Animal Stylists or Animal Wannabe's?

The Animal styles were based on the actual combative principles and techniques employed by different animals. The creation of these styles always stem around observing the specific animal in its environment.

After developing an Animal Style the observer goes on to teach others its very effective techniques. But what about these students' relations to the animal

How many Tiger stylists actively study Tigers Do they own footage of Tiger attacks and/or other documentries Have they gone to visit the Zoo to sit and watch the animals movements and patterns, or possibly (if lucky) their "play-fighting"

Wouldn't this type of information be helpful in understanding the Animal Styles

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I think I'd rather work on my horse - that's an animal, no

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I'm not really sure that would help many animal stylist understand their art better. Most of these people that created animal styles were already experienced martial artist. So what they did was add animal characteristics to their techniques. Also the characteristics we use as animal stylist are adapted to fit a humans body structure.

The idea is to take on more of the attitude and spirit of the animal. I doubt that you can really get a good idea from a animal in captivity.

jeff

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Funny you asked. I just got done watching a documentry about tigers. They were training tamed tigers to be realesed into the wild. They went to meek tigers scared of ostriches to stupid tigers fighting rhino's then eventually they found EQ.

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“	Originally Posted By: fireinthewater Funny you asked. I just got done watching a documentry about tigers. They were training tamed tigers to be realesed into the wild. They went to meek tigers scared of ostriches to stupid tigers fighting rhino's then eventually they found EQ.	”

I have the show (living with tigers) on DVD, very cool and somewhat inspiring (to a tiger stylist).

On topic, yes, I do that.

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I think it was two ninjas taped together, to make ONE GIANT NINJA!!!

“	Originally Posted By: fireinthewater Funny you asked. I just got done watching a documentry about tigers. They were training tamed tigers to be realesed into the wild. They went to meek tigers scared of ostriches to stupid tigers fighting rhino's then eventually they found EQ.	”

Curious Why were they releasing tigers into an environment that included ostriches AND rhinos Wouldn't that be Africa Rhinos alone could have been somewhere in Asia, but, rhinos AND ostriches would be Africa...

“	Originally Posted By: Fu-Pau Curious Why were they releasing tigers into an environment that included ostriches AND rhinos Wouldn't that be Africa Rhinos alone could have been somewhere in Asia, but, rhinos AND ostriches would be Africa...	”

They were seeing if they could train captive bred tigers to live and hunt in the wild. They couldn't do it in Asia, so they did it in Africa with amazing success.

http://shopping.discovery.com/stores...er=693333&gs=1

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I think it was two ninjas taped together, to make ONE GIANT NINJA!!!

Interesting, thanks.

Good question Wraith..
My whole thought on this is that the spirit and certain look to a style approaches the way the practitioner moves: tenacity, power, hand technique, etc. One could never hope to be like a tiger (growling, spraying scent, muscle/skeletal frame and power, fangs, claws) but in the mind set and power method of the system. I have watched and stuidied all animals that I've trained in systems in. It does add some idea to their approach but realistically I am human what's the point worrying about their approach I need my own. I think too much oversymbolic and philisophical meandering is wasted on such arguments (when they occur) and not enough on simply training. Animals are great symbolisms but past that.... It would be kind of funny to tell someone their elephant technique wasn't good because they never watched elephants. Let me run to get that enhanced plastic surgery for that trunk and big tusks to goar with, ha ha ha.

For example, in tiger, we use angles and whole body power the overwhelm and upset the opponent's balance center to then enter into a close quaters attacking regiment. Specific training enhances our ability to use such approaches. We use the clawing hand attack in 5 methods:

tearing
twisting
pulling
pushing
pressing

These are applied in china na or power movements strikes for max damage. When grappling, we grab specific areas for damage and pain. No attack is ever singular but always with additional damage to follow such as:

Palm strike with eye rakes
Hooking claw to ear and then grabbing tearing the ear away
Blocking punches then grabbing for a twisting motion to break the arm or hurt shoulder joint
Groin slap and grabbing to tear at testicles

Just a few nice ones..

Two thoughts on animal styles and what is derived from them

One --- the human mindset vs the animal mindset to convert to the point of being able to allow the raw instinct and thoughtless ability to be released

Two --utilizing the effectiveness of the construction of anatomical structure adapted and refined through evolution to achieve specific skills in which to achieve survival by either aggression or escape.

