# Five Animals Kung Fu? **URL:** \ **Category:** Shaolin Kung Fu\ **Created:** [December 14, 2005, 6:36pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/five-animals-kung-fu/34562 "2005-12-14T18:36:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![\_Rui\_Jing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/8edcca/32.png) [@\_Rui\_Jing](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/_Rui_Jing)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 6:36pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/five-animals-kung-fu/34562/1 "2005-12-14T18:36:23Z")
What is Five Animals Kung Fu? How effective is Five Animals Kung Fu in real life situations? Would someone attempt to use Five Animals Kung Fu to fight say a boxer or strret fighter? Is Five Animals Kung Fu just a traditional style of kungfu that really isn’t good for self defense? If anyone has any knowledge of this subject, please help. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Judge\_Pen](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.kungfumagazine.com/judge_pen/32/409_2.png) [@Judge\_Pen](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/Judge_Pen)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 7:20pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/five-animals-kung-fu/34562/2 "2005-12-14T19:20:41Z")
Judges Score: 0.001 ---
**Author:** ![Mortal1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Mortal1](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/Mortal1)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 7:21pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/five-animals-kung-fu/34562/3 "2005-12-14T19:21:41Z")
LOLOL!!! Troll bait. You should see his wingchun thread. ---
**Author:** ![\_Rui\_Jing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/8edcca/32.png) [@\_Rui\_Jing](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/_Rui_Jing)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 7:51pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/five-animals-kung-fu/34562/4 "2005-12-14T19:51:25Z")
…um no. I’m not trolling. I’m trying to decide which style I should study. I can’t seem to find any info on Five Animals Kung Fu ---
**Author:** ![sean\_stonehart](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.kungfumagazine.com/sean_stonehart/32/24_2.png) [@sean\_stonehart](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/sean_stonehart)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 8:00pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/five-animals-kung-fu/34562/5 "2005-12-14T20:00:20Z")
If you weren’t trolling you wouldn’t have started like… > How effective is Five Animals Kung Fu in real life situations? or > Would someone attempt to use Five Animals Kung Fu to fight say a boxer or strret fighter? or my personal fave… > Is Five Animals Kung Fu just a traditional style of kungfu that really isn’t good for self defense? So with that in mind, you are a TROLL unless proven otherwise… ball’s in your court. ---
**Author:** ![\_Rui\_Jing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/8edcca/32.png) [@\_Rui\_Jing](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/_Rui_Jing)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 8:02pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/five-animals-kung-fu/34562/6 "2005-12-14T20:02:26Z")
… Ok. Fine. Forget about all those questios then. Just tell me about the art. ---
**Author:** ![Chizica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Chizica](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/Chizica)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 8:24pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/five-animals-kung-fu/34562/7 "2005-12-14T20:24:57Z")
Try this site I’m being a bit helpful, but any blasts against anyone who regulary posts on this board and you will suffer the Wrath. Good information here: [http://www.mandarinkungfu.com/](http://www.mandarinkungfu.com/) ---
**Author:** ![gwa\_sow](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.kungfumagazine.com/gwa_sow/32/556_2.png) [@gwa\_sow](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/gwa_sow)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 8:28pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/five-animals-kung-fu/34562/8 "2005-12-14T20:28:43Z")
very briefly. five animal kung fu “imitates” the five animals generally used in many kung fu styles. tiger panther crane snake and dragon. it is effective for self defense given that you are studing under a good teacher. all traditional styles of kung fu are good for self defense, again given there is a good teacher. now with the five animal you are not going to go around growling like a tiger or flapping your arms like a bird. the animals influence the movements. example tiger = fierce hard movements snake quick and crane more flowing and graceful. for future reference dont put your questions out there like that. ---
**Author:** ![ZhuiQuan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b5a626/32.png) [@ZhuiQuan](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/ZhuiQuan)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 9:03pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/five-animals-kung-fu/34562/9 "2005-12-14T21:03:19Z")
I would like to know what you all mean by “TROLL”. I would also like to know what was wrong with that person asking question. ---
**Author:** ![gwa\_sow](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.kungfumagazine.com/gwa_sow/32/556_2.png) [@gwa\_sow](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/gwa_sow)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 9:11pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/five-animals-kung-fu/34562/10 "2005-12-14T21:11:18Z")
the reason TROLL was used because the person stated the questions in a manner that could have been offensive. by that i mean they could have been trying to start a “kung fu vs…” or “whats better kung fu or…” these type of questions and debates usually get no were and only result in arguments. newbies may be a bit naive wit there web fu and dont realize that they are asking questions that may get some people a little angry,…causing the TROLL to thrown around. for more examples of a troll see any of mega fists posts:D ---
