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Principles of Virtue

Moral Attitudes in Martial arts Training :

一、持之以庄:练国术须要庄重,即敦厚诚朴,不可轻窕,亦不可骄傲.

(1) Maintain Seriousness

To practice martial arts, you must be serious, meaning sincere and humble rather than proud and arrogant.

二、临之以敬:与人交接要有恭敬心,态度要谦恭诚恳,切忌阿谀贱态,尤忌傲慢自大。

(2) Be respectful

When in the company of others, you should be respectful.  Your manner should be polite, modest, and friendly, though not to the point of false flattery, and you should never look down on others with a sense of self-importance.

三、接之以和:练国术人要心平气和,切忌凶暴,逞强凌人,野蛮行为最可耻,待人接物,以和为主。

(3) Receive others peacefully

A martial artist should be even-tempered and harmonious. Avoid being violent, competitive, or insulting, for there can be nothing more disgraceful than to conduct yourself with cruelty.

四、秉之以公:练国术处事不可有私心,不要有偏见,做事要大公无私,光明垒落,应有慷慨正气,不屈不挠之精神。

(4) Maintain a sense of Justice & Integrity

To practice martial arts, you should in all matters be unselfish and unbiased, fair and impartial, open-minded and upright. Be generous, righteous, and incorruptible.

五、练之以勤:练国术要勤劳不辍,不可怠惰。

(5) Train/Practice with Diligence

To practice martial arts, you have to work at it industriously and unceasingly. You must not be lazy. Mastery lies in hard work, whereas fooling around will amount to nothing, and success lies in focus, whereas just doing whatever you feel like will make it all fall apart.

六、行之以义:练国术要有忠勇义侠精神,

(6) Conduct yourself with honor

To practice martial arts, you should have a mentality of loyalty and chivalry.

七、存之以仁:「仁者无敌」练国术以仁爱为本,融容大度,存心善良,应有博爱精神。

(7) Cherish Compassion

It is said “The compassionate have no enemies.” To practice martial arts, base yourself in compassion and humaneness. Be mild, magnanimous, and kindhearted. You should have a mentality of universal love.

八、归之以忠:练国术人切戒私鬪,逞强私鬪最为可耻,应以技术身心献于国家民族。

(8) Be Loyal

A martial artist resolutely avoids getting into fights to prove himself. If you fight with others simply to flaunt your own superiority, you should be utterly ashamed of yourself, for you should instead be contributing your skill, body, and mind to your righteous causes of nations and people.

Essentials requirements in the study of martial arts

一、要循规渐进,练拳不可心急,须渐渐进展,凡未经练习国术之人,或已练过而辍弃太久者,其周身脉络筋骨,均不灵活,倘遽而用力过猛,或一次练习时间太多,则筋骨脉络有张弛之痛苦,故宜听从老师指导,循规渐进为宜。

1. You should train properly and progress gradually. In practicing boxing, you must not be impatient but must instead let progress gradually unfold. It is generally the case for one who has never practiced, or for one who has not practiced in a long time , that his whole body, its channels and vessels, sinews and bones, will not be nimble. If he is hasty and exerts himself too aggressively, or practices too much in one session, then his sinews and bones, channels and vessels, will be strained to the point of pain. Therefore it is best to listen to your teacher’s guidance and train properly, progress gradually.

二、要有恒心,语云:「有恒为成功之本」,不可中途停辍,无论做何事,皆须有恒,而练国术更为重要,古语云:「字要习,马要骑,胡琴要勤拉,拳脚要踢打,」又云:「拳不离手,曲不离口」,天天练习,时久自成,可获毕生之益。

2. You should be persevering. There is a saying: “Perseverance is the basis of success.” You must not go only halfway and then quit. No matter what your project is, in all cases you must have perseverance, and in martial arts it is even more important. There is an old saying: “Characters should be written, horses should be ridden, fiddles should be played, and fists and feet should punch and kick.” There is another saying: “Boxing will never go away from [a boxer’s] hands. Singing will never go away from [a singer’s] mouth.” With daily practice over a long period, you will naturally succeed, and you will be able to obtain its benefits for your whole life.

三、要心平气和,学国术要静气凝神,涵养谨厚,不可狂妄作态,以免受社会人士轻视,而影响国术之普及。

3. Your mind should be calm and your emotions should be in harmony. When learning martial arts, you should quiet your emotions and concentrate your spirit, as well as restrain yourself and be very careful toward others. You must not have an arrogant manner. You will thereby avoid being despised by others in society and you will help influence the spread of martial arts.

四、要尊师重道,敬业乐群,所谓技也近乎道,要尊敬师长,同道合作,养成义侠正气,救弱扶倾之精神,与捍卫国家之大志。

4. You should respect the teacher and take his method seriously, and also respect the work and take delight in your fellows. It is therefore said that “skill approaches the Way”. The teacher should be respected, because it is by way of like -mindedness that we work together. To cultivate a spirit of justice and righteousness, of rescuing the weak and bolstering the weary, and to defend the people, are the major aims.