Wouldn't you consider Hung Gar Southern Shaolin

[Leonidas]

I know alot of people consider it Tiger and Crane style but thats only one form in it, It has all five animals and alot more. I was looking over it's history and read that the person that taught Hung Gars creator was a Fukien Temple monk. Do you think calling it the Tiger-Crane style is correct. Whats your opinion. Should it be neither:confused:

[Starchaser107]

As far as I know the tiger and crane is what made hung gar popular. Im not even sure that the original tiger crane form of hung gar still exists, ive heard different things about this, as chinese martial arts history is really not that coherent at times... but whos history is anyway..(but to the point).
I think hung gar has much more to it than just tiger crane . although my only first hand experience of it is through a friend of mine that studied the art a bit in new york, and the general reading i come across that you can get on newsstands and the internet almost anywhere.
What I find weird is the arguement that hung gar isnt really a fighting art, because of the internal work it contains. Im no expert but I highly disagree on this.
It is one of the types of kungfu I would be interested in. Looks very powerful.

[PaleDragon]

i think it is southern shaolin... its sometimes called tiger and crane i think because those are common strikes/mental attitudes throughout the style. iono

[jon]

It is considered Southern Shoalin and contains all five animals. Tiger, crane, dragon, snake and leopard.
The reason for calling it Tiger and Crane is due to the form thats most often demonstated being Fu Hok Sung Ying Kuen the Tiger and Crane form.
Some schools also teach under that name as the style has become famous for that particular set. Although there is much more to the system, this is certainly the most well known aspect.
Much as i hate to say it there are those who have only learnt that set and teach it as a system in its own right. Typicaly this is partly our own fault as many Hung Ga practioners love to say the Tiger and Crane is a system in itself. I wouldnt however consider someone only teaching Tiger and Crane asteaching the system of Hung Ga proper.
Just my two cents for the pond:)

[richard sloan]

Leo- ever read Frank Miller's "300"?

Has to be one of my all time favorite books, next to his 'Ronin.'

If you haven't read it, check it out.

-Sloan

[Fu-Pow]

I'll disagree with you slightly. I think each form could be a fighting style unto itself. True, it doesn't represent a whole "system".

[kungfuyou]

Try asking this question in the Southern Forum, if you haven't already. I bet you'll get some good responses there.

Or even Hungga.net
A site specifically dealing with Hung Gar.

I have studied this style a little bit and have to say that it is a complete system, using all five animals for different situations. The Tiger/Crane is what it is mainly based on, but it is no were NEAR the entire system.

Good luck in your search for the answer you are looking for. :)

[Leonidas]

Originally posted by richard sloan
Leo- ever read Frank Miller's "300"?

Has to be one of my all time favorite books, next to his 'Ronin.'

If you haven't read it, check it out.

-Sloan

As a matter of fact i read recently in the 5 part book form i borrowed from my local library. I'm thinking of keeping it and just paying the lost fee. I'm officiallly a fan. Now i'm searching for more of his work. You know any online stores.

[TenTigers]

Hung-Ga is concidered to be the system that came out of the Southern Shaolin Temple completely intact. It was called Siu Lum, and also referred to as Fut Ga Lo Hawn Kuen before being re-named Hung-Ga , or Hung Family, after Hung Mo-Jue-the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, whose reign was ended by the Ching invaders. BTW Hung Hei-Guen did not name it after himself, he changed his name to Hung as well.
Hung-Ga is the five animal system. The Tiger/Crane set was added later to the system and was often demonstrated to the public. I believe, (don't quote me) that the name Fu-Hok P'ai was coined by Chiu Kao, and now we have the burden of having to explain that we are NOT Tiger/Crane style, and thet those are NOT the dominant techniques of the system to the misinformed public. What's worse, is many Hung-Ga schools use the symbols of the Tiger and Crane as their trademark. I understand that they are wonderful representations of the balance between hard and soft, and represent the refinement of power, but it has given the wrong impression of our art.

[shaolin white crane]

Although it is a southern system I heard that it has a set from northern kung-fu to build quick reflexes added by Siu Ying, wife of Chiu kau, called butterfly palm that has high and aerial kicks and also some ground rolling techniques.

[Shaolin-Akira]

well i go to a southern shaolin school, and it teaches alot of hungar, and the form im working on right now is more leopard - tiger

[Je Lei Sifu]

Not all branches of Hung Ga contain the Wu Dip jeung (butterfly Palm) set. As far as Siu Ying being the creator of that set or the one who introduced it into her lineage of hung ga has be argued a few times over.

Peace

Je Lei Sifu:cool:

[illusionfist]

The common sentiment towards Wu Dip Jeung is that it was a northern form that Siu Ying brought into the system, not necessarily made up. Although the form has northern roots, it has been hung gar-ized.

Peace :D

[Ben Gash]

TenTigers, I thought according to legend Hung Hei Gung was supposed to have added techniques from Yongchun white crane boxing learned from his wife. Surely this would mean it is not the pure form of nan sil lum. Again , according to most Wing Chun Lineages that style was originated by Gee Shim as well, so wouldn't their claim be equal?
OK, the crane bit isn't gospel, and I'm arguing for argument's sake there really. It cannot be denied in any way that Hung Gar is a southern Shaolin style, but THE southern shaolin style? I mean was the original nan sil lum even a longarm system?The temple was in Fukien, and Fukienese systems today are predominantly shorthand.But then again, if the skills were brought south from Songshan then maybe it was. Already you can se what a minefield we are in.
But anyway, even if the original Hung Gar was the original Nan Sil Lum, it's been nearly 300 years since it left the temple. That's an awful lot of teachers putting their own perspectives on the art. I mean I'm sure Hung Gar now is markedly different from the Hung Gar of Wong Kay Yin for example (a whole host of new forms for instance!).
So what can we say? Hung Gar as we see it today is a typical of cantonese styles of Shaolin origin. it uses a deep, wide horse stance and longarm techniques, including a host of animal movements. Indeed, in this region the terms Hung Gar and Nan Sil lum were often interchangeable. If you compare Hung Gar to various Cantonese Nan Sil Lum and "village" Hung Gar systems there is an obvious relationship.
Now wether this is because they come from te same root or because when Hung Gar came to Canton it adopted some of the local methods who can say?
BTW, how did I register 8 years before my birth?