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Dude agira that is what I was going to say only not as refined as yours nice work.

I do study the animals as well for inspiration and perhaps the spark of an idea, but find there is not value beyond that for me.

Of course I am probably not skilled enough to see all the potential that there is hidden in what I observe.

JM

Well, I am a large-frame man, and my body resembles that of a Gorilla. I have put thought into how the Gorilla attacks...

The gorilla has a roar, and at the moment I can't remember the Chinese word for the ability to "steal" the opponents chi by giving a sort-of war cry. But outside of martial arts fighting, I am also a musician, and a singer, so my voice can be very loud. Actually it can be a quite disturbingly loud voice, and a good psychological weapon. Normally, I carry a very calm, almost peaceful nature, another reason I appreciate the gorilla, they are, most of the time in the wild, very timid and meek creatures... but in battle, they are one of the most ferocious. Though it was just another Hollywood film, I thought the new King Kong movie did a pretty good job of showing the ferocity of the jungle giant. The way the film makers depicted Kong's savagery in battle was very appealing to some underlying need for me to tap into my ferocious inner self. Maybe watching some of the early Tarzan movies in the 60s also had something to do with my attraction to the beast, who knows. Tarzan fought more than one nasty gorilla in his day... in the movies...

Even if I were to lose every bit of body fat on my frame, I will still be a large man. I am not tall, I am just wide and thick and hairy. Much like a gorilla. That is how I was created. I am not spry like a monkey, but I would do well with in-close fighting techniques, much like a Gorilla would grab and bring his opponent in close to him.

I don't know as if this is any kind of a traditional martial arts style, but I did have one Sifu that introduced the concept and encouraged me to look to the Gorilla as an animal style that seemed to fit my body. Not so much as a traditional Chinese animal style as it was an animal style that fit my particular body. When I thought about the animal, I was able to sort of get better in touch with my capabilities as I trained. And as a previous poster said, it's all about the training, I believe that.

Gorillas in the wild might also bite their opponents, and I wouldn't think twice about biting, if it were to give me an advantage in a real life situation. If in a head-lock, and if the opponent were wearing a T-shirt, a "monkey-scream" "rahhh...", then a nasty bite to his chest could possibly break his concentration long enough to get out of the headlock. Or at least give him a very nasty and painful mark on his chest or under his arm... the chest is actually a very sensitive area as far as nerve endings go....

And if I were in close enough, and need be, I wouldn't hesitate to bite someone in the neck, foot, arm, wherever. A human bite can be a pretty nasty (and later) a very infected bite. In concept it seems to make sense, but then... how does one train for a bite? That would be an interesting discussion. Like... if you bite someone, they are probably going to pull back... and if so, are you going to lose some teeth? Or, does skin give way before the roots of the teeth? I think I have a new question for my Sifu...

I have also studied Chin Na, and some of the grabs and holds, along with some techniques of dislocations and bone breaks seem to appeal to my "gorilla" side. I picture that a gorilla would maime it's opponent, tear at it, rip at it... I definitely wouldn't be standing, ready to duke it out as if "golden gloves rules" boxing in the ring, etc... nope.

My stance at the start is lowered, hunched over, and definitely not standing, two fists up, as if to box. My stance alone would be enough to possibly throw off an opponent. How are you going to duke it out with someone (in a street fight) that comes to the fight hunched over like a gorilla? It makes for an interesting sparring match to try to spar somebody who starts out hunched over, bent at the hips. But that is if you can even gain any kind of a stance. In a street fight, there probably wouldn't be much time for posturing. But if there was time for posturing, the hunched over position would present one more psychological weapon. In the school, it is much harder to spar with someone if they are hunched over in a low stance. If the person isn't trained on how to attack a hunched-over opponent, it gives you an advantage.

Some of this is only my approach to fighting, and some of the ways I have thought and pictured myself at the school as I train. I generally wouldn't go around telling folks I have some kind of a "Gorilla Style" because they would probably laugh... but I do actually look to that animal for some of the ways I form my fighting techniques. It just seems to fit my person better than any other animals I can think of, so the gorilla gets some of my thoughts and some of my attention.

Cool thread, thanks for asking.


FG