中國古代有許多「書法」能通於「劍術」的描述，如張懷瓘認為：書法結體的神妙之處，能讓觀者覺得「似入廟見神，如窺谷無底，俯猛獸之牙爪，逼利劍之鋒芒」。歷代書法家們，有時勁健剛烈，用筆如刀，鋒芒畢露；有時又敦厚質樸，蘊意深藏，餘味無窮。這種變幻無窮，各具剛勁、柔媚、鋒利、深韻等不同風貌，就成了中國字蘊育武藝美學的基本條件。 有了深厚的功力，書法當然也就具備一股陵人的氣勢，難怪有書家以拳喻字說：「王羲之行草傾向儒士風韻，如八卦掌；米芾則有狂士風格，如劈卦掌；而趙之謙把篆隸魏碑，寫出了動感，如八極拳，其驚心動魄、略為怪異且沉雄靜穆的字，令人神馳。」可知在書法家的眼中，劍招、拳術與書法，真的是可以相通的。 王羲之則以鋒太為喻：「每作一點，常隱其鋒而為之；每作一橫畫如列陣之排雲；每作一戈，如百鈞之弩發。」最奇特的是金庸的武俠中，創造一位禿筆翁，使出一套化自〈自敘帖〉草書的劍法，縱橫飄忽，流轉無方；更汲取了懷素、顏真卿、張飛三人的筆意，練就出至少三套融合書法而成的劍式。又藉武當派開山祖師張三丰，將武林故老相傳的二十四字歌謠演為一套拳法；而門徒張翠山更將那二十四字、二百一十五畫中的騰挪變化，盡數記在心中，轉為一套精邃的形式，可說是奇中又奇的妙想！ 書法藝術中所蘊涵的剛健武技，也可能源自古人曼妙的舞姿美學。唐代草聖張旭的取法於公孫大娘劍舞、今日雲門舞者化自董陽孜書法筆意的《行草》舞劇，即可作為明證。現代書法家同樣強調：書法的筆力相當於武術氣功的『內勁』，是要把僵滯的呆力練成柔韌圓活的勁力。而且，書法上「入木三分」的精練勁道訓練，其實與武術中的基本工夫「蹲馬步」類似，可以取法《荀子》的為學理念「真積力久則入」。有些人靠著一個字寫了五、六千次，不但筆法橫、直、勾、撇、捺要正確，結構要平穩有韻致，也要千錘百鍊，把每個字寫得筆精墨潤，奕奕有神，力與美自然蘊涵其中了。

In ancient China, there were many stories in which people who were good at calligraphy were also good at swordsmanship. In the eyes of calligraphers, the movements of Chinese swordsmanship and boxing are very much like the strokes in calligraphy. It is noted that many calligraphers with strong wrists can write with powerful strokes. Therefore, many calligraphers would compare the movements of Chinese boxing to the strokes in calligraphy. The most amazing scene in JinYong’s chivalry novels is that the first master of Wudang School, Chang San-Feng, acted out the twenty-four-word rhyme in movements of Chinese boxing. The master’s follower Chang Cui-Shan even conceived a wonderful idea to store in memory the great variety of strokes in the twenty-four words and then to convert them into a set of fine swordsmanship. In fact, the art of calligraphy can be affected by the powerful movements of chivalry, which, in turn, are derived from the beautiful dancing postures of the ancient people. Or it can be the other way around: it has been observed that the dancing movements in the dance drama Legacy by Cloud Gate Dance Theater are actually derived from the strokes in calligraphy.

書法; 武藝; 劍術; 舞蹈; 入木三分

Sound system; Amoy vernacular; Southern Min Dialect dictionaries