Many Kung Fu styles have derived their 'identities' from the emulation of movements particular animals' movements. Among these, the Northern Praying Mantis -with roots that can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty, and the martial artist Wang Lang- certainly holds a special place, due to the its distinctive moves. A representative move is for instance the 'praying mantis hook', a technique in which a person joins between one and three fingers together in a movement which resembles the fast and powerful blow of a whip.
This hook can be instrumental in blocking and diverting the opponent's strength or during an attack on the latter's vulnerable areas, which may be in turn particularly painful. The Northern Praying Mantis is praised for the way in which its moves play out swiftly and in sequential continuity. Aside of the arms and the wrists, elbow and knee punches and strikes, its composite footwork, which is in great part inspired from the Monkey style, provides a wholesome unique aesthetic that welds the style with potency and effectiveness.
Also known as the Eight Trigram Palm, the style has been brought to life by Dong Haichuan in the first half of the 19th century. Like Tai Chi, Baguazhang is heavily influenced by Taoist philosophy and its notion of reality. The style is also characterized by slow, fluid movements, even though its techniques do differ to a great degree.
Circular footwork -or walking in circles- forms the basis of the Baguazhang Kung Fu style; everything starts from there. This footwork is especially important for evasion movements, and its mastery allows the practitioners to confront simultaneously several opponents.
Baguazhang has, moreover, has developed an astonishing repertoire of techniques, which typically use the fist, elbows, palms, leg kicks, locks and throws, as well as a wide array of weapons. The deer horn knives or crescent moon knives are most closely linked with the style. Last but not the least in the triumvirate of the internal styles which includes Tai Chi and Baguazhang is the Xingyiquan style, the oldest among the three. At first glance, the Xingyiquan style is peculiar in that it defies the conventional characteristics of internal styles and yet is classified as such.
It really started to come to prominence when master Royce Gracie used it to dominate the early UFC tournaments. The object is to put your opponent in a submission hold that either knocks them out or inflicts so much pain that they have to submit. Think Pilates in attack mode.
Also, if you have personal space issues, this is your worst nightmare. Be prepared to wear headgear, though, to avoid cauliflower ear. It was developed by the Israeli Defense Force to be used in real-life combat situations.
In addition to punches, kicks and throws, it teaches real-life scenarios like how to disarm an attacker. Rubber knives and guns will make appearances. What to expect: Most Krav Maga programs thrive on intense workouts with lots of drills. Fighting when your tired is a key skill and most Krav Maga programs are extremely adept at getting you to that point. Kicks to the groin?
Eye pokes? Throat rakes? Joint breaks? All part of the game. The training of the animal styles therefore does not serve for imposing performances, but provides a holistic training for martial arts and everyday life, which develops many important qualities.
All aspects of our being, i. The five animals provide Shaolin Kung Fu with their respective characteristics and essence, not only making it an effective fighting art but also enables it to become an excellent system for physical, emotional, mental and spiritual development. As already emphasized, technique alone is not the decisive factor. If a crane kick, such as "Single Leg Flying Crane", is executed in a clumsy manner, the essence of the crane is not manifested.
If a tiger pattern, such as "Fierce Tiger Descends Mountain" is missing the necessary internal force to dominate the opponent, one must speak of a kitten rather than a tiger. If a snake technique is cramped or a leopard technique is slow, their typical characteristics are missed. If the mind is not focused when performing a dragon technique, it becomes a hollow shell. While in the execution of an animal form it is possible to place emphasis on its respective inner essence, the qualities of all the five animals should be manifested at the same time.
This means that we are mentally present in every technique dragon , the energy and the breath are flowing harmoniously snake , the technique is supported by internal force tiger and performed fast leopard and elegantly crane. Continue to Part 2. Kung Fu-Prinzipien. Von der Kampfkunst zu Kampfsport und Turnen.
Arten von Kung Fu-Sets. Toggle navigation. Essence: The dragon symbolizes " Shen ," meaning the spirit and its presence. External Form: Dragon techniques are characterized by swaying, curving, majestic, soft and smooth movements. In everyday life: The mind power strengthened by the dragon spirit is, of course, also of great use at work, decision-making and spiritual development.
Essence: The characteristic feature of the snake in Kung Fu is " Chi ". External Form: The movements of snake techniques are, on the one hand, soft and flowing, but also very targeted and direct. In everyday life: Improved energy flow promotes health, endurance and luck. Specialty: Chi Flow, Flowing Force, attacking vital points, health.
Essence: In martial arts, the tiger stands for internal force. External Form: As is true for a large cat, tiger patterns also have a smooth and soft component. In everyday life: Internal force helps us to achieve better results in all things in life, whether at work, in hobbies or in martial arts. Please download them from your email. Got Questions? Live Chat With Us Now! Got questions? Take a free 1-to-1 lesson with one of our professional teachers by signing up below:.
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