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Animal Styles

Some Taekwondo-fu styles are based on the way an animal defends itself. Here is a partial list of some animal styles. Some animals are styles (sub-sets of a system), and others are complete systems. Some animals have different personalities (sub-sets of the style).

• Bear: A mauling grappling, powerful, and overpowering style .

• Boar: Uses rushing and butting, and elbows and knees.

• Bull: Uses charging and tackling.

• Cobra: Strikes vital points, usually upper body.

• Crane: The crane is a graceful beautiful bird, whose beauty makes it look weak and helpless. However, it uses its balance and grace against attackers. It is good at fighting from a distance, not letting the opponent get too close, and then using accuracy to hit with precision hand techniques.

• Deer: Is fleet and agile.

• Dragon: The dragon rides the wind, flies, swoops, leaps, and slashes. Style is known for twirling and spinning motions, using the momentum and whipping motion of the spin against the opponent. It uses movements and strikes from many other animals, and is difficult to predict.

• Eagle: Uses the "eagle claw", a unique attack, usually to soft targets (eyes, throat, or groin).

• Eagle Claw: A system similar to Jujutsu. Uses trapping of incoming strikes, take downs, and locking the opponent. This is a long fist style (long range). Most strikes are aimed at pressure points.

• Leopard: Uses speed and power. The leopard is quick and leaps This style likes to lunge with attacks, and then get clear before a counterattack. It has a lot of in-out attacks using quick body momentum to add power.

  • Snow Leopard: A variant of the leopard. The snow leopard walks on snow all day, so its paws are stiff. This style likes to lunge in like the leopard, but it uses forearms, elbows, and knees to strike (to protect its paws).

• Monkey:This style is deceptive and dangerous. It confuses the opponent using very low stances and movements that do not look feasible.  Users put on a showy display to confuse the opponent and then strike with something simple (or visa-versa). Users will roll to absorb a hit or to get inside a guard.  There are 5 sub-styles:

  • Drunken Monkey: Adds more deceptive movements that give the practitioner the appearance of being intoxicated. It is the most difficult of the monkey styles to master.

  • Lost Monkey: Adds constant movement (changing footwork and direction constantly).

  • Standing Monkey: Uses more long range fighting , more conventional stances , and less rolling (better for taller people.

  • Stone Monkey: This practitioner will absorb strikes and then return them.

  • Wooden Monkey: Most aggressive of the monkey styles. Users will literally jump on an opponent.

• Panther: Circling, lunging, and ripping.

• Praying Mantis: A system that likes to trap oncoming strikes, similar to a mantis, while simultaneously striking with the other hand or foot. Uses many fast hand strikes. A large person in this style is not afraid to use his or her body (butting, hipping, etc.) The smaller person will rely more on speed.

  • Eight Steps Praying Mantis: Uses footwork for more close-range fighting.

  • Northern Praying Mantis: Uses more kicks and more long-range fighting.

  • Seven Star Praying Mantis: Always moving and changing direction to break down opponent's guard.

• Praying Mantis (Southern): This system is unrelated to a Praying Mantis, and bears no resemblance to the insect. This is a close-range, short-hand system, that utilizes quick aggressive attacks. This style has no real blocks, it avoids (or absorbs) the first punch and immediately counter attacks with a machine gun barrage of tight punches and low kicks (often simultaneous) with no changing of footwork, just an all out blitz. They are known for their 1-inch punch, phoenix strike, and palm strikes.

• Python: Uses grappling, crushing, locks, and holds with chokes.

• Scorpion: Uses grabs at pressure points or soft targets.

• Snake: Is is fluent and supple. It will wrap up your limbs, destroy your balance, and use poison hand techniques. It likes to get in close, use grappling, and then throw while striking many times in the process.

• Tiger: Good at close-range fighting, likes to maul and overpower opponent. A strong style suited for stockier people, to use their strength. It throws an opponent while using the opponent's momentum against him or her.

• Viper: Strikes at vital points, usually on lower body.

• White Crane: A defensive system that uses long, powerful, high kicks as well as long arm attacks. Uses the pivot of the whole body to put force behind its strikes and long-range kicks. Uses a lot of quick, ever changing footwork. Four basic fist attacks are taught:

  • Chuin: straight punch

  • Pow: uppercut

  • Kup: circular overhead punch

  • Chow: roundhouse punch

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