TRAINING METHODS OF TIGER-CLAW

Editorial Note: About 30 years ago, the most authoritative Chinese kungfu magazine then, Xin
Wu Xia (New artia! "ero#, $ub!ishe% a series of arti&!es with 'ifu Wong(s &ommentary on
the )iger*Crane 'et+ )he series &onsists of four arti&!es, name!y,
-+ 'imi!arities an% .ifferen&es of )iger*Crane 'ets
/+ Combat 'e0uen&es of )iger*Crane 'et
3+ is&e!!aneous )e&hni0ues of )iger*Crane 'et
1+ )raining etho%s of )iger C!aw
)his arti&!e on )he )raining etho%s of )iger C!aw is the fourth of the series+ )he senten&e
stru&ture in this 2ng!ish trans!ation fo!!ows that in the origina! Chinese version+
Training Methods of Tiger-Cla
As 3oh 4ok "in e5e&utes a whir!win% ki&k using the $attern Naughty onkey 4i&ks at )ree,
'ifu Wong sinks into a !ow 6ront Arrow 'tan&e using the $attern )ame a )iger with a 'tring of
7ea%s+ With his right tiger &!aw 'ifu Wong atta&ks 3oh 4ok "in(s right ribs even before the
ki&k has arrive%+ When the ki&king !eg arrives, 'ifu Wong using his !eft tiger &!aw wi!! f!oat
the atta&k u$ at the o$$onent(s knee or ang!e %e$en%ing on the s$a&ing, then gri$$ing it with the
tiger &!aw+ A su&&essfu! a$$!i&ation of this te&hni0ue re0uires mu&h ski!!, an% im$!ements the
ta&ti&s of retreating to atta&k an% starting !ater but arriving ear!ier+
8ian 0uan bu !ian gong, %ao !ao yi &hang kong or in Cantonese $ronun&iation 8ean khuen $at
!ean kung, tou !ou yit &heong hoong+ 9n 2ng!ish this im$ortant kungfu tenet means 9f you on!y
train form without training for&e, you wi!! be futi!e even if you train you who!e !ife+ 4ungfu
stu%ents must not be ignorant of this+
9f you on!y train form but have never traine% for&e, then when you are in &ombat even if your
te&hni0ues are better than your o$$onent, you wi!! be unab!e to sub%ue or %efeat him+ )his is
be&ause te&hni0ues without the ba&king of for&e &an never &ontro! the o$$onent+ "en&e, in
kungfu $hi!oso$hy there is a saying as fo!!ows, :uan bu %a gong (4huen $at ta kung# whi&h
means )e&hni0ues are unab!e to %efeat for&e+
.oes this mean that for&e training is more im$ortant than te&hni0ue training; No+ 9n kungfu
$hi!oso$hy there is another saying as fo!!ows, :uan wei gong zi beng, gong wei 0uan zi bu
(4huen wai kung zi $hoon, kung wai khuen zi $hoor# or )e&hni0ues are the base of for&e,
for&e is the su$$ort of te&hni0ues+ <ust having fero&ious for&e but without effe&tive an% f!e5ib!e
te&hni0ues, is insuffi&ient to sub%ue o$$onents+ )o sum u$, to be&ome a to$ &!ass martia! artist,
one must train %i!igent!y in both for&e an% te&hni0ues+
What is !for"e#$
What is for&e; 6or&e is the abi!ity to a$$!y te&hni0ues with effe&tive s$ee% or $ower+ 6or
e5am$!e, if you are very fast in ki&ks, as soon as you ki&k you &an %efeat your o$$onent, su&h as
the No*'ha%ow 4i&ks+ )his ki&king abi!ity is for&e+ =r your $a!m strike is very $owerfu!+
<ust one $a!m strike you &an %efeat your o$$onent, !ike 9ron >a!m+ )his striking abi!ity is
for&e+ 9n the $ro&ess of for&e training, there is a s$e&ia! fa&tor, i+e+ $ra&ti&e one $arti&u!ar
te&hni0ue mi!!ions of times unti! you &an a$$!y the te&hni0ue with s$ee% an% $ower+
)iger C!aw 6or&e is s$e&ia!!y usefu! for the )iger*Crane 'et+ 9n this set there are many
te&hni0ues whi&h use the )iger C!aw as the base, hen&e it is ne&essary to have )iger C!aw 6or&e
as su$$ort+ y )iger*Crane 'et was !earnt from my initiating kungfu master, 'ifu 8ai Chin Wah+
'ifu 8ai taught "oong 4a 4ungfu in >enang, a!aysia+ artia! art &ir&!es &a!!e% him ?i 'ook
or 'e&on% @n&!e+ (8ater 'ifu Wong %is&overe% that ?i 'ook a&tua!!y means @n&!e
Aighteousness#+
After my first master ha% as&en%e% to heaven, 9 trave!e% from >enang to )rengganu to !earn from
'ifu "o 6att Nam+ 'ifu "o was the su&&essor of 'igung ?ang 6att 4heun, who in turn was the
su&&essor of the Benerab!e <iang Nan, who es&a$e% from the burning of the 'hao!in )em$!e
(%uring the :ing .ynasty#+ y master, 'ifu "o 6att Nan, s$e&ia!ize% in =ne*6inger Cen an%
)iger C!aw+
y master e5$!aine% that as =ne*6inger Cen was usua!!y aime% at an o$$onent(s %eath s$ots,
