A Chinese martial art where the movements imitate monkeys or apes in fighting.
This style includes many difficult acrobatic movements and techniques executed while tumbling along the ground or prone. Monkey has terrific defense, and is considered by many to have the best defense of any shaolin kung fu style.
The 'staff' features prominently in it's weapons training.
The method uses agile, jerky movements that are both confusing and fun to watch. A famous version of monkey style is the Drunken Monkey, it is exactly what it sounds like, the practitioner acts like an intoxicated monkey.
- Drunken Monkey Kung fu style uses a lot of throat, eye, and groin strikes as well as tumbling and falling techniques. It incorporates a lot of false steps to give the appearance it is defenseless and uses a lot of off balance strikes.
- Stone Monkey Kung Fu style is a 'physical style'. The user trains up his body to exchange blows with the opponent. Stone Monkey uses the monkey's iron body method. It will leave an area exposed on it's body for you to attack, so it can attack a more vital spot on your body.
- Lost Monkey Kung Fu style feigns a lot. He gives the appearance of being lost and confused to decieve the opponent into underestimating his abilities, and he retaliates when least expected. The hands and footwork change and flow from each other at will.
- Standing or Tall Monkey Kung Fu style is a relatively conventional monkey that likes to keep an upright position and avoid tumbling around. This style is more suited for tall people. Tall monkey likes to climb body limbes to make attacks at pressure points. It's a long range style.
- Crafty monkey is very deceptive, it uses different fake emotions to lure it's opponent into attacking. By pretending to be scared for example it lulls the opponent into a false sense of security and waits for the opponenets guard to be down, then suddenly attacks when not expected.
- Wooden Monkey Kung Fu style is a serious, angry monkey that attacks and defends with ferocity. The attitude of this monkey is more serious, and it's movements are noticably less light than other monkeys. Wood monkey likes to grapple and bring it's opponent to the ground.
"Gouquan" Dog Kung Fu
A martial arts style from China. A special form of Chinese boxing that specializes in takedowns and ground fighting.
Often favored by women, the fighter typically assumes a stance that recquires that both hands and feet be on the ground, resembling a dog. This form of martial arts also teaches Iron Shirt, and Iron Palm fighting methods, as well as specialized leaping techniques. The reason for the unusual all fours stance and it's traditionally being practiced by women is that it was originally developed by a buddhist nun who could not afford a retinue and had bound feet- so found any form of physical exertion on her feet difficult.
"Hu quan" Tiger Kung Fu
The names of techniques feature 'tiger' imagery.
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 straight line and rarely retreats, the tiger style relies on external 'jing' or mechanical and kinetic force generated through the shifting of weight and rotation of the waist rather than the internal qi form arts like tai chi and hsing i.
Most of it's 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. The tiger's ferocious overwhelming of the calculating, fast leopard with constant linear strikes.
"???" Leopard Kung Fu
The emphasis of leopard is speed and angular attack.
The leopard does not overwhelm or rely on strength, as does the tiger, but while it does have power it instead relies on speed and outsmarting it's opponent. It uses it's speed to deliver it's power. The leopard user will focus on elbows, knees, low kicks, and leopard punches, all at close range.
The goals of the leopard style are to:
Develop muscle speed for external strength, teach patience, and use the leopard punch for penetration and lower body springing power.
Blocking is wasted in leopard- the style can be summed up with "why block when you can hit?" It doesn't rely on rooted stances and would only assume a stance while in attack in order to launch at opponent. This hit and run technique of the leopard, something especially effective agianst larger opponents.
The primary weapon is the leopard's claw, which can be likened to a half opened fist. The primary striking surface is the ridge formed by folding the fingers at the first phalangal joint. The secondary striking surface is the palm. The leopard claw can also be modified for grabbing and tearing.
