jm
New Member
Posts: 3
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Post by jm on Jan 21, 2007 22:03:00 GMT -5
What are the dominant features for each animal of the 5 animal style and how do they play a part in the whole picture?
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Post by Gary Steuer on Jan 22, 2007 20:17:32 GMT -5
Really a good question........ Every person has a different shape and body style or feature which is pretty much unique to them even to their smallest movements or gestures......... Now, the style called the 5 animals is what makes this so different from other styles such as basic karate or tae quon do , etc........ In each of the animals, snake, Tiger, Leopard and Crane there are movements which are unique to them as opposed to other animals..... The snake has the ability to sit and wait for the right moment and then it strikes....Straight and to the point. The leopard is a cat which is smaller than a tiger and is more comfortable in a tree. The leopard uses strikes to the side to dislodge others in the tree as well. the tiger is a large cat which is forceful and uses his strength to overpower. So, straight on and forocious attacking is used... The crane has the ability to fly and is very graceful. when it comes to rest and drink from a waterhole it has to deal with the other animals that come to drink also... The long pointed and rather sharp beak along with the powerful wings are used to drive others away......... Now as Master Ark Wong explained, picture a scene in a jungle where a tiger chases a leopard up into a tree. the tiger will lose to the leopard because the leopard is more at home in the tree and can move much better........ Now, the leopard will come across a snake which is in the tree and using it's sideway strikes will drive the snake from the tree into the water below........ The crane which is drinking now has to deal with the snake in the water at the same time trying to keep the tiger out of the waterhole as well....... It's a cycle which keeps repeating itself....Now put all four of the animals together and you have developed a mythical dragon........twisting body and striking of a serpent along with powerful strikes from a tiger and sideway strikes from a leopard amd the beak and wings of a crane which also has the ability to fly away................ In all of these there are things which each of us can apply and use... Each person will find themselves and their own bodies abilities in any or all of these animals....... Each has to be studied in order to know the defense that each would use..... Good luck
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Post by palmdown on Oct 3, 2007 22:37:18 GMT -5
Gary:
As I recall the order in which I learned three animal forms, first came the Snake, then the Tiger, then the Dragon. Is this the order in which you learned these animals from Master Wong, and is this the order in which he learned them?
I ask because, according to Master Wong's explanation, the Dragon is the combination of all the characteristics of the other four animals. If this is so, then why is the Dragon taught before the student learns the Leopard and the Crane?
palmdown
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Post by redmantis3 on Oct 4, 2007 12:29:14 GMT -5
Good question!
This is something that I, myself, have never really understood (then again I never asked). I understand that the Snake is taught first, to develop the breath and the chi which you'll need for the later forms and because these two things take the longest to develop. The Tiger next to develop strength of the muscles, tendons and bones. Why the next three are in the order they are I don't know.
In Northern Shaolin the Dragon being a combination of the other four animals, is taught last which has always made sense to me.
Steve Perez
S5CBA
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Post by Gary Steuer on Oct 5, 2007 2:32:16 GMT -5
The animals are taught in a certain order for a reason... snake, tiger, dragon, leopard, crane.
Snake and tiger take in most of the fighting skills that you will need.. The snake will build your power and andurance. The tiger will give you the fiercness and muscle strength against an opponant. The dragon will introduce the crane and leopard. Since the crane and leopard are more specialized forms and are not suited for every body style and shape most people will never practice them or even get that far in their training. So, the dragon teaches them what is necessary to know for blocking and defending. If you have finished the dragon then you will surely do the leopard and crane.. Learning the weapons between sets will do that also... The knife is an extension of the arm and is similar to the tongue of the snake. and the blocking of the tiger.. Leopard style is suited for use with daggers and crane form is good with stick and spear acting.. Those forms aren't taught until after you have learned the snake, tiger and dragon............
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Post by jingwah on Oct 7, 2007 13:18:50 GMT -5
Hi Gary
I was at the gym the other day watching four karate students who were working out as a group. Watching them I realized something about our horse. They were working with the front foot almost straight ahead and the rear leg at a 45 degree angle. I always knew our horse protects the groin but watching them I realized that our foot position makes it much, much easier to utilize the hips and generate power.
