Tiger Kung Fu

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The Tiger is one of the Five Animals of Southern Chinese martial arts. In many Chinese martial arts, both Northern and Southern, and as dissimilar as Hung Gar and Tai Chi Chuan, the names of techniques feature "tiger" imagery. Jee Sin is said to have taught the tiger, or at least a very early version of it. The purpose of imitating the tiger is to develop the very yang qualities of fearlessness and aggression when faced with an opponent. The tiger attacks in a staight line and rarely retreats. Most tiger styles rely on external "jing" or mechanical and kinetic force generated through the shifting of weight and rotation of the waist rather than the internal qi of arts like Baguazhang and Xingyiquan. Most of its strikes are clubbing and claw strikes. The focus of this style is in the hand posture, the "Tiger Claw", in which the wrist is drawn back, the fingers spread as wide as possible and the fingertips held forward to deliver a blow while grasping and twisting. When delivered successfully, all five fingers should drive forcefully into the opponent with the strength of a tiger's claw.