2. THESIS
Kung Fu is a subject I would like to expand my knowledge in. I have
spent seven years learning Tae Kwon Do which also included kick
boxing and self-defense. I have learned a lot in those seven years and
eventually got my black belt. With the techniques I have learned in Tae
Kwon Do, I would want to take it further and learn the five animals style,
along with the general history of Kung Fu. With the new knowledge
gained, I will create my own style of Kung Fu after the barracuda.
4. MARTIAL ARTS
Tae Kwon Do
Karate
Judo
Kung Fu
http://www.tkdzlatniljiljani.org/eng/img/taekwondo4.jpg
http://mayoacademy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/
2009/08/50jahre_aktu_judo.jpg
5. MARTIAL ARTS
Tae Kwon Do
Karate
Judo
Kung Fu
http://www.tkdzlatniljiljani.org/eng/img/taekwondo4.jpg
http://mayoacademy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/
2009/08/50jahre_aktu_judo.jpg
6. MARTIAL ARTS
Tae Kwon Do
Karate
Judo
Kung Fu
http://www.tkdzlatniljiljani.org/eng/img/taekwondo4.jpg
http://mayoacademy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/
2009/08/50jahre_aktu_judo.jpg
12. HISTORY OF KUNG FU
800 B.C.- Boxing
700 B.C.- Wrestling
500 B.C.- Meditation “exercises”
500 - Shaolin Temple built in Henan
http://www.travelchinaplanner.com/attachments/attraction%20pictures/Henan/shaolin%20temple.jpg
13. HISTORY (CONT.)
520 - Bodhidharma arrives in Henan
1300- White Crane
1500-1600- 18 into 72 movements
1966- Cultural Revolution
1973- Bruce Lee
http://grind365.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/bruce_lee.jpg
18. STYLES OF KUNG FU
External (Waijia)- Physical
Internal (Neijia)- Qi
Internal- Qihttp://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Awqvs2W632w/TTSOI-IlxBI/AAAAAAAAAAU/358ImooRXKw/S1600-R/taichichuan.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_j2d4_Xo4gkA/TAHjsVY8myI/AAAAAAAAAnI/tkANFH3mkFY/s1600/29-meister-des-shaolin-kung-fu-neuwied-musik-veranstaltung.jpg
20. EXTERNAL
North
Shaolin
Praying Mantis
Monkey Fist
Zui Quan
South
Shaolin
Five Animals
http://www.saltatotal.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/monjes_kung_fu.jpg
52. CITATIONS
“Barracuda.” Discovery Education. Discovery, 2010. Web. 22 Dec. 2010. a rel="nofollow" href="http://school.discoveryeducation.com/">http://
school.discoveryeducation.com///.html>.
Cornman, Ivor. “Aggressive Activity among Barracuda in Confined Spaces.” Copeia 14 June 1963: 450-51. JSTOR. Web. 21 Dec. 2010. a
rel="nofollow" href="http://www.jstor.org/">http://www.jstor.org//1441378?seq=2&Search=yes&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction
%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dbarracuda%26wc%3Don&prevSearch=&resultsServiceName=null>
Fuller, Brianna, and William Fink. “ADW: Sphyraena Barracuda: Information.” Animal Diversity Web. U of Michigan Museum of Zoology, 2000.
Web. 22 Dec. 2010. a rel="nofollow" href="http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/">http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu////
_barracuda.html>.
“Martial Arts.” Faces Dec. 2006: 30-31. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 1 Nov. 2010. a rel=nofollow href="http://web.ebscohost.com/">http://
web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=1&hid=109&sid=e5bac849-aa31-4223-
becb-5cccba32d002%40sessionmgr104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=f5h&AN=23489909>.
Reid, Craig D. “Fight Like A Mantis.” National Wildlife Dec.-Jan. 2005-2006: 42-45. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 1 Nov. 2010. a rel=nofollow
href="http://web.ebscohost.com/">http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=11&hid=110&sid=5869f9cd-72af-4f9e-abb1-
e654407f8e69%40sessionmgr113&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=f5h&AN=19034380>.
Warr, Peter. “The History of Chinese Martial Arts (Kung Fu/ Wushu).” Martial Arts the Kung Fu Handbook. New York: D&S, 2004. 9-21. Print.
Britannica. “Martial Art.” eLibrary. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Feb. 2011. a href="http://elibrary.bigchalk.com/" rel="nofollow">http://
elibrary.bigchalk.com/elibweb/elib/do/document?
set=search&dictionaryClick=&secondaryNav=&groupid=1&requestid=lib_standard&resultid=2&edition=&ts=5B9131CF6A410A43F10B0B7FF94
F9F6C_1297689133761&start=1&publicationId=&urn=urn%3Abigchalk%3AUS%3BBCLib%3>.
