Animal Kung Fu

Around the time of the turn of the 1st Millennium there was a sort of renaissance in China. With it came an explosion of Kung Fu styles, more specifically Animal/Insect/Reptile based Styles. Although the Imperial Eagle and Monkey Styles were around before this, now there were such styles as 10,000 Bees, Horse, Phoenix, Mantis, Toad, Crab and many more. As the Shaolin were still inviting Kung Fu masters into their temples, many of these styles came to Shaolin and flourished.

1000 Animal Styles

Shaolin was abound with many Animal, Insect and Reptile Kung Fu Styles. Some were quite comprehensive such as the Monkey Style and Imperial Eagle others were just a series of specific movements, with a strategy and attitude. There were some very complex styles such as the 10,000 Bees and Shaolin leopard and others that were simplicity itself such as the Northern Black Tiger and the Plum Flower Fist. As interesting as this was, it was also a problem

Reason for Kung Fu Training

Shaolin Kung Fu training was meant to be a method of health and fitness not a focus in it self. It is a support for monks well-being and health whilst working towards Enlightenment! All these different styles were distracting, not helping. It was just too much with temples seeking to specialize and creating confusion and discord. Something needed to be done or undone.

Birth of the Five Animal Style

It took around 100 years but the Shaolin Monks found a solution, one that would resound around the world. They looked at all the styles and developed it into a system of Kung Fu rather than a style of Kung Fu. As the Animal symbolism worked so well, it was decided that Animal Symbolism would work well again, but not one symbol for the style but 5! It was simple but brilliant! A new Shaolin Kung Fu was born, the 5 Animal System of Kung Fu; so much more than a style but a comprehensive systemization of all Kung Fu into 4 groups

1. Tiger to represent the simple, strong, powerful and straight forward methods, techniques & strategies
2. Panther, the physically lesser Tiger to represent complex, cunning, diverse and hidden Kung Fu & Strategy
3. Crane to represent the evasive, re-directive, non-aggressive and elegant Kung Fu Styles and
4. Snake would contain all those aspects that pertain to Precision, Speed, Secret Knowledge and Wisdom
5. The Dragon was not a style in it self but the mastery of the 4 aspects thus making them one

But there was more to this, much more!

The Wisdom of Shaolin

The choice of Symbols was quite interesting. Why these 5, why not another 5. Modern Wushu, which is seeking to emulate the 5 Animal Style with their current animals, did not really understand the choices. It only comes apparent when seen in a certain light.

Myer Briggs Indicators

Some time early in the 20th Century CE, a mother and their daughter wanted to 'classify' men. They did so much along the lines of yin and yang dividing it into 4 pairs of opposing indicators;

1. Extroversion vs Introversion
2. Sensing vs iNtuition
3. Thinking vs Feeling
4. Judging vs Perceiving

Shaolin Indicators

This allowed the creation of 16 character types, depending on the combination of characteristics that would be determined by a ether or test. A person would be classified as either ESTJ, or INFP or a combination of these. Yet a lot of explanation is necessary to understand what each of these words really refer to.

Shaolin went deeper, much deeper. It allowed a path for discover of understanding when contemplating the 5 animals. Using a 4 quadrant model to the right, you can have a look and see some of the possibilities that the 4 Animals offer. For example, the animals are order in the form of Greater Yang, Lesser Yang, Greater Yin, Lesser Yin (following a Z shape reading). For example;

• Speed/Precision vs Force
• Attacking vs Defending
• Planning vs Intuition
• Explosive vs Calm

There are many more such combinations that can be listed. For example, from the above 4 pairs the Tiger would be; FAIE, Forceful, Attacking, Intuitive and Explosive where as the Panther, although similar, would be SAPC, Speed/Precision, Attacking, Planner and Calm.

Not Just 5 Animals

When we look at it, we begin to see a far deeper meaning in the 5 Animal Style. Yet to understand this, we need to have a look at a typical stylist. The easiest to look at is Tiger.

A Tiger stylist needs to be an Alpha, Powerful, Dominant, Natural, Good Abilities and Big (it is the biggest, strongest, most ferocious of the 4 animals. Yet, what happens if you are an Alpha, Dominant, Natural with good abilities but do not have the power or size to be a full Tiger? You are not a panther, Snake or Crane, so what are you?

The Shaolin Shadow Animals

The little know concept of Shadow or in between animals is a little know part of the 5 Animal System. If we do have say an Alpha Male, Big, Strong, Lot of Natural Ability, Dominant and then you have an Alpha Female, with all the same traits but not the same size or strength. In a confrontation the female would loose (all else being equal). This person would adapt the Tiger Style to the Shaolin Eagle! This is Tiger Style with a touch of Crane. Thus we get a huge variety of possibilities that derive from the 4/5 Animal Style. To the left you see listed some of the possibilities of the Shadow Animals.

Shadows of Shadow

The list assumes a 75% to 25% distribution and only two animals involved; there is another list for a 50% to 50% distribution and then also a 3 Animal Model. But this is not as important as it is to understand why this depth of complexity

Infinite Variety

With around 6 Billion+ (6,000,000,000 or 6 Thousand Million) people in the world one can assume that there is a variety of different people. So Shaolin gave us a simple model that can be expanded into a very detailed model. As there are men and women, Yang & Yin, we have the Yang Animals, Tiger & Panther and the Yin Animals, Snake & Crane. As there are variation in Men & Women, some of to the degree that they seem to be interchangeable, the Shaolin gave us a model that is both easy and complex, superficial and deep. it is just up to us to choose how much or how little we want to use this. Let us have a look at both martial Arts and Life to show some examples.

