Might anyone know which specific Northern Shaolin Style has the 5 animal sets and/or forms?
I know that Hung gar and Choy Li Fut, which are Southern, have specific animal forms, but to the best of my limited knowledge, the northern Shaolin forms I have read about (e.g Grandmaster Cheong’s lineage) have names which seem to describe principles rather than specific animals.
Any information would be highly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Many, though as an example
Wu Xing Ba Fa Quan (5 Animals 8 Methods)which is a part of Da Jing Gang Quan ( A system of northern Shaolin ).
Thanks!
Thank you for the information. I’ll be looking for more data about the style and form you mentioned.
Thank you. Can you please tell me what the Cantonese interpretation of the style is? Is “Ba Fa Quan” similar to Pa-Kua(8 hexagrams) Chang? Furthermore, can you tell me if the 5 animals are the same as those for the Southern Shaolin methods(DragonmTiger,snake,Leopard,Crane) or some other animals and if so which ones?
Ng ying bat fat kuen - 2 sets/forms
first contains 108 techniques & the second has 73 techniques.
They are intermediate level forms in the style Dajinggangquan(Daigumgongkuen).
Ng Ying - 5 animals
Tiger
dragon
snake
leopard
crane
Bat Fat - 8 methods
that is all I know about it!
[This message was edited by WenJin on 05-17-01 at 08:10 AM.]
Wu Xing Ba Fa Quan (5 Animals 8 Methods)which is a part of Da Jing Gang Quan ( A system of northern Shaolin ).
This style has a lot in common with Hung Gar as it also uses sounds and emotions, for example in their form ‘Xi Nu Ai Le Quan’, the ‘4 emotion Fist’
South Paw
Emotions
Wu Xing Ba Fa Quan (5 Animals 8 Methods)which is a part of Da Jing Gang Quan ( A system of northern Shaolin ).
This style has a lot in common with Hung Gar as it also uses sounds and emotions, for example in their form ‘Xi Nu Ai Le Quan’, the ‘4 emotion Fist’
South Paw
The six sounds
Interesting topic, Da Jing Gang Quan 
There are six sounds in WuXingBaFa
Huh, Heeii, Hi, He, Hai & Hei
Hung Gar uses sounds and emotions true (in Tie Xie Quan & Wu Xing Quan considerably) … though the movements, footwork, power, general characteristics of the two styles differ. The dragon in WXBF differs (no claw rather a Long Xing Zhang), the snake is much more flexible rather than a few thrusts it also includes a lot of body maneavours. Also the leg work methods are not to be found in Hung Gar to the same degree, though likewise the bridges are not so prevailent in WXBF. Amongst many other things.
Regards
Shi Chan Long
Sounds
Shaolin Master wrote:
There are six sounds in WuXingBaFa
Huh, Heeii, Hi, He, Hai & Hei
There are actually eight sounds in this style, and with more difference than your H…-sounds.
It’s too difficult to write them down because of pronounciationproblems.
They express the emotions anger, misery, grief, pleasure/joy, etc.
South Paw
I practice a Northern Sil Lum Kung Fu under the Cloud Forest Chin Woo Assoc. Our style is composed of the five animal forms .
Yep totally agree with you south paw …
Na ! Mu! Hei!..
To say without exactly saying, to imply without actually telling
Bao Zhong
Northern Five Animals
I often read about or hear people talking about “the five animals” style of kungfu - but it is always regarding the SOUTHERN five animals. Isn’t there also a NORTHERN five animals system? I see it (northern animals) mentioned occasionally but don’t know anything really about it. Can anybody give me information or point me to books and/or web sites for further research? Thanks!
Yeah, it seems the northern and southern styles have very different animals … I really don’t know much about it so forgive me if I am wrong.
The tiger is definately a southern animal … I do a northern style (bei chuan) and the animals in our forms consist of mantis, eagle, ape … and alot of references to ‘immortals’ and such.
there is a guy in philly who teaches n. 5-animals. they are the same animals, but the forms are different.
In the past I studied Southern 5-Animal kung fu for about 4 years with sifu Larry Adams in St. Louis.
The core curriculum was southern 5 animal forms, but he also taught some Northern 5 Animal forms, which he would always differeciate as northern so we wouldnt get the systems origins confused.
They were the same 5 animals (tiger, crane, leopard, snake & dragon) in both the southern and northern sets and the forms were similar in nature, with the northern forms maybe having more slightly elongated movements, a bit more like Long Fist than the southern stuff. It was not, however, entirely different so I would guess that north and south variations were based on the same original Shaolin 5 Animal system.
Sorry I can’t explain more about the origins or specific temple that developed these northern forms I encountered and its been a while since I practicecd that stuff, but thats just my personal experience.
These forms were developed during the Yuan Dynasty at Songshan Shaolin Monastery.
In other words the originals are northern.
r.
I’ve studied Wu Xing Quan - a Northern Five Animal style for about 3 or 4 years now under one of the late Master Chen Yun Chang’s old students: the animals are the same - snake, tiger, leopard, crane and dragon, and the flavour is similar (not surprising since it was originally a northern style to begin with).
the forms use a lot of diagonals compared to some traditional shaolin styles, but that might be an alteration as Master Chen was two generations removed from the temple style.