How to Learn the Five Animal Kung Fu

A Buddhist monk created Five Animal Kung Fu to teach physical and spiritual enlightenment to monks at the Shaolin Temple in China. Many historians believe Shaolin Kung Fu is the mother of all Asian martial arts.

Bodhidharma was teaching Buddhism while traveling to China from his native India. To defend himself from bandits during his journey, Bodhidharma developed a fighting system based on the techniques he observed animals using in the wild.

When he arrived at the Shaolin Temple, he discovered the monks were fat and spiritually weak. He taught them his fighting system, the five animal style of Kung Fu. Thousands of years later, Five Animal Kung Fu remains a viable and effective fighting style.

Things You'll Need

  • Training materials such as books and DVDs
  • Loose workout clothing
  • A space to train and spar
  • A partner
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Instructions

  1. How to Learn Five Animals Kung Fu

    • 1

      Begin by learning the basics. The five animals in Five Animal Kung Fu are the tiger, the panther, the dragon, the crane and the snake. Each of the animals has its own stance and way of moving. Start by learning the stance and way of moving associated with each animal. You need a strong foundation on which to build your technique.

    • 2

      Learn the signature strike associated with each animal. Whether it be the tiger's claw or the crane's beak, each of the animals in Five Animal Kung Fu has a signature strike or attack. Once you have learned stances and footwork, learn the signature attacks.

    • 3

      Study and practice the more advanced techniques. Beyond basic movements and signature strikes, each of the five animal systems contains many other movements, strikes and techniques. As you acquire a good mastery of the basics, challenge yourself to learn more advanced techniques such as the dragon's tail.

    • 4

      Combine the teachings into one style. Five Animal Kung Fu is at its most effective when the methods are blended together. Learn to move like a snake, but strike like a dragon. Or to evade like the crane and then hit out with the tiger's claw. A good mastery of all animal techniques will make you a formidable and unpredictable opponent.