三、太极拳的八法五步

Eight Methods and Five Steps of Taiji Quan

太极拳过去又被称为太极十三势，即由八法和五步构成。八法是指：掤、捋、挤、按、採、挒、肘、靠；五步是指：进、退、顾、盼、定。

Taiji Quan was called Taiji Thirteen Postures，which was composed of eight methods and five steps.The eight methods refer to：ward-off，roll-back，pressing，push-down，pull-down，splitting，elbowing，leaning；and five steps refer to：stepping forwards，stepping backwards，glancing fight，glancing left，and fixing in the center.

（一）八法（即八种劲法） Eight Methods（Eight Methods of Force）

1.掤劲 Warding-off Force

掤劲是向上向前之劲。掤劲似围墙，意御敌于门外，用于攻防和走化，是太极拳中最主要的劲法，故列八法之首。太极拳处处要有掤意，要求两臂具有一种圆撑力，这种圆撑力是由内向外的膨胀力，在任何情况下均有一定的弹性。

The warding-off force means the up and forwards force.The warding-off force is like a wall that blocks the enemy out.It is used for defending and neutralizing，which is the main force of Taiji Quan，so as to be listed the first of the eight methods.Taiji Quan has many warding-off forces，which requires that two aims shall have the circular supporting force.The force is the expansion force from the inside to the outside and being elastic under any conditions，which has certain elasticity under any circumstance.

2.捋劲 Roll-back Force

捋劲是根据对方的来劲，进行走化，在太极拳中为化劲。捋时前面一个手，劲点在近腕部的尺骨处，轻贴在对方的肘部，后面一个手劲点在掌心或掌背，接触在对方的腕部处，两手相距对方一小臂间距离。它可以根据对方外力的变化情况，向自身侧面斜线走化。因势利导，化开对方之劲，然后可变着进击。

The roll-back force is to neutralize according to the opponent's force，or neutralizing force in Taiji Quan.In the roll-back force，the force point of the front hand is at the ulna near wrist，putting it at the elbow of the opponent，and the force point of the behind hand is at palm or the back of the hand，putting it at the wrist of the other's.The distance of two hands is that of forearm of the opponent.It can change in accordance with the force of the opponent，neutralize towards the side of the body and neutralize the force to attack.

3.挤劲 Pressing Force

挤劲是在捋开对方来劲之后，可随时以挤手进而攻之，把对方击出，挤为进攻劲。在推手时，常与捋劲配合使用。

The pressing force means that after the roll-back force，one can attack with the pressing hands.The pressing force is an attacking force and it is cooperated with the roll-back force.

4.按劲 Push-down Force

使用按劲时，先用提劲向上向左或向右化对方来力，两手按在对方身体某一部位用长劲发之，按是进攻劲。按手的关键在腰部，发按劲靠腰劲进攻，不能单靠手的力量。

First use the lifting force upward or to the left or to the right to neutralize the force from the opponent when using the push-down force.One shall push two hands down on a certain part of the opponent's body and attack with long force.The push-down force is an attacking force.The push-down part that it is at the waist.The push-down force requires the power of waist，not only depend on the hands.

5.採劲 Pull-down Force

採劲指用手揉制对方的劲力。其手法如采摘果实或花朵，不能太轻，也不能太重，其技法又如采茶、捉蝉似的，以巧为尚。採劲应用时一松一紧或一落即发，先沉后提或先顺后逆。在运用短促抓拿时，迅速一闪，使对方来劲突然落空扑跌倒地的巧取法就是採劲的运用。

Pull-down force is a force to hold the opponent with hands which is described like picking fruits or flowers with the force not too light and not too heavy.The technique is like picking tea leaves or seizing cicadas which requires skillfulness.For the pull-down force use that it shall be one loose and one tight or failing first and rising afterwards or smooth first and inverse afterwards.The pull-down force is used to quickly dodge.

6.挒劲 Splitting Force

挒劲是一种向外横推或横采之力。可使对方身体扭转而失重。顺着对方出力的方向循弧线用力，使对方旋转而不能自主，只得被提空而抛出。

Splitting Force is an outward horizontal push or horizontal pull-down force which can twist the body of the opponent to be weightless and use the power along the force direction with curvy direction，so as to twist the opponent and make him lose control and be raised into the air and thrown out.

