I’m a tad leery of Wikipedia since, after all, anyone can edit it. Anyway–for Leopard Kung Fu it lists Shaolin roots and subsequently states: "
"Creator
Jueyuan with Li Yuanshou (Li Sou) and Bai Yufeng (co-founders)"
On the same page, it lists Li Ga as a “descendant art” from Leopard Kung Fu and elsewhere online, Li Ga/Li Gar lists the same founders: Jue Yuan, Li Sou and Bai Yu Feng. And yet??? If this is so, why does there seem to be no one who has learned or teaches this art? No top disciple of Bai Yu Feng or co-founders Jue Yuan or Li Yuan Shou? No sifus taught by either of these 3 men? Anywhere on earth? The inference seems to be that this Leopard style was either: A.) some moves which later became incorporated into sets such as seen by arts like Choy Li Fut, Hung Ga, (I think Jow Ga has a tiger/leopard form) and some have even said Bak Mei has a leopard emphasis. But an emphasis isn’t the same as a stand alone art by itself. Hung Ga has the Bung Bu crushing step of mantis..yes..one form. But noone would say that Hung Ga and any of the sub-families of northern mantis kung fu are the same. ----or------B.) Leopard kung fu WAS an actual style from centuries past…but no longer exists. Can anyone with knowledge on this verify the above? Also, it seems almost noone teaches Li Ga, but if there is someone on earth…do they teach leopard sets? Thank you.
If you actually look at the bai yu feng manuscript, the five animals were merely five different hand shapes, superimposed over the same generic lunge punch postures.
in hakka zhong family boxing they state that their five animals are five physical qualities, not forms. Likewise, in Okinwan Uechi Ryu karate the five (or more) animals are physical qualities and strategies. Since Li family is also hakka style, i suspect it would be similar for them also.
In Fujian the five animals concept (of putian luohan boxing) has two types of offshoots: those that branch off from luohan boxing and specialize on an animal, and those that branch off, and also absorbed white crane short hit boxing (san zhan).
The surviving fujian panther style in fuzhou city has the same san zhan mother form as tiger style.
After all that mess listed, this fact might help ease your confusion: In the 1730s right after the Shaolin exodus to Fujian, the single animal systems at that time only had 1-5 techniques total. For example tiger style only had 5 or 6 moves, dragon style had only 4. This was recorded in the manuals donated to the Fujian wushu association 1980 census. So one would assume panther style also had very few techniques.
Whatever kung fu styles that survives today containing panther, likely already contains the entire panther syllabus from the past (3-5 moves?). Panther was not lost, but expanded in different directions by different styles, who were cut off from each other due to the manchu martial art ban.