编者按：洪拳，广东名拳之一，威震岭南数百年。影视作品的大力倡导一度使其在国内外出现了空前的繁荣，但并无真正的理论建树，只是虚假的繁荣；尤其是学院武星李连杰先生那些夸张的动作，对洪拳正常发展具有极大地破坏性，甚至导致国际友人错误地认为李连杰所演练的风格才是真正的洪拳。这现象令洪拳界深感担忧，有鉴于此，他们对洪拳立即作了比较深入挖掘与全面研究，以求有所建树。其中，武术家周至誌先生文章，对洪拳有整体宏观把握，代表了洪拳理论研究先进水平，对欲从深层次探索奥秘的武友而言，不失为满足愿望良机。

“小成三年中，大成十年功”。不论何家武艺均离不开刻苦砥砺和持之以恒，是以南派称武艺为功夫。林世荣先生《虎鹤双形拳》自序如说“一道诚易学难精”，先明规矩习标准，然后假气力善接桥。明此则功自进，更求横直吞吐、四到之秘、五门之法、八面之形、生死之路。

洪家从扎马碌桥开始，便是一门实实在在气力功夫，没有花巧可言。“讲桥马蔡家快打”、“桥马佛家快打”，这些流行谚语更加突出的是离不开桥手和马步。前辈在桥马上痛下三年五载苦功很普遍。不轻浮马步经刮压不能，不能抵压桥手怎能搏？循着简单实用的途径入门，一经苦练琢磨便明白其中奥妙，即已踏入殿堂。

bridge mara law, included in the outer five essentials of the art. The inner five essentials are fundamental to martial arts and include Jing, Li, bone, Qi and Shen. The outer five essentials are techniques for application.

Jing

Jing is the foundation of all movement and is essential for maintaining balance and stability. It can be cultivated through meditation and deep breathing exercises.

Li

Li refers to power or strength which comes from a combination of muscle strength, technique and mental focus.

Bone

Bone refers to the structure that supports the body's movements and provides stability.

Qi

Qi is an energetic force that flows through the body and powers movement.

Shen

Shen refers to spirit or consciousness which enables us to connect with our surroundings.

The practice of these elements involves cultivating each one separately before integrating them into a unified whole.

The theory behind this practice is based on Taoist principles which emphasize balance between yin (receptive) and yang (creative) forces within nature as well as within ourselves.

In addition to practicing these elements separately it also important not forget about their relationship with one another when practicing them together as well as how they relate back towards your own personal development journey whether you're just starting out or have been training for years so always remember that it's never too late to learn something new even if you've already learned many things before then continue learning new skills every day so keep growing!