余自垂髫致力拳藝，迄已二十餘年，此二十餘年中曾北走幽燕，西游甘陝，湖海一騎，挾以自豪者，子門羅漢拳亦其一也。此拳余受自第三業師，師法號企岳，系出少林，傳少林當代邁殊大師衣缽，功精內外，余北面執禮躬承提命者凡六年，惜限於天資，未窺堂奧，祇涉蹊徑面已。惟師愛余甚，末後乃以此拳授余，並謂余曰，此乃少林護山法拳，舍達摩點穴拳外，當推翹楚。少林拳藝震天下，然率皆混稱曰少林拳、少林棒，而不知少林系中尚有三乘十二門也。子丑寅卯四門為上乘，辰已午未四門為中乘，申酉戌亥四門為下乘，上乘恃以護山，向不外傳，外傳者僅中乘，而又以午門為多，至上乘中之子門拳，不但拳不外傳，並名亦不使外溢。此拳虎視龍驤，左顧右盼，有雷電飛騰、風雲叱咤之勢，研而精之，當者辟易，今以子天資渾厚、氣度寬大，用以相授，當不致挾以行不逞也，爾其珍之！余受而習之，又將六年，雖未精進，尚多心得。值茲國府提倡國術之際，國術運用，已納於正當途徑，爰為公開之貢獻，演而出之，以供同好，此舉或不致有忤師意也。不然，終恐此大好國術，因年湮代久，漸成廣陵散耳，
霞天謹識
I have devoted myself to boxing arts ever since childhood, more than twenty years. Over the course of these twenty years, I traveled north beyond Hebei west beyond Shaanxi, south and east to the coasts, and to the lakes everywhere in between. Of all that I have learned in my travels, Midnight Style Luohan Boxing is the best.
　　I learned this boxing set from my third teacher, the monk Qi Yue [“gazes up at the peak”], who himself learned the Shaolin art from the great master Mai Shu [“walks with distinction”], mastering both the internal and external skills. I had so far applied myself faithfully to the northern arts for six years, but due to my lack of talent, I never really managed to get a proper glimpse of their profundities, only scratching the surface. However, my teacher liked me, and so he decided in the end to go ahead and teach me this boxing set. He told me: “This art is known as Shaolin Mountain-Guarding Boxing. Going beyond Damo’s method of striking acupoints, it will take you the rest of the way into mastery.”
　　The Shaolin boxing art has shaken the world, and yet although everyone talks of Shaolin Boxing and Shaolin Staff, nobody knows about Shaolin’s “three levels”, divided into the “twelve styles”. The four styles of Midnight, Post-Midnight, Pre-Dawn, and Dawn are the higher level. The four styles of Post-Dawn, Pre-Noon, Noon, and Post-Noon are the middle level. The four styles of Pre-Dusk, Dusk, Post-Dusk, and Pre-Midnight are the lower level. At the highest level is the Mountain-Guarding set, which is not taught to laymen. Laymen may be taught no higher than the middle level, most commonly the Noon Style. The Midnight Style within the higher level is not only not taught to laymen, it is not even shown to them.
　　This set turns in all directions with a dragon’s proud poise and a tiger’s angry glare. It has the energy of a surging storm or a roaring wind. If you study it and become skillful at it, then when you feel pressed to retreat, you can use it to activate your abilities and amplify your bearing. This set ought to be taught, not hidden away as a treasure for oneself. I learned it and have been practicing it for the last six years. Although I have still not mastered it, I have gained much from the experience.
　　Now that the government is promoting Chinese martial arts, these arts have been given a better chance at survival. I have therefore decided to publish a book about this boxing set in order to share it with all those who may be interested. I only hope this action will not go against my teacher’s wishes. I simply fear that if I do not share this wonderful martial art, it will gradually slip into oblivion and become as extinct as the notorious Guangling Melody.