Shaolin Gung Fu Institute. “Overview of Shaolin History.” Shaolin Gung Fu Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. a href="http://
www.shaolin.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.shaolin.com/historycontent.aspx>.
USA Dojo. “About Kung Fu Wu Shu.” USA Dojo. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2011. a href="http://www.usadojo.com/" rel="nofollow">http://
The reason why I chose the barracuda was because even though there are many animals style, I never seen a water based animal having a style in my research. I did see that they do have a crab form, but not a fish style per se. \n
On May 1st 2010 was my birthday, I took the SATs and more importantly for my SGP, I received my 1st Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do (bring in and show uniforms-black uniform and white graduation uniform, bring in black belt and possibly other belts). It took me seven years to train and be tested with TKD forms and along the way I also learned kick boxing and self defense. I always like the Kung Fu style, but the only available martial arts place was in Conshohocken where I practiced TKD.\n\nmy personal relevance to this subject of Kung Fu is because the general topic of martial arts got me losing weight. I was made fun of in school because I was so slow in gym class and developing asthma worsened it. I would always finish last in our annual mile run to test our fitness. I was also shy and taking Tae Kwon Do helped me shed some pounds and gain an outgoing personality even though I have some nervousness in times like these. \n\nMy family also has some previous experiences with martial arts aside from the cousins who took TKD with me. My three older cousins took Kung Fu when they were smaller. My grandfather on my mom’s side was a “Kung Fu Master” according to my mom with a slight exaggeration. My dad also had some training in Kung Fu, but being a farmboy in Vietnam, he didn’t have enough money to keep on training even though he still retains some memory of stances and blocking. I figured it was only a matter of time to learn this ancient art. \n
Martial Arts is a system of fighting techniques with training as well as cultural and religious aspects. Most Martial Arts have religious connections to Asian religions like Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, etc. Originally unarmed combat, weapons were introduced later on. Examples are Kung Fu, Tae Kwon Do, Judo, \n
Martial Arts is a system of fighting techniques with training as well as cultural and religious aspects. Most Martial Arts have religious connections to Asian religions like Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, etc. Originally unarmed combat, weapons were introduced later on. Examples are Kung Fu, Tae Kwon Do, Judo, \n
Wushu is translated to military art because during war, armies were trained in close quarters combat, but modern day it’s the general heading of all Chinese Martial Arts with Kung Fu being under that. \n\nKung Fu means skills earned by hard work. This doesn’t necessarily mean in martial arts but any skill learned. A person can have piano kung fu. Gung Fu is the same term just a different dialect makes it sounds like gung fu (Bruce Lee). \n\nChuan or Quan simply means fist. It’s usually put at the end of the style title. Xiangxing Chuan- Animal fist, Tai Chi Chuan- Tai Chi Fist. It’s called fist despite many of the styles having no fist at all. \n
Bodhidharma created Shaolin Kung Fu. He travelled from the Tibetan Mountains to China. The Emperor had monks translate Buddhist text from Sanskrit into Chinese. He travelled to visit the monks where he was rejected to come in (foreigner). He proved that he was a Buddhist by meditating in a cave in which he made a hole by staring at it.\n\nWhen allowed to come in he saw how focused the monks were on their spiritual enlightenment, that they forgot they forgot about their physical needs and created “exercises” (kung fu) to help them get in shape. \n\nIt was said, along his way to the China, he saw five different animals which he put their movements into those 18 exercises for the monks to train, the snake, crane, leopard, tiger, and dragon. \n\nDa Mo- his Chinese name, Bodhidharma- Indian name\n
Bodhidharma created Shaolin Kung Fu. He travelled from the Tibetan Mountains to China. The Emperor had monks translate Buddhist text from Sanskrit into Chinese. He travelled to visit the monks where he was rejected to come in (foreigner). He proved that he was a Buddhist by meditating in a cave in which he made a hole by staring at it.\n\nWhen allowed to come in he saw how focused the monks were on their spiritual enlightenment, that they forgot they forgot about their physical needs and created “exercises” (kung fu) to help them get in shape. \n\nIt was said, along his way to the China, he saw five different animals which he put their movements into those 18 exercises for the monks to train, the snake, crane, leopard, tiger, and dragon. \n\nDa Mo- his Chinese name, Bodhidharma- Indian name\n
Boxing was how ancient tribes of China fought against each other\nWrestling was developed for military use, thus the first form of wushu (military art)\nMeditation in temples were used to develop and harness chi\nShaolin Temple built in Henan- for monks to train in their spiritual enlightenment. \nBodhidharma comes to Henan to see the progress of translations, teaches monks exercises, during journey from India to China, saw several animals (Five Animals Style)-made styles out of it.\nWhite Crane Style is formed in the late 1300s\n\nCultural Revolution- Mao Zedong wanted to get rid of old traditional ways, tries to eliminate kung fu, Sifu’s of Kung Fu fled to US and Europe and introduced foreigners to Kung Fu training. \n\n
