| In the world of martial arts there are few styles that | | | | Tiger, Bear, Deer, Ape and Bird, the natural health |
| capture the imagination in the way that the animal | | | | systems of the body can be regulated and balanced. |
| styles do. Even though these systems are famous, | | | | These exercises were popular for health but did not |
| and often commonly practiced in Gong Fu, they are | | | | directly inspire the development of animal imitation |
| commonly misunderstood and misrepresented. In this | | | | systems. |
| article I hope to shed some light on the animal styles | | | | In the 1600's a Shaolin Master, Bai Yu Feng, set out |
| themselves and their relevance to modern training. | | | | to revitalise the Shaolin system. He travelled around |
| Common myths about the animal styles | | | | China for three years meeting with masters and |
| In martial arts today there are a lot of | | | | learning a variety of styles. After the three years he |
| misconceptions about the animal styles, some of | | | | returned to Shaolin and constructed a new style by |
| which we should address before we move on. | | | | combining five systems he had encountered in his |
| Common myth one: Animal styles are just for show | | | | travels. This 'new' style was the Shaolin Five Animal |
| and have no real function. | | | | Fist - Shaolin Wu Xing Quan. |
| When you look at the vast majority of animal stylists | | | | Shaolin Five Animals |
| around today it isn't hard to believe this one. Animal | | | | Shaolin Wu Xing Quan contains five distinct imitations |
| styles were developed to emphasize groups of similar | | | | - Tiger, Crane, Snake, Leopard and Dragon. Each of |
| concepts and so the imitative actions of the styles | | | | these styles had existed before this form, but it was |
| seek to bring out the functionality. Unfortunately, | | | | Bai Yu Feng who combined them into a single style in |
| many practitioners get so caught up in trying to be | | | | which each animal complimented the other. There had |
| an animal that they forget why they were there in | | | | been records of animal boxing for centuries before |
| the first place. | | | | Bai Yu Feng ,but it was scattered examples and none |
| Common myth two: Animal styles are about hand | | | | had captured the imagination as this style had. |
| positions. | | | | Each of these animals will be explored in detail in later |
| Often the depth of many practitioners stops at the | | | | articles but I wanted to mention another version of |
| formation of the hand position. I have heard | | | | Bai Yu Feng's boxing - Wu Xing Ba Fa Quan. |
| instructors tell students that the tiger style is the | | | | Wu Xing Ba Fa Quan means the Eight Laws of Five |
| tiger claw and that the Crane Style is all about using | | | | Animals Boxing and is a summary form of Bai Yu |
| the beak hand. If you believe that then I suppose it | | | | Feng's original style. In Wu Xing Ba Fa Quan the |
| becomes true, but in my experience this is not the | | | | varying aspects of the system help to develop the |
| case. There are many animal styles that don't contain | | | | practitioner so as to improve all of their Gong Fu. In |
| any signature hand techniques at all. There are | | | | this form the exercises of the Tiger develop |
| complete systems of Tiger Boxing that don't use the | | | | muscular strength and help increase bone density. |
| claw at all, and crane styles that almost never use a | | | | The Crane develops Jing (manifested Qi), while the |
| beak are quite common but often go unnoticed | | | | Snake develops the smooth control of Qi itself. The |
| because they don't look the part. | | | | Leopard develops speed and power, and the Dragon |
| Common myth three: Animal styles were created by | | | | develops the ability to hold still. All this is possible |
| Bodhidharma at Shaolin Temple. | | | | because of the proper application of the Ba Fa or |
| This is complete rubbish and unfortunately it is Shaolin | | | | Eight Laws. |
| Temple that seems to be spreading it around. If you | | | | The Eight Laws are: |
| see any of the travelling monk shows or watch any | | | | Correct use of the internal skills |
| of the Shaolin documentaries that have been | | | | Correct use of external skills |
| produced in the last couple of years, you will see this | | | | Correct application of mind |
| myth being pushed very strongly. The modern animal | | | | Development of the Six Harmonies through the |
| styles that are coming out of temple are not classical | | | | hands |
| styles. They are full of acrobatics and generally | | | | Development of the Six Harmonies through the legs |
| running around and pretending to be an animal, but | | | | and footwork |
| with very little real functionality (except marketing). | | | | Correct application of the three zones of the body |
| Martial arts evolve, and the current commonly | | | | Correct application of Chin Na functionality |
| practiced Shaolin animal styles are valid in context, | | | | Correct development of Qi Gong. |
| but to pretend that all of the martial arts that we | | | | Although some historians believe that Bai Yu Feng's |
| see in Shaolin today were developed by Da Mo is | | | | style was originally called Wu Xing Ba Fa Quan, the |
| ridiculous. If nothing else, Da Mo (Bodhidharma) lived | | | | versions that are most commonly practiced in Shaolin |
| more than a thousand years before the first Shaolin | | | | today are only variations on the summary form. |
| Animal form was built. This myth discredits the | | | | After Bai Yu Feng |
| countless Masters who made outstanding | | | | After Bai Yu Feng, imitative styles became very |
| contributions to Shaolin Gong Fu over the 1,500+ | | | | popular and many different imitations started to |
| years of Shaolin's history. | | | | appear. Apart from the original five animals of Tiger, |
| So what are the animal styles? | | | | Crane, Leopard, Dragon and Snake there are many |
| The animal styles are more correctly known as the | | | | others including the Mantis, Eagle, Monkey, Drunkard, |
| Imitative Styles (Xing Quan) and are a unique feature | | | | White Ape, Dog, Phoenix, Elephant, Lion, Swallow, |
| of Classical Chinese martial arts. Masters developed | | | | Hawk, Rooster, Duck, Fish, Turtle, Toad, Scorpion |
| these styles as a way of exploring the nature of | | | | and many more. Some animals became so popular |
| human consciousness by exploring the different | | | | that they developed into unique systems while many |
| 'minds' that the animals represent. The animal is an | | | | others survive as just a few techniques such as the |
| archetype that the practitioner can explore to | | | | Vulture. |
| understand the changeability of the human mind. | | | | As the concept of imitative practice spread, whole |
| The purpose of imitating is to free ourselves from | | | | systems of exercise as well as weapon styles, such |
| our everyday identity and thereby explore ways of | | | | as Monkey Pole and Drunken Sword, started to |
| thinking that we wouldn't have normally considered. | | | | appear. Through cinema they remain popular to this |
| This creates a paradigm shift and expands our | | | | day. |
| understanding and our barriers accordingly. The first | | | | Imitative styles are popular in Shan Men Shaolin Quan |
| imitative system was not martial at all but was | | | | and there are many imitative routines in the |
| developed for health prevention. | | | | curriculum. Students start to learn Wu Xing Ba Fa |
| The Wu Xing Xi (Five Animal Frolics) were developed | | | | Quan at Level 6 (Purple Sash). |
| by Hua Tuo, and by using the imitative actions of the | | | | |