way for a long time, one can naturally have the wonder of not scattering when rushed and not opening when struck.

Single-Weighted Issuing Of Force

In any boxing art, footwork is truly the key. The wonder of footwork lies in the adjustment of the body's center of gravity. Speaking from my decades of experience in practice and real fighting, single-weighted issuing of force in a thirty-seventy stance is truly the secret for winning in combat. In this form of issuing force, one must release power only when touching the opponent's body, and withdraw my body's strength when the force has already issued. Otherwise it is hard to obtain its wonder. One must use intention to direct the sinews and muscles of the whole body to be loose, harmonious, empty, and lively. In an instant they tighten, and force has already been carried to the other person's body. Only in this way can looseness and tightness not stagnate, force break while intention does not break, and intention break while spirit is still connected. The pivot is stable.

Few in other boxing arts know this method of issuing force. It is truly the essence of ancient boxing arts. What I call "wishing to restore the ancient original" refers to things like this. Without single-weighted issuing, even and complete force has no way to be delivered whole to the other person's body. What is called tightness is contending; what is called looseness is gathering. Contending and gathering are brought into use, and tightness and looseness serve each other. The key of contending-gathering and loose-tight lies in empty and solid serving each other. When advancing and issuing force, the weight of the two feet is front three, rear seven: front empty, rear solid. When retreating and issuing force, it is front seven, rear three: front solid, rear empty. Solid is not entirely nailed dead; within solid there is empty. Empty is not entirely without force; within empty there is solid. The two feet are neither T-shaped nor figure-eight. Their support range is about one foot seven or eight. Large becomes stagnant; small becomes lively. The measure is the ability to sit the crotch and open the hips. The front foot's big toe takes force; the rear foot's little toe takes force. There should be a feeling of planting into the ground and growing roots.

When issuing force, use the elastic force of breathing. The lower abdomen is full, the buttock force is steady, the crotch sits and lifts in rotation, the center of gravity is stabilized, the strength of both feet is increased, one contends with the earth's center, and one uses the ground's reaction force to enlarge the explosion of force. Remember: when sitting the crotch, gather the buttocks so they become the seat of the upper body, stabilize the center of gravity, and increase the straight-shooting speed of force. Only force issued in this way can be solid and penetrating. Remember that the two feet must not stand on one straight line; the front foot must not divide out in a straight line, and the rear foot must not sit back in a straight line. One must advance and retreat through triangular spiral detours, twist, swing, and shake sideways, like a whale turning as it swims and like waves rising and falling. When advancing one can occupy posture; when retreating one can avoid the edge. This is the wonder of the friction-pulling step.

When issuing force, the waist and crotch are the key to adjusting intensity, center of gravity, and strengthening the even completeness of force. When my force reaches the other person's body, because he receives force he produces a reaction force. To overcome this reaction force and control the balance of my own body, I must make the center of gravity descend, always keeping the lower body stable and the upper body empty and lively. The reason a tumbler toy does not fall is that its center of gravity is in the lower part of its shape. Even if I issue a high fist to strike the opponent's head, when issuing force the center of gravity must descend.

Duanshou mostly uses retreating striking methods. When the enemy sends out a hand and issues a technique, he often uses the method of stepping heavily and piercing the crotch. If the enemy has already launched this posture toward me, I must retreat and break his hand; only then can issuing force be convenient. Therefore retreating striking methods are more important than advancing striking methods. The purpose of combat duanshou is in practice to use violent force to compel the opponent to lose his center of gravity, while I preserve my own center of gravity, always setting it on the solid foot that carries seven and guarding it with the empty foot that carries three. The posture is like a tumbler toy. The reason the tumbler does not fall is first that its center of gravity descends, and second that its center of gravity is always on one point. When any point on the area outside that center-of-gravity point receives external force and changes position, it can at any time change into the temporary center-of-gravity point. Therefore any point on the area outside the center-of-gravity point can serve to guard the actual center of gravity. This is one mystery of single-weighted issuing.

Second, spring force, in the condition where the body holds a triangle, cannot come out unless there is single weight. Only through single-weighted issuing can one make the whole body like a spring, turning the whole body into one great spring. Third, when I have no clinging and the opponent also has no clinging, the back-and-forth strength that arises cannot come out without single weight. Fourth, only under the condition of single-weighted issuing can the same issuing movement produce two strikes. But remember to adjust at every moment the ratio of empty and solid in the two feet, in order to control balance and guarantee the even completeness of force. Especially remember that when issuing force the two shoulders must not drive force through themselves; only then can the source move through waist and spine, strength penetrate the four limbs, force be born following the feet, triangles store strength, and straight lines issue force. If empty and solid are not clear, one commits the disease of double-weighting. Double-weighting is a great taboo in combat. Students must examine this.

No Method Is Method; Method Abides In No-Thought

Real fighting does not permit using methods. Local methods are shackles that bind spirit and intention. Therefore using methods is the Way of taking defeat and being struck. Yiquan duanshou does not use local methods and does not crudely use awkward strength. To use methods is no different from spinning a cocoon around oneself, putting instinctive living strength into a frame, so that it has no way to unfold. To use strength means one's body must have a clinging point; one commits the error of breaking form and body and is controlled by others. Therefore duanshou is also the study of not establishing even one method while bringing instinct into play.

Only afterward can it be said that there is no minutest thing without method, because movement and stillness both rely on definite principles and rules, while these principles and rules are not local and partial methods as in the boxing arts of other gates and schools. The various principles and rules are extremely brilliant and deep, while the forms that embody them are extremely ordinary: simple in shape and complex in intention. Therefore the study of Yiquan is truly a study of extremely high standard that treads upon the ordinary.

I have discussed the principles and rules of Yiquan in other writings before, so I will not repeat them here. Yet there is one point I will restate briefly: the meaning of "no method is method." This is also the meaning of the Daoist "non-action and nothing not acted," and the Buddhist "all dharmas are empty, and this is the true image." Combat does not use method; not using method itself is also method. The method of not using method is in essence different from confused striking and brute fighting, because Yiquan combat only maintains the natural response of instinctive living strength. This living strength is tactile good ability strictly trained through various principles and rules; even slight movement follows rule. This instinctive living strength that moves according to rule truly becomes a conditioned-reflex physiological function of the person. Its movement necessarily follows rule, yet truly comes from unconsciousness, like an infant nursing, full of natural delight, not deliberately fabricated action. The same posture, done intentionally, is local method; operated in no-thought, it is tactile good ability.

Every school's combat, whether consciously or unconsciously, must follow one principle: lower the expenditure of force and raise combat efficiency. If one wishes to lower the expenditure of force and raise combat efficiency, then the ordinary methods for training instinctive living strength should be fewer and fewer: few and refined, few and comprehensive, simple in form and full in intention. When this living strength has been trained to a certain degree of maturity, one must concentrate one's energy on one or two striking methods and practice them until skilled, like an infant nursing, like spring silkworms spinning silk: this is "seeking the sound of heaven." When meeting an enemy, one naturally does not trouble with fixed forms, does not add thought, and without expecting it, it is so; without knowing it has arrived, it arrives. It spontaneously becomes a completed pattern.

Lifting, Stopping, Swallowing, Spitting; Sinking, Supporting, Dividing, Closing

From the point of view of traces of form, duanshou is intercepting the hand that the other party brings. From the point of view of force, it is breaking the force the other party issues.

According to the biomechanics of movement, the force used in duanshou is the same as the mechanical force produced when objects move. It also has three characteristics: weight, direction, and striking point, that is, action point. The purpose of duanshou is to break the force the opponent brings. In practice, this means striking these characteristics of force.

Lifting upward and sitting downward, contending with the earth's center, and using the ground's reaction force so that there is a posture of pulling out of the ground and wishing to fly: this is intended to intercept enemy force and change its direction. This method is called lifting. Storing elastic force and startling explosion, wishing to stop by first going, going and then suddenly stopping, the straight containing the oblique, the oblique containing the straight, oblique and straight contending with each other, strength issuing from the spine and force coming from the feet: this is intended to cancel the weight of enemy force, or to shake the source of enemy force, namely the enemy's body. This method is called stopping.

Lifting and stopping are one back-and-forth strength. Lifting is the coming of stopping; stopping is the source of lifting. When enemy and self connect, I have no clinging and also make the enemy have no clinging. I lead in his force and make it fall into emptiness, intending to make enemy force lose its action point, that is, its striking point. This method is called swallowing. At the same time as swallowing, I go against while following enemy force. Enemy force has already lost its action point, while my force has already reached his action point. This method is called spitting. Swallowing and spitting are also one back-and-forth strength; swallowing and spitting go without interval.

Startling elasticity like throwing and raising, support points like rolling silk, spiral force coiling and winding, firm swelling within the formless: this is intended to borrow the broken limb to shake the source of enemy force, namely his body. This method is called supporting. Startling elasticity like powdered brick, rolling, crossing, overlapping, and dropping, spiral force wrapping, twisting, and shaking sideways within the formless: this is intended to make enemy force change direction and lose its action point. This method is called sinking.

When enemy force comes with fierce speed, I do not dodge and do not flash away, do not abandon and do not resist. I follow his force in order to dissolve the weight of his force, lead his force in order to seize the action point of his force, advance to occupy posture, retreat to avoid the edge, and borrow urgent strength to pull and move the opponent's center of gravity, making him uproot and lift his qi. This is a sudden storing and tautening. This method is called closing. Then, taking advantage of the opponent's unstable center of gravity, I suddenly issue force. The whole body's explosive force shoots straight. Follow high and strike high; follow low and strike low. The hand never arrives empty; the intention has no fixed direction. The whole body goes against in one piece. Force is like explosive, the contact point like a projectile. This is a sudden issuing and releasing. This method is called dividing. Dividing and closing must borrow the elastic force of breath; only then can issued force penetrate and arrive.

The eight methods are the principles and rules for using force during duanshou, not local and partial methods. Therefore proper use of these methods must borrow the opponent's force. Enemy and self are both indispensable. At the moment of connection, carefully examining the enemy's intention is therefore very necessary.

The use of the eight methods is not easy to obtain unless the heart leads and spirit comprehends. Yet one may seek them outside the body, and perhaps the hand can do it. Therefore seeking outside one's own body and recognizing the wonder of the eight methods is truly essential. After seeing nature and understanding principle, one turns back and seeks outside the body. The wonder of the eight methods lies in practicing with no-thought. No-thought is instinct; having thought is method. Once it is method, spirit is bound. Therefore to study Yiquan and wish to reach transformation is truly not something one can get by spitting into the hand.

Form And Force Must Return To One; Spirit-Intention Does Not Cling To Images

In the past my teacher Mr. Guo Yunshen stood undefeated in his lifetime by means of three fists: drilling, wrapping, and treading. In his later years he summarized one piece of experience, saying: "If force does not return to one, form has nowhere to dwell, intention has nowhere to go, and spirit is not carefree. Therefore, though you may have a thousand techniques and ten thousand methods, I have one fixed rule." This is truly an unsurpassed song for a thousand ages.

Drilling, wrapping, and treading, made into one movement, are three kinds of force returning to one. When I was young, I studied Xingyiquan with Mr. Guo Yunshen. Every morning, Mr. Guo only stood in hunyuan standing and practiced the three fists - drilling, wrapping, and treading - several dozen times. Each time was like an air hammer. Watching him gave a strong sense that the ground wished to thunder. His skill truly reached transformation. Seeing this, although the forces Yiquan uses are many and the methods of receiving and issuing force are not one, in the end they must be combined and return to one, settled in one, pure in one, refined in one. Only then can human instinctive living strength be summoned and come at once, come and respond, and responding, necessarily be verified. If one practices in ordinary days with pure oneness, when meeting an enemy one can obtain the response of heart and hand; the hand arrives and the person overturns.

To judge whether a boxing art is brilliant, one looks only at health-preserving effect and combat efficiency. From the combat angle, the brilliance of boxing art lies in refinement and simplicity. Examining ancient Chinese boxing arts, all were simple in form and complex in intention. At first Xingyiquan had only three fists: drilling, wrapping, and treading. Baguazhang also had only single and double changing palms. Therefore in studying any boxing art, and Yiquan is no exception, the student himself must, according to his own condition, carry out a round of selection on the boxing art he studies. Every movement, every posture, every method must be reduced with "Occam's razor" in order to seek return to one.

Postures are indeed representatives of spirit-intention and paths followed by instinctive living strength. Yet if postures are numerous, spirit-intention is not easily unified and living strength does not easily become decisive and fast. Therefore one should raise the following questions about posture. First, can this posture be canceled? Second, can this posture be combined with another posture? Third, can a simpler and more reasonable posture replace this posture? In the past I used this method to select among ancient Chinese boxing arts, and as a result I advocated Yiquan. Those who study Yiquan may likewise use this method to select within Yiquan in order to obtain form and force returning to one.

When form and force can return to one, one must further seek spirit-intention that does not cling to images. One must make the method that has returned to one come out of no-thought and become a response of natural instinct. The body moves outside images; method is within no-thought. Its mechanism and secret all lie between intention and no-intention. To do it intentionally is method, and is local. To do it without intention yet to do it is instinct, is the mixed and uncarved. All forms in intention are false; only when skill reaches no-mind does there appear an instinctive response with its own inertial nature. This is the transformed realm of Yiquan duanshou.

The Body Moves Outside Images; Method Is Within No-Thought

Over several decades, those who studied Yiquan with me have been many. Among them were also outstanding people, yet there were also those who were struck. Why? Everyone who took defeat and was struck did so because he departed from my ordinary teaching of returning to one. From this I felt a chill. Looking broadly over the history of Chinese boxing studies, I discovered one rule: every boxing art goes through a process of changing from an iron tiger into a paper tiger. Xingyiquan at first had only drilling, wrapping, and treading. Later people did not understand their wonder, and so created five-phase boxing, twelve-form boxing, miscellaneous hammers, and other sets. Baguazhang at first had only single and double changing palms. Its later people also could not understand their wonder, and so created the boxing set of sixty-four palms. Taijiquan at first had only single and double winding strikes, striking the ground, draping the body, and two hammers. Its later people even more could not deeply know their wonder, and so it evolved into one hundred eighty postures, further divided into north and south and the Yang, Wu, Chen, and Wu schools. Practitioners are tightly bound by bizarre and malformed boxing sets, and their instinctive living strength is suffocated until it barely breathes.

When Xingyi, Bagua, and Taiji were first created, they too were vigorous and full of life. Why then, the more they developed, did they have less life? Why is it that those who practice them cannot use their boxing sets and techniques in combat? Worse yet, why are those who practice them instead defeated by outsiders who do not practice boxing and only use confused striking and brute fighting? It is because this sort of practitioner has departed from essence and guards dregs. He does not know the true tiger and knows only the false tiger. One generation transmits to the next; the true is daily submerged and the false daily rises. Thus the iron tiger becomes a paper tiger. One purpose in my advocating Yiquan is to restore the ancient original. Among those who study boxing with me, there are also those who do not understand my bitter intention and then walk onto the Way of taking defeat and being struck. This is not my fault. I fear Yiquan will also suffer the disaster of Xingyi, Bagua, and Taiji, so I had no choice but to write this text in order to warn later students.

What I wish to describe here is the method of training instinct, which is also the method of striking. In Yiquan terminology it is called duanshou. Duanshou is also called receiving and issuing force: breaking the opponent's incoming hand while at the same time issuing force to attack. Training in receiving and issuing force is the most practical part of the work in Yiquan. This work may be done by two people in real practice, and may also be tried by one person. Here I will briefly describe spirit, form, intention, and force for students' reference in practice.

In studying boxing, what is valued is understanding principle. To participate in principle one must use logical thinking. In practicing boxing, the feeling of force must be real. In trying movements one must use imagistic thinking. Take intention from form; give form to intention. From form, infer its intention; because of intention, estimate its form. Without using imagistic thinking, it is hard to obtain the wonder of boxing. Therefore in ordinary practice one must be rich in imagination: imitate life, model things, imagine ten thousand images. Infinite borrowed images from infinite symbols: seeming to have yet as if without, as if without yet seeming to have. Put oneself in the situation. One should bore into the image one imagines in order to embody its spirit, form, intention, and force. There is a strong feeling of "I do not know whether the butterfly dreamed Zhou, or Zhou dreamed the butterfly." If one can truly be like this, issuing force can begin to be lively and penetrating.

Since advocating Yiquan, I have, according to the rules of movement biomechanics and the characteristics of the human body's physiological structure, imagined a number of striking methods. I myself and friends who studied Yiquan with me have applied some of them in real fighting. Some worked very clearly; some worked only slightly. Those that worked clearly are kept. Those that worked only slightly, and those not practiced, are all discarded here and not described. What is described is boxing art verified in practice and held close to the heart. In Yiquan issuing force to control the enemy, before the hand rises one does not know how it will rise; after it falls one does not know how it fell. Without knowing it has arrived, it arrives. It is an instinctive reflex. Therefore after each real fight, I myself have great difficulty summarizing it. But bystanders see clearly. The various striking methods described here are all records from observing real fights.

The basic models of duanshou are only five forms. From the five forms, several concrete striking methods can be derived. I describe them separately below.

One: Spirit Snake Startlingly Changes

This form is the combat standing method, namely the latent preparatory form used in duanshou. Inside it is clear and empty; outside it is centered and upright. Triangular pre-response: the body slants, posture is low, center of gravity descends, buttock force is steady, the two feet carry front three and rear seven, the feet stand with six-sided strength, form is bent and stored, intention is straight shooting, the body slightly sways, and inertia is naturally as it is. Viewed coldly, it seems somewhat like a western boxing guard, and also like Xingyiquan's tiger holding the neck. It is neither. This form is actually like a child's tumbler toy. This speaks only of its form and force.

