Kung fu is a powerful secret that was revealed when one monk made note of how powerful animals can be in combat with each other. We as warriors, too, have to take note of this most ancient martial art. Don't just do kung fu, though, be it. These then, become satisfaction. Don't let yourself be denied, but be powerful and aggressive, and animal in action. You must hear, see, be, feel, strike as the animal you are. This is the basic tenet of kung fu. Be ferocious, furious, fervent and fierce, a whirlwind of fighting force.
With kung fu, you come into contact with this most volatile, instinctive energy of survival. As a mother defending her young with absolute commitment, kung fu, too, drives you with adrenaline and no fear, no pain. You are wound up, pumped up, and wild. You are lashing, thrashing, attacking and loaded as an adversarial weapon, fearless and feared. You are wide-eyed and aware, own your surroundings with your acts, and stay your ground. You as the animal are one with your environment, one with the untamed, savage beauty of the beast inside you. You are alive with fire, one with nature. Life is not just about finding the meaning, but tapping into the energy of it. You must be consumed by it. The energy itself provides the meaning. In fact, at this level, you feel ONLY energy. Embrace it wholeheartedly, unabashedly, and without fear.
Perform kung fu with gusto so that your endorphins will be set free and will remind you of your essence. This truth is in you, and you should feel it moving through you, alive and free.
The Tiger -- with this move, you grip the ground in a low, wide stance. Your head and jaw are jutted forward, with your belly drawn in. Extend your fingers out as you might your claws if you were a cat. Curl them, strongly, pretending that they are wicked claws. See your prey in front of you, spitting fiercely like a cat. Turn to your left and then right. As you twist, take your right "claw" and Reagan across your victim's eyes. Your left, too, follows to penetrate the sockets and the face of your victim.
The Leopard -- Draw your hands into fists as though you're going to knock on a door, then turn them down, knock on the floor fiercely, in a flurry. Leap up, lightning fast, and knock one, then the other fist, roaring like a leopard as you do so. Pounce on and overwhelm your enemy, then turn and face the other the same way.
The Panther -- Jut your bent middle finger above the clenched fist formed by your other fingers. This is what is known as the "panther head." Circle with your panthers, growling while you do so. One panther comes down and blocks a strike while the other hits the target on the temple, exhaling as he does so.
The Boar -- The boar stays low to the ground but has plenty of fight. Raise both your arms up and grunt, low, "MMMMMM." Then, bending down lower, you strike with both elbows at your back and finish up with your grunt continuing. Charge forward with your two thumb tusks, making your enemy freeze. These boar's weapons pierce the belly and go through sinew and tissue easily.
The Snake -- Make your fingers in the snake fist and then stick your "fangs" out, your first and middle finger, spread and ready to bite. Do this with both your left and right fist. Expand your cobra hood roundly, and fill yourself with fierce power. Hiss, serpentine-like, then spring with your left handed weapon out, both fingers poised to pierce both eyes of the intruder to your left. Spring to your right and sink your right-hand strike into the other intruder, on the other side.
The Mantis -- This position uses the same basic pose as the Snake, but with this, you take your "fang" fists and put the first and middle finger together. This transforms your snake fangs into a mantis barb. Do this with both hands. Go to your target, and hook up the inside corner of each eye. Then, make a scooping circle inside, come up and around, and then go back in with another strike straight to the center of each eye. Build up to a big release, buzzing, "EIEIEIEIGHT."
The Hawk -- This position has you with your right arm and leg forward, so that you guard your front and are ready for attack. Your index and middle fingers, and thumb are out like a hawk's talons. Your right talon should be at your face, with your left talon at your ribs. Shout, "HI-YA" as the Hawk's call, then circle forward to end up with your left, back and down with your right. This brings you leaning forward over your enemy, who is helpless while ribbons of torn flesh dangle from your talons. This should make spirits soar!
The Crane -- this position has you pressing the end of your fingers together to make a "beak" that's strong enough to peck someone's eyes out. Curl back, raise your "beak" and wind it up above your shoulder, then inhale, and get ready to release. Push it toward your target, shrieking, "UWP," tensing your solar plexus as you do so. With this position, you can even pluck an Adam's apple.
How To Kung Fu
In 1669, Huang Zongxi was the first to describe Chinese martial arts in terms of a Wudang or "internal" school versus a Shaolin or "external" school.
Internal or "soft" styles of Chinese martial art are sometimes referred to as Wudang styles regardless of whether they originated in or were developed in the temples of the Wudang Mountains, just as external or "hard" styles are sometimes called Shaolin regardless of whether the individual style traces its origins to the Shaolin tradition or not.
Wudangquan incorporates yin-yang theory from the I Ching as well as the Five Elements of Taoist cosmology: water, earth, fire, wood, and metal. Animal imagery is evident in some of their practices. These motions are trained to be combined and coordinated with the neigong breathing to develop nei jin, internal power, for both offensive and defensive purposes.
Wudangquan is known for its weapons training and is famous for its jian (Chinese straight sword) techniques.
Several Wudang styles are:
* Kongmenquan - fist of the gate of emptiness
* Yumenquan - fish fist
* Taiyi wuxing qinpu - (grappling of five elements and Great One)
* Jiugong shibatui - (18 legs of nine palaces)
The Wudang Mountains, also known as Wu Tang Shan or simply Wudang, are a small mountain range in the Hubei province of China, just to the south of the manufacturing city of Shiyan.
In years past, the mountains of Wudang were known for the many Taoist monasteries to be found there, monasteries which became known as an academic centre for the research, teaching and practise of meditation, Chinese martial arts, traditional Chinese medicine, Taoist agriculture practises and related arts. As early as the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220AD), the mountain attracted the Emperor's attention. During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the first site of worship - the Five Dragon Temple - was constructed. The monasteries were emptied, damaged and then neglected during and after the Cultural Revolution of 1966-1976, but the Wudang mountains have lately become increasingly popular with tourists from elsewhere in China and abroad due to their scenic location and historical interest. The monasteries and buildings were made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. The palaces and temples in Wudang, which was built as an organized complex during the Ming Dynasty (14th?17th centuries), contains Taoist buildings from as early as the 7th century. It represents the highest standards of Chinese art and architecture over a period of nearly 1,000 years. Noted temples include the Golden Hall, Nanyan Temple and the Purple Cloud Temple.
The Wudang monasteries figure prominently in Chinese martial arts films, especially the genre known as wuxia film and popular literature. For example, an ending scene of the famous movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon by Taiwanese director Ang Lee was set at the Wudang monastery, although not actually filmed there. In some wuxia films about the Shaolin Temple, characters employing Wudang martial arts are featured as villains. It is in reference to this type of film that the American hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan named themselves. In many martial arts movies, however, actors portraying Wudang practitioners are also found in heroic or neutral supporting roles.
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