Bear Kung Fu - Xióng Chuan

The bear is the most basic of fighting animal motions. It uses the most basic principles of body physics to great speed and power. Linear centerline shifts and direct line reinforcement are characteristics of the bear.

Although his motion is not complex, it is very strong. The motions of the bear give the student the most basic understanding of proper body mechanics from which the other animal motions will be built upon. It is for this reason that the bear, or xioung, is the first animal motion to be perfected when learning the art of Shou' Shu'.

Some aspects of bear motion can be detected in almost all martial arts. If one traces back the history of most systems of martial arts, they will find that their motions are derived from the bear. It can be seen clearly in Japanese or Okinawan hardstyles. In these arts, the entire arts are based on the strength of the bear. In Shou Shu it is a base to work from.

This fact can lead to confusion in the beginning student. Because at this point in the process, the art will seem similiar in ways to other arts. However this is only building the foundation from which to learn. In only a few short months the student will begin to grasp principles from the other animals. At this point, the sophistication of the art will become more obvious. Once a student has achieved first degree black belt, in Shou' Shu' they have mastered the motions of the bear. It is said that from this point, one has been prepared to learn.

Tiger Kung Fu - Hu Chuan

The tiger is the definition of power. Like bear, he generates his strength through mechanical alignment, but he has the unique ability to flow through these positions. The bear is rigid and hard, yet the tiger is soft and fluid. The tiger combines strength and soft fluid power.
A tiger shifu is strong and powerful. Power comes from highly developed stances and the ability to combine the basic power sources. He has a unique rolling circular motion which gives him more versatility in directing his power. While his power is still based upon centerline shifts, drops, and rotations, he is capable of combining these rather than the linear motions of the bear.
The tiger strengthens the sinews and the bones. He utilizes the white muscle fiber and the sinews for snap, while being supported by the red muscle fiber and the bone for support. Therefore his motions strengthen the entire constitution including the core muscles so often overlooked.
His Chi Is explosive in nature. Because of his immense strength, he can send his chi through ripping and tearing Fu Jows (tiger strikes) damaging large parts of the opponent at once. His blocks are bone breaking and his strikes are devastating to the opponent.

Mongoose Kung Fu - Yón Chuan

The mongoose is the master of trickery. His fast agile motions allow him to be where the opponent thinks he is not. His unique ability to create power from awkward positions makes him comfortable in any position. Being comfortable whether upright, over center, falling, rolling over his opponent, or even standing on unstable ground (his opponent) makes him the most versatile of the fighting animals.

In nature, the mongoose will taunt the snake. He will position himself right underneath and within striking distance of the snake. He does this because his skill is at evading and counter striking. The mongoose wants the snake to stretch out and become weak. The mongoose knows that he can evade the strike thereby leaving the snake in a weakened and overextended position whereby the mongoose can counterstrike and stretch the snake further. Once in control the mongoose will never again allow the snake to coil. He will keep him in his stretched and weakened position, rendering him harmless.

A Mongoose shifu will do the same. His strength is in the counter attack. He can quickly retreat to the edge of the opponents striking distance and counterattack with a ferocity of no other. He can evade while simultaneously attacking. He does not have the strength of the tiger but creates his power through completely different methods. He creates his power through positioning. He can quickly get his body into a position of strength rather than using muscular strength. He positions himself, in a method we call "posting", so that he can take full advantage of leverage. Thereby alleviating the need for physical strength.

This advantage teaches those of small stature to use their body size as an advantage. Rather than trying to fight the larger opponent head on, they learn to fight him where he is weak. Size and strength are unnecessary when fighting in the way of the mongoose.

Because the mongoose is small, he does not risk another attack. The tiger can play with his opponent just like a cat would play with a mouse. The mongoose cannot risk this. When the mongoose is in a situation he knows it is life or death. For this reason he attacks with a deadly intent.