As for its spirit and intention: tendon strength is empty, lively, even, and complete. Spirit roams in the village of nothing-whatsoever. It has both the intention of Wu Han killing his wife and the mind of Jing Ke borrowing a head. Yet the face is full of spring breeze. Even if the enemy curses me with evil words, I smile warmly. When the fist comes out, it is disaster; I do not fear disaster. Drawing back the hand is blessing; I do not seek blessing. Since I wish to move the hand, fortune and disaster are put outside consideration. Yiquan has two principles: first, do not move the hand; second, if you move, do not stop. Do not stop until the opponent is put in a death place. Therefore in ordinary practice one is not allowed to move about arbitrarily. One raising of the head, one placement of the foot, all must have the ability to respond in combat. In combat, form must not fall; even more, intention must not fall.

The outer shape is awkward, but the hand hides treachery.
The heart stores killing opportunity, yet the face is open.
Wherever it meets, it does not fall; intention is lively and skillful.
Following what he issues later, intention seizes the first.

In the universe, those things that are still are constantly still, and those that move are constantly moving. This is inertia. When my body changes from stillness to movement, I must overcome my own inertia of constant stillness and make my body produce the inertia of constant movement. Therefore if I wish to move the hand, I must first make my own body enter the state of constant-moving inertia. Only in this state can I obtain force in combat. Observe the wheel of an electric machine: the electric current consumed at startup is greater than the current consumed in normal running. The principle is self-evident. Therefore this kind of inertia is truly the lowering of force expenditure while storing force and waiting to issue. This is an important rule of combat and also the wonder of movement still like no movement.

Now let us speak of the opened form of the combat standing method, that is, left and right changing with each other. This is Yiquan's basic duanshou model.

Intention-force flashes, rolling dead leaves.
Startled to the horizon, birds fly away.
Wrapping, coiling, circling across like cloud-dragon coils.
Radiance without limit, force like iron.

In movement, the sinews and channels must billow and stir. Imagine the whole body as a great balloon, the body as if suspended in space, responding only to wind force. The whole body seems to have countless ropes pulling and bracing it. If left sways, right pulls; if forward advances, back draws; if above crouches, below drops. In every direction there is wave force. Rise and fall carry edges. The body moves like a spiral; everywhere is like rolling beads and machine wheels. Wherever the opponent touches me, that place goes against the body and startlingly explodes. In the operation of the two hands, whether high or low, bent or extended, embracing or bracing, one forward and one back, one left and one right, one must forever keep inertia naturally as it is and explosive force unbroken. At every place and moment, closely follow the opponent's movement and match its rhythm. Do not abandon and do not resist. Issue force according to opportunity, seeking unity within interwoven contradictions.

In the movement of the two feet, whether advancing or retreating, knife and fork divide and thrust, one is empty and one is solid. The solid foot must not be entirely killed; the empty foot must not be entirely floating. Advance and retreat both move in triangular spiral form, dragging along the ground and gliding. Feet follow the hands. If the hand advances three parts, the foot advances seven. The empty-solid ratio of the two feet should always be coordinated properly, fully using the ground's reaction force in order to strengthen the speed and intensity of explosive force's straight shooting.

During movement one must imagine and borrow, recognize and seek: in images seek the formless; in emptiness seek a place; in the local seek the mixed whole; in creeping movement seek swiftness; in soft quiet seek startling explosion; in awkwardness seek liveliness; in contradiction seek unity; in triangles seek straight lines. If seeking obtains something, then one may go on to investigate the whole study of combat.

The rules of the combat standing method are not local methods, yet local striking methods can be deduced from them. These are duanshou. Here I describe several striking methods derived from the combat standing method.

1. Brushing The Bell Without Sound

This is piquan, chopping fist. It may be used as advancing issuing of force, and may also be used as receiving and issuing force. It uses distributed force. Suppose the opponent raises one hand. When it has issued but not yet arrived, I raise my left hand, cut across his middle-joint area, concealing wrapping, gathering, swallowing, and dropping force within, and step out with the left foot. At the same time my right hand comes out above my left arm, rushing toward the opponent's face and chopping downward. Hand and foot must rise and fall together, made into one movement.

In this movement, waist and spine are of highest importance. When raising the left hand and stepping with the left foot, the whole body borrows the twisting, swinging, and horizontal shaking of waist and spine from left to right to issue rotating force, carrying it through my left arm to the opponent's whole body and forcing him to uproot and lift qi. At the same time my left arm crosses with my right arm and pins his right arm. I use explosive force to hook down and chop, and the enemy must turn over and be thrown out. This is advancing receiving and issuing. If, when the opponent sends the right hand, he launches a posture of piercing the crotch and stepping heavily toward me, I retreat with the left step and the other movements are the same. This is retreating receiving and issuing.

This striking method is entirely different from Xingyiquan's piquan. In real life, I have often watched shrewish women fight. They often grab faces and scratch chests, operating as if by instinct. This greatly interested me. People in the world often say, "when striking someone, do not strike the face." This is what surpasses them. From this I understood the method of chopping strikes. Hearing me say this, there will naturally be people who mock Yiquan, perhaps saying that even shrewish women's fighting methods are put into Yiquan and this is absurd in the extreme. But I consider the standard for judging whether boxing studies are brilliant to be practice. Whether the thing I use is a teapot or a chamber pot, so long as it hits you, it is a precious pot. Many of Yiquan's striking methods are of this sort. What ordinary people call improper, Yiquan adopts. This is where Yiquan's hands are treacherous.

In ordinary practice of this method, left and right, front and back must change with each other, and advancing and retreating must both be able to issue force evenly and appropriately. One must begin with extension and gradually train into compact transformation: having image yet without form, without form yet spirit-like. The edge of the two hands is like a treasured blade or sharp sword brushing a bell without sound and cutting metal like mud. In practice one must also recognize the use of force. My breaking of the enemy's incoming hand must contain the intention of storing, swallowing, and spitting, leading his force in so it falls empty and loses its action point. My attacking hand must have a target, yet must also arrive without my knowing it has arrived. Meet high and the high place becomes the action point; meet low and the low place becomes the action point. In sum: when touch is solid, issue force; coil continuously without interruption; when the enemy's body leaves my hand, the closing posture stores strength again. This is the wonder of distributed force.

2. Hibernating Dragon Probes Its Head

This striking method may be used as a straight fist or as a finger fist. It may be used for issuing force and also for receiving and issuing force. It is Yiquan's coiling strike. Suppose the opponent sends the right hand to strike my head. My left and right hands go together, and I step out with the right foot. My left hand uses bracing and coiling rotating force from the inside of his right arm to strike straight to the opponent's face, either with fist or fingers. At the same time, my right hand uses a palm shape to smash his right wrist, while my left shoulder serves as a pad. Hands and foot go together and arrive together, one movement. This is advancing receiving and issuing. If the opponent issues a piercing-crotch posture toward me, I use retreating receiving and issuing.

Suppose the opponent again uses the right hand to strike my head. I step out with the left foot and at the same time both hands go. My left palm uses cross-cutting, sinking, and smashing force to strike his right forearm, with my right shoulder as pad. My right hand follows the inside of the opponent's arm and strikes straight to his head, either with fist or fingers. Hands and feet go and arrive together, one movement. This method can be used for advancing strikes and also for retreating strikes. Retreating strikes must use the ground's reaction force.

The characteristic of the above methods is to coil and embrace the arm that the opponent brings; at the same time as coiling and embracing, one issues force to attack, either striking his face with a fist or stabbing his eyes with fingers. This method is very fierce. The opponent will certainly be injured. It must not be used lightly. But if it is used, the heart must be black and the hand ruthless; make certain the opponent remembers it for life.

In ordinary practice of this method, the two hands must change left and right, and the two feet must be able to issue force in advancing and retreating. Hands and feet must alternate and practice each other. The key of this striking method lies in the empty foot that advances and the empty foot that retreats. As soon as the empty foot touches the ground, use the reaction force produced by the ground to issue force and attack at once; force will certainly be even and appropriate. Otherwise it is hard to obtain the wonder. In practice one must recognize the use of force. When moving, my two arms contain the intention of sinking, supporting, catching, and seizing, with the force of coiling, embracing, cross-cutting, and tight striking. Inside is hidden the method of shoulder striking. Intention-force extends long, as if feeling the earth has a posture of helping me. Thus I imagine that I am truly like a hibernating dragon directly flying in the vibration of lightning. Remember: this method most fears the disease of double-weighting that cannot transform.

Spirit and form are awkward, with no image of dullness.
Intention-force is lively and skillful, with edge and angle.
Horizontal bracing, vertical swelling, straight within the bent.
Recognize carefully the empty and solid of the two feet.

In practice, one must train fist and palm in order to strengthen endurance. With this form's issuing method, use the left fist to strike the right palm-center and the right fist to strike the left palm-center, the two hands alternating, the two feet advancing and retreating, seeking the speed and intensity of straight-shooting force within triangular bent storage. Remember that the attacking fist's wrist must not bulge outward and must not hollow inward. The forearm must be perpendicular to the fist's edge-face. Only in this way can force reach the enemy's body, pass through the skin, and penetrate the bones.

In practice, one must also train the endurance of the whole body's muscles, striving gradually to reach compact transformation and a state where the muscles are like one. The more the movement is practiced, the subtler it becomes, while spirit-intention becomes fuller and fuller. Wherever my intention wishes to go, the eye-spirit arrives there; the action point of force also shoots straight there. It both attends to the essential striking point and acts without acting. Over time the instinctive reflex naturally becomes sensitive.

3. Sitting On The Ground, Fire Rises

This method is drilling fist, but it is fundamentally different from Xingyiquan's drilling fist, because the action points of the force are different. In Xingyiquan's drilling fist, the force acts on the soft point below the opponent's heart pit. In Yiquan's drilling fist, the force acts on the soft point of the opponent's heart pit. Moreover, the fist issued is a chicken-heart finger fist and carries rotating force. Therefore it is fiercer than Xingyi's method and is actually quite similar to the muffling blow of western boxing. This kind of striking can, lightly, make the opponent lose consciousness, and heavily, take his life. Students should use it carefully.

Suppose the opponent raises the right hand intending to strike my chest or abdomen. When his hand has come but not yet arrived, I step out with the left foot and both hands go together. My left hand cross-cuts, wraps, and drops his right arm, leading in the enemy's body until it reaches before my body and forcing him to lose weight and pitch forward. My right hand forms a chicken-heart finger fist and, above my left arm, advances with rotating force to strike the opponent's heart pit. The upper body lifts; the lower body sits. Above and below pull against each other and extend. Even and complete force of the whole body penetrates the four tips, and the enemy will certainly be twisted out.

The key of this striking method lies in the rotating force of the attacking right hand and the rotating force of the waist and spine's twisting and swinging. By means of the pulling force of lifting above and sitting below, it breaks out as explosive force. Though the explosive point is the opponent's heart pit, the extension direction of force points straight toward the sky. The intention is upward drilling. Therefore this striking method uses the rule that force is born in pairs; when there are two, they can become one. It borrows the opposed pull of lifting above and sitting below to seek the even completeness of force.

In practice, the two hands and feet must flexibly change front and back, left and right. The waist and spine must have the force of twisting, swinging, and horizontal shaking, while upper body and lower limbs also have a posture of opposed pulling and extension. Upward lifting is contained in downward sitting. The whole body feels like one great spiral, twisting without ceasing. Imagine that one's own body truly has the posture of drilling toward heaven and wishing to fly. Fire does not burn unless touched off. My drilling fist does not issue unless it borrows force, because its range is short.

Lifting above and sitting below, intention rushes to heaven.
Lead him beside the body, then issue the drilling fist.
From oneself it is stagnant; from the other it becomes lively.
Heart ruthless, hand black: the striking method is treacherous.

Looking into domestic and foreign intelligence workers and counter-intelligence workers, all are skilled in this method. From this one can see the practical value of the method. Rather than say it cultivates even and complete force, it would be better to say it trains the psychology of a ruthless heart and black hand. Students must understand this.

4. Beside The Window, Watching Slanting Rain

This striking method is Xingyiquan's wrapping fist. Suppose the opponent raises the right hand. No matter where he intends to strike me, when it has risen and not yet fallen, my left hand has already cross-cut, embraced, and gathered the incoming arm. If he resists with force and has clinging, my left arm uses swallowing and spitting force to wrap and twist the opponent's right front chest. I have no clinging and make him also have no clinging, leading his force in and making it fall empty. At the same time as my left hand goes, my left foot steps out. At the same time that I twist and wrap his right front chest, my left foot uses the ground reaction's elastic force, bends, draws the body back, and closes the posture, and force has already been delivered to his body. This is the method of wrapping and twisting.

This method can make the opponent lose weight and fall without injury. It is a kind method of combat hands. If one wishes to strengthen the straight-shooting intensity of force, while the left hand wraps and twists one may add the right hand to my left arm to assist. In that case the opponent has danger of internal injury and coughing blood.

In practice, the two hands must change left and right and the two feet must alternate advancing and retreating. The key of this method lies in releasing force when touching the body and issuing strength as the body is drawn back. Whether advancing or retreating, as soon as the empty foot touches the ground, borrow the ground reaction's elastic force and issue force. This method uses the back-and-forth strength in which storing and issuing are each other's root. I send the left hand out with cross-cutting and embracing force to break his incoming hand, lead his force in, and make it lose its action point. This is swallowing, the incoming strength. When the opponent has clinging resistance, I follow the posture and use the front edge of my left arm to strike his right front chest with even and complete force. In the strike there is wrapping; in the wrapping there is twisting. This is spitting, the returning strength. This method is vertical striking, yet contains vertical within horizontal. From issuing one stores; because of storage one issues. Storing and issuing are like the turning waves of the sea.

If one's own body does not have wave elastic force, it is hard to obtain the wondrous use of this method. Therefore in practice, explosive force moves through the centrifugal force produced by the waist axis's twisting, swinging, and horizontal shaking, drives the whole, and fills the four limbs. The two hands change left and right. Embracing contains bracing; bracing contains embracing. In the mutual service of bracing and embracing, recognize the subtlety of wave elastic force. Triangles store strength; straight lines issue force. In issuing the vertical strike, borrow the image of deep night, silence, sideways rain, and wild wind:

Rain qi darkens a thousand peaks.
River sound shakes ten thousand images.
Clouds turn a sky of ink.
Waves kick flowers into half the air.

I wish to push open the window and look out. As the window opens, wild wind and slanting rain come straight against my head and face, and I instinctively draw the body back to avoid harm. Horizontally modeled, this instinctive reaction of drawing back to avoid harm is this striking method.

5. Startled Snake Detours

This striking method is horizontal fist. Suppose the opponent raises the right hand intending to strike my chest or abdomen. When it has risen and not yet fallen, I step out with the left foot, and at the same time my left hand uses cross-cutting, rolling, and rubbing force to lead in enemy force and make it fall empty. The enemy's body has the posture of uprooting and pitching forward. Following the posture, I suddenly turn my left arm upward, turning with raising, using the inner face of the left palm and the bottom of the left arm as edge-face, and strike horizontally toward the opponent's right chest with even and complete force. He will certainly be turned out. One may also use the right hand to assist in order to strengthen the straight-shooting speed of explosive force.

This striking method is still back-and-forth strength and uses wave elastic force. Its difference from the previous method is that the previous method's wrapping-twisting force goes downward from the enemy's body, while this method's turning-raising force goes upward from the enemy's body. Both methods first swallow and then spit. Because of issuing, one stores; leading in and making empty, a force of four ounces moves a thousand catties.

In practice, the two hands must change left and right, and advancing and retreating must both issue force appropriately. Borrow the posture of the waist and spine twisting, swinging, and shaking sideways to train wave edges. One must seek straight lines within triangles, horizontal contained in straight, triangular transformation striking, and a straight line moving horizontally. Imagine one's own body like a startled snake moving horizontally and striking vertically, detouring around the enemy's two sides. The essential point is to make one's own gravitational potential energy turn into gravitational kinetic energy. In practicing this method, wave force formed by back-and-forth strength must be primary. If one's own body can have this kind of wave force, it is not hard to obtain the wonder of the method.

6. Reining A Horse, Listening To The Wind

This is Yiquan's falling hammer. Suppose the opponent sends the right hand, intending to strike my chest or abdomen. When his incoming hand has become solid, both my hands go together and my left foot follows out. My left palm faces downward and cross-cuts the opponent's right arm. As soon as there is contact, my left palm immediately rolls inward, using gathering, dropping, bracing, and wrapping force to lead in his arm and make it lose its action point. At this moment my whole body rotates in a falling-thousand-fathom arc from lower left to upper right. At the same time my right arm, with fist and bent elbow, also braces and lifts upward to the right using the arc rotation of waist and spine as motive power. Under the push of the centrifugal force produced by my waist and spine's rotation, what my left hand leads in is not only the opponent's right arm but his whole body. He not only uproots and lifts qi, but pitches forward. I immediately follow the posture and rotate the whole body back. Under the lead of the waist and spine's returning rotation, my hand that was bracing and lifting to the upper right uses the fist to fall downward and strike the enemy's head, chest, or abdomen.

If the opponent comes with both hands together, the striking method is also roughly the same. Before the right hand braces and lifts upward, it must use hooking force to brace and lift his left hand obliquely upward. The hook must use the rotating-lifting force born from fist and wrist. The other movements are the same as the previous method. In practice, one must recognize the use of force. The key of this method lies in the contention between centrifugal force and centripetal force produced when waist and spine rotate back and forth. It is also back-and-forth strength, that is, contending force:

Centrifugal and centripetal are originally whole.
A sudden stop divides centrifugal and centripetal.
The source of movement is in waist and spine.
Kicking the ground settles heaven and earth.

