Wu Tunan. A more scientific martial art: taiji boxing 吳圖南。科學化的國術太極拳

Translation by Paul Brennan. — Posted on February 28, 2017by Paul Brennan. — 120 p. — (Published by 商務印書館 The Commercial Press, LTD, Oct, 1931).褚序
Preface by Chu Minyi
太極拳者，內家拳術之一種，最為平易而最能發達體育者也。其功用之偉，優點之多，殊非其他 拳術所可企及。吾國拳術派別雖夥，要以太極拳為上乘。蓋拳術之本旨，在於鍛鍊身心，振奮精 神。顧門類派別旣異，則名稱功用自殊。所謂外家之拳術，專以標新立異趨險騖奇為貴，則已失
卻發達體育之本旨矣。
其眞能身心兼修，學養並顧，而使老弱咸能練習，絕無流弊者，惟有太極拳耳。
以言養生，則能活動筋骨，鍛鍊身心，調和血氣，陶冶性情，所謂卻病延年，固非虛語。
以言功用，則能以靜制動，以柔克剛，以輕勝重，以順破逆。而姿勢平穩，動作緩和，猶其餘事。
且不尚筋力，演習旣久，趣味盎然。故老幼咸宜，雖病夫亦能練習之。是故吾人提倡國術，應自 提倡太極拳始。
吾人提倡國術之方針，在使國術科學化，太極拳則業經科學化之國術也。何以言之？科學化之國 術，在合於力學與心理學；講究生理與衞生。而太極拳之動作，則為無數圜形，一圜之中，卽為 重心所在。或能處處立定脚跟，敵人之力雖極頑强，而能以逆來順受之法處之。迨敵人一力旣出，重心已失，然後從而制之，故能舉重若輕，以柔克剛，此則深有得於力學者。
至言心理學，則太極拳不尚用力用氣，而尚用意。蓋因用力者笨，用氣者滯，用意則能使氣沉於 丹田，而不停滯於胸臆。力蓄於內，而不流露於外。非研究心理學深造有得者，曷克臻此。
至於生理與衞生，則衞生之運動，貴能適得其分際，無過與不及之弊。吾人之身體，貴能平均發 達，生理則有一定之程序。是故劇烈之運動，每有害於健康者，以其運動太過，不合於生理自然 發達之程序也。
太極拳則輕軟靈活，一動全身皆動，無偏頗之弊，無過與不及之害。故最合於生理之程序。與衞 生之要旨焉。
吳君圖南，與徐君致一，同為吳鑑泉先生之高足。余由粵抵滬後，旣識徐君致一矣。而於首都舉 行國術考試時，更獲交吳君圖南。徐君旣有太極拳淺說一書問世，其中精奧之理論，以淺顯之文 筆出之，說理已極透澈，今吳君更著有科學化的國術太極拳一書，行將付梓，索序於余，余瀏覧 一過，覺其對於太極拳與國術之關係，闡明不少。是其吾國國術科學化之肇端歟？則吳君之有裨 於吾國國術前途豈淺鮮哉！因喜其對於余提倡國術科學化之旨趣相符合也，故樂為之序。
民國十八年，二月，十五日，褚民誼序於上海中法國立工業專門學校。
Taiji Boxing is a boxing art of the internal school. It is the most unassuming and yet also the most capable of giving physical development. So great are its uses and so numerous are its strong points that really no other boxing arts can equal it. Even though our nation has a great many boxing arts, Taiji tops them all. The fundamental purpose of boxing arts is to train body and mind, and to rouse the spirit. Looking at the differences between the styles, they each have their own special terminology and uses. But the boxing arts of the external school value showing off in new and exciting ways, thus missing the whole point of delivering physical development.
This art truly has the ability to train both body and mind, attending to both education and cultivation. An art that grants everyone the chance to practice, whether young or old, and is entirely without counterproductive elements – there is only Taiji Boxing.
In terms of health, it can exercise the sinews and bones, train body and mind, regulate the emotions, and mold the temperament. It is said of it that it “prevents illness and prolongs life”, and these are indeed not empty words.
As for its function, it can use stillness to overcome movement, softness to overcome hardness, use lightness to defeat heaviness, smoothness to defeat coarseness. Its postures are steady and its movements are mild. It seems to always leave you with room to do more [instead of spending
all of your power with every action].
Furthermore, as it does not emphasize physical strength, practicing it over a long period will bring abundant delight. Thus it is suitable for young and old alike. Even sick people can practice it. Therefore we who promote boxing arts should start by recommending Taiji Boxing.
Our guiding principle in promoting martial arts is to make martial arts more scientific. But Taiji Boxing is already a more scientific martial art. Why do I say this? A more scientific martial art conforms to physics and psychology, and gives particular attention to physiology and health.
Taiji Boxing’s movements are endless circles, and at the center of a circle lies your center of balance. You can thereby at every moment have stable footing, and even if the opponent has an indomitable strength, there will be a means of receiving whatever comes. Then once he has fully
expressed his power, he will have lost his balance and be under your control, thereby enabling you to lift a heavy weight as though it is light, using softness to overcome hardness. This shows there is a deep understanding of mechanics within it.
As for psychology, Taiji Boxing does not encourage using either exertion or anger, only intention. Using exertion will make you clumsy. Using anger will make you stiff. But using intention can instead cause energy to sink to your elixir field rather than getting stuck in your chest. Strength is stored within rather than outwardly revealed. Without a deep awareness of psychology, it would be difficult for the art to have been brought to such a high level. As for physiology and health, health exercises should be able to have appropriate parameters, rather than the errors of overdoing or underdoing. Our bodies should be able to get uniform development, in accordance with regular physiological processes. Strenuous exercise is always harmful to health, for it is excessive exercise, not conforming to physiological processes of natural development. But Taiji Boxing is gentle and nimble. When one part moves, the entire body moves. It is without the error of emphasizing any particular parts, and thus without the
harms of overworking some parts and underworking others. Therefore this art conforms the best to physiological processes and principles of health.
Wu Tunan and Xu Zhiyi are both top students of Wu Jianquan. After I came to Shanghai from Guangdong, I got to know Xu Zhiyi. When the National Tournament [Oct, 1928] was held in the capital, I then met Wu Tunan. Xu has published the book Simple Introduction to Taiji Boxing, containing refined and profound theory. He uses language that is easy to understand and explains concepts with great thoroughness. Now Wu has authored A More Scientific Martial Art: Taiji Boxing, soon to be published, and he has demanded a preface of me. After just a quick readthrough, I already found that the relationship between Taiji Boxing and other martial arts has been clarified in no small way. Here is the commencement of our nation’s martial arts becoming more scientific, and the benefit we receive from Wu is by no means nsignificant. Because this work delightfully tallies with my own objective of making martial arts more scientific, I am overjoyed to provide this preface.
– written by Chu Minyi at the Shanghai French Industrial Training School, Feb 15, 1929