His chi is penetrates deep into the body through small focused and rebounding strikes. Because of his strength of positioning he is totally reinforced. His chi is forced through his weapons because it is totally supported by the earth.

We are uncertain at this point of the true origin of the mongoose fighting style. We know that it was one of the seven fighting styles brought to China by the Bodhisattva warrior, Da Mo. However we have found evidence that it may be thousands of years older than this. The arts originated in ancient Egypt and there is evidence that the mongoose may have come from the fighting styles of the ancient Egyptians.

Although the arts originated in ancient Egypt, we are uncertain if the were highly developed fighting sciences as they are today or if they were basic wrestling techniques which became highly developed over the millennia. Many ancient drawings and hieroglyphics depict fighting technique with at least some level of sophistication. We do know that they regularly held tournaments to test their skills.

We also know that the mongoose was a highly revered creature in ancient mesopatamia. He was reffered to as the "pharaohs mouse". This may have been simply because he ate the eggs of crocodiles thereby keeping the crocodile population in check. However, it may also have been because of the fighting style created around his motions. There is evidence of a small band of martial artists who's job it was to protect the pharaoh. It is said that these martial artists fought in the way of the mongoose.

It may be that the mongoose style dates back to this time, around 4500 B.C. Or it may be that the mongoose was created as part of the Kalaripayut which would have happened a few thousand years later. It is also possible the the style was created by DaMo himself. We are constantly researching this and whether we find the answer or not, it is certain that it is a very old style.

We are proud to carry on the tradition of the mongoose exactly as our grandmaster taught us. It is the rarest of fighting styles. There are only a handful of teachers in the world who can fight in this deadly style.It is an extremely versatile and sophisticated system and it is important that it is preserved.

White Crane Kung Fu - báihè Chuan

The White crane has got to be one of the most stoic and beautiful fighting styles. It would be easy to underestimate the crane because fluid gracefulness but it is an extremely effective fighting style. The crane uses his razor sharp wings to defend and attack simultaneously. His shielding wings create immensely powerful blocks and strikes. He is known for woks, or beak strikes, and uses every part of the wing as a weapon. He can create power at any point in his circle or centerline transfer. Rather than having power at concentrated points in his motion, he has power throughout the entire motion and can strike at any point in the circle Being a beast of the air, he is known for evasive lofting and swooping motions. Because he can land on his opponent with one hundred percent of his weight his power to body weight ratio is the highest of the fighting beasts. He is the pure metal element. His Chi is cutting in nature and penetrates the body like a sword. As a matter of fact, white crane motion lends itself to the sword. Any crane technique can easily become sword work

Being a master of his centerline also allows him extremely fast kicking sequences. The fact that the white crane always fights from a grounded centerline position or as he lofts and swoops enables fast kicks projected from center at any point in his motion. The white crane has the fastest kicks of all of the beasts

In a bird, the strongest muscles are the pectoralis and the latisimus, the chest and the back. To fully utilize these muscles he must have a fully upright and erect posture. This perfect centerline gives the crane his signature look. A very proud looking animal, it is the same in the white crane style. A crane shifu has the most perfect of centerlines, a true master of balance. He is as strong and powerful on one leg as he is on two.

Legend has it that a monk created this style while watching a crane defend itself from a tiger. It is said that the crane deftly evaded the tigers attacks while skillfully striking and pecking at his eyes. Other accounts claim that the encounter was between a crane and a gorilla. There is yet another variation on the story that it was not a monk who witnessed it at all but a band of women warriors who created the style. Whatever the true origin, it is a powerful and highly skillful style in itself.

Praying Mantis Kung Fu - Tang láng Chuan

The praying mantis is the master of footwork and Chin Na. Although his kicks are limited, his footwork is the fastest around. In nature when a mantis is prepared to attack, his stance becomes very rooted into the ground. As he pushes his body into a lower and lower stance the tension in his legs becomes tighter and tighter. His legs become like spring steel into the ground, the front legs pushing back and the back legs pushing forward. When either is released his body is instantly propelled in that direction. The action is so fast that he seems to disappear from one point and instantly reappear in another.

