<span class="chinese-post-title">形意八字訣</span> Xingyi Eight Characters Secret <span class="chinese-post-title">薑容樵</span> by Jiāng Róngqiáo

The corpus of available texts in Xíngyìquán (形意拳) is not as vast as a more popular art like Tàijíquán (太極拳). Certain texts can be found in different "founding books", like some of the chapters in the "Xingyi Connected Fist (形意連環拳)" by Lǐ Cúnyì (李存義) that are present also in the books by Jiāng Róngqiáo (薑容樵). At the end of the day, as the translator Joseph Crandall points out in his preface to "Xingyi Connected Fist (形意連環拳)", it is difficult to assert the original author. Evidence advanced by Joseph Crandall in the preface point though to Jiāng Róngqiáo (薑容樵), which I accept here in the posts.
The fact that these small number of texts are presented over and over again demonstrates the importance attached to it by practicioners, and they therefore become the canon of the art.

形意八字訣

四梢而外，又有八字訣即頂、
扣、圓、敏、抱、垂、曲、挺、是也。
樁法拳式站定時，此八字須具備焉，
所以蓄力養氣，使敵我者無所措使。
而八字者，又各有三種焉，分述之如下

李存義

"Besides the Four Extremities there are also the Eight Characters. These are:

Push up from Below
Cover
Round
Agile
Embrace
Let Fall
Bend
Stretch

These Eight Characters must be present and complete. Use them to store up strength, nourish the qi, and make the enemy yours. All of these are published here. They are also manifested in the Five Elements Fists. The Eight Characters are divided into triads and are delineated below."

From the book Xingyi Connected Fist (形意連環拳), by Lǐ Cúnyì (李存義), and from Xingyi Mother Fists (形意母拳) by Jiāng Róngqiáo (薑容樵) based on the translations by Joseph Crandall