Bodhidharma comes to Henan to see the progress of translations, teaches monks exercises, during journey from India to China, saw several animals, made 18 movements. \n\nWhite Crane Style is formed in the late 1300s\n\nChing Dynasty- Mongolian run dynasty, burned the Shaolin Temple- only five masters escaped into different parts of China. This helped expand the original 18 moves into 72 movements. Each differentiated with each area of focus. (Kind of life accents, not all people have the same accents depending on the location of where they live)\n\nCultural Revolution- Mao Zedong wanted to get rid of old traditional ways, tries to eliminate kung fu, Sifu’s of Kung Fu fled to US and Europe and introduced foreigners to Kung Fu training. Mao Zedong then realized the popularity of Kung Fu, and revised his plan to “eliminate” all old ways of China. \n\nDeath of Bruce Lee- some considered him the best. Known for his quickness and strength. Practiced in Wing Chun (trained by Yip Man)\n
Forms- a group of moves that show off the different techniques. It’s like choreographed techniques to exhibit moves. \nSparring- contact hitting wearing pads for protection. Sparring could be simply practicing full contact with your techniques for full experience or it could be a sport where hits to the head or torso counts as points. \n
External- hardcore training, strength, speed\nInternal- focusing all energy inside the body into one body part to deliver strong hits or controlling internal energy to balance out the qi throughout the body. \n
External- hardcore training, strength, speed\nInternal- focusing all energy inside the body into one body part to deliver strong hits or controlling internal energy to balance out the qi throughout the body. \n
External- hardcore training, strength, speed\nInternal- focusing all energy inside the body into one body part to deliver strong hits or controlling internal energy to balance out the qi throughout the body. \n
All of the ones that are named after animals are styles of that animal. Shaolin is just what the monks at the temple do, Shaolin Kung Fu is different than Kung Fu with different ranges of styles within it. \nNorth style low kicks, longer striking range\nSouth style are lower stances, close range\n\n\n
Zui Quan (Drunken Fist) is shows off of how an intoxicated person would fight. Most of them practice without drinking and train in their balancing. Personally, one of my favorites out of the animals styles. Stances include unorthodox movement, they are always stumbling and falling down. This can catch the opponent off guard because they are not used to this kind of fighting style where it lacks the basic traditional stances of regular fighting. Using stumbling and staggering movements help gather power even though the fighter is loose at first. They fight with fist like the leopard but only the index finger and middle finger knuckles, while the other two are retracted into a fist. Natural hand- only index finger and thumb extended. Blocks are done with the wrist. Attacks come from any where, whether it be standing, or even on the ground. Wit that in mind, when a person goes up to attack you, you go with the flow and fall to the ground as would a drunk person and then attacks on the ground could be used. \n
Zui Quan (Drunken Fist) is shows off of how an intoxicated person would fight. Most of them practice without drinking and train in their balancing. Personally, one of my favorites out of the animals styles. Stances include unorthodox movement, they are always stumbling and falling down. This can catch the opponent off guard because they are not used to this kind of fighting style where it lacks the basic traditional stances of regular fighting. Using stumbling and staggering movements help gather power even though the fighter is loose at first. They fight with fist like the leopard but only the index finger and middle finger knuckles, while the other two are retracted into a fist. Natural hand- only index finger and thumb extended. Blocks are done with the wrist. Attacks come from any where, whether it be standing, or even on the ground. Wit that in mind, when a person goes up to attack you, you go with the flow and fall to the ground as would a drunk person and then attacks on the ground could be used. \n
Xiangxing Chuan is the art of animal imitating. In the South, the five animals are the dragon, tiger, leopard, snake and crane. As years past, more and more styles were made, like the praying mantis, dog, monkey, and even frog and deer. When using any of these animals styles, you become the animal. Example, you growl like a dog, hiss like a snake, etc. Moves sometimes, don’t follow exactly of the animals and rather improve the moves with aspects like speed, or \n
Monkey Fist imitates the monkey. A lot of crouching and jumping is used for stances and running on all fours is sometimes used. Hand attacks use a lot of slapping open handed and slapping with fists like the leopard style. One specific aspect needed in the monkey fist style is strictly using facial expressions to imitate the monkey completely. Monkey Fist also incorporates the use of weapons with the staff being favored. \n