Jingwah
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mic
Full Member
Posts: 137
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Post by mic on Nov 30, 2007 11:59:46 GMT -5
Open question for those who teach... and for students:
Can you actually see the animal most suited for a person or person most suited for a certain animal before practitioners figure it out for themselves? Do most want to "be" dragons because of the combination of animals or do you/they focus more on a certain animal because of body type or personal preference?
Do you see yourself as a certain animal and if so, which one and maybe why if you want to elaborate?
Thanks!
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Post by Gary Steuer on Nov 30, 2007 21:42:40 GMT -5
I see a person who is tall and thin as a crane, and a person who is sturdy looking and not so tall as more of a tiger. A person who walks with a fluid movement can use the snake or leopard effectively. Those are from basic observations and should be thought of when facing someone who shows any of those characteristics. when you are opposed by any of these features in a person you think of the defence of that animal and move accordingly.. This is where the time spent with another student in practicing the other side of the forms will teach you the defence.
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blackravin
Junior Member
In Darkness I shall find You...
Posts: 52
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Post by blackravin on Dec 27, 2007 17:23:40 GMT -5
Here is rare footage of Uncle Gary with GrandMaster Ark Y. Wong:  |
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Post by Gary Steuer on Dec 27, 2007 21:19:43 GMT -5
Thank you so much !! Those knives were razor sharp and I was scared to death... That will explain my nervous smile... That was all strictly adlib................
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Post by Al Wong on Apr 21, 2009 19:51:08 GMT -5
Hi Gary,
My name is Al Wong and I also studied with Grandmaster Ark Y. Wong at Wah Que Studio (upstairs on Ord St) in L.A. Chinatown beginning in 1972 and continued when Sifu moved his school to Dailey St. in Lincoln Hts. I looked at your old video with Sifu and thought you were the Gary that I met, who also opened a school in Santa Monica, CA. If you are, do you remember me? I also knew James and Ernie Louie and studied with Seming Ma. Are you that Gary? I also am interested in tracking down Seming and the Louie brothers.
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Post by Gary Steuer on Apr 22, 2009 10:40:31 GMT -5
Good to hear from you Al, I'm not exactly sure how to find Seming. I kind of lost touch with him. He has a website, but I don't have the address. I haven't seen or heard from the Louie brothers for years. I live in Thailand and come to W. los Angeles once a year. Actually, I'm here until Sunday , the 26 th and then I head back to Thailand. We will be at Stoner Park this coming thursday evening at 7 :30 pm .
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jay
Junior Member
Posts: 89
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Post by jay on Jul 19, 2009 1:03:49 GMT -5
If I'm correct, Ark Wong came from the Canton area. One of his teachers was Monk Pang. Maybe Pang was from the Guangdong Temple. I copied the below from a website of a school in Australia. Our style has a very rich history.
Guangdong Temple: This southern school taught many great warriors.
This temple was built in late 1700's in a mountain area overlooking the ocean near the city of Canton in Canton Province. This Cantonese temple was close to Fukien temple, and was home to many southern family styles, such as Hung Gar, Lau Gar, Choy Gar, Lee Gar and Mok Gar. The Guangdong temple was destroyed during the civil warring following the Boxer Rebellion.
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Post by Gary Steuer on Dec 11, 2010 10:28:10 GMT -5
Many years ago Masrer Wong explained what and where our style came from . The names associated with our style are based on the names of actual people.... The question of the Mok style has come up a few times , and some people say it is not a persons name , but the name of a specific Buddhist group... Well , that's not entirely true.... Master Wong told me that it was actually named after a person, but the names are translated litterally and it would be hard to trace the actual family name. We say Mok , and it is really Mo.... Again , it does no good to get too technical, just accept it as a family name , which it is .. The master named Mo , was known for his tremendous kicking power , and had killed people with his kicks.. The part about spreading the legwork through Korea is also correct. Keep your own legs strong , and practice stance work and kicks whenever you work out... As you get older you'll re
ly less on your kicking , but be strong enough in your arm techniques to block kicks.
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jay
Junior Member
Posts: 89
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Post by jay on Dec 16, 2010 1:38:51 GMT -5
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