# Favorite animal style



## psilent child (Feb 11, 2017)

I'm just curious, whats your favorite animal style and why? I'm taking Kajukenbo and we use some tiger and crane techniques.


----------



## Xue Sheng (Feb 11, 2017)

Are you asking about "Animal Styles" in CMA, meaning complete systems such as tiger, crane, dragon, monkey? Or are you asking about an animal technique within a style such as bear within Xingyiquan, or snake form in Bagua or white crane posture in Taijiquan?


----------



## DanT (Feb 11, 2017)

My father trained in 5 animal styles, and I always deeply enjoyed the smoothness of dragon, although I don't practice 5 animal style myself.


----------



## psilent child (Feb 12, 2017)

Xue Sheng said:


> Are you asking about "Animal Styles" in CMA, meaning complete systems such as tiger, crane, dragon, monkey? Or are you asking about an animal technique within a style such as bear within Xingyiquan, or snake form in Bagua or white crane posture in Taijiquan?


I'm asking as in Tiger, Monkey, Dragon etc.


----------



## Andrew Green (Feb 12, 2017)

Human?


----------



## JP3 (Feb 12, 2017)

I think I'd be good at Grizzly Bear style.

     There is a Grizzly Bear style, right?


----------



## Flying Crane (Feb 12, 2017)

Well, given that the availability of instruction in animal styles is not all that common, I think it is unlikely that most people would have the opportunity to train more than one of them.  It's not like most cities just have all the animal Kung fu schools all lined up in a row so you can go in and sample them.  So that one that might be available would probably be the favorite.


----------



## psilent child (Feb 13, 2017)

Flying Crane said:


> Well, given that the availability of instruction in animal styles is not all that common, I think it is unlikely that most people would have the opportunity to train more than one of them.  It's not like most cities just have all the animal Kung fu schools all lined up in a row so you can go in and sample them.  So that one that might be available would probably be the favorite.


I would say that's with several school. Some arts just not in every city. I know Jeet Kune do and Sambo schools aren't everywhere, but there schools out there. I'm asking for the ones the have raking a class or seen the style on tv or YouTube.


----------



## Flying Crane (Feb 13, 2017)

psilent child said:


> I would say that's with several school. Some arts just not in every city. I know Jeet Kune do and Sambo schools aren't everywhere, but there schools out there. I'm asking for the ones the have raking a class or seen the style on tv or YouTube.


Well, I would not give any weight to opinions based on having taken a class or two or having seen it on YouTube.  Someone needs to really understand it on some genuine level in order for the opinion to mean anything.


----------



## clfsean (Feb 14, 2017)

Flying Crane said:


> Well, I would not give any weight to opinions based on having taken a class or two or having seen it on YouTube.  Someone needs to really understand it on some genuine level in order for the opinion to mean anything.



This.


----------



## psilent child (Feb 16, 2017)

Flying Crane said:


> Well, I would not give any weight to opinions based on having taken a class or two or having seen it on YouTube.  Someone needs to really understand it on some genuine level in order for the opinion to mean anything.


I'm just asking for opinions. I'm not going to do anything based of what people say


----------



## Kung Fu Wang (Feb 16, 2017)

psilent child said:


> I'm just curious, whats your favorite animal style and why?


I like the "rhino" style. Why? It's simple and easy to learn.


----------



## Flying Crane (Feb 16, 2017)

psilent child said:


> I'm just asking for opinions. I'm not going to do anything based of what people say


I understand that, but I suggest you also need to understand that if someone does not have some quality of real understanding of something, his opinion on that topic will have no value.


----------



## clfsean (Feb 16, 2017)

Flying Crane said:


> I understand that, but I suggest you also need to understand that if someone does not have some quality of real understanding of something, his opinion on that topic will have no value.



This. Again.


----------



## Xue Sheng (Feb 16, 2017)

Personally, I prefer Lion Roar Kung Fu


----------



## Flying Crane (Feb 16, 2017)

Xue Sheng said:


> Personally, I prefer Lion Roar Kung Fu


You do realize that the original name of the Tibetan method that became the three related methods of Lama, White Crane, and Hop Gar, was called Lion's Roar?


----------



## Xue Sheng (Feb 16, 2017)

Flying Crane said:


> You do realize that the original name of the Tibetan method that became the three related methods of Lama, White Crane, and Hop Gar, was called Lion's Roar?



Could they destroy demons and tear the clothes off of their adversaries with their voice? 