Monkey Fist imitates the monkey. A lot of crouching and jumping is used for stances and running on all fours is sometimes used. Hand attacks use a lot of slapping open handed and slapping with fists like the leopard style. One specific aspect needed in the monkey fist style is strictly using facial expressions to imitate the monkey completely. Monkey Fist also incorporates the use of weapons with the staff being favored. \n
Monkey Fist imitates the monkey. A lot of crouching and jumping is used for stances and running on all fours is sometimes used. Hand attacks use a lot of slapping open handed and slapping with fists like the leopard style. One specific aspect needed in the monkey fist style is strictly using facial expressions to imitate the monkey completely. Monkey Fist also incorporates the use of weapons with the staff being favored. \n
There are two styles of the Praying Mantis, North and South. \nNorth’s (Shandong) main style is having fast attacks while targeting weak point of the body like pressure points and even eyes. Blocking is circular to open up the body for attacks. \n\nSouthern (Hakka) is basically the same but prefers close quarters for attacking. Not a lot of kicks are used to preserve balance of the person and to limit exposures (openings) from incoming attacks, very rarely times is a kick used. \n
I would want to incorporate my first class activity with this by teaching the five animals while having them do the hand movements according to the animal. Some of them stereotype a type of person that can specifically use them, but not always the case. “Anything is possible”\n
Designed for the smaller people, this style is also for quick moving people. Continuous attacks and moving is a key component for this style. To show the movement of the snake, stances are generally low. The hand attacks represent the head of the snake. Continuous attacks are being made at one target until the opponent blocks that part and then the stylist will move onto another body part. They do this to limit the use of that one body part so it won’t be used against them. Attacks for for eyes, neck and groin- cheap shots basically. \n
Targets pressure points to “poison” the body and disable the use of it. Pressure points are a bunch of nerves in your body that can cause pain. The term “wind knocked out of you” can be easily applied when someone is hit in the solar plexus, the middle of the abdomen. Pressure points are like weak spots of the body. Pressure points follow the idea of yin and yang, having a maintaining balance of energy. If any one of these pressures points are being acted upon, it means the chi within your body isn’t balanced, thus resulting in pain. \n
Designed for skinny, yet tall person. The knee up is used as a block, but can also be used to kick. Knee is high to be in front of the solar plexus, a very weak spot of a person. Whole strategy is evasion of incoming attacks. Practitioners practice the idea of “peace” and basically never attack only block and evade. Only when the opponent is open will they counter with their own attack. Blocks and counters are done so in circular motions. Kicks are high and can aim for the neck or kick them back away from the person. The open hand “wings” can be used to sweep low and chop as opposed to the crane beak, that targets vulnerable openings to the opponent, much like the snake in some sense.\n\nThe alternate background of crane fist (not Bodhidharma) is a long time ago, a father mastering kung fu decides to teach his daughter kung fu (Fan Qiang Liang). She had dreams of fighting a crane and when she fought it, she witnessed how the crane always blocked everything that was thrown at it. This lead her to combine the kung fu taught by her father as well as the crane’s nature to block and evade attacks.\n
Designed for skinny, yet tall person. The knee up is used as a block, but can also be used to kick. Knee is high to be in front of the solar plexus, a very weak spot of a person. Whole strategy is evasion of incoming attacks. Practitioners practice the idea of “peace” and basically never attack only block and evade. Only when the opponent is open will they counter with their own attack. Blocks and counters are done so in circular motions. Kicks are high and can aim for the neck or kick them back away from the person. The open hand “wings” can be used to sweep low and chop as opposed to the crane beak, that targets vulnerable openings to the opponent, much like the snake in some sense.\n\nThe alternate background of crane fist (not Bodhidharma) is a long time ago, a father mastering kung fu decides to teach his daughter kung fu (Fan Qiang Liang). She had dreams of fighting a crane and when she fought it, she witnessed how the crane always blocked everything that was thrown at it. This lead her to combine the kung fu taught by her father as well as the crane’s nature to block and evade attacks.\n
Same as dragon movement, moved side to side, never straight. The stances vary from high to low but they do tend to go under and attack to the ribs. Very similar to the tiger but not as direct. They will not try to overpower the opponent like the tiger. They can be unpredictable, choosing to deliver small blows or can totally finish the opponent. They like manipulating and trying to outmaneuver the opponent. They like to use hit and run tactics against their opponents as well. They are considered “lazy” but smart, they don’t do more than they have to. \n\n
