Enjoying this poem sequence

Veronica

Thank you Coach XiaoZhou for today’s session. I much enjoy this ’poem sequence’ and hope to be able to learn it properly. Thank you, Master Ling, for suggesting that Coach Xiaozhou teach me 'Hunting in Mizhou' and giving me the opportunity to learn this boxing poem sequence."  

There is a number of movements that are quite difficult for me physically (not just that I need to remember them). I’m bending my body in ways I’ve never had to to before. The wide legged stances are also quite difficult as I lack strength and body control to get out of some of them. ☺️ I really feel that I am alive when I’m trying to do these moves and postures.

Key takeaways today: 1) pay attention to the height of the hands (remember what I protect or where I should strike the animal/enemy), 2) keep a straight standing leg for the ’one legged stances’, 3) for many of the backward leaning postures back leg opens, foot pointing back/out, and front leg is between sideways and forward (like the ’look east (dong), strike west (xi)’ pose).

Today’s temperature/humidity/qi was very sticky and stuffy. These conditions are not ideal for me, still after 6 years in Shanghai I struggle... But I remember you said something like ’practicing on the hottest days will keep me healthy for the coming year’. I hope I can build some gongfu eventually to actually do that.

Again, your time and effort is does not go unnoticed. I’m much obliged.

Veronica

06/13/2025

Veronica

My first thoughts on the translations:
倒骑龙背 (dào qí lóng bèi) can be translated ’Riding backward on a/the dragon's back’ it is basically the same as your translation, just with better ”flow” in the English.

风卷残云 (fēng juǎn cán yún) can be translated ’The wind rolls up the scattered clouds (left and right)’ but I think your original is better.

蛰龙现身 (zhé lóng xiàn shēn) can be translated ’The hibernating/dormant dragon awakens/reveals itself’ or ’appears’ as in your original translation. I think any of  these works.

张弓搭箭" (zhāng gōng dā jiàn) can be translated ’Draw the bow and nock the arrow’, or ’Draw the bow, set the arrow’.

Same as before: 拨云见日 （bo yun jian ri): ‘part the mist to  reveal the sun’ or “clear the clouds, reveal the sun’.

Veronica

Now I’m up to sped with the translations. These were trickier than previous ones.

声东击西 (Shēng Dōng Jī Xī), Feint East, Strike West (or your suggestion, they are the same, just that this is more direct). Both are great if you want the actual directions, if not, you can perhaps also use ’Misdirect, Then Pierce’ also to show what takes place.

枕流逆袭 (Zhěn Liú Nì Xí) ’Pillowed by Currents, Counterattack’ (just a word order change. Not sure which sounds better). This is a tricky one for me.

魁星献斗 (Kuí Xīng Xiàn Dǒu) This one is not understandable at all to me (but I don’t know the legends/stories). Alternatives  could be ’Star Deity Offers the Dipper’ or ’Celestial Pose of Offering’, which is probably my preferred one as I also didn’t know what the dipper is (7 star constellation in Ursa Major).