Nine Essentials

Only those who have mastered the supreme principles of the world and grasped the true essence of the world can explore the spirit and enter the wonderful, observe the minute and reveal the profound. The application of form and meaning in tools and techniques, the essence of form and meaning in the way and spirit. Ordinary people can learn the skills of tools, but only the Great Sage can master them. Yue Wumu was loyal and devoted to his country, upright and resolute. His noble spirit truly filled the universe. Therefore, the essence of his form and meaning could only be described in detail by Wumu himself. However, the complete record is lost and cannot be seen, and the loss of his heroic spirit is only due to these nine key points. We are able to accept the essence of his form and meaning, which is solely dependent on this. This treatise consists of nine chapters. Its reasoning is concise and its meaning is profound. The words are detailed and well-analyzed. Scholars with aspirations gradually copy it day and night. Even a tiny detail can reach the sky, and a small stream can expand into a vast ocean. Although the nine chapters are general, they cannot be understood in detail from beginning to end. Why not build a room or a hall? The key point is: What is scattered must have its unity, and what is divided must have its unity. Therefore, in the vast expanse of the universe, all kinds of people gather together, each having its own place, and all kinds of things bustling together have their own source. One book can disperse ten thousand plants, and all ten thousand plants will return to one book. This is a matter of course. Moreover, the discussion on military affairs is also very complex. The key lies in the transformation and strangeness, that is, in every situation there is no situation there is no situation there is no situation there is qi. Although the situations are not classified, the qi converges into one. The so-called unity, from the head to the feet, contains the five internal organs and tendons and bones internally, and the muscles, skin, five senses and all the bones externally. They are all connected and integrated, forming a coherent whole. When struck, it does not leave; when held, it does not disperse. When the upper thought moves, the lower follows; when the lower thought moves, the upper leads. When the upper and lower move, the middle joint attacks; when the middle joint moves, the upper and lower harmonies. The inside and outside are connected, and the front and back need each other. This is what is called consistency. It should not be a forceful attack. When the time is right, it should be still; when it is still, it should be calm and clear; when it is in the right direction, it should be stable like a mountain; when it is straight, it should be dynamic, like thunder or a sudden burst; when it is sudden, it should be as swift as lightning. And it should not be completely still. Inside and out, above and below, there is no burden of unevenness or concern. It should remain motionless, left, right, front and back, without any hesitation or hesitation. Just as water rushes down, surging and overwhelming, a cannon fired from within, swift and unfathomable, without the need for careful examination or deliberate debate, it comes naturally and unexpectedly, without the need for sudden change. How could it be said without reason? However, energy becomes more abundant through daily accumulation, and success is achieved through long-term practice. According to the consistent transmission of the holy School, one must only enter a state of sudden enlightenment after extensive learning and strong knowledge. One should not waste the efforts of looking up and down. The story is not difficult or easy, but the effort is self-destruction. One should not 躐等 or be hasty. One should progress step by step, and then the limbs and joints will naturally be connected. It will not be difficult to connect the upper and lower, the outside and the inside. Thus, the scattered can be unified and the divided can be combined. The four bodies and all the bones will ultimately converge into one spirit. Second, when discussing the pounding, one must also discuss the qi. The essence of qi is one, but it is actually divided into two. The so-called two are breathing, breathing is Yin and Yang, and Yin and Yang are clarity and turbidity. The pounding cannot be without movement and stillness, and the qi cannot be without breathing. Inhaling is Yin, exhaling is Yang. Stillness is Yin, movement is Yang. Ascending is Yang, descending is Yin. When Yang qi rises, it becomes Yang; when Yang qi descends, it becomes Yin; when Yin qi ascends, it becomes Yang; when Yin qi descends, it becomes Yin. This is the distinction between Yin and Yang. What is meant by clarity and turbidity? What rises is clear, and what descends is turbid. Clear energy ascends while turbid energy descends. The clear is the reason, the turbid is Yin, the essential is Yang to nourish Yin, and Yin to nourish Yang. Collectively, they are called qi, and separately, they are called Yin and Yang. Qi cannot be without Yin and Yang, that is, a person cannot be without movement and stillness. The mouth must