Shaolin Tiger Style: Power, Directness and Simplicity

Tiger Style is one of Shaolin animal Kung Fu. It is simple, direct and honest. It’s primary target is the opponents throat. All of it’s efforts are aimed at this one vulnerable target to the exclusion of anything else. its primary Weapons are the Fist and the Claw. Footwork is only used to interfere as the tigers needs good ground contact to develop and deliver it’s power. Learning the Shaolin Tiger you will discover the power of Simplicity and Directness. You will learn to identify the main point of contention and then develop the skill and power to reach this point.

In the martial art sense you will develop your strong and direct techniques. You will train and harden your body (and mind) to be able to deflect attacks, pain and irritations. Your techniques of choice will be powerful direct straight and round techniques using solid punches, Dragon Front Kick and Breaking Roundhouse Kick. These are augmented by 13 Specialist Claws used in a wide variety of ways.

Mentally, you will learn how to recognize the main weakness of an opponents defence/guard (be it physical, mental and spiritual) and then be able to overcome this to attack the core. At the same time you will need to harden yourself and be invulnerable to mental and spiritual attacks (taunts, distractions, strategies). This needs to be supplemented with Iron Body Training, Claw Strength Training and overall Upper and Lower Body strength and toughness.
 
The Tigers Defence

. . . there is none. The tiger does not defend it only attacks. The Tiger does not use blocking techniques but they do use swatting techniques against arms and legs. Grabbing the attacking limb of your the opponent and holding onto this whilst entering the center is the key method of gaining access to the Attacker and prevents the attacker using hit and run tactics. Yet, aside from swatting limbs and grabbing the Tiger does not use any defensive techniques. If the attacker is swift and quick, the Tiger may use;

Inter fear with the attackers flow and speed by upsetting the attackers legs
Prevent the attack fully using a leg with Tree Breaking Roundhouse
Stop the Attacker all together with the Dragon Front Kick.
All of these would be followed up with the Tigers Attack.

The Tigers Attack

The Tiger Stylist is the perfect avatar of destruction. Once started the Tiger Stylist follows all they way through to one of three possible ends:

Teaching Tiger – is where the Tiger applies one of the 12 Claws to cause pain and discomfort and thus ‘show the attacker the error of their ways’.

Savage Tiger – is where the Tiger stops the opponent with a key blow or Chock; and thus debilitates the opponent (used against multiple, armed or drugged attackers.

Protecting Tiger – is where it is a life or death situation for the Tiger or their Pride (family, ones cared for). This is where the Dragon Claw or Dragon Claw or Snake Coil (choke) is used.

Although the Tiger Stylist needs to know all three levels of reaction, most Tiger Stylist practice only the first two levels so as to not accidental cause a result that in today’s world is not really acceptable.

Tigers Strategy

. . . again, there is really only one; Get in and get it done (this is a cliché but applicable for this style), No Retreat and No Surrender. As such this makes it almost impossible for two Tigers to have a fight as the result will be disastrous even for the Winning Tiger. As an old Chinese proverb goes; “when two Tigers fight, one is lost and one will be severely hurt”. Also, another Chinese proverb is also applicable; “Two Tigers can not live on one Mountain”.

Tigers Training

It is zen like. The Tiger trains to be able to deliver that perfect technique; one for each Tiger level. The Tiger Stylist trains for Power, Strength, Toughness and Efficiency. Strong and Tough Legs, Strong and Tough Arms, Strong and Tough Body, Strong and Tough Techniques and a Strong and Tough Mind. Simplicity, Clarity and Raw Power.

Tiger Stylist

The ideal Tiger Stylist is an Alpha. They have a strong body, clarity of mind and purpose. They prefer direct solutions achieved by direct actions. They value and cultivate loyalty, friendship, honour, honesty and might. Their principle defects can be crudeness, over-simplification, lack of patience (with others), lack of appreciation of problems and situations and a will to dominate. They are best for getting things done, and are ideal for it if the task outcome has been well explained and they have a reasonable free choice of action.