Author Archives: Paul Brennan

TEACHINGS OF SONG SHUMING

– 太極功 THE TAIJI ART 宋書銘 by Song Shuming [1908] [translation by Paul Brennan, Mar, 2017] – [Wu Tunan wrote in 1983 that this document was presented to him by a friend named Zhang Ximing in 1908. There is no … Continue reading

Posted in Taiji

TAIJI BOXING ACCORDING TO WU TUNAN

– 科學化的國術太極拳 A MORE SCIENTIFIC MARTIAL ART: TAIJI BOXING 吳圖南 by Wu Tunan [published by 商務印書館 The Commercial Press, LTD, Oct, 1931] [translation by Paul Brennan, Feb, 2017] – 科學化的國術太極拳 A More Scientific Martial Art: Taiji Boxing 褚民誼題 – calligraphy … Continue reading

Posted in Taiji

DONG HULING’S APPLICATIONS

– 太極拳使用法 METHODS OF APPLYING TAIJI BOXING 董虎嶺 by Dong Huling [1956] [translation by Paul Brennan, Jan, 2017] – 董虎嶺著 by Dong Huling: 太極拳使用法 Methods of Applying Taiji Boxing 如衡署 – calligraphy by [Li] Ruheng – 董英傑老師像 Portrait of Dong … Continue reading

Posted in Taiji

FURTHER TAIJI DISCUSSION FROM WU ZHIQING

– 太極正宗銓真 GENUINE EXPLANATIONS FOR AUTHENTIC TAIJI 吳志青 by Wu Zhiqing [published Oct, 1943] [translation by Paul Brennan, Dec, 2016] – 吳志青著 by Wu Zhiqing: 太極正宗銓真 Genuine Explanations for Authentic Taiji 張小廔署耑 – calligraphy by Zhang Xiaolou – 太極拳正宗詮真 自序 AUTHOR’S … Continue reading

Posted in Books by Wu Zhiqing, Taiji

RENHE STYLE SHAOLIN

– 南拳入門 FUNDAMENTALS OF SOUTHERN BOXING ARTS 許太和 by Xu Taihe [1926] [translation by Paul Brennan, Nov, 2016] – 江陰許太和先生五十小影 Portrait Xu Taihe of Jiangyin at the age of fifty 王瑩若題 photo by Wang Yingruo – 太和先生與遠才君的父子對拳 Xu Taihe and … Continue reading

Posted in Shaolin

TAIJI BOXING ACCORDING TO WU ZHIQING

– 太極正宗 AUTHENTIC TAIJI 吳志青 by Wu Zhiqing [published by 大東書局 Great East Bookstore, Sep, 1936] [translation by Paul Brennan, Oct, 2016] – 尚武精神 Martial spirit! 王震 – [calligraphy by] Wang Zhen – 居今之世非尚武不是以保民族之生命太極拳亦武術之一種借敵人之力以打敵人乃其妙用也 In today’s world, if we do … Continue reading

Posted in Books by Wu Zhiqing, Taiji

THE CORRECT PATH OF YIQUAN

– 意拳正軌 THE CORRECT PATH OF YIQUAN 王薌齋 by Wang Xiangzhai [1929] [translation by Paul Brennan, Aug, 2016] – 原序 PREFACE 技擊一道,甚矣哉之難言也。詩言拳勇,禮言角力,皆技術之起源。降至漢代,華陀氏作五禽之戲,亦技擊本質,良以當時習者甚少,以致湮沒無聞。迨至梁天監中,達摩東來,以講經授徒之餘,兼及鍛練筋骨之術,採禽獸性靈之特長,參以洗髓易筋之法,而創意拳,又曰心意拳。徒衆精是技者甚多,少林之名,亦因之而噪起。岳武穆王復集各家精華,編為五技連拳散手撩手諸法,稱為形意拳。逮及後卋,國家宴安,重文輕武之風日盛,又精拳技者,復多以好勇鬥狠賈禍,於是士大夫相率走避,致捋此含有深奧學理之拳術,不能見重於歷世。相沿既久,無可更易,即後卋之有道懷瑾握瑜者,率多埋沒於鄉邨閭里間,不敢以技術著稱,此固使後學之深資悼惜者也。清代晉之太原郡,戴氏昆仲,精於是技,而獨詳傳於直隸深縣李洛能,先生授徒甚衆,獲復李老先師之絕技者,厥同縣之郭雲深先生。郭先生之教人習形意也,首以站樁為入學初步。從學者多矣,能克承其教者,迨不多遘,郭先生亦有非其人不能學,非其人不能傳之歎。吾與郭先生同里,有戚誼為長幼行,愛吾聰敏而教之,且於易簀之時,猶以絕藝示之,諄諄以重視相囑。晚近卋風不古,學者多好奇異,殊不知真法大道,只在日用平常之間,世人每以其近而忽之道不遠人,人之為道而遠說益徵。薌不願以此而求聞達,無如晚近世俗,趨於卑下,不求實際,徒騖虛名,於是牟利之徒,不自學問,抄襲腐敗之陳文,強作謀生之利器,滿紙荒唐,故入玄虛,忽而海市蜃樓,跡近想像;忽而高山遠水,各不相干。使學者手不釋卷,如入五里霧中,難識半點真偽。一般無知之士,猶以聖人之道,不可鑽仰。嗚呼,利人當途,大道何昌。午夜深思,曷勝浩歎。薌雖賦性不敏,而於技擊一道,竊焉心喜,既獲得親炙真法大道之指導,每日承其教誨之語言,多具有紀載之價值者,連綴成冊,本利己利人之訓,不敢自私,以期同嗜均沾斯益,非徒以此問卋也,是序。 中華民國拾八年菊月 深縣王宇僧 The way of martial arts is really very hard to describe. The Book of Poetry says [poem … Continue reading

Posted in Xingyi