not be without breathing, and the nose must not be without going in and out. It is about dealing with circulators. However, qi is divided into two, but it actually governs one. In learning, one should value supernatural abilities and be cautious not to hold onto them wrongly. The Three Essentials: Qi originates from the body, and the joints of the body have no fixed place. The three joints are upper, middle and lower. For the body, the head is the upper section, the body part is the middle section, and the legs are the lower section. The head is the upper section of the heavenly court, the middle section of the nose, and the lower section of the ocean floor. The middle section is the chest as the upper section, the abdomen as the middle section, and the dantian as the lower section. The lower section of the foot is the terminal section, the knee is the middle section, and the hip is the root section. For the arm, the hand is the distal joint, the elbow is the middle joint, and the shoulder is the root joint. The fingers of the hand are the terminal joints, the palm is the middle joint, and the root of the palm is the root joint. Therefore, from the top of the head to the foot, each has three joints. If there are no three joints, there is no point in the intention. The upper part of the body is originally clear, without any support or origin. The middle part is not clear, and the whole body is empty. The lower part is not clear, and one is prone to fall and collapse at the slightest movement. How could it be sudden? Therefore, when the qi is released, the upper part moves, and the middle part follows. Be thrifty. However, blood can be partially absorbed by the blind. The upper part of the body, from the top of the head to the soles of the feet, the four parts of the body and the skeleton of the platform are divided into two sections. How could it be rare to have them? How could the feet of the sections be crossed? The Fourth point of discussion: Beyond discussing the body and the qi, it further delves into the essence of the human being. The "Fu shao" refers to the remaining thoughts of the body. Those who talk about the body are no match for this at first, and those who discuss qi are also rare. When the qi is struck from the inside out, it spreads from the body to the extremities. Therefore, if the qi is not rooted in the body, it will be weak and not solid; if it is not manifested in the extremities, it will be solid but still weak, and the extremities will be dark and not worth mentioning. However, the tip of this special body's ear still does not reach the tip of the qi. Why are the four tips? Here's one of them. If the origin of one's hair is not listed among the Five elements and has nothing to do with the four body types, it seems insufficient to establish an argument. Since hair is the tip of blood and blood is the sea of qi, even if we do not discuss all hair in terms of qi, it cannot be separated from blood, and qi cannot be separated from blood. Therefore, we must also consider hair. When hair is about to rush to the top of the head, the tip of blood is determined. The tongue is the tip of the flesh, and the flesh is the capsule of qi. If qi cannot be expressed at the tip of the flesh, it is impossible to fill the volume of qi. Therefore, the tongue must urge the teeth, and then the tip of the flesh is sufficient. As for the bone tips, they are teeth. The tendons and tips are the nails. Qi originates from the bones and is connected to the tendons. If it does not reach the teeth, it does not reach the tips of the tendons. If it desires to reach the body, it must not be because the teeth want to break the tendons or the nails want to Pierce the bones, but because of the instinct. If this can be achieved, then the four tips are sufficient. With four feet, the energy is self-sufficient. How could there still be something that is illusory yet not real, and real yet still illusory? The Five key points: Boxing is about using the punch to express the momentum, and the momentum to express the qi. A person's five internal organs take shape. That is, one gets angry from the five internal organs. The five internal organs are the heart, liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys. They are the source of human nature and the foundation of qi. The heart is fire and resembles the rising flames. The liver belongs to wood and is curved and straight in shape. The spleen is associated with earth, and its strength is characterized by honesty and integrity. The lung, being metal, has the ability to transform and reform. The kidney is water and has the function of moistening the lower body, which is the meaning of the five internal organs. And what is accurate in the qi is all in harmony with each other. This is the essence of what cannot be separated from martial arts. The lungs in the chest are the manifestation of the five internal organs. Therefore, when the lungs move, the other internal organs cannot remain calm. The heart is located in the middle of the two breasts and protects the lungs. The heart is below the lungs and above the stomach. The heart is the main fire, and when the heart moves, it corresponds to the fire, all of which are in harmony. Between