有一种冲动是那样强烈，无法在沉默中消亡，只能在沉默中爆发… …
　　我的老家在河北一个称作榆关的地方。祖父不大的时候随曾祖父来到东北。当时许多人家是一族人肩挑背背徒步逃荒辗转至此，而曾祖父尽管兄弟十一人，却是自己单家一户独闯关东。所以，自落户以来就显得人单势孤。祖父辈在老家学的一点点武艺，从来没敢荒废过。听说我的四祖父功夫最好，可以在瓦房脊上连续打旋风脚，到头时一个空翻下来落地生根。我的二祖父擅长使三节棍，在一次与狼群搏斗后打丢了一节。后来我玩的只有两节了，给我印象最深的就是棍头上非常粗的铁箍。
　　我的祖父人特别老实，也不会什么把势。到了我的父亲这一辈儿，只有父亲一个男丁，面对别人一个个都有大家族作后盾，父亲把谦让他人作为我的必修课。
　　不爱舞刀弄枪的男孩是不多的。而我之喜欢武术，除了天性之外，还有一个理由，那就是不挨欺负。
　　中国，奴隶社会用“分邦而治、分土而食”的采邑制度实行统治，比较松散；秦统一后加强了中央集权，分天下三十六郡后又四十郡，行政上依次为国、郡、县、乡、里、村；再以后有元朝的省、路、府（州）、县、村社、里甲（坊、厢）；再后有清的省、道、府、县、乡、保、甲。
　　二十世纪七十年代的政权结构大家都知道得很清楚，我出生和成长的地方叫屯，那时叫生产小队，是行政的最低层、社会的最基层。根据“十户为一甲、十甲为一保”的划分，屯也只能算保的一半儿吧。可是，在那个如火如荼的激情年代，古人所说的“天高皇帝远和鞭长莫及”都失去了它的真理价值。而对于我，恰恰是这个席卷全国每个角落的“文革”飓风，为我筑就一个必将伴随一生的爱好。在此期间曾遇师两人：一个是擅长中国跤的下放人员韩老师，一个是会些少林、形意的“富农子弟”赵老师，我与他们都有短暂的缘份，但都因父亲的育人取向不能容忍舞枪弄棒，而快刀斩乱麻地扯断了我的侠客梦。但我对武术的渴望反而更深深植根于幼小的心灵之中。
　　我不厌其烦地重复着我可怜的功夫，小试的得手换来的是大点儿的学生或大群学生的教训。这使我彻底明白了光有招式是不行的，我甚至用自家的房梁头儿练起了飞刀。
　　父亲是在干农活的同时学习中医的，并顺利地考上了县里的卫生学校并以毕业成绩第一名的成绩分配到县医院中医科工作。他是一个从来都不想崇尚武力的人，尽管在一九六二年被下放回农村，但他仍然希望自己的孩子都能凭学问走出农村的屯落。我们姐弟三个是比较服从和践行这个家教的，目前我和姐姐在县城工作，弟弟在清华大学当老师。
　　我的性格是外向的，十年动乱中我也是个小小的活跃分子。大人说我在二三岁时便同“工作组”一起，在开饭前做“三忠于”。而我自己的记忆是：批判过林彪、孔夫子、邓小平、“四人帮”，并且总能得到老师和校长的赞扬。
活跃，使我小小的心灵，打上了不浅的政治印痕。
　　我随着改革开放长大了，我们姐弟三个也都因此有了机会升学。在钟爱的武术上，先后学了少林、形意、鹰爪等拳术，后来又有缘拜在霍青山老师门下系统学习八极拳，有幸成为中国武术史上被誉为“神枪李”的李书文武学的传人之一。我的弟弟也在北京航空学院读大学时学习了大成拳（意拳）。
武术让我体会太多太多。艰苦训练使自己的意志得到了磨练，它教会了我如何面对挫折，如何面对对手，如何理智而果断。而就是这少年中没有任何刻意、在不知不觉中打下的性格根基，在我人生的拼搏中却发挥着决定性的作用，让我受益无穷……
　　三十几年过去了，政治也好、武术也好、人生也好，在认识上让我经历了太多的迷茫与猛醒，并且因此使我顿悟到：原来武术的道理和人生的道理、社会的道理是那样的千丝万缕、那样的本理相宗。于是我设想：写一本以武阐理的书，把我之深爱的武术，上升到学的层次、道的高度……
　　现在，这本书终于脱稿了，她的名字叫《大道唯一》。大道归一之时，其道也自然是唯一的了。
　　上述文字只是说一下萌生写这样一本书的想法的心路历程，权当是以絮叨为序言吧。

Author's Preface

I have a kind of impulse, it is so strong that it can't die out silently, it must break out in silence .

