Translator’s note: In the original there are two figures per page. (As the book reads right to left the first figure is on the far right.) The Picture to your right is an actual page from the Mu Yae Do Bo Tong Ji,  Illustrating Pon Kuk Khum or Native Sword Form Postures 1 "Hold the sword face the thief" and 2 "Brushing past".

Translation:

Native Sword Text

Original:

Fig 2

Fig 1

2-Turn to the right. The right foot turns, brushing past on the inside. (Figure 2)

A: Make a half circle turn to the rear by lifting your right foot and turning to your right. As you do this drop the tip of your sword down and turn with the blade in front of your body to ward off an opponent’s thrust. Note that your right foot is still in the air.

Fig 4

Fig 3

A: Raise your sword directly overhead and strike down and forward as you set down your right foot.

4-Assume a "Golden rooster stands on one leg" posture. Lift the sword and the left leg. Turn to the left and face to the rear. (Figure 4)

A: The Golden Rooster is a blocking movement. From the position in figure three shift your body weight onto your right leg and pivot to the rear while lifting your left foot up and back to your right knee. As you pivot bring your sword around in a blocking motion in front of your body before lifting it to the right shoulder as shown in the classic pose of figure four. To do this the point drops down and then is swung in a tight circle up and back to the right. Note that the swordsman in figure four is already starting to shift his weight forward for a strike, having completed both the block and turn.

Fig 6

Fig 5

5-Turning to the left, do a "Rear single strike" posture. Using the right hand and right leg, strike once. (Figure 5)

A: This is the same strike as in figure three except to the rear. Also, as your left foot was against your right knee, a step is required. Step down onto your left foot and then forward with your right.

6-Assume a "Golden rooster stands on one leg" posture. Turn to the left, raise the sword and left leg, turn and look forward. (Figure 6)

A: This is the same as figure four except it now brings you back to face front.

Fig 8

Fig 7

7-Turning to the left assume an "Advance forward to attack the thief" posture. Immediately coil left and right. Using the left hand and left leg thrust once. 

8-Next assume a "Wild tiger hides in the forest" posture. Turn twice to the right. (Figure 7)

A: From the Golden Rooster posture step down with your left foot and forward with your right. Strike as you step. This is the same as in figure three. "Coil" by making a small circle block first to the left and then to the right. As you start the coiling block to the right, step forward deeply on your left foot and thrust chest high directly in front of yourself. In this series of movements you have parried your opponent's blade first left then right as he struck at you twice. After the second parry you stick to his blade and slide down it as you thrust forward. For the Wild Tiger posture circle to the right pivoting on the right foot while turning the blade in a circle following your body movement. Repeat this.

8-Turn to the left into a "Wild goose character" posture. Facing the right side, coil left and right. Using the right hand and left foot, thrust once. (Figure 8)

A: Turn to the left by shifting your weight onto your left leg and pivoting to the left while stepping forward with your right foot into cross-leg stance. Follow your body movement with a level cut as you turn. Coil left and right as you step forward with your left leg and thrust chest high. Note that this attack is angled to the right and the cutting edge of the blade should be down.

Fig 10

Fig 9

10-From there assume a "Chik-Pu sends the scroll" posture. Turning (from the right) using the right hand and left leg, thrust once to the left side. (Figure 9)

A: From the thrusting position in a left bow stance make a circle turn to the right by shifting your weight onto your left leg and pivoting to the right again ending in a left bow stance. Your blade circles as you pivot. Thrust forward to the left as you set down your right foot. Now the cutting edge is up.

11-Turning to the left, face forward and assume a "Part the grass search for the snake" posture. Using the right hand and right foot, hit once. With one foot advanced, take a jumping step. (Figure 10)

A: From a left bow stance, blade forward with the cutting edge up, step forward (back on the center line) into a right bow stance. Drop your blade down and forward until the tip is level with and in front of your left knee. "Part the grass" left and right and then thrust forward while jumping off the right leg. Land with your knees bent and your feet slightly apart.

Fig 12

Fig 11

12-Assume a "Press the leopard's forehead" posture. Coil left and right. Using the right hand and right foot, thrust forward once. (Figure 11)

A: Step forward with your left foot and then bring your right up even with it. As your do so coil left and right. Thrust forward throat high.

13-From there turn to the right. Turn to the rear and assume an "Early sky" posture. Both hands hold the sword at forehead level. Turning right, turn and advance facing to the rear. (Figure 12)

A: Turn to the right a half circle by stepping back with your right foot into a right bow stance. As your turn let the sword swing down and up overhead. The tip now points up.

Fig 14

Fig 13

14-Do a " Left insert animal head" posture. (Figure 13)

A: Step back with your right leg turn your body a half circle. Hold the grip of your sword against your left side. As you do, step forward with your left foot and again turn in a half circle to the right into a right bow stance. At the same time thrust forward chest high. Twist the sword so the sharp edge of the blade faces up.

15-And from there assume a "Face right, block the thief" posture. Lift the left leg and brush by to the outside. (Figure 14)

A: Lift your left foot and as you do so make a circle with your blade left and back outside your left leg. Face to the right a quarter turn and step down and forward on your right foot into a right bow stance. Bring your blade up and cut down and forward as you step.

Fig 16

Fig 15

16-Do a "Rear single attack" posture. Using the right hand from the right leg, strike once.

