Shaolin felt that it need to be it's own protection and with outside help they developed the first full blown martial art system. It was based around 72 Combinations that could be used individually or strung together against multiple opponents and circumstances. Although it was not just based on fists but included defence, kicks and open hands techniques, it was based on applying a finishing technique that incapacitated most opponents.
Shaolin still did not attack and thus needed to have a good defence. But one attacked they had multiple solutions that could be used against single opponents or in concert against multiple attackers. Each technique had a key tactic. together these techniques were devastating.
The Shaolin Academy has also included the learning of the 36 Stratagems, one of the great 7 books of China on Conflict and Strategy into the 72 Fist Curriculum!
Where Menu sought to make a quick finish to a conflict, 170 Moves seeks to "Hold & Control" an attacker, stopping them from doing any harm to themselves or others. As this can usually only be done with one person at a time, the 72 Fist Kung Fu was still very much needed for multiple opponents. So 170 moves is a joining of a Striking Style and a Holding Style!
This was so successful that it became very, very effective. So much so that it lasted well into the 2nd Millennium.
The TIGER is for all the direct, simple strong aspects of Kung Fu. For people who are strong and like being direct. Most techniques from Bear, Tiger, Black Tiger, etc., were placed under this general header. It also included Lifting and Throwing Grappling, all 'quick' finish techniques that were simple and easy and Tearing techniques. Tigers main and major target is the Throat for both Striking & Grappling.
Panther (also Leopard) was the Animal Style was for person who like using their mind to win. Who believed that Strategy is more important than skill. It contained Debilitating and Confusing techniques where many different sub-specializations were possible. This became the 'Ninja' of the Shaolin 5 Animal Style and included all Poison Hand techniques. Elbow/Knee and Shoulder/Pelvis were the main Grappling Target areas.
Crane is the style for Elegance, evasion, wearing down and for person lacking strength and relying on Elegance, Agility and Evasion. It was the style you learned when you did not want to fight. It is the style you used if you were small, agile and relatively quick in your body movements. Wrist and Finger Chin Na were the more famous aspects of Crane grappling.
Snake represents all styles that required precision and economy. The Snake was for patient persons who like to avoid conflict at all cost and would only engage if there was no other way. But then it would be lethal, sudden and over. The Snake contained most of the 10,000 Bee style, Grappling techniques that were permanent. The Strong Snake would Capture the attackers breath and keep it with it's grappling or destroy the attackers Energy with it's Striking.
Dragon was the aspect of the style that dealt with Chi, meditation and right thought! One is called a Dragon when one masters the 4 and ascends to the 5th Style. Bruce Lee was often called the Little Dragon. Although he was a master of conflict and conflict strategy, many believe that he did not achieve full Dragon because of his focus on the physical and conflict.
Shaolin spend several hours each day on physical training, 6 days a week, most days each year, most years of their lives! A Shaolin student training 3 to hours a day for just five years would have trained the equivalent of a person training 30 years, 3 times a week for 1½ each session. They did this though throughout their lives as Kung Fu was not just for self defence but for Health and Well Being. Even Shaolin needed variety to maintain this. And you needed to know the possibilities and limits of a Weapon to understand how to defend against it.
Shaolin would have trained a variety of different weapons to represent the many, many different weapons being used. There would have been the usual Staff, Broad Sword, Spear and Straight Sword. But they would also needed skills in weapon throwing (knife, star, spear), Flexible weapons (chain, rope, whip), hidden weapons and 'not weapons', items that are normally not weapons that could be used as weapons!
It is in this spirit and for the fun of it, that the Shaolin Academy trains in traditional Chinese Weaponry!
