w z by l y

ju y

Translation by Robert K. Lau

Copyright 2007 August 20 FORWARD Some students of Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan) often look to what is known as the Tai Chi Classics. The Taiji Classics are a collection of essays and poems on the practice and of Taijiquan. There are many translations available and one need only look on-line or in a bookstore. The problem with translations is that ones experience and understanding of a text may be colored or limited by the skill of the translator in the language and the subject matter. This problem is particularly acute in translating martial arts text, especially Taijiquan. Taijiquan is an art that requires practice in order to experience the subtle movements of the body, the different body parts acting as one-family, and the feeling of Qi holding it all together. Accordingly, a translator must have some experience of Taijiquan in order to convey the message of these past practitioners. However, must of written Chinese especially from the time before the Communist Revolution was written in Wen Yan , that is Classical Chinese. Classical Chinese is a unique and marvelous form of Chinese. It seeks to communicate through the expression of concepts by painting a scene rather than with a detail verbal description. In a sense it is much like a Zen koan. Repeated readings of classical text will bring additional insights. The Taiji Classics act as a road map or a confirmation of ones skill in Taijiquan. They instruct by making you wonder about your level of skill. In the beginning, one has no understanding of what the author is attempting to convey, but after some time of earnest practice, one will begin to recognize or remember a experience much like what the author is writing about. What I have attempted here is to not only present a translation, but also an environment for students of Taijiquan and Chinese language to experience that feeling of understanding though pondering and struggling with the meaning of the language.
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The text is sometimes translated at the Five Secret Words. The literal translation is Five Character Formula. It was written by Li Yi-yu (1832-1892) sometime in the late Qing Dynasty. Li was a practitioner of Wu Style Taijiquan.1 I have provided both the Chinese characters and the Pin-Yin pronunciation for each character. The Pin-Yin system is the current universally transliteration system used today for pronouncing Chinese using the Alphabet and is taught in all universities in the West and in of course in Mainland China, The Peoples Republic of China (PRC). I have provided a prose translation of the first four characters, but not a prose translation for the Fifth Character so as to encourage reader to attempt their own translation. As to the topic of Chinese characters, I have provided simplified characters as adopted by the PRC. The simplified characters are not really a revision of the Chinese written language. Only about 400 out of a probable 55,000 characters were modified. The modification for many of the characters was to replaced the traditional characters with its cursive script equivalent. Accordingly, a reader of simplified characters would have no problem reading traditional texts and visa versa.
There are two types of Wu style taijiquan one is denoted by the character and the other by . Each signifies a different family tradition of taijiquan much like Yang Style and Chen style. Li was a practitioner of
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THE TEXT

First Saying - Tranquil Mind. If the mind is not tranquil then the mind cannot focus. When engaging an opponent, front, back, left, and right, you must not fixate on a direction, the mind must be tranquil. At the beginning of a move, do not move by yourself. You must know the mind and recognize (understand) the body, joining with the movement of (the other) person, joining with the curve and then with the straight. Do not be flaccid and do not be rigid (or fixed into place), do not extend or contract based on your own whims. If the opponent has strength, I also have strength, but my strength arrives before his. If the opponent has no strength, I also have no strength, but my attention is first. One must be constantly mindful and aware: whatever place is touched by my opponent, my mind must be used in that place. I must go towards by not being flaccid and by not being rigid the opponents center to determine the opponents condition; from doing this a while, in about a years time, this will become second nature. This skill is completely accomplished by using the mind, not by using force or exertion, and after a long time, I will able to control others and others will not control me.

y one

yu say

xn

jng

xn

jng still

z then

b not

zhuny

mind still

mind not yu right

single-minded upon g therefore yo must q ji shn

j shu qin hu zu raise hand front back left yo xn jng must mind still x xn t q start rn

qun w dng xing all none fixed direction nng yu able by j self

ch j dng wi begin raise move not su rn su 4

dng su

known mind body recognize b not y also di lose b not dng w fixed none

follow people that which z self shn su extend contract xin first

move follow bend then b yu l other have power y also

extend w I, me

yu l w l zi have strength my power on y attentions

b w l w other none power I xin first

w l w none power My

rng zi still on

yo k k must moment moment x xing need towards zu do

li xn remain mind b no

i h ch xn touch what place mind di lose b no dng zhng fixed center

yo yng zi must use in

h ch what place

j xio x cng c determine information from this shn c body this zh this

q y going one

nin bn zi year half year yng y use mind/intent zh control w I

bin nng sh y then able make in b not b not sh is wi by

qun sh all is z then y ! rn wi people by w me

yng jn ji use force then rn people

zh control

Second Saying - The Self should be Spirited If you are sluggish then your advance and retreat cannot be done freely, therefore you must have spirit. When engaging do not appear sluggish, once the opponents strength contacts the hair of my skin, at once my mind enters his structure. Both hands are supported, a uniform flow of Qi runs throughout my body. Thus, when the left is attacked, the left disappears, but the right will have already counter-attacked; when the right is attacked the right disappears and the left will have already counterattack: your Qi acts like the wheel of a cart, the entire body must coordinate [in this way], if uncoordinated, the body becomes disorganized, and thus you will not have strength; you will find this fault by look in the waist-leg connection. First through the mind, animate the body, complying with the other and not by yourself alone, afterwards the mind will be able to control your body as well as that of the other person. .
r yu shn lng shn zh yo l b zu yu shn lng j fng g i w z jn tu k b yu zh nng z di y y y r q gun xing

r g b y chun zhng z zh r

shu b p

mo w chng yu

l ling shu zh zu zu x r y

zhng z x r yo bin

q yu ch ln

q q b q

zhu shn j sn lun

xing su yu b de l 6

xing su bng y yo

shn bin

 tu

qi

xn

sh

zh xin

shn cng rn j

cng j hu cng rn .

