Favorite animal style

[Kung Fu Wang]

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]

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.

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]

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]

I like rabid ape style.

 

[clfsean]

I like rabid ape style.

Rabid ape is good!!

 

[clfsean]

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]

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]

I like Bear style

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