太極指明法（太極拳使用法，楊澄甫）
Tàijí zhǐmíng fǎ (tàijí quán shǐyòng fǎ, Yáng Chéngfu)
Tàijí zhǐmíng fǎ (tàijí quán shǐyòng fǎ, Yáng Chéngfu)
The Exact, Clear method in Taiji
quoted from Yang Chengfu’s Taijiquan Applications, trans. Scott M. Rodell
quoted from Yang Chengfu’s Taijiquan Applications, trans. Scott M. Rodell
用勁不對，不用力不對，綿而有剛對；
丟不對，頂不對，不丟不頂對；
沾不對，不沾不對，不即不離對；
浮不對，重不對，輕靈松沉對；
膽大不對，膽小不對，膽要壯而心要細對；
打人不對，不打人不對，將敵治心服對。
丟不對，頂不對，不丟不頂對；
沾不對，不沾不對，不即不離對；
浮不對，重不對，輕靈松沉對；
膽大不對，膽小不對，膽要壯而心要細對；
打人不對，不打人不對，將敵治心服對。
Yòngjìng bùduì, bùyòng lì bùduì, mián ér yǒu gāng duì;
diū bùduì, dǐng bùduì, bù diū bù dǐng duì;
zhān bùduì, bù zhān bùduì, bù jí bù lí duì;
fú bùduì, zhòng bùduì, qīng líng sōng chén duì;
dǎn dà bùduì, dǎn xiǎo bùduì, dǎn yào zhuàng ér xīn yào xì duì;
dǎ rén bùduì, bù dǎ rén bùduì, jiāng dí zhì xīnfú duì.
diū bùduì, dǐng bùduì, bù diū bù dǐng duì;
zhān bùduì, bù zhān bùduì, bù jí bù lí duì;
fú bùduì, zhòng bùduì, qīng líng sōng chén duì;
dǎn dà bùduì, dǎn xiǎo bùduì, dǎn yào zhuàng ér xīn yào xì duì;
dǎ rén bùduì, bù dǎ rén bùduì, jiāng dí zhì xīnfú duì.
Using internal power is not correct, not using muscle strength is
not correct, soft but with hardness is correct;
to lose (contact) is not correct, to resist the flow* is not correct, to not lose contact and not resist is correct;
to stick is not correct, to not stick is not correct, not too close not too far is correct;
floating is not correct, sinking is not correct, agile and spirited, loose and sunk is correct;
being bold is not correct, being timid is not correct, being courageous with the mind finely focused is correct,
hitting people is not correct, not hitting people is not correct, the rival controlled so that he’s heart submits is correct.
to lose (contact) is not correct, to resist the flow* is not correct, to not lose contact and not resist is correct;
to stick is not correct, to not stick is not correct, not too close not too far is correct;
floating is not correct, sinking is not correct, agile and spirited, loose and sunk is correct;
being bold is not correct, being timid is not correct, being courageous with the mind finely focused is correct,
hitting people is not correct, not hitting people is not correct, the rival controlled so that he’s heart submits is correct.
Some Notes and commentary-
The title of this brief treatise is difficult to render into nice sounding English. The literal idea is that these words clearly outline the correct way to practice taijiquan. Douglas Wile chose to translate the title as, “The Method of Achieving Perfect Clarity in T’ai-chi.”
The title of this brief treatise is difficult to render into nice sounding English. The literal idea is that these words clearly outline the correct way to practice taijiquan. Douglas Wile chose to translate the title as, “The Method of Achieving Perfect Clarity in T’ai-chi.”
In the second line, I translated the character dǐng as “resist the flow.” It could also be
translated as butting, as in banging one’s head forward. The meaning of dǐng here is to move in opposition to the
direction of force. The idea of this line being that one should listen to
the duifang and neither resist his or her actions or
pull away dodging them, but rather to join with the action’s momentum using it
to one’s own advantage. The third line reinforces and adds detail to the
previous line pointing out that simply sticking to the duifang is not correct. There is an optimal
distance for any set of techniques. One has to be at the correct distance in
order to effectively apply the techniques trained in taijiquan. The phrase, “bù jí bù lí,” is a
common expression in vernacular Chinese simply meaning, “not too close or too
far.”