In the insect world, the mantis is the most deadly of predators. His voracious appetite keeps him constantly hunting. He is deadly and effective. He knows only one thought and that is to feed.

Because his body has no hips, he cannot turn at the waist. He makes all adjustments with his footwork. He will move on and adjust to his opponent with very small and fast footwork adjustments. His hooking hands always ready to snare his opponent.

The praying mantis is also known for his chin na. His hooking hands are perfectly suited for hooking and locking out an opponents joints. However he does not use his chin na for submission holds. Because Shou' Shu is a war art, it would not make sense to go to a submission position. It is better to use the chin na to pull the opponent into a strike or to achieve point of vulnerability. It is possible to use the chin na for submission holds if the situation is less threatening. It becomes useful in this manner if it is not necessary to hurt the opponent. However it's original use is not for the iron holds but to destroy the opponent and move on, just as the mantis in nature would do.

A mantis shifu is a grappling master. He can lock his opponent's joints without his opponent realizing the weakness until it is too late. He can achieve numerous strikes in one centerline shift. Although the mantis is linear in nature, it is not the same linear motion of the bear. The mantis can evade and move in three dimensions, he just does so while retaining his stick like nature.

Cobra Kung Fu - Bō Yǎn Shé (glass eyed snake) Chuan

The cobra has the fastest strikes of any of the fighting animals. It is known for fang strikes, hood strikes, and percussionary strikes. It uses what is called a circling pagoda motion, a motion totally unique to the cobra. The fact that the strikes of the cobra rebound from one to the other makes them incredibly fast. Each strike adds more power to the next as energy is rebounded off of the opponent into the next strike

Because the cobra has no feet, the cobra shifu has no stances. He utilizes a floating foot motion at all times. Because he has no stances, he typically uses the opponents mass to move him where he wants to go. Rather than set into a stance and drive like most other beasts, he will use his strikes to change his direction. He maintains an attack on an opponents centerline by shifting with the motion of the opponent.

The strikes are propelled with a whipping motion. Often times the body will snap and project the chi in a whipping fashion out the strike. Much of the energy is created as the strike pushes off of the opponent to be fed into the next strike. Because the cobra has no legs, he must have a constantly shifting centerline. If he did not, he would be balanced and neutralized at center and unable to strike. While the crane can easily strike from a centered position, the cobra cannot. A crane sits flat footed enabling him to center on that foot, a cobra sits arched on his tail and therefore must stay in motion to be effective.

A cobra shifu is capable of hitting his opponent twelve or more times per second. Actually, it is more accurate to say six or more times per half second as the cobra shifu will rarely sustain an attack longer. But do not be fooled that because of the speed, the power is diminished. Every one of those strikes is a devastating blow. But together they are even more destructive in that they force the opponent into the next blow.

Because the circles of the cobra are tight, the cobra tends to be a head hunter. This is because the head is small enough to allow for very small circled fast strikes. This does not mean that he never attacks the body, he can just as easily attack the body. He just generally finishes by attacking the head as his circle tightens. This bouncing percussionary motion rattles the brain and causes a punch drunk reaction in the opponent in mere seconds.

The chi of the cobra flows in small circles. It may enter the body in one place and exit another. Or it may circle around inside of the body and attack various organs with one strike.

Dragon Kung Fu - lóng Chuan

The dragon is the master of illusion. Although any of the animals can create illusion, this is the dragon's forte. His has small arms like the mongoose but moves them in a spherical manner. While the arm motion is similar in a way to the cobra, the cobra weapons move in a circular, two dimensional manner while the arms of the dragon move in a spherical three dimensional manner.

The dragon twists and coils his body which results in an explosive uncoiling. The waves of coiling and uncoiling motions travel through the body releasing the energy into his weapons.