**Author:** ![Judge\_Pen](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.kungfumagazine.com/judge_pen/32/409_2.png) [@Judge\_Pen](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/Judge_Pen)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 10:38pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/five-animals-kung-fu/34562/11 "2005-12-14T22:38:23Z")
Also, the tell tale sign of a troll is starting these types of threads with little to no information in the profile and a low post count. ---
**Author:** ![GeneChing](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.kungfumagazine.com/geneching/32/96_2.png) [@GeneChing](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/GeneChing)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 10:59pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/five-animals-kung-fu/34562/12 "2005-12-14T22:59:47Z")
guilty until proven innocent All newbies are trolls until they prove themselves otherwise. Some veterans are trolls too, but their more entertaining trolls, so we let them live for a while. If you’re just a common troll, Rui\_Jing, Judge Pen gave you your score. He is a Judge, after all. If you’re a newbie, you should have looked before you leaped (funny, I seem to be saying that a lot lately). Welcome to the forum. How’s your forum fu? ---
**Author:** ![Royal\_Dragon](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.kungfumagazine.com/royal_dragon/32/49_2.png) [@Royal\_Dragon](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/Royal_Dragon)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 1:01am UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/five-animals-kung-fu/34562/13 "2005-12-15T01:01:53Z")
I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help but notice this. [b][I]Try this site I’m being a bit helpful, but any blasts against anyone who regulary posts on this board and you will suffer the Wrath. Good information here: [http://www.mandarinkungfu.com/[/I][/b]](http://www.mandarinkungfu.com/%5B/I%5D%5B/b%5D) Ok, is it me, or is there something not quite right about a school that teaches all Southern styles, calling itself “Mandarin Kungfu”? Is it just me..right? 😛 RD ---
**Author:** ![joedoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dc4da7/32.png) [@joedoe](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/joedoe)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 4:00am UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/five-animals-kung-fu/34562/14 "2005-12-15T04:00:20Z")
> [@Royal Dragon](#): > > I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help but notice this. > > [b][I]Try this site > > I’m being a bit helpful, but any blasts against anyone who regulary posts on this board and you will suffer the Wrath. > > Good information here: > > [http://www.mandarinkungfu.com/[/I][/b]](http://www.mandarinkungfu.com/%5B/I%5D%5B/b%5D) > > Ok, is it me, or is there something not quite right about a school that teaches all Southern styles, calling itself “Mandarin Kungfu”? > > Is it just me..right? 😛 > > RD Possibly because the Sifu’s name is Mandarino? ---
**Author:** ![Royal\_Dragon](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.kungfumagazine.com/royal_dragon/32/49_2.png) [@Royal\_Dragon](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/Royal_Dragon)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 1:50pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/five-animals-kung-fu/34562/15 "2005-12-15T13:50:45Z")
_Smacks himself in the head_ DO’H!!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![David\_Jamieson](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.kungfumagazine.com/david_jamieson/32/19_2.png) [@David\_Jamieson](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/David_Jamieson)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 3:22pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/five-animals-kung-fu/34562/16 "2005-12-15T15:22:39Z")
hmmm, seriously though guys, what can we tell this lad about 5 animals kungfu. lemme start. 5 animals are the template of old shaolin kungfu. the template relates to expression of energies in a metaphorical sense, but also there is a measure of mimicry into the human form of the said animals. the five are: Dragon, Tiger, Snake, Leopard and Crane. In metaphorical terms Tiger- develops strength , muscle and bone Crane - develops sinews, flexibility Leopard - develops speed and accuity along with endurance Snake - develops coiling power, breathing and accuracy in strikes Dragon- Is an amalgamation of all the traist of the above. Forms are driven by the principles and not by sequence. However, the principles of the metaphors provide similar shape in practice. Tiger forms tend to be strength emphasized and relentless. Because this is how a tiger is. Transpose that tiger onto a human form and you will have a style that can be called tiger. Crane the same thing, leopard and so on etc etc. There are of course other animals such as are found in say Hsing I (xingyi) or other styles that capitalize on the same metaphor principled driving points. Five animals kungfu practice should be able to take anyone of any physicality and bring them all to a similar level of functional ability by touching on the variations found within the animal flavours. One could go deeper into the study by looking at allegorical tales of the animals or by seeking further understanding of the principles and how they mete out as a trait of such and such an animal. The original is said to be a set of qigongs known as 5 animals frolic. It was called this because while doing these gongs, people were said to move into a trance like state and their actions and motions resembled those of the animals descibed above. Mind you, Dragons have always been a composite aggregate of many other animals and this would be used for motion or movement thatresembled all or a few of the animals. One could also bring in the 5 elements theory to fit with the five animals model and thereby create and even more complex ideology in that regards. Anyway, Your basic Shaolin Kungfu will have contained within it’s curriculum these five animals and in some cases all 5 will be expressed in a single form such as in Hung Gar Ng Ying Kuen or like in Wing Lam’s 4 lower tigers style each of the animals has a whole form dedicated to it to focus on those attributes developed through the practice of each. I think 5 animals kungfu is a good practice regimen for a fighter when combined with modern training and opportunity to explore the techniques in a live fighting situation such as san da or sparring. ---