17-Turn to the right and face forward. Assume a "Spread the flag" posture. Lift the right leg and brush by the inside. (Figure 15)

A: From the last posture turn a half circle to the right by shifting your weight onto your left leg and bringing your right foot up to your left knee. Keep your toes pointed downward. Let your blade drop down and cut up in a half circle as you turn. The blade "brushes past" your right foot.

18-From there do an "Advance forward, kill the thief" posture. Using the right hand and right leg, strike once.

19-Next do a "Golden rooster stands on one leg" posture. Raise the blade high, raise the left leg, turn and look to the rear.

20-Next turn to the left and do a "Left waist attack" posture. Lift the left leg and with the sword on the left side, wash the left side of the neck. (Figure 16)

A: For "advance forward.." step into a right bow stance and cut down. For "golden rooster.." pivot left on your right leg. From the Golden Rooster posture step down onto your left foot and pivot a half circle to the left. At the end of the turn shift back onto your right foot and again lift your left foot up to your right knee. As you do this turn, cut waist high and level moving your sword along with your body. The back of the blade "washes" the left side of your neck at the finish of this posture.

Fig 18

Fig 17

21-Immediately turn to the right and perform a "Right waist attack" posture. Lift the right leg and with the sword on the right side wash the right side of the neck. (Figure 17)

A: From the left waist attack posture you will again step down onto your left foot but in order to cut to the right you must step in front and across your right foot and then pivot in a half circle to the right. As you pivot cut level and waist high. At the end the sword washes the right side of your neck. Note that this resembles the follow through seen when swinging a baseball bat except that the blade’s cutting edge is always away from your body. The posture will finish with your right foot at your left knee and the sword over your right shoulder.

22-Immediately turn to the right and do a "rear single thrust" posture. Using the right hand and left foot, thrust once. (figure 18)

A: For the rear single thrust pivot to your rear and step forward on your right foot. As you do so bring your sword down to waist level with the tip pointing forward. Immediately launch forward into a left bow stance thrusting and turning your sword so the cutting edge is now facing up. Land in a deep left bow stance with your sword tip extended directly ahead of you.

Fig 20

Fig 19

23-Turn to the left, face forward and do a "Long dragon spouts water" posture. Strike once using the right hand and right foot. (Figure 19)

A: From the left bow stance turn in a half circle to your left by shifting your weight back and onto your right leg and pivoting to the left into a deep left bow stance. As you turn bring your sword down to your left and back up in a diagonal slashing movement towards your left rear. Using your momentum step forward into a right bow stance while cutting down and forward.

24-Next do a "White ape departs the cave" posture. Raise the right hand and right foot. (Figure 20)

A: From the right bow stance bring your left foot up even with your right and lift your right foot to your knee. As you do so raise the tip of your sword up while holding the blade close to your left shoulder. Here you are parrying your opponent’s blade outward with the back of your blade. Now turn slightly to the right while bringing your sword around in a counter-clockwise circle above your head. As the sword reaches your right shoulder step down into a right bow stance and cut down.

Fig 22

Fig 21

25-Do a "Right needle attack" posture. The right hand and right leg twist and thrust hard to the right. (Figure 21)

A: As you step down use the butt end to strike and then cut down and forward.

26-Turning to the right, assume a "Bravely skip, single thrust" posture. With the right hand and left leg, thrust once. (Figure 22)

A: From the right bow stance turn in three quarter circle to the right by shifting your weight back and pivot on your left foot. Step down into an right bow stance. Jump forward by pushing off with your right foot. As you land bring your left foot up even with your right and thrust forward. Twist your blade as you thrust ending with the cutting edge up. 

27-Turn to the left and face rear. Do a "Rear single strike" posture. Strike once using the right hand and right leg.

A: From the "skipping thrust" posture pivot a half circle left into a right bow stance by shifting your weight onto your left foot. As you turn bring your blade directly overhead and down into a strike.

28-From there to a "Rear single thrust" posture. Coil left and right. Using the right hand and left leg thrust once.

A: Step forward into a left bow stance and thrust chest high. As you begin to make this step, parry first left and then right by "coiling," move your blade in a tight circle left and forward and then right. Seen from above this movement would be a clockwise circle followed by a thrust.

Fig 24

Fig 23

29-Next turn to the right and face forward. Do a "Face right and block the thief" posture. Raise the left foot and brush to the outside. (Figure 23)

A: This posture is very much like the opening movements to the form in that you will "brush" past your raised foot and block out. From the left bow stance shift your weight onto your right leg and pivot a half circle to the right bringing your left foot up to your right knee. As you pivot bring your blade down and across the front of your body in a tight circle as if blocking out to the right.

30-Immediately assume a "Face front and kill the enemy" posture. Using the right hand and right leg, strike twice to the front.

A: Step down and then forward into a right bow stance while bringing your sword back across your body, up then down, cutting with the forward movement. Again lift your sword and strike down and forward.

31-Next do a "Rhinoceros and Ox face in battle" posture. Using the right hand and right leg, thrust once and finish. (Figure 24)

A: From the right bow stance step forward with your left foot into a cat stance. As you do so lift the handle of your sword up and in to your left so that the tip drops forming a blocking surface along the right side of your body. The tip should face down but forward at an angle towards your opponent’s knee. Step forward into a right bow stance and thrust down into a right bow stance and thrust down and forward.

The final two pages of the native sword section (figures 25 & 26) show the entire form drawn to scale showing the direction of movement, number of turns, and individual postures. This method of presentation is followed throughout the book.