What does the tiger mean?

[fivedragons]

Claws or fists?

[Van Canna]

Good question Sean.

In Uechi, generally the tiger refers to Four knuckle or "Tiger Fist" Strike - Hiraken Tsuki…

One knuckle punch (phoenix eye or tiger tooth)- Shoken Tsuki…

But the one that is more 'tiger' I think is the boshiken with the retracted thumb in the middle of the open hand which gives you a pointed weapon as well as a crushing/tearing weapon used on soft targets.

But you may hear different opinions.

[fivedragons]

Cool info, Van. Thanks. I don't know Uechi ryu, but I think it is the real deal.

[Rick Wilson]

Heard this supposedly old Chinese saying once and it always spoke of the Tiger in Uechi to me:

"Nothing steals your opponent's spirit more than ripping the flesh from his body."

[jorvik]

I think the tiger is also about dynamic tension, like when we see master Gushi performing an old sanchin

or in the tiger crane style hung gar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuMJW5WUADI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5brdVxZDh0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r8CKfLuTik

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z3IYZQT3J4

just threw in a cool documentary there of hung gar

[fivedragons]

I hope this makes sense…. the tiger to me, is to be a wild animal instead of a civilized human being.

There is one thing that has changed in my life because of martial arts. I am still a kind and loving person, and if anything I am more cautious and aware of danger than I used to be.

But, I was introduced to the ape that lives on the other side of the "glass".

He is docile, and is content to have his "walks" when we do our kata, but when I become alert, he opens his eyes. When I become agitated, he bares his teeth and bangs on the glass.

The ape doesn't know anything about techniques, belts, social customs or doubt.

The ape knows how to survive.

[Van Canna]

Love this post 5D...

[jorvik]

What 5d says is true, if you haven't already guessed martial arts do not teach you how to fight

[Stryke]

the tiger means business , to me its always been the direct part , but that could be the shotokan shining through and the tora no maki

[Van Canna]

What 5d says is true, if you haven't already guessed martial arts do not teach you how to fight

Here's the truth http://dysfunctionalparrot.com/5-things/karate/

[fivedragons]

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.

[Stryke]

Don't let it bug you , you started doing the forms more authentically to there origin and there nature came through.

the only thing that should bother you is why they don't see that ........

With all this stuff it's not so often the technique IMHO its the expression , that's why the animal metaphors work .

[fivedragons]