In practice, left and right must change, and advancing and retreating must issue force. If issuing force is not appropriate, seek it in waist and spine. The incoming strength of the waist and spine's outer rotation leads the enemy's body in and makes it fall empty. The returning strength of the waist and spine's inner rotation again strikes out the enemy's body that was led in. The change from outer rotation to inner rotation wholly depends on the sudden stopping of waist and spine; the wonder of that sudden stopping is born from the empty foot that steps out and uses the ground reaction force. This method of using force is swallowing and spitting. Therefore in practice, at the moment the waist and foot suddenly stop and kick the ground, it is like:

Riding a horse beside a deep abyss,
wild wind striking the face;
rein the horse and listen to the wild wind,
release the hand and fall from the cliff.

When issuing force, one must have the feeling that life is at stake. Every force must be sincere and solid. This striking method is very fierce. Unless life is involved, it must not be used lightly. Therefore in practice one must seek solid sincerity of force and also cultivate the psychology of being able to endure and be ruthless. Otherwise it is hard to receive practical effect.

7. Fierce Tiger Searches The Mountain

This method is turning the body and striking by rotation. Suppose an enemy attacks me from behind. I do not know where he will strike me, and I also do not know whether the incoming hand is single or double. At this moment one must use the method of attending to oneself and not attending to the enemy. Suppose when the enemy attacks me, my left foot is forward and right foot back. My two feet stay where they are, using the two toes as axes, and the whole body rotates one hundred eighty degrees. The original front foot becomes the rear foot, and the original rear foot becomes the front foot.

As my whole body begins rotating from my left front toward my right rear, both my hands rise together. Both arms bend at the elbows to make triangles. Both palms face outward. The right palm does not pass the eyebrows; the four fingers of the left palm are close to the outside of the right elbow. They must be tight as if welded, with a posture that nine oxen could not pull open. In this way, my two arms are like a vertical great bow-back. Borrowing the posture of my whole body's rotation, this great bow-back produces a force that carries horizontal within rotation. The opponent's incoming hand is vertical strength, while mine is force of a straight line moving horizontally. When the enemy's arm meets my arm, his force will certainly be transformed and moved away. As soon as my arm senses solid touch, my two arms immediately transform from bent to straight and issue force toward my front and lower direction. Wherever I touch the enemy, I strike there. This is using triangular stored strength to break the enemy's hand and straight-line issuing of force to seize the enemy's body.

The wonder of this method lies less in the eye-spirit's seeing than in the two ears' hearing and the skin's touch. Detecting that an enemy attacks me from behind relies on hearing. As soon as the two arms' touch becomes solid, issue force. Without well-practiced training and the skill of making the hair and body posture like halberds, one cannot issue force evenly and appropriately.

The key of this method lies in riveting the shoulders and welding the elbows. No matter what method the two arms meet, they must not open when hammered or scatter when struck. Only then can they guard the range from the top of my head to the lower abdomen. Therefore in practice one is not allowed to imagine that the enemy comes with this or that method and that I respond in this or that way. I only train the waist and spine like an axis, shoulders and elbows self-welded, and rotating force lively. When I hear an enemy sound behind me, I move like this. I attend only to myself and not to him. Although it is not confused striking and brute fighting, it has no technique and no method. Although it is said to have no technique, it is also trained with discipline. In practice, left and right must change, and empty and solid must be clear.

Hearing-force: the two ears are idle.
Touch must be sensitive.
Rotation: the body steady.
Issuing force does not rely on the eyes.

In practice one must also think of one's own body as an enraged fierce tiger, with the posture of leaving the forest and searching the mountain until it collapses. Practice like this in ordinary days, and when meeting an enemy there will naturally be inconceivable wonder.

8. Traveling By Boat On Land

This is Yiquan's bursting strike and vertical collision method. It can be used for active issuing of force and also for receiving and issuing force; it is even more suitable for active issuing. Suppose the opponent stands facing me, his right foot in front. I step out with the left foot to his oblique front, then immediately step the right foot up between his two feet. Both hands go together. The right arm is bent and stored, standing obliquely vertical, fist-back facing the enemy. The left hand is placed on the inner side of the right arm to assist. With even, complete, startlingly explosive force I strike toward the enemy's chest, and he will certainly turn out. When I step out with the left foot and enter with the right foot, I move in triangular form. At this moment, borrowing the waist and spine's twisting, swinging, and horizontal shaking, the whole forms a kind of rotating force. When this rotating force touches the enemy's body, it bursts forth in the form of explosive force. This method is exceptionally swift and fierce.

It is especially effective when used for retreating receiving and issuing. Suppose the opponent raises a hand to strike my chest or abdomen; whether his raised hand is single or double, if his right foot is in front and he looks for my center, I retreat with the left foot. At the same time my two arms use triangular stored strength, with the posture of lifting a bow and catching an arc, and use sinking, rolling, pushing, and crossing force. At this moment the enemy's body will certainly lose weight and pitch forward. Following the posture, I stand my two forearms obliquely vertical, fist-backs facing the enemy, and use banging elastic strength to strike him. It may fall on his face, chest front, or shoulder; one may choose according to his body, and yet there is no set purpose. Wherever is advantageous to me, I issue force and attack there. The key of this method lies in the retreating empty foot. One must skillfully use the ground's reaction force at the moment the empty foot touches the ground. If this method can be used properly, the enemy will certainly be banged several steps away.

In practice, left and right must change, advancing and retreating alternately issuing force. The two feet friction-pull; the two hands lift the bow and catch the arc. The whole borrows the posture of waist and spine twisting, swinging, and horizontal shaking:

Advancing and retreating, the hands must dance waves.
Across and along, rising and falling, carry edges.
I have no foresight; I listen to enemy force.
It is like swimming, the body floating in emptiness.

In practice one must recognize the use of force. This method still takes the rotating force of waist and spine as original motive power, making certain force reaches the four limbs and penetrates hands and feet. The solid foot must not be entirely occupied dead; it must perform the work of supporting the whole center of gravity. The empty foot must not be entirely without force; it must fully use the elastic force of the ground's reaction. The two arms must have no fixed form, yet must have a place. In heart and eyes there must be no fixed opinion about where to strike, yet there must be the intention of seeking tracks and following traces in order to issue force. Only feel one's own body as an untied boat floating on water, responding only to wind force. When it meets a hollow, it stops; when smooth, it flows. Intention does not stop, force does not break, spirit does not scatter, and form is mixed whole. If there are bystanders during practice, it is best if they receive a feeling that form, spirit, intention, and force are all "muddled and confused." If one practices like this for a long time, one will naturally feel strange delights arise everywhere, and when meeting an enemy one will naturally obtain force.

Two: Fragrant Whale Turns And Swims

This is the opened form of hunyuan standing. The mystery of this form is its triangular spiral force. The whole body, the two arms, and the two feet all must move according to the rule of triangular spiral force. Remember: one must use the whole body's rotating force to lead the rotating force of the two arms and the two feet, making certain the local parts follow the whole and never allowing local parts to destroy the whole. Inner strength and true force pass through the rotating force produced by the waist and spine's twisting, swinging, and horizontal shaking, pushing the two arms to extend, contract, and wheel in spirals without ceasing.

When the two arms extend forward and spiral forward, this is rolling and produces centrifugal force. When the two arms shrink backward and spiral backward, this is wrapping and produces centripetal force. Use the rule of sudden stopping that divides centrifugal and centripetal. When the two arms' extending and rolling forward is about to end and their contracting and wrapping backward is about to begin, under the coordination of waist and legs the two arms should make one stop, causing rotating force to transform into explosive force and penetrate the fingertips. At this moment, testing force becomes issuing force. This transformation can be hidden inside or shown outside. The limit between hidden and shown should be measured by one's own feeling of intention. If intention does not move inside, force does not issue outside.

Speaking from combat effect, when the two arms spiral, extend, and roll forward, the support points are like rolling silk, shoulders and elbows like machine wheels, leading in and transforming enemy force into the formless. Triangles store strength, horizontal twisting takes straight, stopping and releasing at the enemy's body and leaving traces before his eyes and chest. When the two arms spiral, wrap, and shrink backward, the force points do not resist strength; elbows and wrists are all like rolling beads and wooden edges, cross-cutting, pushing, and crossing, straight contained in the bent, suddenly tautening one's own body and swallowing enemy force into the formless. My arm has already carved into the bone of the enemy's wrist. This is:

Rotating force swallows and spits in the formless.
Centrifugal, centripetal, sinking, and supporting must leave traces.
Triangular spiral: straight within the bent.
Pulleys and levers have long action.

This method is a basic skill of Yiquan. Among the various friends who studied Yiquan with me in the past, of those who could practice this method to a good place, in a thousand there were not one or two. It is not that I taught it without detail. In truth, this group had not penetrated the rule of sudden stopping that divides centrifugal and centripetal. Here I specially point it out, hoping later students will exert themselves.

In practice, one must constantly recognize the transformation of spiral force into explosive force, borrowing horizontal rotating force to issue vertical-collision explosive force. Triangles store strength; straight lines issue force. Advancing, retreating, vertical and horizontal, wave and dance; rising and falling, unsettled, observe empty and solid. The spiral forms of the whole and of hands and feet mean that wherever the opponent touches, that place can make the opponent lose balance and fall. Once this method is practiced to purity, it naturally has inconceivable wonder. This method is an issuing-force model. From it one can derive several concrete striking methods. They are briefly described below.

9. Fierce Tiger Leaves The Cave

This method is Yiquan's taut release. It must use distributed force. Suppose the opponent uses both palms or both fists to attack my chest, and his right foot launches a piercing-crotch, seeking-center posture toward me. I step out with the right foot, and at the same time both hands go together. From beneath his two arms, along the inner sides of his forearms, they suddenly tauten and lift upward, pinning his two wrists inside my two elbows. At the same time, my upper body and lower limbs use the contending force of opposed pulling and extension, forcing the opponent to uproot and lift qi. I then immediately use both palms with rolling, extending, stopping, and releasing force to push toward the enemy's front chest. The enemy will certainly be released out.

The key of this method lies in tautening. In tautening there must be the intention of an engine. Brace shoulders, horizontal elbows, arms and wrists rolling and lifting to lead the enemy's body in and make him come to me. Lift above and sit below; head and feet oppose and pull to extend. Use the force of lifting, rolling, drawing, and supporting to raise his body and make him uproot and come to me. If one can make the enemy uproot and come to me, then when I change from tautening to releasing, the enemy will certainly have no gap to exploit and will be thrown out by me. Therefore in tautening and releasing, tautening is essential. Yet remember: releasing does not mean entirely pushing straight. Within releasing there must be stopping and filing force. When the two palms reach his body, they must not leave as soon as they touch. The two hands must go down along his chest until the palms no longer feel anything, and only then stop. At the same time, one must borrow leg force to make the double releasing force even and appropriate. Therefore in practice one must recognize this method of using force and pay close attention to the coordination of shoulders, elbows, waist, and feet, seeking even completeness of force.

In practice remember that when tautening, the buttocks must not pass beyond the rear heel and one must have the posture of a tiger being born. When releasing, the vertical line of the waist and spine must not bend, and there must be the intention of straight contained in the oblique. Release force when touching the body; issue strength as the body draws back. Like a fierce tiger leaving its cave: wishing to come out and yet enter, wishing to enter and yet come out. Forward extension and backward sitting: contending force is even and complete.

10. Thunder Strikes The Ground

This striking method is Yiquan's double-handle falling hammer. Suppose the opponent lowers the body and posture, steps out with the right foot and launches a piercing-crotch attack toward me, while both hands strike toward my ribs and abdomen. His hand method resembles Xingyi's horse-slapper or Paochui's double filing palms, and the incoming posture is very fierce. Suppose my right foot is in front. I withdraw the right foot half a step, and at the same time both hands go together, hammering from above into the inside of his two forearms. My palm-wrists use horizontal bracing and rotating-lifting force to hook, brace, and lift his two arms and wrists, leading his body in toward my chest. If the enemy has clinging and sits back while calling strength, I break the clinging. Taking advantage of the posture, I loosen the hooks, make fists, and advance the withdrawn right foot half a step. At the same time my two fists borrow the contending force of opposed pulling and extension between upper body and lower limbs to strike the enemy's face and front chest. The enemy will certainly sit to the ground and bounce up, injuring inside and wrenching the waist and spine.

The key of this method lies in the entire movement's skillful use of the ground's rebounding force. When my right foot withdraws half a step, I must use the ground's reaction force to lead in the enemy's body. When the enemy sits back and calls strength, I advance, break the clinging, and issue force to attack, again borrowing the ground's reaction force to strengthen the straight-shooting intensity of the contending force born from upward and downward opposed pulling and extension. The direction of my force is not level and straight, but moves obliquely downward along the enemy's body. Therefore my force is delivered to the enemy's body and reaches the ground; the ground's reflected elastic force then has the posture of bouncing the enemy's body up. In this way the vertical line of the enemy's waist and spine bends. Therefore the fierceness of this method lies not only in striking chest and abdomen and injuring the viscera, but still more in damaging the bones of waist and spine. Thus the force used in this method is like thunder and lightning: white daytime emptiness reaching and releasing to the ground, then reflected from the ground back to the sky.

In practice, one must constantly recognize spontaneous issuing force and the contending force of upward and downward opposed pulling, extension, and shortening, which are both contradictory and unified. This contending force is concentrated force. In the past I often said that Yiquan has the force of pulling out of the ground and wishing to fly, and also contending with the earth's center. Students mostly each explained the intention for themselves, so some duanshou skills of Yiquan were difficult to learn. Here I again raise the wonder of using the ground's reflected elastic force to overcome the disease of double-weighting that cannot transform. I hope students will work hard at it.

Three: Divine Turtle Comes Out Of The Water

This is the opened form of the dasheng standing method. Note: in various copies it is written "dasheng standing"; this is suspected to be an error. In Wang's writings, there is no clear division of Yiquan standing into dasheng and xiaosheng standing. Mr. Wang Xuanjie spoke of great vehicle, middle vehicle, and small vehicle in Yiquan, so this may be an alteration by Mr. Wang Xuanjie. Also, the Divine Turtle Comes Out of the Water testing-force method is based on Yiquan's large-form standing method, so perhaps "large-form standing" is the intended reading. It is kept here as a doubtful point for examination.

The wonder of this form lies in opposed pulling above and below, the exercise of lifting and pressing, and forward-backward extension with form bent and force straight. Its image is like a large turtle standing and swimming on the water surface, wishing to float and yet sink, wishing to sink and yet float, sometimes floating and sometimes sinking, carrying waves and raising billows on the water surface. The combat purpose of practicing this method is to make every part of my body, when pressed, have the movement of floating wood, because transformation and striking are without clinging. Therefore in practice one must recognize the rule that reversal is the use of force: above and below pull against each other; lifting, pressing, bracing, and crossing; front and back draw long; hooking chop, drilling, and stabbing; left and right roundly brace; bones hide edges. Use the component forces born from each joint's pulling force to seek their resultant-force point, in order to reach combat effect.

It is still: triangular transformation strikes and strength begins to store; straight-line issuing carries edges; the hands grip, lift, press, obliquely brace, and cross; single-arm levers overcome resistance. In practice, one must recognize the force like floating wood produced by my two arms. This is the wonder of single-arm lever force.

In practice one must recognize the ground's reaction force. The entire spirit of this form lies in: force is born in pairs; when there are two, they can become one. The birth of force always comes in pairs. If there is a forward action force, there must be a backward reaction force. Action force and reaction force act on one straight line, are equal in size, opposite in direction, appear at the same time, disappear at the same time, have the same nature, and do not cancel each other. When issuing force in combat, the greater the action force my advancing or retreating empty foot applies to the ground, the more even and complete the force issued will be. Therefore in combat, in order to strengthen action force and obtain an equal, same-natured, opposite-direction reaction force, beyond storing strength in the triangles of the whole body, one must also be good at using the concentrated force born when the advancing or retreating empty foot kicks the ground; this is reaction force.

One must also know that when the toe of my advancing or retreating empty foot touches the ground, it becomes a single-arm force lever. The reaction force produced by this single-arm force lever and the action force produced by the single-arm speed lever of my upper limb are both contradictory and unified, combining into the even and complete force of duanshou controlling the enemy. In practicing this form, one must also pay attention to keeping the line of action of my whole body's gravity constantly within the support area of the two feet, in order to stabilize my pivot balance. To reach this purpose, the intention above the crown must be empty and lively, because my head is a balance lever. What boxing specialists call "empty-lively crown strength" refers to this. Therefore in practice the head must not lower forward and must not lean backward; it coordinates with the single-arm levers of arm and empty foot. For this reason, elsewhere I once named this standing method Lever Standing. It was not without reason.

The form Divine Turtle Comes Out of the Water is both a basic testing-force method and a duanshou model. From it one may derive several concrete striking methods, described separately below.

11. Golden Spears And Iron Horses

Suppose the opponent steps out with the left foot and raises the left hand, intending to strike my head or front chest. I step the right foot to the left side of his left foot, and at the same time raise the right hand. With rotating, lifting, bracing, and rolling force, using the characteristic of my right forearm as a speed lever - small movement, fast and fierce - I cross-cut his left forearm or elbow. My right foot uses the ground reaction force to coordinate with the action force of my right arm and lift the opponent up. At this moment the enemy has already uprooted and lifted qi. Taking advantage of the posture, I withdraw the half-step I had advanced, and at the same time raise the right fist and immediately let it fall to strike the opponent's armpit and elbow area. The falling hand is a point, then continues downward into a surface, delivering the distributed-force form of explosive force to the enemy's body. The right foot withdrawn in coordination with this movement must still use the ground reaction force.