Leopard is especially useful at night, when the blinding hand and foot movements are invisible. Movement is accomplished far faster than the eye can compensate for in reduced light. Leopard is also useful on wet ground. An interesting technique of the leopard is the ability to simultaneously block and strike the opponent. This is not commonly used in harder martial arts like other shaolin styles for example. The sheer speed of the leopard is a defining characteristic of the style, however as with all martial arts of this style, the user's ability to provide the necessary speed diminishes as he ages, reducing his efficiency in combat. The leopard is the "ghost" of the 5 animals because it is hard to see because it is so fast, quiet, patient and waiting to strike at the right moment. The style has many stealth techniques that are useful in moving around undetectable at night where one uses the eyes, speed, stealth and cunning in supposed imitation of the leopard. The darkness is considered a useful asset in the leopard style, it was often used by assassins as well as warriors.
The other four animals being: Crane (Bai He), Tiger (Fu), Snake (She), and Dragon (Lung).
These five animals originally represented the five classical chinese elements before developing into their own styles.
Snake is water, Tiger is fire, Crane is wood, Dragon is earth, Leopard is metal. Since they were derived from the five elements, they are kept in this patter.
At this point many styles delve into more advanced animal training or actual element training.
The proof behind this element/animal system is the contention that one animal "beats" another, and their appropriate corresponding elements also "overpower" one another.
For instance: Snake/Water beats Tiger/Fire.
Tiger/Fire beats Leopard/Metal.
"Shequan" Snake kung fu
Snake's waterlike movement, kungfu masters tell their students to imagine a river during movement.
It is a 'soft' martial art with fluid motions to entwine with their opponent's defense and strike from angles they wouldn't expect in offense. Snake generally aims at weak points of the human body, such as eyes, groin, and joints. Snake users must always avoid conflict, as taking in part of any physical combat, it will cause great damage to an opponent making anyone who is skilled in this style very dangerous.
Praying Mantis Kung Fu
Involves whip-like/circular motions to deflect direct attacks, and follows up with precise attacks to the opponent's vital spots. Block to create a gap, and use rapid attack. It can also use the force it was attacked by, if it blocks the attack, and use that force to power their own attack. Famous for speed, continuous attacks, and complex footwork.
Praying Mantis Hook - A hook made of three fingers directing force in a whip-like manner. It may be used to divert force (block) or attack critical spots (eyes, face, accupuncture points).
Divert Force - Blocks any blow from the enemy. If the user is attacked physically while blocking, they use the same amount of force that attacked them and use it back on the enemy.
Seven Stars - Hardest of the Mantis styles. Hard hitting and subtle. Many blows fired in quick succession around the opponent's head, chest and shoulders.
Sixth Harmony - Softest or most internal of the Mantis styles. Creates sythe-like energy by swiping arms up and down in a close-range attack. Various soft-swiping blows to the face and stomach of the enemy.
Mantis Long Fist - Stretches arm and swipes with the left fist, directed at the right side of the opponent's head.
Mantis Throwing Hand - Pulls back arm and swipes forward with the right fist, throwing a sythe-like energy mass at the opponent from long-range.
Secret Gate of Praying Mantis - Holds hands in a form as if praying, but with tightened palms. Runs forward and ducks swifty just as they reach the area of the opponent. Then finally strikes the enemy, comming up from below.
Mantis's Seeking Leg - ???
Fujian White Crane
Sleeping crane fist - Accupuncture technique where the crane's beak pecks at a point on the opponent which knocks them unconcious.
Jumping crane - Leaps into the air and uses kicks directed at the opponent's lower body to keep aerial, as both cranes beaks' peck rapidly at the opponent's upper body until the user lands on the ground.
Crying crane fist - Runs at top speed with cranes beaks held in position to attack, and strikes the opponent as they run past in a faint but stunning attack.
Morning crane - A crushing attack in which the user gouges the opponent's chest, heart, shoulder and neck quickly switching off between both hands. This technique is said to shock the opponent's system, making them jump for a moment.
Flying crane fist - Both cranes beaks are held to the right side of the body as the user runs towards the enemy with the left side forward. As they come by, they swoop below the opponent's upperbody as to evade any countering, and strike the opponent's legs. Then come up quickly and turn as they get farther away.
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