
Stryke brings up something that has been bugging me for a long time. I was taught some kata from a branch of tang soo do, which were based on the basic kata of Shotokan, which apparently were influenced by Shorin ryu? I have always heard references to Chinese crane styles regarding Okinawan karate, and there are undoubtedly all kinds of influences and flavors mixed into the forms that I have seen.
I also was taught a tiger, a snake, a crane and a dragon form from some tradition, and although there were even cross-overs in these, with similar stances and movements, only using different hand formations, there were clearly delineated attitudes and themes.
When I took my basic non-classical tang soo do forms and modified them by opening the hands, shortening the stances and lowering the kicks (in large part inspired by the Uechi sanchin I was taught), there was one striped animal that immediately made it's presence known.
I am by no means knowledgeable about this stuff, but I love it, and it is so interesting to me.