No I did not, thanks for letting me know.... but then that is southern stuff, they speak funny in the south and no one can understand them, just ask clfsean


----------



## Flying Crane (Feb 16, 2017)

Perhaps a better way to approach this would be to say, anyone here who has experience with an animal system, pleas share your thoughts on it.  What do you like or dislike, what system is it, etc.

That could lead to some good info.

I'll start.

I train Tibetan White Crane, have done so since about...1998 or so, tho I have been training in the martial arts since about 1984.  The system makes a lot of sense to me, there is a heavy focus on body mechanics that work, learning a full-body engagement method for powerful techniques that can be used in just about everything that you do.  I find that to be more of a "principle focus" rather than "technique focus", but with the caveate that our techniques embody these principles and act as a vehicle to train and understand the principles.

That might be a bit confusing if you haven't experienced it before.

At any rate, once I began to really understand the method, I stopped doing the other systems that I had been training, to focus on this system exclusively.  That is how strongly I feel about it.


----------



## clfsean (Feb 16, 2017)

Xue Sheng said:


> Could they destroy demons and tear the clothes off of their adversaries with their voice?
> 
> No I did not, thanks for letting me know.... but then that is southern stuff, they speak funny in the south and no one can understand them, just ask clfsean



Jealous???


----------



## Xue Sheng (Feb 16, 2017)

clfsean said:


> Jealous???



No. just can't understand the word they say...to many consonants and hanging aaaaaaaaaaaaaa sounds


----------



## Kung Fu Wang (Feb 16, 2017)

Flying Crane said:


> Perhaps a better way to approach this would be to say, anyone here who has experience with an animal system, pleas share your thoughts on it.  What do you like or dislike, what system is it, etc.


Besides the "rhino" style that you can use it to attack your opponent's through his "front door", I also like the "octopus" style that you can use it to attack your opponent through his "side doors".

If you

- punch me, I'll wrap your arm.
- kick me, I'll wrap your leg.
- do nothing, I'll wrap your body.


----------



## clfsean (Feb 16, 2017)

Flying Crane said:


> Perhaps a better way to approach this would be to say, anyone here who has experience with an animal system, pleas share your thoughts on it.  What do you like or dislike, what system is it, etc.
> 
> That could lead to some good info.
> 
> ...



Ditto ... I started in 1981 with Japanese & Korean MA. I moved to CMA in the late 90's (99 I think, maybe 98) & ended up with Choy Li Fut in '03. It's got a base in the  5 major animals, but also uses 5 minor animals as well. In '12 I stared with my current Sifu in Lama Pai (White Crane's older sibling) and echo everything that FC has said.


----------



## Flying Crane (Feb 16, 2017)

clfsean said:


> Ditto ... I started in 1981 with Japanese & Korean MA. I moved to CMA in the late 90's (99 I think, maybe 98) & ended up with Choy Li Fut in '03. It's got a base in the  5 major animals, but also uses 5 minor animals as well. In '12 I stared with my current Sifu in Lama Pai (White Crane's older sibling) and echo everything that FC has said.


What is the five animals in CLF like?


----------



## DaleDugas (Feb 16, 2017)

I like rabid ape style.


----------



## clfsean (Feb 17, 2017)

DaleDugas said:


> I like rabid ape style.



Rabid ape is good!!


----------



## clfsean (Feb 17, 2017)

Flying Crane said:


> What is the five animals in CLF like?



They're built in to the long arm techniques. It's mostly overtly tiger. Oral histories (legends) say that Chan Heung's uncle, Chan Yuen Woo, who taught him first was a lower classmate of Hung Hei Goon. So with that in mind, anything from Hung Hei Hoon would be a mid armed strong tiger based technique from Fujian, sorta like a primordial Hung Kuen. The other 4 big animals (crane, dragon, leopard, snake) are all there & obvious as what they are (Crane - Chuen Kiu / Fei Ngo Leung Yik, Snake - Biu Ji / Jin Ji Sot Sao, Leopard -- Pao Ying Sao for punching / Lin Waan Chaap Choi, Dragon -- Lung Ying Jow / Noi Gung)  as examples.  

But the animals are a compliment, rather than a focus, in CLF. There are pure animal sets (5 Animal, 10 Animal, individual animal sets) but still the bulk of CLF looks to hand techniques for use & animals for complimentary techniques and theories, along with "their own" techniques blended to fit the CLF framework.


----------



## arnisador (Feb 17, 2017)

I always found snake fascinating--though what I know of it is mostly from a Wing Chun instructor who emphasized the snake techniques within it.


----------



## Xue Sheng (Feb 17, 2017)

I like Bear style








Actually there is a Bear form in Xingyiquan, but I have not learned it


----------