The key of this method lies in my rising hand rotating and lifting the enemy's arm and elbow while hiding the body, and the falling hand striking while rotating and lifting the enemy. It hides the body and rises, gathers the hand and falls. The posture of advancing and withdrawing is truly like an ancient general holding a golden spear, mounted on an iron horse, galloping across the battlefield.

12. Startled Snake Enters Its Cave

This method is drilling and stabbing. Suppose the opponent raises the right hand level, intending to attack my chest or abdomen. I step out with the left foot and both hands go together, left in front and right behind. My left forearm, from below, uses startling elastic force to cross-cut his right forearm. My left hand uses a finger fist to strike his right ribs. At the same time my right hand strikes downward on the back of his right hand from above. My left and right arms use the posture of opposing pull and lengthening to hold the enemy's right arm open, forcing him to uproot and lift qi. He will certainly be thrown out. If the left hand I send out is a fist striking the opponent's ribs, and left and right alternate continuously, this is Yiquan's linked horse, fierce beyond comparison. This method can also be used to deal with the opponent's high-line hand methods; I then use the finger fist to stab the opponent's face.

The key of this method is still the contending force of upper-lower opposed pulling and front-back lengthening, especially the front-back drawing. Using retreating issuing-force method is most suitable. Therefore in practice one must recognize the posture of front-back lengthening: the action force of the front hand's attack and the reaction force of the retreating empty foot's kicking the ground form one straight line, like a long snake that has been startled.

13. Suddenly Opening The Golden Lock

This method is Yiquan's tearing. It uses reverse parallel forces. Suppose the opponent steps out with the right foot and both hands attack my chest and abdomen, or the opponent grabs my two shoulders or upper arms like a wrestler. I also step out with the right foot. My two hands rise outside his two arms. The left hand pushes the opponent's outer shoulder head or outer side of his upper arm toward my left front, while the right hand hooks and pulls the inner side of the opponent's right wrist or inner side of his right forearm toward my right rear. My one pushing and one pulling forces must be equal in size, opposite in direction, parallel, born at the same time, and disappear at the same time. Especially, they must borrow the twisting, swinging, and horizontal shaking of the waist and spine and the kicking force of the empty foot stepped out. Waist, spine, and four limbs coordinate without gap, and force will necessarily be even and complete. When force reaches the enemy's body in this way, his whole body will certainly rotate, uproot, and turn out.

The key of this method lies in the reverse parallel opposed pull and lengthening of the two arms, like the force of twisting a key with thumb and forefinger to open a lock. In practice one must change left and right, advance and retreat while issuing force, and recognize this method of using force. In practice one must also recognize the perpendicular distance between the action lines of pushing and pulling. It must not be too small; if small, there is no force. Yet it must also not be too large; if large, force scatters. It must be properly sized to be wondrous.

14. Old Monk Bows

This striking method is Yiquan's hooking and hanging method. Within it are bracing and embracing, and it still uses single-arm lever force. Suppose the opponent uses the right hand to strike my face and the incoming posture is exceptionally fierce. If I use cross-cutting method, it is very hard to break his incoming hand. I then retreat with the right foot, and both hands rise together. The palm-center of the left hand hangs on the inside of his right forearm. The two palms close together, and must have pinching and clamping force. Following the rushing force of his right hand, my two palms pressed together clamp the inside of his right forearm and throw it toward my left rear. The enemy will certainly uproot and fall forward, collapsing without being struck. The image of this method is rather like a monk placing the palms together and bowing. In truth it uses speed-lever force.

Suppose the opponent uses the right hand to strike my navel and abdomen, and the incoming posture is also exceptionally fierce. If I use cross-cutting method it is very hard to break his incoming hand. I still retreat with the right foot, and both hands go together with palms joined. I use the outside of my left arm to hook the inside of his right arm. At the same time, my right hand joins with the left hand and closes together. I use the force of two arms to lead in the force of his single arm. The enemy will certainly fall forward. The key of this method lies in the speed of movement of the two arms. The greater the speed, the greater the momentum. The two arms must pass through their working distance in the shortest time and shorten the time during which force acts. Therefore in practice one must recognize this sudden, fierce, even, and complete method of issuing force.

15. Wildcat Chases The Mouse

This method is double collision and double pushing. It still must use the action force and reaction force of front-back opposed pulling and upper-lower lengthening. Suppose the opponent seizes my two hands and pulls forcefully toward his chest, calling my whole body in order to lead me in and control me. Suppose my right foot is in front. I have no clinging and make him also have no clinging. I follow his clinging and use the force by which he leads me to send both fists to collide into his chest and abdomen. At this moment the opponent will necessarily lean backward to avoid my two fists. In this way, the strength with which he draws my two hands must loosen. Though his strength loosens, his form has not loosened. I immediately shake the even and complete force of both arms downward, lengthening above and below. He will certainly loosen the front hands and pitch forward toward me. I then raise both hands again and strike his chest, pulling front and back against each other, using even and complete force to strike him out.

The key of this method lies in breaking the force with which he draws me. In ordinary circumstances he will surely draw me toward one of his two sides, either left or right. Though in me there must be no clinging, I must turn the force by which he draws me into force that goes against his body. This method is following that contains pulling. If this method is used well, the other movements will accordingly be appropriate and obtain force. Therefore in practice one must always preserve force's straight shooting and recognize that my upper-lower lengthening is in order to be more suitable for front-back opposed pulling. In practice its image is like leaning the body forward and hurrying, thoroughly searching for a thing. The two hands fall with sound, while the step is as light as a cat; therefore it is called Wildcat Chases The Mouse.

Four: Eagle Plays With Fengyi

This method is the opened form of eagle standing. In the past I put forward phrases such as "responding with the great atmosphere," "using the force waves of the universe to contend with the earth's center," and "recognizing what air resistance is like." Many students did not understand their meaning, and therefore in the Way of testing force and duanshou they were often seemingly right but actually wrong.

The reason the human body can have mechanical movement is truly external force. If the ground did not give the human body a kind of reaction force, the human body fundamentally could not move mechanically. This is especially true in combat. Without borrowing the ground's reaction force, one fundamentally cannot reach the purpose of combat. This is the meaning of "contending with the earth's center." For example, if I transition from the standing form of combat standing to the opened form of combat standing, it is because my whole body, through one foot, gives the ground an action force downward and backward. At the same time the ground, through this foot, gives my whole body a reaction force. Under the push of this reaction force, my whole body begins to obtain forward acceleration.

Air resistance is also a kind of reaction force. It acts on the human body in the form of distributed force, sometimes acting on one part of the person, such as the left hand or right hand. In combat one must borrow this kind of reaction force, especially using the elastic force of breathing. This is "atmospheric response," the meaning of recognizing air resistance. Again, when the human body walks the friction-pulling step, centripetal force is produced, with centrifugal force following it. This shows that centripetal force acts on the human body. When the human body's friction-pulling step stops, centripetal force disappears. This shows that centripetal force no longer acts on the human body. The combined external forces of all these sorts are what I call the universe's force waves. If one wishes to reach the purpose of combat and does not use the universe's force waves, it is cooking without rice. It is true that Yiquan values inner strength and true force, that is, instinctive living strength; yet if there is only inner strength and no means to issue it, it is useless.

The inner strength of the human body's sinews and muscles, tautening and releasing, must coordinate with the universe's force waves. The two are opposite and complete each other. The so-called high-level combat expert is truly one skilled at using the unified contradiction between these two.

The combat effect of this form lies in moving according to the posture designed in this form, in order to recognize the wonder of the universe's force waves. If one practices it constantly, it becomes instinctive reflex; when meeting an enemy, one can naturally respond with heart and hand and have more than enough to handle him. The movement of this posture still follows the rule of triangular storing of strength - form bent - and straight-line issuing of force - force straight. Every joint of my whole body forms an obtuse triangle. The relative positions of the joints store a kind of elastic potential energy. Under the conditions of intention leading, nerves directing, and sinews and muscles supporting, tautening, and releasing, and with the help of the universe's force waves, this elastic potential energy transforms into elastic kinetic energy. This is what combat needs, the so-called "whole body like a spring." Therefore in practice the two arms extend, contract, tauten, and release in the direction intended. With the help of the universe's force waves, potential energy is transformed into kinetic energy. Its posture is like a gray eagle soaring, a handsome falcon flying sideways, as if one does not know whether I am riding the wind's force or the wind is riding my force.

In practice I go vertically and horizontally, back and forth, high and low, rising and falling, advancing and retreating while issuing force. The center of gravity of my whole body constantly changes. Its relative position with the ground stores a kind of gravitational potential energy. Under the conditions of intention leading, nerves directing, the waist and spine twisting, swinging, and shaking sideways, and the empty foot kicking the ground, and with the help of the universe's force waves, this gravitational potential energy transforms into gravitational kinetic energy. This is what combat needs, the so-called "mixed-whole body moving against." Its posture is like a divine eagle following the wind and lifting a rabbit, like a swimming dragon going against the current and coming out of water. This is the essential of straight-line issuing of force.

Elsewhere I once put forward the saying, "Strength is hidden within the hundred bodies; force seizes outside form and bones." Students found it hard to understand, so I have briefly described it here. I hope students will recognize and preserve it in practice for a long time, and naturally feel strange delight overflowing.

In sum, the wonder of this method is one elasticity and one collision, collision contained within elasticity and elasticity contained within collision. Yet it still follows the rule of form bent and force straight. This method is both a basic testing-force method and a duanshou model. From it one can derive several concrete striking methods, described separately below.

16. Fierce Horse Runs Free

This is drilling, wrapping, and treading, and still uses the reaction force of ground support. Suppose the opponent raises the right hand intending to strike my chest or a place above my chest, and at the same time steps with the right foot intending to take my center. I also step out with the right foot, but only half a step, placing it inside his right foot, with a posture of trapping and hooking. At the same time I raise the right hand, palm outward, and use the outside of the front part of my forearm to cut and strike the outside of the front part of his upper arm. As soon as there is contact, I use even and complete force to collide with his upper arm. Immediately I fiercely turn my forearm, using wrapping and swallowing force to lead his body slightly. At the moment of sharply turning the forearm, my right hand has already made a fist, and with drilling, bracing, explosive force it strikes toward his face or the artery area on the right side.

The key of this method lies in the first collision. From my angle this collision is also vertical strength; from the opponent's angle it is horizontal strength. Borrowing this collision, one must make the opponent's whole body turn forty-five degrees. Only then is it wondrous. At this moment he will certainly uproot and lift qi. Following the posture, I wrap and swallow in order to issue force and attack, and there will be more than enough turning. The success of the collision depends on my empty foot's kicking the ground and my waist and spine's twisting, swinging, and shaking sideways. These two movements are unified and coordinated, causing my whole body's dynamic potential energy to become whole-body gravitational kinetic energy, borrowed through the edge-face of the outside of my forearm and transmitted to the opponent's whole body.

If his skill is shallow, not only will his whole body rotate and uproot, but there is truly the possibility that he will turn out. To increase the straight-shooting speed of force, I may use the left hand to brace and assist my right forearm. At the same time this can also avoid injury in the joints of my right arm.

Suppose the opponent's skill is deeper. When I use the right arm to collide with him, he resists with strength and clinging. I then follow the posture, turn the hand over, wrap and roll his arm, swallow his force, and lead in his body. At the same time that I issue this movement, my front empty foot touches the ground to assist the upper limb's swallowing and leading posture. When my withdrawing right foot kicks the ground, the right hand that wrapped and rolled immediately changes into a fist and attacks the opponent's face. The key of this method lies in the form of my right hand wrapping, rolling, swallowing, and leading. The force is backward, while my front foot kicks forward. This is front-back opposed pulling. When my right hand changes from wrapping, rolling, swallowing, and leading into forward attack, my front foot becomes the rear foot and kicks the ground backward. This is still front-back opposed pulling. In this process of front-back opposed pulling and lengthening, my whole body's gravitational kinetic energy is transmitted through the edge-face of my right fist to the opponent's whole body. He will certainly be injured and turned out.

If one wishes my force to be even, complete, and appropriate, one must use the ground support's reaction force. Especially remember that my attacking fist must point toward the opponent's face. This is because when my rear foot kicks the ground, the direction of the reaction force produced is obliquely upward; that is, the resultant force of my rear foot and its reaction force when kicking the ground forms an acute angle with the ground. If one wishes fully to use the effect of this reaction force, this force must act on one straight line with the force issued by my right fist. In this way, the force that reaches the enemy will necessarily be even and complete.

In practice, left and right must change, advancing and retreating must issue force, and one must recognize the use of the various forces. The speed of movement is as fast as thunder and lightning. Its moving form is like a fierce horse running free, while its spirit-intention is like autumn frost laying low grass and trees.

In practice also remember: without using the elastic force of breathing, it is hard to obtain the wonder of this method. In my inner strength and whole true force, besides the pulling force of sinews and muscles tautening and releasing, certain organs, if used properly when issuing force, become motive power; if used improperly, they become resistance. The diaphragm is this kind of organ. When issuing force, if my breathing responds with the great atmosphere, qi sinks below the diaphragm - what is called "qi sinking to the dantian" - then issuing force is appropriate. If the diaphragm tightens and qi floats in the chest, then issuing force cannot be even and complete. When issuing force, if breathing can respond with the great atmosphere, whether by exhaling or by awakening qi, using the work of sound turning from within, force will necessarily be even and complete. This is still using the universe's force waves. Therefore in practice one must use sound to assist, and in use one should do the same.

17. Handsome Falcon Spreads Its Wings

This method is roughly like the second method above. Suppose that when I wrap and swallow the opponent's force and lead in his body, because his body pitches forward and down, his body posture is too low. If I use a straight fist to strike his face, my issued force may not reach in time. Therefore I must follow the posture and strike horizontally. My right arm has the palm facing downward, and I use the inside of my right forearm as the edge-face to strike horizontally at the opponent's face or chest. The opponent will also certainly be injured and turned out. This method is only suited to retreating issuing force. If used in advancing issuing force, then first step with the left foot and attack with the right hand, or step with the right foot and attack with the left hand. In practice one must recognize this Way of issuing force.

In practice, left and right must change. Advancing and retreating must both issue force appropriately. One must still use the universe's force waves and have the posture of a great bird riding air currents, flying straight and traveling crosswise. Therefore it is compared to a handsome falcon spreading its wings.

18. Three Stops Of Wave Force

This is Yiquan's method of head striking and shoulder striking. It still follows the rule of the human body's gravitational kinetic energy. It is also a striking method of moving horizontally and colliding vertically. Suppose the opponent seizes both my wrists. His form and strength are both very solid, and he opens my two arms to the left and right sides. His right foot is in front, and at any moment he may raise the left foot, intending to lift and strike my abdomen and crotch. At this moment suppose my right foot is in front. I use the right foot suddenly to kick the ground, borrowing the ground support's reaction force. My two arms suddenly brace backward, leading the opponent in toward me. Following the posture, I use the forehead as edge-face and borrow the wave force of my waist and spine's twisting, swinging, and horizontal shaking to collide with his face. He will certainly be injured and turned out.

Suppose when my right foot kicks the ground, the left arm braces backward while the right arm braces obliquely downward. This too has the intention of leading him in toward me. I take advantage of the posture and use the head of my left shoulder to collide with the head of his left shoulder; the opponent will also certainly overturn. Suppose my left foot is in front. Then when the left foot kicks the ground, my right arm braces backward, leading in his body, and I follow the posture by using the head of my right shoulder to collide with the head of his right shoulder.

The key of this method lies in the wave force of my waist and spine twisting, swinging, and shaking sideways. Use this wave force to turn my gravitational potential energy into gravitational kinetic energy and deliver it to his body, using the head or the two shoulders as the edge-face that strikes the enemy. Therefore in practice there must be wave force. Under the drive of wave force, gravity, through some local edge-face of my whole body, is transmitted to some local part of the opponent's body in order to seize his center of gravity. This is the wonder of collision striking. Therefore in practice:

The body moves, waving wave-dance.
Intention-force moves across the water surface.
The two arms all have my head.
The wonder lies in kicking the empty foot.

In practice one must also change left and right, advance and retreat while issuing force, and at the same time continue to recognize the subtlety of the universe's force waves.

19. Cold Chicken Stands In Snow

This method is also a method of moving horizontally and colliding vertically, and still follows the rules described above. Suppose the opponent steps out with the left foot and raises the left hand to strike my chest and abdomen. I step out with the right foot and raise the right hand with pushing, filing, wrapping, and embracing force to cross-cut his left hand, swallow his force, and lead in his form. When his form pitches slightly forward, my right hand suddenly turns and raises from above his right forearm, pushing horizontally toward his chest and elbow area. At the same time I raise the right foot and step horizontally on the side of his left lower leg. The upper and lower movements must be made into one movement, and the opponent will certainly be struck out.

Suppose the opponent's incoming posture is very fierce. When cross-cutting his left hand, I do not step out with the right foot, but retreat with the left foot. At the moment the right foot kicks the ground, the right hand changes to turning and raising; at the same time, borrowing the force of kicking the ground, the left foot immediately rises and steps horizontally on the opponent's left lower leg. The opponent will also certainly turn out. The key of this method is using the wave force born from back-and-forth strength to shake and push up my whole body, in order to bring gravitational kinetic energy into play and strike the opponent out.

In practice, left and right must change, and advancing and retreating must issue force. Its winding, bending, extending, center-of-gravity shifting, lifting, and stopping posture is like a swimming dragon playing with a crane, or a cold chicken fighting a startled snake. This method is the opened form of chicken standing. In practice also remember: the horizontal foot that rises is not a kick and is not a stomp. It is truly stepping in the form of cai, treading, to transmit my whole body's gravitational kinetic energy to the opponent. Coordinated with the horizontal push of the upper limb, it is truly a method of pushing and colliding. The horizontal foot that rises should not be too high. It is most appropriate if it does not pass the opponent's knee.