the two ribs, the left side is the liver and the right side is the spleen (according to traditional Chinese medicine theory, it is the left liver and the right spleen). The fourteen sections of the back spine are all in the position of the kidneys. They are divided among the five internal organs and are all connected to the spine. The spine is connected to the bone marrow throughout the body. The waist is the base of the two kidneys, so the kidneys are the first of the innate constitution and especially the origin of all internal organs. Therefore, when the kidneys have abundant water, metal, wood, water, fire, earth and other elements all have vitality. However, although each of the five internal organs has its own position, their functions are also distributed throughout the body. The neck, top of the head, brain, bones, and back are all kidneys; the ears are also kidneys; the lips and cheeks are spleen; and the hair is the lung. The Heavenly Court is the first of the six Yang energies and extracts the essence of the five internal organs, being the master of the head and face. The brain is no less than the seat and governor of the entire body. The Yintang point is the charge of the Yangming stomach qi. When the nature of the Heavenly Court arises, the mechanism is reached through it, generating the hair. From the kidney to the six Yang, it is truly the pivot of the Heavenly Court. Both eyes represent the liver. The upper part of the eyes is the spleen, the lower part is the stomach, the large horn is the heart meridian, the small horn is the small intestine, the white part is the lung, the black part is the liver, and the pupil is the kidney. In fact, they are the gathering places of the essence of the five internal organs. However, it cannot be specifically called the liver. The nostrils are the lungs, the two cheeks are the kidneys, the area in front of the ears is the gallbladder Meridian, and the high bones behind the ears are also the kidneys. The nose is the central earth, the source of all substances, and is truly the master of the middle qi. The philtrum is the convergence point of qi and blood. It reaches the Heavenly Court above and is the most important place. Below the lips is the receiving body, and below the receiving body is the ground Pavilion, which corresponds to the Heavenly Court above and is also the position of the kidney. The top of the neck and the top of the neck are the guiding paths of the five internal organs and the convergence points of qi and blood. The front part is the way for food qi to enter and exit, and the back part is the way for kidney qi to rise and fall. Liver qi rotates to the left and spleen qi rotates to the right through it. These are more important and are the key points of the entire body. The breasts represent the liver, the shoulder sockets represent the lungs, the elbows represent the kidneys, the limbs represent the spleen, both shoulders represent the spleen, the ten fingers represent the heart, liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys, the knees and shins represent the kidneys, and the heels represent the vital part of the kidneys. Yongquan is the kidney point, approximately located in all parts of the body. The protruding part is the heart, the sunken part is the lung, and the exposed part of the bone is the kidney. The connection points of the tendons are all liver, and the thick parts of the flesh are all spleen. If one follows its meaning, the heart is like a fierce tiger, the liver is like an arrow, the spleen burst out like lightning, the lung meridian is expansive and ethereal, the kidney has the ability to stretch and contract like the wind, its function is like a meridian, and the purpose of making meridians is like meaning. When facing the enemy, one should respond flexibly, without knowing or understanding. Wherever one's hands and feet go, if there is a divine connection, it is truly beyond description in words. As for the generation, restraint, treatment and transformation, although there are other compilations, when it comes to the key points, there is a unified understanding. The five elements and the hundred bodies are all one, and the four bodies and the three minds are combined into one qi. Why must it be broken down into one meridian and one connection, and carried out step by step? The Six Essentials: The mind and the will are in harmony, the will and the qi are in harmony, and the qi and the force are in harmony. This is the internal trinity. When the hands and feet are in harmony, the elbows and knees are in harmony, and the shoulders and hips are in harmony, these three are called the six harmonies. When the left hand is in harmony with the right foot, the left elbow with the right knee, the left shoulder with the right hip, the right with the left, and the head with the hand, the hand with the body, and the body with the steps, which one is not an external harmony? When the heart and eyes are in harmony, the liver and tendons are in harmony, the spleen and flesh are in harmony, the lungs and body are in harmony, and the kidneys and bones are in harmony, which of these is not internal harmony? It is more than just two harmonies. However, this is a special discussion. In