My native place is Yuguan in Hebei. Grandfather arrived in the northeast with great-grandfather when he was very young. At that time, many families were a big clan that carried things on the shoulder or the back to flee from famine area to toss here on foot. Although my great-grandfather had 11brothers , he braved a risky journey to the Northeast to make a living by himself. Since he lived here, he had felt very lonely .Forefathers learned some martial arts in the native place, they never dared to waste them. I heard my fourth grandfather’s martial arts were the best, he could continue tornado feet on the ridge of a tile house , turn a somersault and plant his two feet firmly on the ground. My second grandfather was good at a three-section cudgel. He lost one section when he grappled with a group of wolves. When I played with it ,there were only two sections left. The very thick iron hoop around the head of the stick impressed me deeply

My father is an honest man ,he can’t play kung fu either .He is the only son of my grandparents’. Facing others’ big clans ,father taught me how to decline others modestly ,and it became my required course .

Boys who don’t like brandishing swords aren’t too many. Why do I like martial arts? There is another reason that I don’t want to be bullied besides my nature instinct.

In slave society ,ruling class of China controlled people by the fief system which divided the

Country into small ones to control and divided earth into small ones to live on. So political power wasn’t firm; The first Emperor of Qin dynasty strengthened the centralization ,divided thirty-six prefectures into sixty-four ones. They were country, prefecture ,county ,township ,li, village in the administrative ; In Yuan dynasty, they were province, lu, prefecture. county .village, lijia ;In Qing dynasty ,they were province, prefecture, fu, county, township ,bao ,jia.

I think everyone must know something about the structure of the political power in the 1970’s. The place which I was born in was called village. It was also called production team. It was the lowest rung of the political power and society. Because of “each jia was made up of 10 households ,each bao of 10 jias”, a village was only half of bao . During those years which were like a raging fire, ancients men’s words that “the sky is high and the emperor far away and be beyond the reach of one’s power” had lost the value of truth. At that time ,to me, it was just the tornado of Great Cultural Revolution, which swept across the country, made me have a habit following my lifetime .I have met two teachers during these years: One was Mr Han who was sent here. He was good at Chinese wresting. The other was Mr Zhao , He was a son of rich peasants. He was good at Shaolin boxing and shadow boxing. I had a short relationship with them. .My father made my chivalrous swordsman dream broken because he didn’t bear me to play kung fu .But my thirst for wushu was rooted in my immature mind deeply. 

I repeated my poor martial arts again and again and succeeded in attempt occasionally, but much elder students or a group of students came to teach me a lesson. It made me understand that it was not enough to know the movements and postures only. I even practiced flying knives on the crossbeam of my own house.

   Father began to study Chinese medicine when he worked in the fields. He went to a medical school in the county town and was assigned to the Chinese medical department of a hospital. He never upheld force. Although he was sent to the country in 1962, he still hoped that his children could go out of it relying on knowledge . We three brothers and sister accepted and carried out this parental instruction . At present, my sister and I work in the city ,younger brother works as a teacher in Tsinghua University.

I am outing . I was a little active one during the decade of turmoil . Adults said I was with special working groups when I was two or three years old, did “three steadfastness in the performance of duty” before dinners. In my memory, I criticized LinBiao ,Confucius , DengXiaoping and Gang of Four . I was always praised by the teachers and headmasters .

Being active gave me a deep political mark of print in my immature mind.

I grew up with the policy of reform and opening to the outside world .My elder sister ,younger brother and I had a chance to go to a school of a higher grade. In the cherish martial arts , we learned Shaolin , shadow and eagle claw boxing etc. Later, we had a chance to learn Eight Pole boxing systematically with the help of Mr HuoQingshan . Fortunately, I became one of the disciples of Mr LiWenshu who was called “expert marksman Li ” in the martial art history. My younger brother also learned Dacheng boxing (shadow boxing)when he studied in Beijing Aeronautical Engineering Institute .

Martial arts made me understand too much. Hard trains made my will strong. It also taught me how to face setbacks and opponents, how to be resolute in actions. This kind of character which formed unconsciously with no earnest efforts in my boyhood played important roles in the challenge of my career and made me benefit from it endlessly.
   More than thirty years has passed . Regardless of politics , martial arts or human experiences , I have experienced too many confusions and sudden realizations .I have realized in a flash : the principles of martial arts , life and society are similar and maintain innumerable ties . So I try to write a book about wushu which can elaborate principles, let the martial arts which I have devoted myself wholeheartedly reach a level of learning , a height of principles.
　  At last , this book has been finished writing now. Her name is 《Major Principle is Only One》. When the major principles are drawn into one , the principle is only one too.

That is why I want to write such a book , the long-winded words are just as the preface.
　

                                                             Writer: WangLiwu