Five: Leaping Flood Dragon Carries Wave And Turns

This is the opened form of health-preservation standing. This form is one of the duanshou combat models. It uses centripetal force and its reaction, centrifugal force, and still uses the rule of centrifugal and centripetal originally whole, sudden stopping dividing centrifugal and centripetal. With the waist and spine as vertical axis, the two arms extend forward. When the left hand is in front, step out with the left foot; when the right hand is in front, step out with the right foot. Left and right change. The whole body turns without ceasing, advancing and retreating while issuing force. Force is born from the feet; strength penetrates the fingertips. Its posture is like a leaping flood dragon breaking waves and advancing. Force waves rise and fall, whirlpools roll and roll, and there is truly the intention of sweeping across a whale's cave.

In practice one must recognize the function of centrifugal and centripetal forces. Centripetal force acts on my waist axis, while centrifugal force acts on my two palms, especially the front hand. When my two hands touch the enemy, borrowing the kicking force of the empty foot that advances or retreats suddenly stops the rotation. Centripetal force stops doing work; centrifugal force disappears at the same time. My two palms, following inertial force, make straight-line movement along the tangent direction. Only this kind of straight-shooting force is what combat duanshou needs. Centrifugal and centripetal are born at the same time and disappear at the same time. When they are born is the time of storing strength; when they disappear is the time of issuing force.

When my whole body rotates, one must lengthen above and below, pull against front and back, roundly brace left and right, and make the body like a rotating ball. The whole body has edges, because within the round there is straight. Therefore the force tested by this method is truly inertial force. The key of this method lies in suddenly interrupting centrifugal force. This is what is called sudden stopping. What combat duanshou needs is precisely this kind of sudden-stopping force. From this form one can derive several concrete striking methods, described separately below.

20. Hammering With A Mallet

This method follows inertial force and is a stopping-strike method. Suppose the opponent steps out with the left hand and left foot, using a straight fist to strike my chest. I step out with the right foot. Both hands rise from below, lifting, hanging, and rolling the opponent's left forearm. I use the right fist to strike horizontally at his left shoulder or left upper arm. With the waist and spine as a vertical axis, the whole body makes a rotation of one hundred eighty degrees. The empty foot stepped out kicks the ground, centripetal force is interrupted, and borrowing sudden-stopping force, I strike the opponent out. Its posture is like swinging a mallet to strike an object.

Suppose the opponent's incoming posture is very fierce and has the posture of piercing the crotch. I may use a retreating duanshou method. The key of this method lies in my two arms storing bent while they rotate, but straightening and extending at the moment of sudden stop. This is because when centrifugal and centripetal force disappear at the same time, my right fist has the tendency, following inertial force, to make straight-line movement along the tangent. Here, when my right fist contacts the enemy's left shoulder or left upper arm, there is a kind of friction force. The wonder of this method is swallowing and spitting, and swallowing and spitting go without interval. Leading in his force is striking. Therefore in practice one must recognize this method of using force and must not do it carelessly.

In practice, left and right must change, advancing and retreating must issue force. Use the posture of waist and spine twisting, swinging, and shaking sideways to drive the rotation of the two arms, and use the rotation of the two arms to swallow enemy force and lead in his body. In use it is very forceful and economical, without any defect of dragging mud or carrying water. This method still uses the transformation of my whole body's gravitational potential energy into gravitational kinetic energy, because my whole body's gravity is a kind of distributed force. Therefore the issuing of force in this method is truly the use of explosive force.

21. Firing A Cannon Behind The Head

This method still uses inertial force, which, when touching the enemy, bursts forth as explosive force. Suppose the opponent steps out with the right foot and raises the right hand intending to strike my face. I step out with the left foot and both hands go together. The right hand uses saber-wrapping force to swallow his force and lead in his body; the left hand rotates out, makes a fist, and strikes the thalamic area of the opponent's head. The movement of my two hands should not use local force. It must borrow the force of the waist twisting, swinging, and shaking sideways, together with the support reaction force when the stepped-out left foot kicks the ground, at the same time swallowing his force and leading in his body. One must make the enemy come to me so he can be struck; only this is wondrous. If this method can be operated appropriately, it can cause the opponent's death. Therefore students should use it carefully.

At the same time one must still recognize the rule that the three images are originally whole, and sudden stopping separates centrifugal image into one. One must make my whole body's gravitational potential energy transform into gravitational kinetic energy, delivered to his body in the form of explosive force. That is, when my whole body issues force, above and below must pull and extend, front and back must pull against each other, and left and right must roundly brace. If it is not so, force will certainly not be even and complete. Therefore in using this method to strike the enemy, force is like explosive and fist like projectile. When the hand reaches the enemy's body, force is distributed. This is the cannon hammer with straight contained in bent. At the same time, one must still change left and right and advance and retreat while issuing force.

Conclusion

Yiquan duanshou is divided in all into five forms and twenty-one methods. All take the use of force as primary. The whole body issues force, edge-face touches the enemy, one borrows the universe's force waves and brings instinctive living strength into play. It is not a local or partial method. If one practices constantly, it will naturally not be difficult to enter the hall and inner chamber and obtain the wonder of arriving without knowing it has arrived. The methods one should grasp should not be too many. If they are many, in battle one will certainly be bound, because one will not be decisive.

This essay was written when I fell ill in my later years. While writing, I often felt that brush did not follow mind. Yet the essential meanings of this essay are clear and bright: first, even and complete force; second, triangular pre-response; third, single-weighted issuing of force; fourth, no method is method, and method abides in no-thought; fifth, lifting, stopping, swallowing, spitting, sinking, supporting, dividing, and closing; sixth, form and force must return to one, and spirit-intention must not cling to images. If students can recognize something within these six meanings, then in the Way of Yiquan they will have thought through more than half.

I often feel that the learning between heaven and earth is truly without end, and brush and ink are truly hard pressed to express what is stored in my chest. If students can push from what I have said into what I have not said, this is truly my deepest hope.

Wang Xiangzhai, Tianjin, 1959.

Colophon

Translated directly from the Traditional Chinese text of 《斷手述要》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: 《斷手述要》王薌齋

Source: HK Yiquan Society article 9

前 言

技擊之法，分門別派，要皆以拳套招術爲本，而拳套招術具是人之僞造，非發揮本能之學也。

意拳之斷手，拳套招術一概不用，是以各門各派之所長，歸納爲一，所謂“無長不彙集”，“集古大成”者是也。意拳之斷手，首要勁力均整，再要三角弦應，次要單重發力，更要無微不法，法在無念，最後要形力須歸一，神意不著象。故意拳之斷手，與別門別派之技擊均不相同也，蓋因其所重者在發揮人之本能活力而不在局部方法故也。

意拳斷手模式，並不是多，而是極少，只有數式而已。然皆形簡意繁，具應付範圍皆是多方面的，其所運用之力，爲一種立體之力，非僅點、面、線之力，如別門別派者然，此種之體力，非是一種片面方法，而實爲一種發力方法，如能掌握此種發力方法，則技擊之道思過半矣。此正是他人所無而我所獨有者也。習學意拳，不盡在年限之長短，與功夫之深淺和體質之強弱，更不在方法之多寡，動作之快慢，要在於有無真實篤誠之力，如有此種篤誠之力，又能運用立體發力之方法，則於拳道就不難升堂入室，然于學者，平日亦須用此發力方法將本能活力加以訓練，否則，亦不成功夫。此即“後天返先天”之謂也。本文所欲闡述者，亦即如何訓練人之本能活力，以期達到“不期然而然”，“莫知至而至”之境界也。舉一反三，我希望學者不要囿于我所說者，要從我所說者之中推出我所未說者，如是才可貴也。

勁力均整

意拳斷手，最重勁力之均整及各項力之綜合運用，要做到無動不動，己身之動，無論微著，皆須是整體機械之動，一指之指動，百骸皆動，所發一指點微之力，亦是均整之力。周身之意皆到，力不論大小，動不論微著，皆不許破體發力，發力不破體，須使渾身無任何執著點，一有執著點，發力必破體，其力亦無由均整矣，且易爲人所制，故發力無執，則體不破，體不破則力必均整矣，若能均整無執不破體，則對方挨著我之何處，我便以何處擊之，此即“周身光芒不斷”之真義也。 是故，技擊斷手之際，不論主動之發力與被動之接發力，在我則意無定向，無的放矢，六面支撐圓活，突擊內戰，何處觸敵，何處驚炸，既圓活又直射，神意形力，似粘糕之妙，即在於此。如果力有執破體不均整，則不能臻此意境也。然須知力生有兩，兩則能一，蓋反者力之用也，欲吐必吞，無吞則吐無以生，吞而不吐，則吞無以成。同理，欲上兜必下挫，欲左之必右向，前擊之中必有後撐。此即神圓意方，形曲意直也。

禽獸各有其特殊之本能活力，然其活力及第一次自然力，即先天即有者，非後天自覺培養而出者也。人之本能活力，雖先天具有，但由於種種社會應力而減弱，甚至淹而不彰，然籍後天之鍛煉，使其恢復而增強，此乃人之第二次自然力也，人之此種自然力，即技擊斷手之資本。此種自然力須加以訓練，使之成爲人所特有的欲之即出而又出之有方的一種均整之力。因籍以訓練此種活力之形式可不同，斷手時此種活力之表現形式亦會因人而異，形式雖不一，但勁力必須均整不破體，力則無二也。

意拳所運用之力，如炸力、旋力、慣力、杠杆力、離心力、彈簧力等，不能單獨使用，實際上亦不可能單獨使用。若單獨使用，亦達不到均整，且成爲局部片面之方法矣。各項力須綜合運用，尤須借對方之力以成我之力。須知各項力都是筋肉收放與精神假想之統一，二者缺一則力不成力矣。此種均整之力，須由樁法育之，由試力體認而得之，再由斷手訓練而專一之。均整之力是技擊之資本，斷手乃是其具體之運用。力之發，非點、線、面之力，乃立體之力也，即：立勁、橫勁、豎勁三者統一成體者也。故平日操練，不可偏專其一。蓋立勁發必以橫豎二勁爲支撐，則立勁始能定向，同樣，豎勁發也必以立橫二勁爲支撐，則豎勁始能定向，故平日必須練習三勁成體，六力錯綜，我身何處觸敵，何處即爲向敵突擊之鋒面，三勁成體，六力錯綜，鋒面突擊，皆是精神之集合，故斷手之操練，須以意求法，而法又須存於無念，出於無意，如是才是可貴也。

三角預應

意拳之技擊，非進攻性之拳術，乃自衛之術也。因此，意拳之技擊專講斷手，意即：“斷敵可來之手”，善守即善攻也。爲此，技擊時周身關節與具體面積之折疊處，皆應成鈍三角形，蓋三角形能産生預應力故也。對方不論拳打腳踢，我出手斷其來勁，周身三角所産生之預應力，能分解彼之集中應力也，況我出手即是均整之力，彼必難敵。三角不僅具有預應力，且我所發之各項力，皆是三角遒放與精神假想之分工合作，故三角力實意拳之重要法則也。渾身上下所形成任一三角，都是一項分力點，發力和接發力，實際即是處處求得合力點。一旦求得合力，就可以代替無數分力。故須切記不使各關節拉力所産生之三角分力破壞整體之平衡，即均整之力。而須在各關節拉力之貫串中，求得每一動作的合力點，即力之均整，此即形曲意直之義也。故平日操練時，全身關節須無微不含曲勢，同時，亦無關節不含放縱與開展，遒放互爲者是也。因無關節不成鈍三角形，且無平面積，而是斜面迎擊，尤無固定三角形，而是曲中直射，故我手臂與對方手臂一接觸，三角之螺旋力即輪旋不已，順力而逆行，守中寓攻。且我周身皆爲活三角，猶如一大彈簧，波動不已，柔靜而驚彈，起落如水之翻浪也。三角螺旋力與三角彈簧力實自活三角出耳，故接發力時動必活三角，否則即爲硬抗，抗必執著焉。如是操練，久之則自能有沖之不散、捶之不開之妙。

單重發力

任何一門拳術，步法實爲關鍵，而步法之妙，在於形體重心之調配也。據我數十年練功與實搏之經驗而論，三七步單重發力，實技擊勝人訣竅也。此種發力形式，須沾其身始縱力，抽我身勁已發，否則，難得其妙。須用意支配我身全體之筋肉松和空靈，刹那間一緊，而力已運至彼身矣。如此始能鬆緊不滯，力斷意不斷，意斷神猶連。樞紐穩固。此種發力方法，別門拳術得知者蓋寡也，實爲古代拳術之精華。我之所謂“欲復古元始者”即此類也，非單重發力，均整之力無法囫圇遞至彼身也。所謂緊，即爭也，所謂松即斂也，爭斂致用，緊松互爲。爭斂鬆緊之關鍵，在於虛實相互爲用。前進發力，兩足重量前三後七，前虛後實，後退發力，則前七後三，前實後虛。實非全然占煞，實中有虛，虛非全然無力，虛中有實，兩足非“丁”非“八”，其支撐範圍一尺七八，大則滯，小則靈，以能坐襠開胯爲度，前足大趾吃力，後足小趾吃力，要有植地生根之感。發力時，要利用呼吸之彈力，小腹充實，臀部力穩，坐襠提旋，穩定重心，增強兩足力量，與地心爭力，利用地面之反作用力，以加大力之爆炸，須記坐襠時要收斂臀部，使之成爲上體的支座，穩定重心，以增加力之直射速度。如是所發之力，才能實而透，切記兩足不許站在一條直線上，前足不許直線分出，後足不許直線後坐。須以三角螺旋形迂回進退，擰擺橫搖，若鯨之遊旋，如浪之起伏，進則能占勢，退則能避鋒，此即擦拉步之妙也。

發力之際，腰與襠是調節勁度、重心和增強力之均整的關鍵。我力運至彼身，對方因受力而産生一種反作用力，爲克服此種反作用力，以控制已身之平衡，故我須使重心下降，始終下體穩固，上體虛靈。不倒翁之所以不倒，因其重心在其形體之下部故也。即使我發高拳擊對方之頭部，發力時亦須重心下降，斷手多用退步打法，敵方出手發招，亦多用踏重穿襠之術。如敵已向我發起踏重穿襠之勢，此際我須退步斷其手，發力始能便當，故退步打法較之進步打法更爲重要。技擊斷手之目的，實際即以暴力迫使敵方喪失重心，以保持我之重心，始終放在一條載七之實足上，以載三之虛足護衛之，其勢如不倒翁也，不倒翁之所以不倒，一則因其重心下降，一則因其重心始終在一個點上。其重心點外之面積，當受到外力作用而改變其位置時，隨時可改變爲其臨時的重心點。故重心點外之面積上的任何一個點都能起護衛其實際重心之作用，單重發力之奧妙，此其一也；再者彈簧力在身抱三角之情況下，非單重不能出之，只有單重發力，才能做到遍體彈簧似，使全體成爲一大彈簧，此其二也；另外在我無執而彼亦無執時，所生之來回勁，非單重不能出也，此其三也。只有在單重發力之情況下，才能以同一發力動作，發生二次打擊，此其四也，但須記隨時調整兩足虛實之比例，以控制平衡，保證力之均整，尤須切記發力時兩肩不許貫勁，始能源動腰脊，勁貫四肢，力隨足生，三角蓄勁，直線發力。如虛實不清，則犯雙重之病，雙重之病，技擊大忌。學者不可不察。

無法即法 法在無念

實搏不許用法，局部方法乃束縛神意之桎梏，故用法是取敗挨打之道。意拳之斷手，不用局部方法，不蠻用拙力。用法則無異做繭自縛，將本能活力納入框框之中，而無由發揮。用力則己身必有執著點，犯形破體而爲人所制。故斷手亦是一法不立而發揮本能之學也。然後可謂無微不法，因動靜皆依一定原理法則，而此種原理法則又非局部片面之方法，如別門別派之拳術者然，各項原理法則極其高明深刻，而體現此種原理法則之形式又是極平庸，形簡意繁。所以，意拳之學實爲極高水準而蹈平庸之學問也。

關於意拳之原理法則，昔日我曾於其他文字中有所論述，此處不再重復。然有一點再扼要重述者，即無法即是法之意。亦即道家“無爲無不爲”，佛家“萬法皆空，即爲實象”之義，蓋技擊不用法，不用法本身亦是法，不用法之法，實質上不同於渾擊蠻打，因意拳技擊唯持本能活力之自然反應，而此種活力是經過各種原理法則嚴格訓練之觸覺良能，微動亦循法。此種循法而動之本能活力，實亦成爲人之條件反射生理功能矣。其動必循法，實出於無意識，實如赤子之哺乳，天趣盎然，非有意造作之行也。同一姿勢，有意爲之，局部方法也，操之無念，觸覺良能也。 各派技擊，不管其自覺或不自覺，都要遵循一項原則，即降低勁力消耗與提高技擊效率，欲降低勁力消耗與提高技擊效率。平日訓練本能活力之方法就愈少愈好，少而精，少而全面，形簡意賅。待將此種活力訓練至一定火候時，須將自己之精力專注于一兩項打法，操之熟練，宛如赤子之哺乳，春蠶之吐絲，“尋天籟”者是也。遇敵時自然不煩凝儀，不加思索，不期然而然，莫知至而至，率然成章也。