Straight forward attacking, training should help build up the body for endurance. All attacking style, sometimes hold the attacking arm or leg to open the opponent up to attacks. Generally aims for the throat. This style is designed for bigger people with the opponent being smaller or the same size. \n
Straight forward attacking, training should help build up the body for endurance. All attacking style, sometimes hold the attacking arm or leg to open the opponent up to attacks. Generally aims for the throat. This style is designed for bigger people with the opponent being smaller or the same size. \n
Straight forward attacking, training should help build up the body for endurance. All attacking style, sometimes hold the attacking arm or leg to open the opponent up to attacks. Generally aims for the throat. This style is designed for bigger people with the opponent being smaller or the same size. \n
Doesn’t attack straight, moved side to side when moving. More for a bigger person who is strong, but slower. This style works on “grappling” like attacks as the dragon style will use joint locks to hold open the opponent. This is most likely based on reptiles like lizards and alligators, as it was highly unlikely they saw a dragon. This style is also similar style to tai chi. They practitioner is slow and balances their chi throughout their body to deliver strong hits. \n
Description of the style of the barracuda- the barracuda is a provoked fish that attacks when other predators attack first. The curiosity of the barracuda makes my style a more mental thinking style rather than straight on attacking. The style is examining the behavior and any openings of the opponent. Many of the \n
The stance of this style is continuous slow moving like a barracuda in water. The strong hand is drawn back with a leopard fist, while the front/ jabbing hand is in the form of a spear hand. The jabbing hand is all the way extended with the elbow bending a little. Movement of the feet just goes with the flow like the water in the ocean. Swim bladder of any fish helps control the vertical motion of the fish. \n\nThere are two stances, the one described above with the front hand all the way extended- that’s more of the curiosity stance. I will put my hand out and see how they react and learn how the defend attacks. The second stance is when the barracuda is “angry”. This stance is when the tiger claws come out to represent the teeth of the barracuda. \n
Main attacks are to the sides like the ribs. Many of the animal styles are borrowed like the strong hand is the leopard, while the jabbing hand is a spear hand. The front/jabbing hand is also used to swipe at the legs or hands of the opponent, to knock down defenses or even trip them up. The barracuda is known as the Tiger of the Sea- if a side spot is open, an occasional tiger’s claw will be used to attack the ribs. A group of barracuda is called battery, so rapid strikes are known as battery. Attacks in the “angry” stance is when all out attacks are used to injure the opponent (or render them unable to fight anymore)\n
Defense is based on reaction. Usually the defense is grab the attacking limb like the bite from a barracuda and a straight up “lower jaw” upper cut to the neck or a straight leopard fist into the solar plexus--> because it only attacks when provoked, defense is when “main attacks” become hard hits that could cause injury, causing the initial “fight”. Other times it will be simply stepping to the side to evade the attack and try to expose the sides for attacks. The main thing is to flow like the water in which the barracuda lives. \n
\n
\n
Tai Chi is the “life force” found in everyone. Tai Chi Chuan is a kung fu style to help balance it or help make it stronger in which you can focus it into certain body parts to make a strong impacts like in the Dragon and Snake Kung Fu Style. It can be incorporated into forms because of that reason. The Dragon Kung Fu Style focuses the Chi into the finger tips as well as the Snake Kung Fu Style because that is their main attacks. Tai Chi Chuan means “Supreme Ultimate Fist”\nZhang (Chang) San-Feng was noted to be the creator of Tai Chi Chuan and internal kung fu, but disputes have been made against it, even with myths saying he did so. \n\nTai Chi in combat is using the opponent’s attacks against them. If they try to land a punch with their whole body in the motion of the swing, you can easily put them off balance using a leg sweep. Catching them off balance seems to be the main point in combat. Attacks are near the waist (center of gravity)\n
Leopard/Puma/Cougar- attack joints, Tiger- use palms and can use scratches, Dragon (Claw and Palm attacks)- focus “chi” into finger tips, Crane- block one attack-receive one attack back, evade one attack- receive 10 attacks back, Snake- attack joints,targets one body part. Teach class about basic martial arts stances and moves. Horse stance, front stance, “cat” stance, general low stances, punches, palm heels, chops, spears, front kick, ax kicks, side kicks, round kicks, possibly other variations like the pop up front kick, flying side kick. \n
\n
Practice makes perfect. When you train, you won’t automatically get it at first. You must repeat and train hard and then you will perfect it eventually, but take it slow. \nUse your common sense. In dire needs, you will need self defense\n