7.肘劲 Elbowing Force

以肘击人。“肘在屈使”，用屈肘向对方心窝或其他关节部位贴身封逼，发劲充足，击人十分锐利，而使对方受伤，因此要慎用。

Attacks with the elbow.Attack the heart or other vital parts of the opponent with the bending elbow.It is powerful and sharp，and it may hurt the opponent，therefore shouder be cautiously used.

8.靠劲 Leaning Force

用肩、背向外击人之力称之靠。靠劲多在贴身之后，发出的外挤推力。一般在对方用蛮力向后牵拉时，趁机取巧而用。

Attacks with the shoulder and the back.The leaning force shall be used when two people get close and push outside.By seizing the change，usually it is used after the force of the opponent.

（二）五步 Five Steps

五步是进、退、顾、盼、定，即前进、后退、左顾、右盼、中定。一般人认为是步法，实际上它超越了步法。有人认为，前进、后退为步法，左顾、右盼是腿法，中定是身法。对于盘拳架来说，可以这样认为。对于推手来说，进、退、顾、盼、定都要在技击中配合八法使用，所以它应纳入技法范围。在技击中，进、退不仅包括步子的进、退，还包括身体与手肘的进、退，顾、盼不仅包括眼神，还包括腰腿手肘之顾、盼。中定是所有技法之核心。

The five steps are：stepping forwards，stepping backwards，glancing left，glancing right，fixing in the center，which is considered as the step techniques，but more than that.Some people think stepping forwards and backwards are the step techniques，glancing left and right are the leg techniques and fixing in the center is the body techniques.For practicing basic postures，it is correct.For hand-push，stepping forwards and back-wards，glancing left and right and fixing in the center shall cooperate with the eight methods.So it shall be brought into the skill techniques.In attacking，the stepping forwards and backwards not only mean the step technique，but also mean the body and the elbow ones；glancing not only means the eyes，but also the waist，leg and elbow.In addition，fixing in the center is the core of all the techniques.

1.进法 Stepping Forward

用于拳架，要求迈步似猫行，轻灵沉稳。用于推手，一是移动重心；二是配合八法协助发劲。

When being used in the Quan frame，the steps shall like the cat walk to be light footed and stable.When being used in hand-push，first is to move the center of gravity；second is to cooperate with the eight methods for force giving.

2.退法 Stepping Backward

包括防御和进攻两个方面。防御用于引进落空，如用捋式时，是积极的防御。进攻用在边退边攻，退中求打，如倒撵猴。

Comprises two aspects of defence and attack.The defence is used to lead the false attack.As in the roll-back force that it is an active defence.The attack is used in stepping backwards while attacking,such as Daonianhou.

3.左顾右盼 Glancing Left and Right

用在拳上，眼神主要是注视拳的运动方向，还须顾及身体的两侧。所谓“以眼领手”、“以眼领身”。推手时更应注意如下两点：一是要注视对方的眼神，由对方的眼神来判断其动作的方向；二是要注视自身的两侧。

Glancing Left and Right is used in Quan.The eyes should follow the direction of the fist and glance two sides of the body.“Eyes should lead hands”and“Eyes should lead the body.”The following two aspects should be paid attention in hand-push：first is to stare at the opponent and judge the direction of the force from the eyes；second is to stare at both sides of the self body.

4.中定 Fixing in the Center

中定是太极推手的核心。在推手中要保持自己的中定，去破坏对方的中定。失去“中”，就失去了稳定性，也称为“背”。站桩是静态的平衡，盘拳架子是自身的动态平衡，推手是在双方相互作用下的动态平衡，它比自身的动态平衡难度大。中定的方法，一是要气沉丹田，下盘稳健；二是要以腰为轴，灵活转变，要让对方找不到你的“中”，“人不知我，我独知人”，才能立于不败之地。

Fixing in the Center is the core of Taiji's hand-push.Keep oneself in the center and break the fixing of the opponent.Losing the“center”means losing the stability or the“back”.The stake standing is stationary balance，practicing basic postures that is personal dynamic balance and the hand-push is dynamic balance of two parties and it is more difficult than personal dynamic balance.The techniques of fixing in the center are：first is to drop the breath to Dantian and stabilize the lower part；second is to flexibly turn with the waist as the pivot.So as to make the opponent can’t find your“center”.“People do not know me，but I know people”，so that you can be in invincible position.