TIGER/DRAGON OF JIN FU CHUAN
Tiger Kung Fu is usually seen as an external, direct system of fighting.
Jin Fu Chuan (Gold Tiger Fist) combines the hard Tiger with the soft,
yet combat focused, He Tai Chi Chuan. The Tiger of Shaolin and the
Dragon of Wudang.
Around 500AD, Bodhidarma ("Damo" in Chinese, "Daruma" in Japanese) went
to China from India to spread Ch'an Buddhism (called "Zen" in Japan).
Arriving at Shaolin Temple, Damo taught the monks exercises that would
develop over the years into Shaolin Chuan.
Shaolin Chuan Fa (Way of the Shaolin Fist), has undergone countless
revisions and adaptations over the 1500 years since its creation. Basic
forms develop into intricate systems of combat, weapons usage and Chi
Gung, utilizing the bodies energy.
The characteristics of Shaolin Chuan are:- Fast
- Hard, but not stiff and inflexible
- Agile
- Simple
A student of Shaolin, Zhang Sanfeng, retired to Wudang Mountain in
the 12th Century to combine the martial techniques of Shaolin with
Taoist philosophy into the Thirteen Postures of Tai Chi Chuan (later
used by Wong Zhong Yue to create the Tai Chi Chuan Form).
He
Style Tai Chi Chuan was founded by He Zhaoyuan (1810-1890) in Zhao Bao,
Wenxian County. A student of the great Chen Qingping in the Zhao Bao
system, He Zhaoyuan was a bodyguard in Beijing known for his legendary
fighting skills. While most Tai Chi Chuan practiced in modern times
focuses on health benefits, the He system has retained its martial roots
for realistic and very effective defence applications.
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