short, when one moves, there is no movement; when one unites, there is no unity. The five elements and all the bones are contained within it. The Seven Essentials: The head is the foremost of the six Yang energies and the master of the entire body. Among the five senses and all the bones, none is more important than the head. Therefore, when the body moves, the head must also move forward. The hand leads the way, and the foundation lies in the shoulder. If the shoulder does not advance, the hand will not move forward. Therefore, the shoulder is more important than progress. The qi gathers in the middle of the abdomen, and the mechanism is in the waist. If the waist does not move forward, one will be discouraged and lack strength. Therefore, the waist is also more precious than progress. The mind runs through the entire body, and movement is in the steps. If the steps do not move forward, the mind will be unable to act. Therefore, the steps are even more precious than progress. And when moving up to the left, one must move up to the right; when moving up to the right, one must move up to the left. These are seven moves. Which one is not the easiest to apply force? To put it simply, do not go too far. It unites the entire body without any intention of movement, advances with a single word, and unifies the whole without any form of distraction or displacement. The Eight Essentials: What is the Body Method? It's just about vertical and horizontal, high and low, advancing and retreating, and turning sides. If they go unrestrained, they will release their momentum and never return. When it is horizontal, it encloses its force; when it expands, it does not obstruct. To be tall means to raise one's height, and it implies growth. When low, it suppresses its body and takes on the form of a pounce. When it's time to advance, forge ahead with courage and charge straight ahead. When it is time to retreat, retreat, and draw on the energy to turn around and subdue. As for turning around and looking behind, "behind" is the same as "front". How could one dare to stand to the side or left or right? However, to do so is not to be overly restrictive. To assess the strength of the enemy, one should employ one's own strategies, sometimes advancing and sometimes advancing, adapting to the situation and not making sweeping generalizations. There are ups and downs, and the highs and lows change at any time. It cannot be judged by a fixed pattern. It is advisable to move forward at times, so one must not be discouraged by retreating. At times, one should retreat. That is to say, one should use retreat to encourage progress. This is to retreat to consolidate progress. That is to say, retreat is actually to rely on progress. Or they turn around and look behind, and then they don't even realize they are behind. Looking sideways to the left and right, the left and right no longer seem to be left and right. In conclusion, the mechanism lies in the eyes, the flexibility in the heart, and the key lies in the body. When the body advances, the four parts of the body will act without command; when the body retreats, all the bones will retreat in silence. The way of the body can be set aside without being discussed. The Ninth point: The movement of the body begins with the step. The step is the foundation of the entire body and the hub of movement. Even in battles against the enemy, it all depends on the body's actions. The pillar of the body is none other than the step. Adapting to circumstances depends on the hand, and the reason for the transfer of the hand also lies in the step. When advancing and retreating in a reverse manner, if one is not moving forward, how can there be an opportunity to stir up the momentum? Suppression, uplift, extension and contraction - without taking steps, one cannot master the wonders of change. It is said that the mechanism lies in the eyes and the change lies in the heart. That is why we can twist and turn and change in countless ways without getting into a difficult situation. Could it be that the foot is the commander? But to do so is not to force it. Actions come without intention, encouragement comes without awareness. When the body is about to move, the steps are taken to rotate; when the hands are about to move, the steps are also urged to move. Unexpected yet natural, without the need for a pivot, the pivot is made. As the saying goes, when the upper wants to move, the lower follows. Moreover, steps are divided into front and back; steps are those with a clear position. However, even those without a clear position are just taking steps. Just as the advance of the previous step is followed by the subsequent step, the front and the back have their own positioning. If the previous step acts as the back, the subsequent step acts as the front, and even more so, the previous step acts as the step before the back, and the subsequent step acts as the step before the front, then the front and the back naturally have no positioning either. In conclusion, boxing is about the momentum, and grasping the key points is the step. Whether one is alive or not lies in the steps, and whether one is agile or not also lies in the steps. The steps are of great use indeed.