提頓吞吐 沈托分閉

斷手，從形迹上來講，是截擊對方所來之手，若從勁力來講，是斷對方所發之力。

依據運動生物力學，斷手所用之力與物體運動時所産生之機械力相同，亦有三個特性，即：重量、方向、打擊點（即作用點）。斷手之目的，即斷對方所來之力，實即打擊力之此種特性也。上兜下坐，與地心爭力。利用地面之反作用力，有拔地欲飛之勢。旨在截擊敵力以改變其方向，此法謂之提。蓄彈驚炸，欲止先行，行而突然中止，正中寓斜，斜中寓正，斜正互爭，勁由脊發，力從足出，旨在抵消敵力之重量，或震撼敵力之源，即敵之形體，此法謂之頓。提頓爲一來回勁，提爲頓之來，頓爲提之由也。敵我交接，我無執著，令敵也無執著，引進敵力，使之落空，旨在使敵力喪失作用點（即：打擊點），此法謂之吞。吞之同時，順敵力而逆行之，敵力已喪失作用點，而我力已至其作用點，此法謂之吐。吞吐亦爲一來回勁，吞吐無間行者是也。驚彈如抛揚，支點似滾絲，螺旋力纏卷，堅漲於無形，旨在借斷肢以震撼敵力之源，即其形體，此法謂之托。驚彈似粉磚，滾錯疊墜，螺旋力裹擰橫搖於無形，旨在令敵力改變方向，喪失作用點，此法謂之沈。敵力來勢迅猛，我則不躲不閃，不丟不抗，順其力以解其力之重量，引其力以奪其力之作用點，進步占勢，退步避鋒，借急促之勁作來牽動對方之重心，使敵拔根提氣，這是突然的一蓄遒，此法謂之閉。接著乘對方重心不穩，而突然發力，全身炸力直射，隨高打高，隨低打低，手無空至，意無定向，囫圇逆體，力如炸藥，觸點如彈，這是突然的一發一放，此法謂之分。分閉之法，須借呼吸之彈力，始能發力透達也。

八法乃斷手時用力之原理法則，非局部片面之方法。故此法運用之通當，須借對方之力，敵我兩方缺一不可。交接之時，切審敵意，則十分必要也。

八法之運用，非心領神悟實未易有得，然於身外求之，庶手可矣。故在已身之外去求取，體認八法之妙，實爲切要，見性明理後反向身外求也。八法之妙，在於操練無念，無念即本能，有念即是法，是法則精神即被束縛矣。故習學意拳欲臻化境，實非唾手可得也。

形力須歸一 神意不著象

昔日我師郭雲深先生，一世之中曾以鑽、裹、踐三拳立於不敗之地，暮年他曾總結一條經驗，說道：“力不歸一，形無所居，意無所趨，神不瀟逸。故此，任你千招萬術，我有一定之規”。此真千古絕唱也。鑽、裹、踐三拳，作成一個動作，即三種力之歸一也。我青年時，曾隨郭雲深先生習學形意拳，每日晨，郭先生只站混元樁，將鑽、裹、踐三拳操練數十下。下下如氣錘，觀之大有震地欲鳴之感，功力實臻化境也，有見於此，故意拳所運用力雖多，接發力之法雖不一，但最後必須綜合而歸於一，定於一；純於一；精於一；人之本能活力方能召之即來，來之能應，應則必驗。平日操之純一，遇敵時則能得心應手，手到人翻矣。鑒定一門拳術是否高明，要在於養生效果與技擊效率而已。從技擊角度看，拳術之高明在於精簡。查中國古代之拳術，皆是形簡而意繁，當初形意拳只有鑽、裹、踐三拳，八卦掌也只有單雙換掌。故習學任何一門拳術，意拳也不例外，學者本人鬚根據個人情況對所學之拳術進行一番篩選工作。對每一個動作，每一個姿勢，每一個方法，都要用“奧砍剃刀”削減一番，以求歸一。姿勢確爲神意之代表，本能活力之所循。然姿勢若繁多，則神意不易統一，活力不易果速，故對於姿勢應提出下列質疑：一，能不能將這姿勢取消？二，能不能將這一姿勢與別的姿勢合併？三，能不能用更簡單更合理之姿勢取代這一姿式？昔日我曾用此法對中國古代拳術進行過篩選，結果倡出意拳，習學意拳者同樣也可用此法對意拳進行篩選工作，以求得形力歸一也，形力能歸一，又須求神意不著象。要使歸一之法出之無念，成爲隋性本能之反應。身動起象外，法在無念中，其機其秘全在於有意無意之間耳。有意爲之即是法；即是局部；無意爲之而爲，即是本能，即是混噩。有形在意都是假，技到無心始見卻有惰性之本能反應，此意拳斷手之化境也。

身動起象外 法在無念中

數十年間隨我學習意拳者甚衆，其中亦有佼佼者，然亦有挨打者，此何故也?凡取敗挨打者，皆因其背離我平日歸一之教誨焉。由此我怵然有感，我縱觀中國之拳學史，發現一條規律，即任何一門拳術，皆經由鐵老虎演變爲紙老虎之過程，如形意拳當初只有鑽、裹、踐三拳，後人不解其妙，遂造出五行拳。十二形拳、雜式錘等拳套。又如八卦掌當初只有單雙換掌而已，其後人亦不能解其妙，遂造作六十四掌之拳套。再如太極拳，當初只有單雙纏打與擊地，披身二捶而已，其後人更不能深知其妙，遂演化出百八十式。更有南北之分，楊、吳、陳、武之派，習拳者被光怪陸離之畸形拳套緊緊束縛住，其本能活力窒息得奄奄一息，形意、八卦、太極、當其初創之時亦是虎虎有生氣，然何故愈演愈無生氣?何故習其拳者臨戰卻用不上拳套招術?更有甚者，何故習其拳者反被不習拳之外行以渾擊蠻打所擊敗?蓋此輩習拳者皆離精華而守糟粕，不識真老虎而只識假老虎也，一代傳一代，真者日淹而僞者日興，鐵老虎遂變爲紙老虎矣，我倡意拳，目的之一即是復古元始，隨我習拳者，亦有不解我之苦心者，遂走上取敗挨打之道，非我之罪也。我恐意拳亦遭形意、八卦、太極之災，遂不得已，寫此文字，以警後生焉。

此處所欲敍述者，即訓練本能之方法，亦即打法。意拳之術語謂之斷手，斷手又名接發力，即斷對方來手之同時發力進擊之謂也。接發力之訓練是意拳中最實用之一部分工作。此部分工作可兩人實作，亦可單人試作，本文將神形意力四者，扼要述之，供學者練習參考。

學拳貴明理，參理須用邏輯思維；練拳力感實，試作須用形象思維。以形取意，以意賦形，由形揣其意，因意度其形，非運用形象思維難得拳之妙也。故平日練習時，須富於想象，仿生擬物，想象萬千。無窮假借無窮象，似有如無，如無似有。設身處境，應鑽入所想象之形象中去，以體現其神形意力，大有“吾不知蝴蝶之夢周耶?擬或周之夢蝶也”之慨，果能如是，發力始能靈活透達也。 自倡意拳以來，我曾根據運動生物力學之法則與人體生理構造之特點，想象出若干打法，我本人和與我從學意拳諸同好在實踐中曾將其中某些打法應用於實搏，有些奏效甚著，有些則奏效較微。奏效甚著者存之，奏效較微與未實踐者此處皆棄而不述。所述者皆實踐服膺之拳術也。意拳發力制敵，手起之前不知如何起，既落之後不知如何落，莫知至而至，乃本能之反射也。故每次實搏之後，本人實難總結。然旁觀者清，我此處所述各項打法，皆系實搏觀摩之記錄也。 斷手之基本模式只有五式而已，由五式可以派生出若干具體打法，茲分別敍述如次：

一 靈蛇驚變

此式即技擊樁法也。 先談技擊樁之站式，亦即斷手時之潛在預備式。內清虛而外中正，三角預應，身斜勢低，重心下降，臀部力穩，兩足重量前三後七，腳站六面勁，形在曲蓄，意在直射，身微搖，慣性如如也。冷眼觀之，頗似西洋拳之架式，又似形意拳之虎抱頸。俱非也，此式實如兒童之玩具不倒翁。此僅就其形力而言。再言其神意，筋力空靈均整，神遊於無何有之鄉，既有吳漢殺妻之意，又有荊軻借頭之心。然滿面春風，敵縱有惡言詬罵，我亦笑容可鞠也。拳出即是禍，不畏禍。縮手即是福，不求福。既欲動手，禍福置之度外矣。意拳有兩個原則，第一，不動手，第二，動則不休，不將對方置於死地不罷休。故在平日練習時，不許任意活動，一舉首，一投足，皆須具技擊應付之能。技擊之際，既須形不倒，更須意不倒焉。

外形笨拙手藏奸 心蓄殺機亦開顔

隨遇不倒意靈巧 後其所發意搶先

宇宙間靜者恒靜，動者恒動，惰性也。我身由靜而動，須克服自身之恒靜惰性，而使我身産生恒動之惰性。故欲動手，須先使自身進入恒動之惰性境界。處於此種境界，技擊時始能得力也，察電動之機輪，其起動所耗之電流，高於其正常運轉之電流，其理自明矣。故惰性如此，實即降低勁力之消耗而蓄力待發，此爲技擊之重要法則，亦動猶不動之妙也。 再談技擊樁法之展開式，即左右互換也，此爲意拳之基本斷手模式

意力閃閃卷枯葉 驚赫天涯鳥飛絕

裹纏橫繞雲龍蟠 光芒無限力如鐵

運行當中，要筋絡鼓蕩。假想全身猶如大汽球，身體猶如懸空，唯風力是應。全身象有無數繩索牽撐，左蕩則右掣，前趨則後拉，上伏則下墜，縱橫皆浪力，起伏帶鋒棱，身動似螺旋，處處皆似滾珠機輪。對方挨我何處，何處即逆體驚炸。兩手運行，無論高低曲伸抱撐，一前一後，一左一右，永須慣性如如，炸力不斷。彌所彌時，處處緊跟對方動作合拍，既不丟又不抗，相機發力，於錯綜矛盾中求統一也。雙足運行無論進退刀叉分刺，一虛一實。實足不許全然煞死，虛足不許全然飄浮。進退皆走三角螺旋形，擦地拉腿而滑行。足隨手運，手進三分足進七，雙足之虛實比例始終應配合適當，充分利用地面之反作用力，以加強炸力之直射速度之強度。運行當中須假想假借，體認尋求，有象中求無形，虛無中求有處（“處”字讀如設身處境之處），局部中求渾噩，蠕動中求迅速，柔靜中求驚炸，笨拙中求靈巧，矛盾中求統一，三角中求直線。求而有得，則可進而探討整個技擊之學也。 技擊樁之法則，並非局部方法，然卻可以從其中演繹出局部打法，即斷手也。于此即敍述幾項從技擊樁法派生出之打法。

（一）拂鍾無聲

此即劈拳也，此法可作爲進擊發力，亦可作爲接發力，此法系利用分佈力也。 設對方單手起，當其已發未至之際，我起左手，橫截其中節部位，內藏裹攬吞墜之力，出左足。同時我右手自我左手臂之上出擊，奔對方面部往下摟劈，手足要同起同落，作成一個動作，在此動作中，腰脊至關重要，起左手出左足之時，全身由左向右借腰脊擰擺橫搖之勢發出旋力，貫于我之左手臂，至彼周身，迫使對方拔根提氣，同時我之左手臂與我之右手臂相交，別住彼之右手臂，我用炸力往下摟劈，敵必翻出，此項打法爲進步接發力，如對方出右手時，向我發起穿襠踏重之勢，我則退左步，其他動作與上同，此爲退步接發力。

此項打法與形意拳之劈拳毫不相同也，于現實生活中，我嘗觀潑婦打架，常抓臉撓胸，操之如本能然，頗引我之興趣，世人常謂“打人不打臉”，此其過人之處也，由此我遂悟出劈打之法，聽我言自會有人譏笑意拳，彼或謂連潑婦打架之術亦納入意拳，實荒誕之至也。但我認爲鑒定拳學高明與否之標準是實踐，不論我所操之物是茶壺，抑或是夜壺，只要打上你，就是寶貝壺也，意拳之打法，多屬此類。凡世人所謂不地道者，意拳卻採用之，此即意拳手奸處也。 平日操練此法時，要左右前後互換，進退皆能發力均整適當，要由開展，逐步練到緊小脫化，有象而無形，無形而神似，兩手之鋒刃，有如寶刀利劍之拂鍾無聲，斷金如泥也，練習時還要體認力之運用，我之斷敵來之手須含蓄吞吐之意，引進彼力使之落空，喪其作用點，我之進擊之手既要有的放矢，又要莫知至而至，遇高則高處即爲作用點，逢低則低處即爲作用點，總之，觸實即發力，纏綿不斷續，敵身離我手，收勢勁又蓄。此分佈力之妙也。

（二）蟄龍探首

此項打法，可作直拳，亦可作指拳；可用於發力，亦可用以接發力，爲意拳之纏打法也。 設對方出右手擊我頭部，我左右手同去，同時出右足，我之左手以撐纏之旋力自其右臂內側直擊對方面部，或拳或指，與此同時，我之右手以掌型砸其右腕，並以我之左肩爲墊，手足同去同至，一個動作。此項打法爲進步接發力，如對方向我發出穿襠之勢，我即退步接發力。

設對方仍以右手擊我頭部，我出左足，同時我之雙手同去，我之左掌以橫截沈砸之力擊其右小臂，並以我右肩爲墊，我之右手沿對方手臂之內側直擊其頭部，或拳或指，手足同去同至，一個動作。此法可用于進步打，亦可用於退步打，退步打，須利用地面之反作用力。

以上打法之特點是將對方所來之手臂纏抱住，纏抱之同時即發力進擊，或以拳擊其面，或以指戳其睛。此法甚凶，對方必負傷，不可輕用；但用則心黑手狠，務使對方終生留念。

平日練習此法時，要雙手左右互換，兩足進退皆可發力，兩手足須交替互演，此項打法之關鍵，在於所進之虛足和所退之虛足。虛足一著地，借助於地面所生之反作用力即刻發力進擊，力必均整適當。否則，難得其妙，練習時須體認力之運用，運行時我之兩手臂含著沈托捉拿之意，有纏抱橫截緊擊之力，內藏肩打之法，意力伸長，似覺地球有助我之勢，因之假想我真如蟄龍之振電直飛也，切記此法最忌雙重不化之病：

神形拙笨無呆象 意力靈巧有鋒棱

橫撐豎漲曲中直 兩足虛實認端詳

習時，須操練拳掌，以增強其耐力。以此式之發力方法，瑪左拳擊右掌心，用右拳擊左掌心，兩手交替互演，雙足進退互換，于三角曲蓄之中求取直射發力之速度與強度。須記進擊之拳，腕部不許外凸，不許內凹，小臂須垂直於拳乏鋒面，如是力至敵身始能隔皮透骨。 習時，還須操練整體肌肉之耐力，力求逐步達到緊小脫化，肌肉如一之境界，動作愈習愈微，而神意卻愈習愈足，我意欲向何處，則眼神即到何處：力之作用點亦直射到何處，既注意打擊之要點，又無所爲而爲之，久之，本能反射自然敏感也。

(三)座地起火

此法即鑽拳也，然與形意拳鑽拳根本不同，蓋二者力之作用點不同，形意拳之鑽拳，其力作用對方心窩之下軟點，意拳之鑽拳其力作用于對方心窩之軟點，且所發之拳之雞心指拳，並帶旋力，故較形意拳爲厲害，實與西洋拳之悶捶頗相似也，此種打法，輕則能使對方休克，重則能使對方致命，學者宜慎用之。

設對方起右手欲擊我之胸腹部，當其手已來未至之際，我出左足，同時我雙手並去，我之左手橫截裹墜其右手臂，引進敵身至我身前，迫使對方失重前俯，我之右手成雞心指拳，自我之左手臂之上，以旋力挺進擊對方心窩，上體上兜，下體下坐，上下對拉拔長，周身均整之力貫於四稍，敵必被擰出，此項打法之關鍵在於進擊右手之旋力與腰脊擰擺之旋力，借助於上兜下坐之拉力，而爆發爲炸力，炸力點雖爲對方之心窩，而力之延伸方向卻是直指天空，意在上鑽，故此項打法，實即利用“力生有兩，兩則能一”之法則，借上兜下坐這對拉拔長，而求力之均整也。 習時，兩手足須前後左右靈活互換，腰脊須有擰擺橫搖之力，而上體與下肢又有對拉拔長之勢，上兜寓於下坐，整體覺如大螺旋，旋擰不已，假想己身實有鑽天欲飛之勢，起火不點不燃，我之鑽拳不借力不發，蓋因其射程短故也：

上兜下坐意沖天 引到身旁發鑽拳

由己則滯從人活 心狠手黑打法奸

查閱國內外之諜報工作者與反諜報工作者，皆精于此項打法，於此可見此項打法之實用價值，與其說培蓄均整之力，勿寧說訓練心狠手黑之心理也，學者不可不明。

（四）伴窗觀橫雨

此項打法，即形意拳之裹拳也。 設對方起右手，不論其意欲擊我何處，當其已起未落之際，我即已左手橫截抱攬其所來手臂，彼若抗勁有執，我之左手臂即以吞吐之力裹擰對方之右前胸，我無執令彼亦無執，引進其力使之落空，與我左手去之同時，我之左足出，與我擰裹彼之右前胸之同時，我之左足利用地面反作用之彈力，俯而抽身收勢，而已遞至彼身矣，此即裹擰之法也，此法能使對方失重倒地而無傷，此爲技擊手善之法，若欲加強力之直射強度，於左手裹擰之際可以右手加于我左手臂以助力，如是對方即有傷內咯血危也。

