Martial arts like Judo, Jujutsu, Aikido, Hapkido, and T’ai Chi Ch’uan include control (trapping) techniques as part of the basics. Karate-do also includes trapping at higher levels of training.
15 Animal Kung Fu, which comes from Hwa Yu T’ai Chi Ch’uan and is part of Yon Ch’uan Martial Arts training, also includes trapping techniques. We’ll use some of the Animals to demonstrate the process of Yield, Clear, Contact, Control, and multiple Counter drills.
Tiger Drills
The first Kung Fu Animal we teach new Yon Ch’uan students is the Tiger. Here is how Grand Master Robert Xavier explains the Tiger Form in the GMA Black Belt Study Guide.
THE TIGER FORM
The Tiger is a powerful hunter who attacks with fierce speed, moving with total focus without hesitation.
- 1) From the ready position evade horizontally left with the left foot and shift the weight onto it. Bring the right foot forward into cat stance. Simultaneously, raise the arms together, aligning the forearms vertically in front of your chest with palms facing you. Your body is turned towards your right corner.
- 2) Step with your right foot to the right front corner – pushing off from the rear left foot using a follow step and conclude in a 60/40% stance
- 3) Shift all the weight to your left foot into cat stance then step to your right with the right foot into a 60/40% stance. During this part of the movement the right hand begins to draw back (turning the palm up) and the left hand moves from left to right turning palm down. Sit into a 60/40% stance as the hand complete the movement with the right palm up and the left palm facing down at the waist height.
- 4) Turning your waist to the left as you sweep the rear left foot horizontally right crossing behind you completing 180° turn ending in a 60/40% stance. (Remember that your whole body moves in unison).
- 5) Move your back right foot into a right cat stance as the hands return to the ready position. Repeat the movements of the Tiger to the right side. The Tiger form can be utilized compassionately or harshly. It is a versatile, effective self defense for both children and adults.
A well-trained student can use the Tiger to defeat an opponent in less than two seconds, so it passes the two-second test for “effectiveness and efficiency.” While the Tiger is performed slowly at first in both solo and partner practice, speed is increased as the student(s) better understand the movements.
First, let’s learn how to Evade and Escape with the Tiger. I often refer to this as “Leap, Land, Launch” (3-L) because it describes how the Tiger leaps to the side in the air to evade while blocking with the arm toward the opponent, lands on one leg (which becomes the heavy/foundation/supporting leg), then uses the other leg (which becomes the light leg) to launch a response to the attack.
Here are some drills to practice how to use the Tiger to Evade and Escape.
Tiger Escape Drill #1
Solo practice – place slightly more weight on the right leg and use it to leap toward the left side and land on your left leg .. execute an outside Tiger block with the right arm as you leap to the left side .. the Tiger block can be used to escape or trap .. it’s a traditional Kung Fu coiling/uncoiling exercise (coil the hand to the outside (palm up), then uncoil the hand to the inside (palm down) .. if you use the Tiger block to escape, you will usually be coiling/uncoiling against a wrist or arm grab .. the block allows you to break free of an attacker’s grasp and escape (run away) .. the “launch” would take you away from your attacker since your intent is to escape .. that means you will move the center of your body away from the attacker after escaping a grab, which would be left in this drill .. repeat the drill 20 times
Solo practice – place slightly more weight on the left leg and use it to leap toward the right side and land on your right leg .. execute an outside Tiger block with the left arm as you leap to the right side .. coiling and uncoiling action will allow you to escape .. repeat the drill 20 times
Partner practice – This drill trains you to Evade and Escape from a grab .. Partner #1 (attacker) uses right hand to grab Partner #2’s (defender) right wrist .. Partner #2 places slightly more weight on the right leg and uses it to leap toward the left side and land on their left leg .. Partner #2 executes an outside Tiger block with the right arm as they leap to the left side .. the block allows them to break free of an attacker’s grasp and escape (run away) .. the “launch” will take them away from their attacker since the intent is to escape .. that means they will move the center of their body away from the attacker (after escaping the grab) so they can escape .. be sure to keep your escaping hand inside your shoulder (toward your center) to perform the coiling and uncoiling escape .. if you attempt to escape the grab with your hand/arm outside your shoulder, you may not have the strength to escape .. repeat the escape drill 20 times
Partner practice – Partner #1 (attacker) uses left hand to grab Partner #2’s (defender) left wrist .. Partner #2 places slightly more weight on the left leg and uses it to leap toward the right side and land on their right leg .. Partner #2 executes an outside Tiger block (coil and uncoil) with the left arm as they leap to the right side .. the block allows them to break free of an attacker’s grasp and escape (run away) .. the “launch” will take them away from their attacker since the intent is to escape .. that means they will move the center of their body away from the attacker (after escaping the grab) so they can escape .. be sure to keep your escaping hand inside your shoulder (toward your center) to perform the coiling and uncoiling escape .. if you attempt to escape the grab with your hand/arm outside your shoulder, you may not have the strength to escape .. repeat the escape drill 20 times
Tiger Escape Drill #2
Solo practice – This next drill is training to Evade and Escape using the Tiger with a roundhouse kick added to stun the attacker (counter) and make the escape easier .. place slightly more weight on the right leg and use it to leap toward the left side and land on your left leg .. execute an outside Tiger block with the right arm (coil and uncoil) along with a right roundhouse kick to knee or stomach area as soon as you land on your left leg .. escape .. repeat the drill 20 times
Solo practice – place slightly more weight on the left leg and use it to leap toward the right side and land on your right leg .. execute an outside Tiger block with the left arm (coil and uncoil) along with a left roundhouse kick to knee or stomach area as soon as you land on your right leg .. escape .. repeat the drill 20 times
Partner practice – Partner #1 (attacker) uses right hand to grab Partner #2’s (defender) right wrist .. Partner #2 places slightly more weight on the right leg and uses it to leap toward the left side and land on their left leg as they execute an outside Tiger block with the right arm (coil and uncoil) at the same time .. Partner #2 executes a right roundhouse kick to knee or stomach area (miss by a few inches) as soon as they land on their left leg .. escape .. repeat the drill 20 times
Partner practice – Partner #1 (attacker) uses left hand to grab Partner #2’s (defender) left wrist .. Partner #2 places slightly more weight on the left leg and uses it to leap toward the right side and land on their right leg as they execute an outside Tiger block with the left arm (coil and uncoil) at the same time .. Partner #2 executes a left roundhouse kick to knee or stomach area (miss by a few inches) as soon as they land on their right leg .. escape .. repeat the drill 20 times
Next Time
The Tiger also Evades to Enter. We’ll learn some Entering drills in the next part of our special series.
Enjoy!
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