resu!ting in the o$$onent being serious!y inDure% or ki!!e%, he se!%om use% itE he often use% )iger
C!aw as the )iger C!aw was a &om$assionate way of fighting, resu!ting in sub%uing the o$$onent
but not ki!!ing him+ "ere 9 sha!! e5$!ain the metho%s to train )iger C!aw 6or&e+
)he training of )iger C!aw 6or&e is %ivi%e% into four stages,
-+ >ier&ing 7eans
/+ 6ier&e )iger C!eansing C!aws
3+ )aming the )iger
1+ C!awing <ars or C!awing 9ron 7a!!s
%ier"ing &eans
?ow 7a, one of sifu Wong(s ear!y stu%ents, $ra&ti&ing >ier&ing 7eans+
Editorial Note: )his is an e5am$!e of a water*buffa!o metho% that 'ifu Wong himse!f an% some
of his ear!y stu%ents traine% in+
6i!! a basin with a mi5ture of green beans an% b!a&k beans, both about e0ua! $ortions+ 'it at a
"orse*Ai%ing 'tan&e, an% $ier&e both han%s into the beans+ At first, %o not use strength+ After
training for some time, the stu%ent wi!! fin% that interna! for&e is generate%+
Con&o&tion for Washing "an%s in Chinese 7rightening 2yes Con&o&tion in Chinese
9t is very im$ortant to a$$!y suitab!e me%i&ation for su&h training+ Wash the han%s in me%i&ate%
&on&o&tion before an% after training+ )his wi!! &!ear b!o&kage an% generate b!oo% f!ow, over&ome
swe!!ing an% e!iminate $ain+
=n&e a week %rink a me%i&a! &on&o&tion &a!!e% 7rightening 2yes Con&o&tion+ >ier&ing beans
may affe&t the eyes+ As$iring stu%ents must not be ignorant of the im$ortan&e of me%i&a!
su$$!ement+ =therwise, not on!y they may fai! in a&0uiring the art, but hurt their han%s an% eyes+
9n kungfu termino!ogy, this is zou huo ru mo (Chow for yu$ mo#, whi&h is fire es&a$es evi!
enters or in sim$!e mo%ern !anguage, %eviation+
Fier"e Tiger Cleansing Clas
An o!% $i&ture showing 'ifu Wong $ra&ti&ing 6ier&e )iger C!eansing C!aws
)his is transforming the har% for&e %erive% from >ier&ing 7eans into soft for&e+ )he
$hotogra$hs show the e5terna! forms of 6ier&e )iger C!eansing C!aws+ 7ut more signifi&ant is
the meaning of the form, whi&h is &hanne!ing intrinsi& energy from the %an tian (ab%omina!
energy fie!%# to both &!aws+
)he e5terna! movements must be &oor%inate% with $ro$er breathing an% a$$ro$riate soun%s+
>ra&ti&e twi&e %ai!y+ )he number of re$etitions for ea&h session %e$en%s on the stu%ent(s abi!ity
an% en%uran&e+ 3ra%ua!!y in&rease the number of re$etitions+
Ta'ing the Tiger
An o!% $i&ture showing 'ifu Wong $ra&ti&ing )aming )iger+
)here are two $arts+ )he first $art invo!ves $ressing u$+ 'u$$ort your bo%y with both $a!ms an%
toes+ 7y ben%ing the e!bow, !ower an% raise the who!e bo%y+ When you &an $ress u$ 30 times
&omfortab!y, $ro&ee% to the se&on% $art+
)he se&on% $art is the same as the first $art e5&e$t that you use your ten fingers instea% of your
two $a!ms to su$$ort your bo%y, as i!!ustrate% in the $hotogra$h+
Claing (ar
"o!% a Dar using a tiger &!aw, an% move it about+ A%% a &u$ of water ea&h %ay+ When the Dar is fu!!
of water, a%% a &u$ of san% ea&h %ay to in&rease the weight of the Dar+ 4ee$ a%%ing san%
a&&or%ing to your en%uran&e !imit, or unti! the Dar is fu!!+ >ra&ti&e %ai!y+
An o!% $i&ture showing 'ifu Wong $ra&ti&ing C!awing <ar
)he above are the metho%s to %eve!o$ )iger C!aw 6or&e+ 9f you train %i!igent!y morning an%
evening for one or two years, you wi!! &ertain!y su&&ee%+ )he biggest hin%ran&e in for&e training
is whether the stu%ent has $erseveran&e+ 9f you $ersevere an% $rogress gra%ua!!y a&&or%ing to
estab!ishe% metho%s, you wi!! &ertain!y su&&ee% irres$e&tive of what kin% of for&e you attem$t+
.uring the training $ro&ess, the stu%ent must have suffi&ient s$irit an% energy+ 9f the stu%ent
is !a&king in s$irit an% energy (i+e+ menta!!y an% $hysi&a!!y weak#, not on!y he wi!! be&ome
tire% easi!y but a!so harm himse!f $hysi&a!!y an% menta!!y+ 'tu%ents must rea!ize this im$ortant
$oint+
9t is re&ommen%e% that %uring the training $erio% stu%ents %rink one or two %oses of Con&o&tion
for Nourishing 2nergy an% Nurturing 7!oo% every month+ ()he ingre%ients are $rovi%e% in
Chinese in the i!!ustration+# "e shou!% a!so have suffi&ient s!ee$ at night+
Con&o&tion for Nourishing 2nergy an% Nurturing 7!oo% in Chinese