**Author:** ![wiz\_cool\_c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9de053/32.png) [@wiz\_cool\_c](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/wiz_cool_c)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 4:09am UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/five-animals-kung-fu/34562/17 "2005-12-17T04:09:48Z")
The Yees Hung Gar school in Chinaton NYC teaches 5 animal. It is a very good school and good for self defence. They do lost of conditioning and the system makes you very strong. They worked on the traditional techneques against comen attacks. They spar as well. I dont think the average 5 amimal student could hand with a desent boxer unless they trained and competeted in San Shou which some of them at this school did. ---
**Author:** ![\_Rui\_Jing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/8edcca/32.png) [@\_Rui\_Jing](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/_Rui_Jing)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2005, 7:14pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/five-animals-kung-fu/34562/18 "2005-12-22T19:14:41Z")
I found a teacher and he started teaching me the first part of the form. I’ll come back here if I have any questions. ---
**Author:** ![Trey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@Trey](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/Trey)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 4:21am UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/five-animals-kung-fu/34562/19 "2005-12-25T04:21:41Z")
> [@wiz cool c](#): > > The Yees Hung Gar school in Chinaton NYC teaches 5 animal. It is a very good school and good for self defence. They do lost of conditioning and the system makes you very strong. They worked on the traditional techneques against comen attacks. They spar as well. I dont think the average 5 amimal student could hand with a desent boxer unless they trained and competeted in San Shou which some of them at this school did. Wiz, I dont train 5 animals, I train tang lang. However I believe that a practitioner of any style of gung fu should be able to defeat a boxer with relative ease. My reasoning is this: I used to box and train quite heavily for boxing, amatuer boxing that is. I loved boxing, and never thought of quitting, that is until I discovered CMA. And ill tell you why I chose CMA over boxing, because it is complete. It entails everything you need to properly defend yourself, whereas boxing is quite limited in its range and arsenal. Hows someone going to punch me before i can kick them? Its not going to happen. But i could have a screwed perception on it simply because i have the best of both worlds. Let me know how you guys fell about this. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Jamieson](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.kungfumagazine.com/david_jamieson/32/19_2.png) [@David\_Jamieson](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/David_Jamieson)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2005, 5:51pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/five-animals-kung-fu/34562/20 "2005-12-26T17:51:50Z")
> [@Trey](#): > > Wiz, > I dont train 5 animals, I train tang lang. However I believe that a practitioner of any style of gung fu should be able to defeat a boxer with relative ease. My reasoning is this: I used to box and train quite heavily for boxing, amatuer boxing that is. I loved boxing, and never thought of quitting, that is until I discovered CMA. And ill tell you why I chose CMA over boxing, because it is complete. It entails everything you need to properly defend yourself, whereas boxing is quite limited in its range and arsenal. Hows someone going to punch me before i can kick them? Its not going to happen. But i could have a screwed perception on it simply because i have the best of both worlds. Let me know how you guys fell about this. For me it’s the opposite, I used to do boxing and other ma, then I went into cma and now my training is a hybrid of a lot of things, but boxing has taken a key place because of the sheer value of the routines associated with developing the skills required. cma may be complete, not in all formats, there’s a lot of bits and pieces schools of patched together methods. May look complete because there is a lot, but in truth, the majority of any style of martial art is incomplete in the sense of the word regarding what you fill your toolbox with. If someone wants to learn to fight competitively, I would recommend boxing over cma. why? With boxing you will have a reasonable amount of ability in boxing and defending yourself inside of 1 and1/2 years. With tma, this is barring innate talent stretch out to sometime longer than 5 years. Cma is a crap shoot in my experience. There is a lot of exciting things in it, but it is difficult to know if what you are getting and practicing has tangible value. especially when it gets wrapped in a lot of mysticism which can be a little too prevalent in a tma school whereas in the boxing gym, it’s you vs you…and that other guy occasionally. 😛 Much more in the moment type of reality that zen people like to talk about and sit with, but I’ve found don’t personally have the stomach for when it comes right down to it. No offense to those who find themselves in the sh.it and practice zen. 🙂 [Next page](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/five-animals-kung-fu/34562.md?page=2)