编者按：洪拳，广东名拳，以威震岭南数百年闻名。影视作品的推崇，使其在国内外一度风靡，但缺乏深入理论研究，只是表面繁荣；尤其是李连杰先生在影视中的夸张演绎，对洪拳的正统发展造成了严重破坏，甚至误导了一些国际武术爱好者，将李连杰的风格误认为真正的洪拳。这一现象激发了洪拳界内的一些学者和实战家对其进行深入挖掘与全面研究，以期为此武术门派树立新的理论基础。其中，周至誌先生关于洪拳的文章，为该门派提供了全面的宏观把握，其深度分析和独到的见解，是目前最具参考价值的一部著作，对于那些渴望从根本上探索洪拳奥秘、追求更高层次武艺修炼的人而言，无疑是一个难得的学习机会。

“小成三年中，大成十年功”。无论何种武艺，都离不开坚持不懈地练习和持之以恒的心态，这也是南派称之为“功夫”的精髓。在《虎鹤双形拳》的自序中，林世荣先生提出了一个重要原则：“先要明其规矩，习其标准，然后假以气力，善于接桥。”这意味着，在掌握基本规则与标准后，再通过不断运用气力来完善技巧，从而达到真正融会贯通。

洪家拳自起源于扎马碌桥以来，便是一种注重实用的气力训练，没有多余的情感或花哨动作。“洪家讲桥马，蔡家讲快打”、“洪家桥马，佛家快打”，这些流传下来的谚语进一步强调了桥手和马步对于这门艺术不可或缺的地位。古代大师们在桥马上的苦练往往持续三五载，这样的长时间投入使他们能够掌握到其中蕴含的奥秘。

bridge and horse stances, which are considered the foundation of the art. The front generation of the family in particular spent three to five years mastering these fundamental techniques. It is unimaginable that one could engage in combat without a solid foundation in bridge and horse stances.

The Bridge Horse technique is part of the external Five Essentials (Wai Wu) of the Hong family Fist. The internal Five Essentials (Nei Wu) refer to the fundamentals for cultivating one's body and mind, while the external Five Essentials are related to practical applications.

Nei Wu

The internal Five Essentials include Jing (essence), Li (force), Gu (bone), Qi (energy), and Shen (spirit). These elements are interconnected and form the basis for both martial arts training and personal cultivation.

Wai Wu

The external Five Essentials encompass various aspects of practical application, including stance, movement, footwork, hand techniques, and breathing control.

(1) Jing

Jing refers to vital energy derived from food consumption. It is essential for maintaining good health and physical strength. A balance between yin-yang energies within an individual is crucial for overall well-being.

(2) Li

Li represents physical power generated by muscles connected with bones. Developing strong bones supports robust muscular growth; weak bones hinder it.

(3) Gu

Gu signifies skeletal structure that serves as a support system for our bodies' movements.

(4) Qi

Qi encompasses life force or energy circulating throughout our bodies through meridian channels connecting organs like heart blood vessels carrying oxygen-rich blood from lungs towards cells throughout body via capillaries then returning deoxygenated blood back into veins before pumping into right atrium where it enters pulmonary vein & goes back up through left ventricle causing continuous circulation cycle called "qi flow".

(5) Shen

Shen symbolizes spiritual essence governing mental clarity & emotional stability influencing thoughts actions decisions feelings emotions mood etcetera as if there were such thing!