shn nng cng xn yu

rng sh

Third Saying - Collect the Qi If the Qis force is scatter about or expended, then it cannot be stored, and the body will be chaotic, you must gather the Qi in the spine, you must make your breathing smooth and light. The whole body must be unified, inhaling acts to draw in, to store [the Qi], exhaling to open, to release [the Qi]. Covering Hiding the inhale than naturally lift up and taking the other up. Exhaling then naturally sinking down, and throwing the enemy out, this is mind moving qi, not with strength making Qi.
sn yu three say hn x contain store q Qi lin Gather q Qi sh sn-mn bin w power lax, disperse than none w sh must make q Qi lin gather

shn y sn lun body easy disorder

r j bi h x tng lng zhu shn w enter spine breathing through light whole body none jin x wi h wi space inhale act joining sake of f release x storing, h wi exhaling act ki wi open sake of

gi x z z rn cover inhale than natural

t de raising

q y n de lift, also grabbing d rn enemy l strength

rn q h z z rn chn de xi y person up. Exhale than natural sinking down, also de ch c obtain out, this sh q make Qi y that is. 8 sh y is mind yn q fi move Qi, not y by

Fourth Saying - Your strength vigor must be completely through out your body. The strength of the entire body is to be trained to become unified , clearly distinguish between empty and full (insubstantial and substantial; yin and yang; light and heavy), to issue power you must have foundation, the powers Qi is in the root of the foot, commanded by the small of the back, released in the spine, formed in the fingers, and must completely raise up the spirit, just before the opponents releases his power, I have already joined with his power. Precisely at the right moment, just like when the skin feels the heat of a fire, just like a fountain spring gushing forth, advancing and retreating, with complete coordination, within the curve seek the straight, storing up and then releasing, all directions I am able to follow effectively, this is borrowing the others strength to fight, four tael (about 38 grams) to move 1,000 jin (about 1/2 Kilogram).
(foundation) s four yu jn zhng say strength whole y one shn zh jn lin body of power train

chng y ji fn become one family, separate yu gn have root y in yun jn q source, pwr Qi f y issue in release t q raise up wi not yet

qng x sh f jn yo clear insub. subst, issue strength must y in jio foot gn zh zi root, command-dictate y shu in hand y in y ji already meet

yo small of back

j bi xng spine-back, form

zh yu yo finger, and must

qun f jng shn whole assist essence-spirit f zh issue his j w edge, my jn pwr

b jn jing ch other power shall out

r in

b jn qi ho other pwre. precisely

b not

hu b after not

xin r first, as if

p skin

rn burn

hu r fire, as if

qun yng ch qin jn hu tu, , spring gush out, front enter back retreat sn lun q scatter disorder, bent zhng qi zh x within seek straight, store

w s ho none thread in-the-least r and c this

hu f fng nng su shu zu xio after issue, direction able follow hand harmony effect ji l borrow strength d beat rn s ling b qin jn person, four ounces move 1000 half-kilogrm y . that is.

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Fifth Saying (jing shen concentrate) : w 5 yu say shn j shng s spirit concentrate above 4 shn j z then y one zh all q Qi j bi zng possess, in-sum g-zh cast drum lin train gu return q Qi gu return

shn j spirit concentrate shn q spirit Qi sh power

tng nu jng shn gallop move, essence spirit x sh empty full qng-ch : clearly: q Qi

gun zh ki concentrate, open yu right sh full

h yu zh close possess reached, x fi empty not sh full fi not

zu z left then

qunrn w completely none qunrn completely

l strength.

sh yo yu tng nu power must possess gallop move yo gu must dearly yn move q yu Qi from/by

zhn sh jng shn hold tighten essence spirit zi in

gun-zh j yo qun concentrate gather must complete hu transform, b no zi in wi out min face.

xing zhng yo jin chest middle waist between l cng rn ji Strength from people borrow,

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j f h nng q spine release, how able Qi

yu j f from spine release? y in

q Qi

xing xi chn, toward down sink,

yu ling jin shu r j g zh through two shoulders gather in spine bone, pour c this yu By y in zh s q Qi zh s

yo jin , waist space, h . close.

yu shng r xi y wi zh from up and down that is, called this

yo xng y j g b y waist formed in spine bone, spread in shu-zh fingers, c this q Qi sh is zh s

ling b sh two arms, making

yu xi r shng y wi from down and up that is, called sh is shu gather; do c d Reaching this place

ki h bin open. close then

shu ki j gather, open thus

dng-de understanding wi position,

ki h bin open close, then

zh yn yng know ying yang.

gng yng y work use one

r j day, skill

jng y r jn zh essence one day, gradually reaching y y wish !

cng xn su y from mind that which desire,

wng b-r no not better than

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