第一章 太極拳要領
CHAPTER ONE – TAIJI BOXING REQUIREMENTS
武式太極拳要點 郝月如 著
ESSENTIALS OF WU YUXIANG STYLE TAIJI BOXING (by Hao Yueru)
- courtesy Brennan Translations
（一）太極拳身法主要有：涵胸、拔背、裹襠、護肫、提頂、吊襠、鬆肩、沉肘、騰挪、閃戰、尾閭正中、氣沉丹田、虛實分清等十三條。
I. In Taiji Boxing, there are thirteen fundamental body standards: contain your chest, pluck up your back, wrap your crotch, shield your belly, lift your headtop, suspend your crotch, loosen your shoulders, sink your elbows, always be ready, get it over with in a flash, center your tailbone, sink energy to your elixir field, and distinguish between empty and full.
1.心以上為胸。胸不可挺，要往下鬆，兩肩微向前合，謂之涵胸。能涵胸，才能以心行氣。
The chest is the area above the solar plexus. Your chest should not stick out, but should instead relax downward, your shoulders slightly closing forward. This is what is meant by containing your chest. If you can contain your chest, you will be able to use your mind to move energy.
2.兩肩中間脊骨處，似有鼓起之意，兩肩要靈活，不可低頭，謂之拔背。
The area of your spine between your shoulders seems to have an intention of rousing. Your shoulders should be enlivened and there must not be a lowering of your head. This is what is meant by plucking up your back.
3.兩膝著力，有內向之意，兩腿如一條腿，能分虛實，謂之裹襠。
Your knees put forth an effort with an intention of going inward. With both legs unified as if they are a single leg, you can distinguish which one is empty and which one is full. This
is what is meant by wrapping your crotch.
4.兩脅微斂，取下收前合之勢，內中感覺鬆快，謂之護肫。
Both your flanks slightly contract. They have an energy of grabbing downward and closing together forward. Inside there is a feeling of being relaxed and full. This is what is meant by shielding your belly.
5.頭頸正直，不低不昂，神貫於頂，提挈全身，謂之提頂。
Your head and neck are upright, neither drooping nor hoisting. Energy passes through to your headtop, carrying your whole body. This is what is meant by lifting your headtop.
6.兩股用力，臀部前送，小腹有上翻之勢，謂之吊襠。
Your thighs apply strength and your buttocks are sent forward, so that your lower abdomen has a dynamic of tilting upward. This is what is meant by suspending your crotch.
7.以意將兩肩鬆開，氣向下沉，意中加一靜字，謂之鬆肩。
Use intention to get your shoulders to loosen, sinking energy downward. Within the intention add a thought of tranquility. This is what is meant by loosening your shoulders.
8.以意運氣，行於兩肘，手腕要能靈活，肘尖常有下垂之意，謂之沉肘。
Use intention to move energy, moving it to your elbows. Your wrists will then be able to be nimble. The tips of your elbows always have an intention of hanging down. This is what is meant by sinking your elbows.
9.有動之意而未動，即預動之勢，謂之騰挪。
When there is an intention to move but not yet movement, this is the energy of being ready to move. This is what is meant by always being ready.
10.身、手、腰、腿相順相隨，一氣呵成，向外發出，勁如放箭，迅若雷霆，一往無敵，
謂之閃戰。
Your body, hands, waist, and legs move together in a continuous flow, issuing power outward like the loosening of an arrow, fast as a thunderclap, to an unguarded area. This is what it means to get it over with in a flash.
11.兩股有力，臀部前收，脊骨根向前托起丹田（小腹），謂之尾閭正中。
There is strength in your thighs. Your buttocks gather forward. The base of your spine goes forward to prop up and lift your “elixir field” (i.e. your lower abdomen). This is what is meant by your tailbone being centered.
12.能做到尾閭正中、涵胸、護肫、鬆肩、吊襠，就能以意送氣，達於腹部，不使上浮，
謂之氣沉丹田。
If you can get your tailbone centered, contain your chest, shield your belly, loosen your shoulders, and suspend your crotch, then you will be able to use intention to send energy to your abdomen and keep it from floating up. This is what is meant by energy sinking to your elixir field.
13.兩腿虛實必須分清。虛非完全無力，著地實點要有騰挪之勢。騰挪者，即虛腳與胸有相吸相繫之意，否則便成偏沉。實非全然占煞，精神貫於實股，支柱全身，要有上提之意。如虛實不分，便成雙重。
Which leg is empty and which is full must be distinguished. “Empty does not mean you are in that area completely weak.” When touching down, the key point is that there should be an energy of being ready to move. With a readiness to move, there is an intention of the empty foot and your chest drawing toward each other, and it is thereby easy to sink to one side. “Full does not mean you are in that area completely stuck.” Spirit concentrates in the full thigh to prop up your whole body. There should be an intention of carrying upward. If empty and full are not distinguished, you will easily end up using force against force.
