Hung Ga's animal form development

[badbluebro]

Hey folks!!! I am a lifelong fan of kung fu and a 2 year student of Tang Fung Branch Hung Ga. I am always in the hunt for information about my style. One thing that has intrigued me in my studies of it's history is the development of the animal forms. I've read that the southern shaolin temple based some of their kung fu on the five animals tiger, crane, snake, dragon, leopard. I've read Hung Hei Guen's kung fu had all five animals. I've read that Fong Wing Chun was responsible for the Crane form in Hung Ga. I've also read that Hung Ga from Hung Hei Guen was mostly tiger techniques and that the organization of the other 4 animals was mainly the doing of honorable Wong Fei Hung. What is the answer?

[Paul Skrypichayko]

Hello,

The five main animals have been featured in hung gar/southern shaolin since the beginning. Hung Hei Guen specialized in tiger techniques, and Fong Wing Chun specialized in crane techniques.

Wong Fei Hung and Wong Kei Ying were resposible for organizing the 5 elements and 5 animals into a beautiful form; Sup Ying Kuen. Ng Ying Kuen, which is found in only some lineages, seems like it was created in the last 50-60 years.

[molum_jr]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Paul Skrypichayko:
Hello,

The five main animals have been featured in hung gar/southern shaolin since the beginning. Hung Hei Guen specialized in tiger techniques, and Fong Wing Chun specialized in crane techniques.

Wong Fei Hung and Wong Kei Ying were resposible for organizing the 5 elements and 5 animals into a beautiful form; Sup Ying Kuen. Ng Ying Kuen, which is found in only some lineages, seems like it was created in the last 50-60 years.[/quote]

Is the Ten "Animals" an older form of Hung Kuen?

[Paul Skrypichayko]

By "ten animals" do you mean the ten animal form of Kwan Tak Hing? That was surely made up in the last 50-60 years.

If you mean ten elements or ten forms pattern (sup ying kuen), then that was probably made up around 1890-1910.

From what I know, kung fu masters back in those days already practiced all of those techniques, they just weren't organized into the "sup ying" form yet.

[badbluebro]

What tiger techniques dit Gee Sim teach? I.E. black tiger, white tiger etc.

[Kung Lek]

hi-

If I may add, the "Ten Animals" are a part of Hsing I Chuan. An internal fighting art of China that has Muslim origins.

It is not that old but it is more than 50 or 60 years, probably closer to 100+ years or more.

peace

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Kung Lek

[hung gar guy]

I believe that the animals in hsing i are done drastically different than in hung gar. The intent of each animal is not the same when you compare them to hung gar. In most hsing i circles, the tiger claw is done with an ax motion, which would be considered metal. This is obviously different from hung gar.

[Paul Skrypichayko]

Qestion: What tiger techniques dit Gee Sim teach? I.E. black tiger, white tiger etc.

Answer: Shaolin tiger.


The ten animals of Xingyi and the animals of Baguazhang are unrelated to the 5 animals of shaolin kungfu.

[hung gar guy]

I would speculate the reason for this being that one system is buddhist while the other is taoist.