Martial Arts

If stepping into the ring, using this analogy, we can immediately discern what type of an opponent we are up against; assuming that they do not know the system and are not masking their type.

If they immediately attack on the word go; they a probably Tigers; if they wait for your fist move, possibly Panthers; if they are evading a lot and occasionally taking a swipe, Cranes and if they sit back and keep you at a distance, probably a Snake type preference. There re of course more complexities involved, but just prepared with this general overview can already suggest to you a counter strategy. To the left is a map of control and counter control.

In Life

Life is a bit like a sparring match. Depending on the type of animal your boss or employees are can make a great difference how to approach them. Let us have a look at what the best approaches would be for the different types of Animal Bosses;

• Tiger - Alpha Male leader like simple, straight to the point approaches without a lot of detail and strong arguments that in no way challenge them. Open,honest, with good reasons, showing the benefit to them!
  You are a tiger if - you thrive on chaos and may lack follow-through - a likely weakness. Tigers stay (relatively) cool, calm and collected though you need to overlook all that swagger to see the competent person possibly/probably with a very good plan.
• Panther - are the Hidden leader, those that prefer to lead from a distance, good strategists and big picture thinkers. To win them over you need to put your request in terms of overall gain, to the organization, in the long-term with strategic and real benefits. You may be a Panther if - you strive to see the big picture but you also use your strong knowledge ability to intimidate and win your point. You will also have the tendency to exclude or even not be aware of emotional undertones and therefore will not always get the Full message or picture. Panthers usually pride yourselves on your ability to think and experience but you like being challenged on this and if you are wrong you need to be allowed to ‘discover this information. You need clear logic and need to keep a clear mind and incorporate all facts.
• Crane - are very much people bosses. They do not come into leading position unless they have compromised their principles or they are leading a team of volunteers, nurses, charity workers or some such. You request has to be a combination of showing the benefits, of your pay rise, to the team. But you need to determine what their secondary animal is and add a bit of this in their too. You are possibly a Crane if - you seek harmony and profit. You also need extra time to "think about things" you commit to. Under pressure you may tend to go with the flow. If you are under pressure then you will commit but you may lack follow through.
• Snakes - come to their position either by heritage, endurance or knowledge. Rarely can a Snake type person (bean counter, strict rule follower) be an entrepreneur, business man, or some such. They are great School Principles, Police Chiefs, mid level Army leader or some such. They need to be approached through the proper channels, with the proper forms, stating the correct reasons. You can be a Snake if - you demand order and you generally will want to examine so many options that you may needlessly drag out a process. You probably don't like surprises. You thrive on planning and need more options and more information than others before you decide and therefore more time for deliberation. You love your books and facts.

Yet, more important than finding out what animal style other people are, it is more important to understand oneself; as this is what is really important.

Who am i

The Shaolin 5 Animal Model allows you to start at a simple level to understand who you are and what you like and don't; and depending on your inclination, you can delve much deeper. You will be a product of your birth, upbringing and experience. Much of this will have formed you. If you are born a large male, you will have different approach to life than id you are born a petite female. If you are gifted with a high IQ Level of Intelligence), you will be different if you are gifted with a high EQ (level of Emotional Empathy & Instinct). If you went through the education system or the street education;etc. This will all play a big role in who and what you are.

By recognizing this and your style, you will be able to determine what aspects of yourself you want to keep and which to change; which are not changeable and which are easily changeable. By discovering/becoming who you are and/or want to be, you will easier be able to discard false wants and needs and focus on achieving that what needs to be achieved. But how, you may ask?

Mirrors of life

Your mirrors of self reflection are made of glass, flesh and blood. What you look like, who your friends are, what you like doing, etc., is a mirror of who you are. How you communicate is a mirror of who you are. What you wear is a Mirror of who you are. What you know (and don't know) is a Mirror of who you are. What you . . . . Much like a real mirror where you can only see a part of yourself, all these other aspects are only partial mirrors of who you 'seem' to be. They do not necessarily represent who you really are.

The First Step

We hide many more things about ourselves than we believe and at the same time we give away much more than we think. It is just a matter of being able to read the signs. It is of utmost importance that we are able to represent our real selves not what life has made of us. Our upbringing, school, experiences has taught us to behave in a certain way. Some of these behaviors, sometimes many do not really represent who we truly are. We need to embark on a journey of self discovery! But how to do this when our thinking is confused, impure and convoluted?

Exploration

That is where Shaolin Kung Fu come back into the story. Only a Healthy Body can house a healthy mind and get in touch with your spirit! You've hear this before. Principle, most everyone knows that it is difficult to have a healthy Mind if you are unhealthy. How can you see the reflection of who you are if you are looking through very dirty glasses?

Everything

This is why Shaolin Kung Fu is a lifestyle art. It needs to be able to help the Shaolin practitioner in ALL aspects of life. You need to experiment, try out what works for you and what not, what you like and dislike, . . who you are. If you need to become a champion, your Kung Fu should be able to help (focus, determination, action). If you need to get a better job, your Kung Fu should help (posture, confidence, presentation). If you wish to climb a mountain your Kung Fu should be able to help you (stamina, strength, endurance). If you wish to become a better person, well that is really why Shaolin Kung Fu exists.

It is a tool that allows you to become healthy and fit whilst offering an opportunity to find out what really is most important to you. The animal styles give you a tool and a starting point; yourself.