習時，兩手須左右互換，兩足須進退互演，此法之關鍵，在沾身縱力，抽身勁發，不論進退，虛足一點地，借助地面反作用之彈力而發力，此法乃是利用蓄發互相爲根之來回勁，我出左手，以橫截抱攬之力斷其所來之手，引進其力使之喪失作用點，此即是吞，即是來勁也，待對方有執抗勁，我隨勢以左手臂之前鋒，用均整之力撞對方之右前胸，撞中帶裹，裹中帶擰，此即是吐，即回勁也。此法即是豎撞之法，卻是橫中寓豎，由發而蓄，因蓄而發，蓄發如海水之翻浪也，己身不具備波浪彈力，則難得此法之妙用，故習時，炸力通過腰軸擰擺橫搖所生之離心力，而推動整體，貫注於四肢，兩手左右互換，抱中有撐，撐中有抱，於撐抱互爲之際體認波浪彈力之微妙，三角蓄勁，直線發力，豎撞發力之際，須假借夜深人靜雨橫風狂：

雨氣昏千嶂 江聲撼萬象

雲翻一天墨 浪蹴半空花

而我欲推窗觀望，窗開而狂風橫雨劈頭蓋臉而來，我本能地抽身避之，此種本能抽身避害之反應，橫擬之，即爲此項打法也。

（五）驚蛇迂回

此項打法即橫拳也。 設對方起右手，欲擊我胸腹部位，當其已起未落之際，我出左足，同時我之左手以橫截滾搓之力，引進敵力，使之落空，敵身有拔根前俯之勢，順勢我將左手臂猛然向上一翻，翻中帶揚，以左手掌內面與左手臂底部爲鋒面，用均整之力，向對方右胸部橫擊，彼必翻出，亦可用右手助力，以加強炸力之直射速度。此項打法，仍是來回勁，利用波浪彈力與上法所不同處在於上法裹擰之力，其方向是自敵身往下裹擰，而本法翻揚之力，其方向是自敵身往上翻揚，兩法皆是先吞後吐，因發而蓄，引進落空，力撥千斤也。

習時，須兩手左右互換，進退皆鬚髮力適當，借腰脊擰擺橫搖之勢，練出波浪鋒棱，須於三角之中求直線，直中寓橫，三角化打，直線橫走，想己身猶如驚蛇之橫走豎撞，迂徊敵之兩側也，其要在於使己之重力位能轉化爲重力動能也。 操練此法，須以來回勁所形成之波浪力爲主，己身能有此種浪力，則不難得此法之妙。

（六）勒馬聽風 此意拳之栽捶也。 設對方出右手，欲擊我之胸腹，當其來手已實，我兩手同去，左足隨出，我之左手掌心向下，橫截對方右手臂，一接觸，我之左掌即刻向內一滾，以攬墜撐裹之力，將其手臂引進，使之喪失作用點，此際我之整體自左下方向右上方作一落千丈弧形旋轉，同時，我之右臂，握拳曲肘，以腰脊之弧形旋轉爲動力亦向右上撐提，在我腰脊旋轉所生之離心力的推動下，我之左手所引進者，不只是對方之右手臂，而是敵之整體，彼不僅拔根提氣，而是向前栽倒，我即刻順勢將整體往回旋轉，在腰脊迴旋之帶動下，我之向右上撐提之手以拳往下落，擊敵之頭胸腹部。

設對方兩手同來，打法與上述亦略同，我之向上撐提之右手，於撐提之前須以叼鈎之力向斜上撐提其左手，叼鈎須用拳腕所生旋提之力，其他動作與上法同。 習時，須體認力之運用，此法之關鍵，在於腰脊來回旋轉時，所産生之離心力與向心力之相爭也，亦是來回勁。即爭力也： 離向本囫圇 陡頓離向分 源動在腰脊 蹬地定乾坤

習時須左右互換，進退發力，發力不適當，須尋求於腰脊，腰脊外旋之來勁將敵身引進，使之落空，腰脊內旋之回勁複將引進之敵身擊出去，外旋變內旋全靠腰脊之突然一頓，而腰脊突然一頓之妙又生於所出於虛足之利用地面反作用力，此種用力之法即爲吞吐也，故習時，於腰足陡頓登地之際猶如：

騎馬臨深淵 狂風襲面來

勒馬聽狂風 撒手落懸崖

發力之際，須有性命攸關之感，力力篤實。 此

項打法甚是厲害，不至性命干連之際，不可輕用，故習時既須求力之篤實，更須培植肯忍狠之心理，否則難收實用之效。

(七)猛虎搜山

此法即反身旋打也。 設有敵自我背後襲來，我不知對方擊我何處，亦不知所來之手是單是雙，此際即須用顧我不顧敵之法，設敵方襲我時，我之左腳在前，右腳在後，我雙足原地不動，以兩足尖爲軸，整體旋轉一百八十度，原前足變後足，原後足變前足。我之整體自我左前向我右後起旋之際，我之雙手並起，兩臂皆曲肘作三角形，掌心皆向外，右掌不過眉，左掌之四指背靠近右肘之外側，要緊如焊接，須有九牛拉不開之勢，如是，我之兩臂即如一張豎起之大弓背，借我整體旋轉之勢，此一大弓背即産生一種旋中帶橫之力。對方所來之手豎勁，而我則是直線橫走之力，敵之手臂與我之手臂相遇，其力必被化走。當我手臂一感知觸覺，即刻雙臂化曲爲直，向我之前下方發力，觸敵何處擊何處，此即三角蓄勁斷敵手，直線發力奪敵身也。此法之妙，與其說在眼神之視覺，不如說在兩耳之聽覺與皮膚之觸覺也。察覺有敵襲我背後，靠聽覺，兩臂觸感一實即發力，非操練有素，具備毛髮勢如戟之功，則不能發力均整適當。

此法之關鍵，在於鉚肩焊肘，兩手臂不論遇到何種手法，皆須捶之不開，擊之不散，如是才能將我之頂門至小腹這一範圍護住，故習時不許假想假設，敵來何種方法，我又如何應付，我只練腰脊如軸，肩肘自焊接，旋力靈活而已。聽到身後有敵聲，我即如此動，只顧我不顧彼，雖非混擊蠻打，卻也無招無術，雖曰無招術，卻也訓練有素。習時，須左右互換，虛實分明：

聽力兩耳閑 觸覺要敏感

旋轉身穩健 發力不靠眼

且習時須思己身如被激怒之猛虎，有出林搜山欲崩之勢。平日如此練習，遇敵時自有不可思議之妙。

（八）陸地行舟 此意拳崩打豎撞之法也，可用於主動發力，亦可用於接發力，用於主動發力更爲適合。 設對方向我而立，其右足在一剛，我則出左足至其斜前方，隨即上右足至其兩足間，手並去，右手臂曲蓄斜豎，拳背向敵，左手放在右手臂之內側以助力，以均整驚炸之力向敵之胸部撞去，敵必翻出。在我出左足進右足之際，我走二二角形，此際借腰脊之擰擺橫搖，整體形成一種旋力，待此種旋力觸及敵體時，即以炸力形式爆發，此法迅猛異常。

此法用於退步接發力，猶爲得力。設對方起手擊我胸腹，其所起之手不論單雙，如彼右足在前，窺取我之中央，我則退左足，同時我之雙手臂以三角蓄勁，提弓捉弧之勢，用沈滾推錯之力，此際敵身必失重前俯，我隨勢將雙手臂斜豎起，拳背向敵，以抨彈之勁向敵擊去，可落於其面部，可落於胸前，可落於肩頭，可相體選擇，又無既定目的，何處利於我，我即於何處發力進擊。此法之關鍵在於後退之虛足，須巧妙地利用虛足著地時地面之反作用力，此法若能運用恰當，敵必被抨出數步之遠。

習時需左右互換，進退交替發力，雙足擦拉，兩手提弓捉弧，整體借腰脊擰擺橫搖之勢：

進退手舞須揮浪 縱橫起落帶鋒棱

我無預見聽敵力 好似游水泛空身

習時須體認力之運用，此法仍以腰脊之旋力爲原動力，務使力達於四肢，貫於手足。實足不許全然占煞，須令支撐全體重心之能事，虛足不許全然無力，須充分利用地面之反作用之彈力，兩手臂既要無定型，又要有所處，心目之中既無欲擊何處之成見，又須有尋蹤追迹以發力之意向，惟感己身如不系之舟，泛於游水，惟風力是應，遇坎則止，順暢則流，意不停，力不斷，神不散，形渾噩。習時若有旁觀者，須給彼以一種形神意力皆是“稀裏糊塗”之感覺，方爲妙也。如是習恒久，自會感到奇趣橫生，遇敵時自得力也。

二 香鯨遊旋 此即渾元樁之展開式也。 此式之奧妙，即其三角螺旋力。整體及兩臂雙足皆須依本三角螺旋力之規律而運行。切記須以整體旋力，帶動兩臂與兩足之旋力，務使局部隨整體而運行，不許局部破壞整體。內勁真力通過腰脊擰擺橫搖所生之旋力，推動兩臂伸縮輪旋不已。兩臂前伸，螺旋式前進，爲卷，生離心力。兩臂後縮，螺旋式後退，爲裹，生向心力。利用陡頓離向分之法則，當兩臂伸卷前進即將結束而其縮裹後退即將開始之際，在腰腿之配合下，兩手臂應一頓，使旋力化炸力，而貫於指端，此際，試力即爲發力矣。此種轉化，可隱於內，亦可顯於外。其隱顯之限，應以自己之意感爲度，意不內動，力不外發。從技擊效用講兩手臂螺旋式伸卷前進，支點猶如滾絲，肩肘似機輪，引進化走敵力於無形。三角蓄勁，橫擰直取，頓放敵身，而留痕於其眼底胸前；然兩手臂螺旋式裹縮後退L，力點不抗勁，肘腕皆如滾珠木棱，橫截推錯，曲中寓直，頓遒己身，吞噬敵力於無形，我臂已刻入敵腕之骨裏矣。此即：

旋力吞吐於無形 離向沈托要留痕 三角螺旋曲中直 滑車杠杆作用長

此法爲意拳之基本功。昔日從我習意拳之諸友好，能將此法操到好處者，千無一二。非我授之不詳，實此輩未將陡頓離向分之法則參透也，于此，特意指出，望後學者勉之。

習時，須時刻體認螺旋力向炸力之轉化，借橫走之旋力，發出豎撞之炸力。三角蓄勁，直線發力，進退縱橫揮浪舞，起伏不定虛實睹，整體與手足動作之螺旋形，對方觸及何處，何處即能使對方失去平衡而倒地也，此法操之純熟，自有不可思議之妙。 此法爲一項發力模式，從中可派生若干具體打法，茲扼要述之如下：

(九)烈虎出洞

此法爲意拳之遒放也，須利用分佈力。 設對方以雙掌或雙拳襲我胸部，其右足向我發起穿襠窺中之勢。我出右足，同時雙手同去，自其兩手臂之下，沿其小臂內側猛然向上遒提，將其兩腕別於我之兩手肘之內側，與此同時，我上體與下肢運用對拉拔長之爭力，迫使對方拔根提氣，隨即用雙掌以卷挺頓放之力向敵之前胸推去，敵必被放出無疑矣。

此法之關鍵在於遒，遒中須有引擎之意，撐肩橫肘臂腕卷提以引進敵身使之就我，上兜下坐，頭足對拉拔長，用兜卷抽托之力以擎起彼身，使之拔根就我。若能使敵拔根就我，則我由遒變放之際，敵必無隙可乘，而由我擲出矣，故遒放之法，遒爲切要。然須切記放非全然直推之意，放中須有頓挫之力，故雙掌至其身，不許一沾即離，雙手須沿其胸而下走，直至掌心無物感而後止。同時須借腿之力，以使雙放之力均整適當。故習時須體認此種用力之法，此刻留心肩肘腰腳之配合，務求力之均整，習時切記遒時臀部不許越過後足跟，又須有虎生之勢，放時腰脊垂線不許彎曲，須有斜中寓直之意。沾身縱力，抽身勁發，如烈虎之出洞，欲出而又入，欲入而又出，前伸後坐，爭力均整也。

（十）雷霆擊地

此項打法爲意拳之雙把栽捶也。 設對方低身下勢，出右足向我發起穿襠之攻勢，同時對手向我肋腹部打來，其手法似形意之馬拍子或炮捶之雙挫掌，來勢甚猛。設我右足在前，遂將右足後撤半步，同時雙手並去，自上捶入其兩小臂之內，我之掌腕即用橫撐旋提之力叼鈎撐提其兩臂腕，向我懷中引進其身，若敵有執，叫勁後坐，我則破執，乘勢松鈎握拳，並將後撤之右足進半步，同時我之雙拳借上體與下肢對拉拔長之爭力向敵之面及前胸擊去，敵必坐地彈起，傷內而挫擰腰脊。

此法之關鍵，在於整個動作皆須巧妙地利用地面之反彈射力。我之右足後撤半步時，須利用地面之反作用力以引進敵身，待敵後坐叫勁，我進步破執以發力進擊，亦須借地面之反作用力，以增強我上下對拉拔長所生爭力之直射強度。我力之方向並非平直，而是沿敵體而斜下，故我力遞至敵身而達於地面，地面之反射彈力又有將敵體彈起之勢，如是敵之腰脊之垂線即彎曲矣，故此法之兇猛，不僅在於擊其胸腹而傷其內臟，更在於挫傷其腰脊骨焉，因此，此法所運用之力，猶如雷霆閃電，白天空達放地面，複自地面反射於天空也，習時，須時刻體認自發力，上下對拉拔長縮短之既矛盾又統一之爭力，此種爭力爲集中力也。 昔日我嘗謂意拳有拔地欲飛之力，更與地心爭力，學者多各解其意，故意拳之某些斷手之技巧也難於學到手，於此我再次提出利用地面反射彈力之妙，以克服雙重不化之病，望學者努力爲之。

三 神龜出水 此法即大乘樁之展開式也。（注：諸本均爲“大乘樁”，疑有誤。查王老文章，未見有將意拳樁分爲大乘樁和小乘樁之說。王選傑先生有意拳之大乘、中乘、小乘之說，或爲王選傑先生所改。另，神龜出水試力是意拳大式樁基礎上的試力，或爲“大式樁”之誤，存疑備考）

此式之妙，即在於上下對拉，提按之演，前後拔長形曲力直。其形象猶如大龜立遊於水面欲浮而又沈，欲沈而又浮，時浮時沈而挾浪揚波於水面。操練此法之技擊性目的是欲使我之周身上下按之皆有漂木運動，蓋化打無執也，故習時須體認反者力之用這一法則，上下對拉，提按撐錯，前後拔長，摟劈鑽刺，左右圓撐，骨藏鋒棱，利用各關節拉力所生之分力，尋求其合力點，以達到技擊之效用。然仍是三角化打勁始蓄，直線發力帶鋒棱，手握提按斜撐錯，單臂杠杆克阻力，習時須體認我之兩臂所生若漂木之力，此單臂杠杆力之妙也。

習時須體認地面之反作用力。蓋此式之全部精神在於力生有兩，兩則能一，力之生皆成對成雙，有向前之作用力必有向後之反作用力力與反作用力，作用於一條直線之上，大小相等，方向相反，同時出現，同時消滅，性質相同，互不抵消。技擊發力時，我之前進或後退之虛足-對地面施加之作用力愈大，所發之力亦就越均整。故技擊時，爲增強作用力，以獲得大小相等，性質相同，方向相反之反作用力。在周身三角蓄勁之外，還須善於利用所進或所退之虛足蹬地時所生之集中力即爲反作用力。又須知我所進或所退之虛足，足尖一點地，即爲單臂力杠杆也，此種單臂力杠杆所生之反作用力與我上肢單臂速度杠杆所生之作用力，既矛盾又統一以合成斷手制敵之均整之力也。操練此式時，還須注意使我之整體重力作用線常保持在兩足支撐面積之內，以穩定我之樞紐平衡。欲達此目的，又須頂上意空靈一蓋我之頭顱，系一平衡杠杆也。拳家所謂“虛靈頂勁”，即指此也。故習時，頭不許前低，不許後仰，以與手臂虛足之單臂杠杆相配合也。故于別處，我曾將此樁法，名爲杠杆樁，實非無故也。

神龜出水之式，既爲一項基礎試力，又系一項斷手模式，從中可派生若干具體打法，茲分別述如次。

(十一)金戈鐵馬

設對方出左足起左手，欲擊我之頭部或前胸，我向其左足之左側出右足，同時起右手，以旋提撐卷之力，利用我右前臂速度杠杆之特點，動小而快猛，橫截其左前臂或其肘部，我之右足利用地面反作用力配合我右臂之作用力，將對方擎起，此際敵已拔根提氣，我乘勢將所進之半步撤回，同時提起右拳隨即下落擊對方之腋肘部位，落手是點，往下延續成面，使炸力的分佈力之形式遞至敵身，配合此項動作所撤之右足仍須利用地面之反作用力。此法之關鍵在於我起手旋提敵臂肘須藏身，落手擊敵旋提，其藏身而起，束手而落，前進後撤之勢，實如執金戈、跨鐵馬，馳騁沙場之古代將軍也。

(十二)驚蛇入穴

此法即鑽刺也 設對方平起右手欲襲我之胸腹部，我則出左足，兩手並去，左前右後，左前臂自下以驚彈之力橫截其右前臂，左手以指拳擊其右肋部位，同時我右手自上拍打其右手背，我之左右兩臂以對拉拔長之勢將敵之右臂撐住，迫使對方拔根提氣，彼必被擲出。如我所出之左手爲拳，擊對方之肋部，並左右互換，連續使用，此即意拳之連環馬，厲害無比。此法亦可用于對付對方之高路手法，我即以指拳刺對方之面部。

