In my experience with martial arts, I continue to come across the image of a dragon and a tiger fighting, often times on a yinyang. I also heard that it was the brand left on the forearms of Shaolin monks at the end of their trials before leaving the temple. I was wondering if any of you happen to know the meaning behind this symbol and where it came from.
Thanks in advance
-ZC
Dragon Vs Tiger
In Taoism, dragon (blue) is of the wood element and tiger (white) is of the metal element. They represent the suppressive cycle. While the dragon (symbol of the emporer) rises just as the sun rises from the east, the tiger (powerful vassal usually of high military rank) subsides like the sun set at the west. If the dragon isn’t strong enough the tiger would take it’s place and becomes the dragon. It is a continuous cycle of change; hence, the expression “Dragon Tiger Wind Cloud” which each character is also a battle formations out of a total of nine in some Chinese military classics. Also dragon represent blood (the ying within the Yang) and tiger represent Chi (the yang within the ying). It must “strikes” a balance or else illness will result.
Mantis108
It is indeed a Shaolin symbol that has roots in the esoteric thought of heaven and earth.
The forearm brands are debatable still because there is no actual hard evidence pointing out whether or not that was a practice of the monks at the temple.
Buddhist monks however do indeed brand themselves for a variety of reasons depending on the vows they take, they will brand their heads with numbers of dots to signify their vows.
BTW, the Dragon is Heaven and the Tiger is Earth. There is a lot of different meaning tied into their usage.
one of the things I have seen is a couplet that speaks of the Dragon and the Tiger meeting. it’s a Choy Li Fut Couplet drawn from the Shaolin teachings within Choy li fut (cai li fo, choy lee fhut, et al).
My sifu has the couplet posted on his main page, here is the english translation:
" The Dragon and Tiger met at the Wind and Cloud; Disciples show respect and promote the martial art of Shaolin, so generation after generation of students remember and follow the Shaolin way"
k, that’s all I got on it…for now 
anyone else?
cheers
Also remember that tiger´s position in Korean culture and art is extremely strong,I think tiger as a symbol is for Korea what dragon is for Chinese (I´m sensing some tricky grammar here)
ZC, where the heck have you been hiding?
I understand the Tiger, in relation to martial arts and asian culture in general goes so far back in time, it simply can’t be traced to a root other than it’s own primal essence.
The tiger is powerful, and likely was for thousands of years the most feared and revered being in existance for those peoples who knew of them.
Big Cats got it going on. 
Dragons and the myths surrounding them exist in most every culture.
cheers
“I understand the Tiger, in relation to martial arts and asian culture in general goes so far back in time, it simply can’t be traced to a root other than it’s own primal essence.”
Yeah,in that context the dragon is even more mysterious.
"The tiger is powerful, and likely was for thousands of years the most feared and revered being in existance for those peoples who knew of them.
Big Cats got it going on."
Too bad I believe some gigantic kitties that would probably inspire a style or two might possibly have been taken down by us somewhere around the ice age (referring to our ancestors and cats to the direction of sabretooth tigers)
Thanks for the info guys. I gather that the tiger/dragon is a symbol of balance as is yinyang and possibly the struggle(?) of heaven and Earth?
Kung Lek-what is the address of your sifu’s website, if you don’t mind, so I can read that article? Also, where can I find more on those Shaolin brands?
Sevenstar- I’ve been at Ft. Benning completing Army Basic Combat Training. I just got done two weeks ago and needed my KFO fix.
-ZC
Zen Celt
Here is the link you want. It will take you to the flash entrance page. Once in the site, select the ‘Kung Fu’ button and then on that page select the ‘Our Crest’ button, which will give you the article.
GHD
Tigers rule. Uh, unless you’re a Detroit Tiger that is…
Tigers rule.
Unless you like Chinese medicen.
"Tigers rule.
Unless you like Chinese medicen."
A sad case indeed.Culture related symbolism/myth is taken as a potential drug in the name of association,so to speak.
Black bears are also in danger and experiencing great losses and pain for this same reason.
Well, there is a segment of TCM that calls for the use of animals and animals by-products, it is certainly not the mainstay of the practice.
Tigers and other big cats are protected species and the recipes that used to contain things such as tiger bone have been altered to use herbal substitutes the have the same efficacy.
There still exists some places where illegal trade in animal parts is happening to be sure and this is undesirable. The trade is suffering more in recent years and it is increasingly difficult to acquire animal parts. The penalties grow more and more severe for traffficing in them and so, more and more alternatives must be found. Eventually, there will be more knowledge of herbs and plants that can be used to get the same medicines.
Just to go a little off topic.
cheers
Kung Lek,
well that would be good.
I just remember hearing lately that a great amount of (already somewhat extinct) black bears would have been locked up for this purpose.
A QUESTION TO MANTIS108,
why is the dragon of the east on the left and the white tiger of the west on the right?
Dragon represents Yang
Tiger represents Yin
The Sun is Yang. Since it rises in the East, it is at it’s most Yang state…so this equals ‘Dragon’
When the sun sets in the West, it is at it’s most Yin state, hence West equals ‘Tiger’.
GHD
Originally posted by Kung Lek
[B]one of the things I have seen is a couplet that speaks of the Dragon and the Tiger meeting. it’s a Choy Li Fut Couplet drawn from the Shaolin teachings within Choy li fut (cai li fo, choy lee fhut, et al).
My sifu has the couplet posted on his main page, here is the english translation:
" The Dragon and Tiger met at the Wind and Cloud; Disciples show respect and promote the martial art of Shaolin, so generation after generation of students remember and follow the Shaolin way"
[/B]
From www.clfma.com the translation goes like this:
"When the Dragon and the Tiger meet,
the outcome will always be uncertain.
The disciple must be fully alert and careful
of the situation and continue to spread the
Shaolin techniques so as to keep the next
generation alive ".
Interesting variation in translation.
gold horse dragon,
SO WHY IS THE THE PHRASE THE GREEN DRAGON ON THE LEFT AND WHITE TIGER ON THE RIGHT?
WHY IS THE SHAOLIN BURN MARKS OF THE URN THE GREEN DRAGON ON THE LEFT AND THE WHITE TIGER ON THE RIGHT?
Once ronin.
South is the cardinal direction as opposed to “north” as our side of the world sees it.
when facing south (which is the starting point for most shaolin forms for example), east is left and west is right.
cheers
Originally posted by once ronin
[B]gold horse dragon,
SO WHY IS THE THE PHRASE THE GREEN DRAGON ON THE LEFT AND WHITE TIGER ON THE RIGHT?]
[/B]
left = yang, right = yin in the post Heaven sequence. In the pre-Heaven sequence, it is the reverse.
WHY IS THE SHAOLIN BURN MARKS OF THE URN THE GREEN DRAGON ON THE LEFT AND THE WHITE TIGER ON THE RIGHT? [/B]
Same as all the rest..but do not forget…these brands have not been proven or disproven yet.
Serp
The translation is a literal one and was done by a Chinese scholar. Your wording may be more of an ‘interpretation’ of the literal translation.
GHD