此法之關鍵，仍在上下對拉，前後拔長之爭力，尤在前後之拔，用退步發力之法最爲適當。故習時須體認前後拔長之勢，前手進擊之作用力與後退虛足蹬地之反作用力成一直線，猶如長蛇之受驚。

(十三)頓開金鎖

此法爲意拳之撕也，系利用逆向之平行力。

設對方出右足雙手向我胸腹部襲來，或對方抓我之兩肩或兩大臂，如摜跤者然，我亦出右足，兩手起於彼兩臂之外側，左手向我之左前方推對方之外肩頭或其大臂之外側，右手向我之右後方鈎拉對方之右腕內側或其右小臂內側，我之一推一拉之力須大小相等，方向相反並須平行，同時生成，同時消失，尤須借助腰脊之擰擺橫搖與所出虛足之蹬地力，腰脊四肢配合無間，力必均整。如是力至敵身，彼必整體轉動，而拔根翻出矣。

此法之關鍵，在於兩臂之逆向平行對拉拔長，如以拇指食指擰鑰啓鎖之力也。習時須左右互換，進退發力，體認此種用力之法，習時還須體認推拉二力作用線之間的垂直距離，不可太小，小則無力，然亦不可太大，大則力散，須大小適當，方爲妙也。

(十四)老僧稽首

此項打法爲意拳扣挂之法，內有撐抱，仍系利用單臂杠杆力也。

設對方用右手擊我面部，來勢兇猛異常。我如用橫截之法，甚難斷其來手，我則退右是，雙手並起，左手掌心挂其右小臂內側，兩手掌一合，須有鉗夾之力，隨其右手之衝力，我合十之雙掌夾住其右小臂內側向我左後方擲去，敵必拔根前栽，不打而自蹶矣。此法之形象，頗似僧侶之合十稽首，實利用速度杠杆力也。

設對方以右手擊我之臍腹部，來勢亦兇猛異常。我如用橫截之法甚難斷其來手，我仍退右足，雙手合十並去，以左手臂之外側扣其右手臂之內側，同時我之右手與左手合十並攏，以雙臂之力引進其單臂之力，敵必前栽倒狀。 此法之關鍵，在於兩臂運動速度要快，速度愈大，則其動量也愈大，兩臂須在最短之時間內通過其工作距離，縮短其力作用時間，故習時須體認此種猝猛均整之發力方法。

（十五）狸貓追鼠 此法即雙撞雙推之法也，仍須利用前後對拉上下拔長之作用力與反作用力。 設對方叼住我之雙手，並向其懷中用力，叫我之整體，欲將我引進而制之，設我之右腳在前，我無執令彼亦無執，我順執就其引我之力將雙拳向其胸腹撞去，此際對方必後仰，以避我之雙拳，如是，彼招我之雙手之勁必松，但其勁雖松而形未松，我隨將雙臂之均整之力往下一抖，上下拔長，彼必鬆開前手而前俯就我。我再起雙手擊其胸部，前後對拉，以均整之力將對方擊出。 此法之關鍵在於破其引我之力，

一般情況下彼必向其兩側，即或左或右之方向引我，而在我雖不許有執，但必須將其引我之力變成逆其體之力，此法即是隨中有牽之法，此法用好，其他動作則隨之適當得力。故習時，須始終保持力之直射，須體認我上下拔長是爲了更適於前後之對拉也。習時，其形象猶如俯身前趨，徹底地覓物之狀，雙手下落有聲，而步履卻似貓輕，故曰狸貓追鼠也。

四 鷹戲封姨 此法即鷹樁之展開式也。

昔日我曾提出“與大氣相呼應”，“利用宇宙之力波與地心爭力”，“體認空氣阻力何似”等說法，學者多莫解其義，因之於試力與斷手之道亦多似是而非。

奈人體之所以能有機械運動，實外力爲其原因，如無地面給人體一種反作用力，則人體根本不會機動，技擊尤其如此，不借助地面之反作用力，根本不能達到技擊目的，此即“與地心爭力”之義也。如我由技擊樁之站式過渡到技擊樁之展開式，乃由於我之整體通過我之一足向後下方給地面一個作用力，同時地面應通過此足給我之整體以一個反作用力。在此反作用力之推動下，我之整體始獲得向前之加速度。空氣阻力亦是一種反作用力，以分佈力之形式作用于人體，有時作用於人之某一個局部，如左手或右手等。技擊時須借助於此種反作用力尤其是利用呼吸之彈力，此即“大氣呼應”。體認空氣阻力之義也。又如人體走擦拉步時，有向心力(離心力隨之)生成，此表明有向心力作用於人體。當人體之擦拉步停止時，向心力消失，此表明向心力亦不多作用於人體矣。凡此種種之合外力，即所謂之宇宙力波也，欲達技擊之目的，不利用宇宙力波，則無米而做炊也，誠然，意拳注重內勁真力，亦即本能活力，然唯有內勁而無由發之亦徒然也。

人體筋肉遒放之內勁須與宇宙力波相配合，二者相反相成，所謂高超之技擊家，實乃利用二者間統一矛盾之能手也。

此式之技擊效用，在於依本此式所設計之姿式而運行，以體認宇宙力波之妙。習之恒久，成本能反射，遇敵自能得心應手，應付有餘。此勢之運行，仍依本三角蓄勁（形曲），直線發力(力直)之法則。我之整體各關節皆成鈍三角形，各關節之相對位置即潛蓄一種彈力勢能，在意念領導，神經支配與筋肉支撐遒放之條件下，借助宇宙之力波，此種彈力勢能即轉化爲彈力動能，此即技擊之所需，所謂“遍體彈簧似也”。故習時雙臂向意向之方向伸縮遒放，借助於宇宙之力波，將勢能轉化爲動能。其勢如蒼鷹之翔行，俊鶻之橫飛，似有我不知我乘風力耶，或風乘我力耶之慨。 習時，我縱橫往返，高低起伏，進退發力。我之整體重心不斷變化，其與地面之相對位置即潛蓄一種重力勢能。在意念領導，神經支配與腰脊擰擺橫搖，虛足蹬地之條件下，借助於宇宙之力波，此種重力勢能即轉化爲重力動能，此即技擊之所需，所謂“渾噩逆體”者也，其勢如神鷹之順風提兔也，有如遊龍之逆流出水，此即直線發力之要也。

我于別處曾提出“勁潛百體內，力奪形骸外”之說，學者費解，故於此處扼要述之，望學者體認操存久之，自覺奇趣盎然。

總之，此法之妙，是一彈一撞，彈中寓撞， 撞中寓彈，然仍系依本形曲力直之法則。此法既是一項基礎試力，又系一項斷手模式，從中可以派生若干具體打法，茲分述如次。

（十六）烈馬奔放

此即鑽裹踐，仍系利用地面支撐之反作用力。

設對方起右手欲擊我胸部或胸部以上之部位，對方同時出右足欲取我之中央。我亦出右是，但只半步，放於其右足之內側，有套鈎之勢。我同時起右手，手掌向外，以小臂前部之外側截擊彼大臂前部之外側，一接觸我即以均整之力撞其大臂，隨即我猛轉我之小臂，以裹吞之力略引其身，於猛轉小臂之際，我之右手已握拳，以鑽挺爆炸之力向彼之面部或右側之動脈部位擊去。 此法之關鍵，在於開始之一撞，此一撞從我之角度亦是豎勁，從對方角度看是橫勁，借此一撞，務使對方之整體來一個四十五度之轉動，方爲妙。此際彼必拔根提氣，順勢我裹吞以發力進擊則迴旋有餘矣。撞之所以成功，取決於我所出虛足之蹬地與我腰脊之擰擺橫搖，兩個動作統一協調，使我之整體動力勢能變爲整體重力動能，借我小臂外側之鋒面傳遞到對方之整體，

彼若功力較淺，彼不僅整體轉動拔根，而實有翻出之可能，爲增大力之直射速度，我可用左手撐助我之右小臂，同時，亦可避免我右臂關節之病。

設對方功力較深，當我以右臂撞彼時，彼卻抗勁有執，我則順勢翻手裹捋其臂，吞噬其力而引進其身，在發此動作之同時，我前虛足一點地，以助上肢吞引之勢。當我後撤之右是一蹬地，我裹捋之右手即變拳進擊對方之面部。此法之關鍵，在於我右手裹捋吞引之形，力是向後而我前足卻前蹬，此是前後對拉。當我右手由裹捋吞引變爲向前進擊之際，而我前足變爲後足，卻向後蹬地，此仍是前後對拉。在此前後對拉拔長之過程中，我之整體重力動能借我右拳之鋒面傳遞至對方之整體，彼必負傷翻出。欲使我力均整適當，必須利用地面之支撐反作用力，尤須切記我進擊之拳必須指向對方之面部。蓋我後足蹬地時，所發生反作用力之方向是斜上方，亦即我之後足及其蹬地時反作用力之合力皆與地面成一銳角。欲充分利用此反作用力之效應，須使此項力與我右拳所發之力作用在一條直線上，如是則著敵之力必均整。

習時，須左右互換，進退發力，體認各項力之運用，運動速度之快若雷霆閃電，其行形似烈馬之奔放，而其神意則又如秋霜之肅草木也。

習時還須切記，若不利用呼吸之彈力，亦難得此法之妙。蓋我之內勁整體真力中，除筋肉遒放之拉力外，發力之際某些器官如利用適當，則爲動力，如利用不適當則爲阻力。橫隔膜即爲此類器官，於發力之際，我之呼吸與大氣相應合，氣沈隔膜下，所謂“氣沈丹田”，則發力適當，如隔膜發緊，氣浮於胸，則發力必不能均整，發力時若呼吸能與大氣應合，無論以呼氣之法或醒氣之法，利用聲由內轉之功夫，則力必均整。此仍系利用宇宙之力波也，故習時須以聲輔也，用時亦應如此。

（十七）俊鶻舒翅 此法與上述第二法略同。

設我裹吞對方之力並引進其身之際，由於彼身向前俯栽，身勢過低，若用直拳擊其面，則我發力即有不及之慮，故必順勢橫擊，我之右臂手心向下，以我右小臂內側爲鋒面，橫擊對方之面部或胸部，對方亦必負傷翻出，此法只適於退步發力，若用於進步發力，則先出左足而右手進擊或出右足而左手進擊，習時須體認此種發力之道。

習時須左右互換，進退皆鬚髮力適當，仍須利用宇宙之力波，要有大鳥乘氣流直飛橫遊之勢，故喻之曰俊鶻舒翅也。

（十八）浪力三頓 此意拳之頭擊肩打之法也，仍須依本人體重力動能之法則，亦橫走豎撞之打法。 設對方將我之雙腕皆叼住，其形勁皆甚扎實，且將我之兩臂向左右兩側張開，其右足在前，彼隨時即有起左足欲撩我腹襠之勢。此際設我右足在前，我即用右足猛然蹬地，借地面支撐反作用力。我之雙臂猛然向後撐去，將對方引進就我，我隨勢以頭之前額爲鋒面，借我腰脊擰擺橫搖之浪力撞其面部，彼必負傷翻出。

設我右足蹬地之際，左臂後撐，而右臂即向我斜下方撐去，亦是意欲將彼引進就我。我乘勢用左肩頭撞彼之左肩頭，對方亦必翻。設我左足在前，則左足蹬地之際，我之右臂向後撐出，引進彼身，我乘勢以我之右肩頭撞彼之右肩頭。 此法之關鍵，在於我腰脊擰擺橫搖之浪力，以此種浪力將我之重力勢能化重力動能，而遞至彼身，以頭或兩肩爲擊敵之鋒面。故習時須有浪力，在浪力之帶動下，使重力於我之整體之某一局部鋒面而傳至對方之身體某一局部，以奪其重心，此即撞打之妙也。故習時須：

身動揮浪舞 意力水面行

兩臂具己頭 妙在蹬虛足

練時也須左右互換，進退發力，同時仍要體認宇宙力波之微妙。

（十九）寒雞立雪

此法亦是橫走豎撞之法也，仍依本上述法則。 設對方出左足並起左手擊我胸腹部位，我出右足起右手以推挫裹抱之力，橫截其左手，吞噬其力而引進其形，待其形略前俯，我之右手猛然自其右小臂之上向其胸肘部位翻揚橫推，同時我起右足向其左小腿之臁部橫踩，上下之動作須做成一個動作，對方必被撞出。

設對方來勢甚爲兇猛，我在橫截其左手時，不出右足，而卻退左足，在右足蹬地之際右手變翻揚，同時左足借蹬地之力立即起而橫踩對方之左小腿，對方亦必翻出。此法之關鍵系利用來回勁所生之浪力將我之整體搖推起來，以發揮重力動能，將對方撞出。 習時須左右互換，進退發力，其迂回曲伸，重心移行提頓之勢，猶如遊龍之戲鶴，寒雞之鬥驚蛇也，此法爲雞樁之展開式也。 習時還須切記，所起之橫足不是踢亦非蹬，而實是以踩之形式將我整體之重力動能傳給對方，與上肢之橫推配合，實爲推撞之法，所起之橫足不宜過高，以不過對方之膝部最爲適當。

五 騰蛟挾浪旋 此養生樁之展開式。 此式爲斷手技擊斷手模式之一，系利用向心力及其反作用力離心力，仍利用離向本囫圇，陡頓離向之法則。以腰脊爲豎軸，兩臂前伸，左手在前出左足，右手在前出右是，左右互換，整體轉動不已，進退發力，力生於足，勁貫指端，其勢若騰蛟之破浪前進，力波起伏，旋渦滾滾，實有橫掃鯨穴之意也。

習時須體認離向二力之功，向心力作用於我之腰軸，而離心力作用於我之兩手掌，特別是前手。當我雙手觸敵，借所進或所退之虛足蹬地力突然停止旋動，向心力停止做功，離心力同時消失，我之雙掌循慣性力沿切線方向做直線運動，此種直射力始爲技擊斷手之所需也。離心向心同時生成，同時消失，生成之際，你蓄勁之時，消失之時，爲發力之際，我之整體旋動之時，須上下拔長，前後對拉，左右圓撐，身若旋球也，整體具鋒棱，蓋圓中有直也，故此法所試之力，實爲慣性力。此法之關鍵，在於突然中斷離心力，此即所謂陡頓，技擊斷手所需要者正是此類陡頓之力也。 由此式可以派生若干具體打法，茲分述如次。

（二十）榔頭拷打 此法系依本慣性力，頓打之法也。

設對方出左手並左足，以直拳之形式擊我之胸部，我出右足，雙手自下起，提挂卷對方之左小臂，以右拳橫擊其左肩部或其左大臂，以腰脊爲豎軸，整體作一百八十度之旋轉，所出虛足一蹬地，向心力即中斷，借陡頓之力，將對方擊出，其勢如掄榔頭以擊物也。

設對方來勢甚猛，且有穿襠之勢，我可用退步斷手之法。此法之關鍵，在於我雙臂旋轉時須曲蓄，陡頓之際卻須直伸，蓋因離向之力同時消失之時，我所出之右拳有循慣性力沿切線作直線運動之勢，在此我之右拳在接觸敵之左肩或左大臂之際有一種摩擦力也。此法之妙即爲吞吐，而吞吐無間行也，引進其力即爲打，故習時須體認此種用力之法，不可草率從事。

習時須左右互換，進退發力，以腰脊擰擺橫搖之勢，帶動兩臂之旋轉，以兩臂之旋轉吞噬敵力而引進其身，使用時甚爲得力省事。毫無拖泥帶水之病也。

此法仍是利用我整體重力勢能向重力動能之轉化，蓋我整體之重力系一種分佈力，故我用此法發力實即爆炸力之運用也。

（二十一）腦後發炮

此法仍爲利用慣力，觸敵時爆發爲炸力。

設對方出右足，起右手欲擊我之面部，我出左足，雙手並去，右手以刀裹之力吞噬其力，而引進其身，左手旋出握拳擊對方頭顱之丘腦部位。我雙手之動作，應不用局部之力，須借腰部擰擺橫搖之力，與所出左足蹬地時之支撐反作用力，同時吞噬其力並引進其身，務使敵就我而擊之，如是方爲妙也。此法若能操之適當，能使對方斃命，故學者宜慎用之。

同時仍須體認三禺象本囫圇、陡頓離象分一之法則。須使我整體重力勢能向重力動能之轉化，以炸力形式遞至其身，亦即我之整體于發力時必須上下拔長，前後對拉，左右圓撐也，不如是則力必不均整。故運用此法以擊敵，力如炸藥拳如彈，手至敵身力分佈，此即曲中寓直之炮捶也，同時仍須左右互換，進退發力。

結論

意拳之斷手，共分五式二十一法，皆以力之運用爲主。整體發力，鋒面觸敵，借宇宙之力波，發揮本能活力，非局部片面之法也。 習之恒久，自不難升堂入室，而得莫知至而至之妙。應掌握之法不宜過多，多則臨戰時必被束縛，蓋不果決故也。

此文系我暮年發病時所作，寫作時常有筆不從心之感，然此文之要義卻了然明暢，一曰勁力均整，二曰三角預應，三曰單重發力，四曰無法即法，法在無念，五曰提頓吞吐，沈托分閉，六曰形力須歸一，神意不著象。學者能于此六義中有所體認，則於意拳之道蓋亦思過半矣。 我常感到天地間之學問實無窮盡，而筆墨又實難表達我胸中之所蘊也，學者若能從我之所說者推出我之未說者，實我至望焉。

王薌齋 一九五九年于天津

Source Colophon

Source text: article 9 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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