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MalaysianHakka Tiger Fist

by Low Kin-Wan & James Lee Peek Kuan

Malaysian H

akka Tiger Fist

by Low Kin-Wan & Jam

es Lee Peek Kuan

The Hakka peoples are believed to be from central China. They fled south to escape from war and famine. Hakka people were known to be very diligent in preserving of their cultural characteristics as seen from their customs, cuisine and language.

During their migration southwards they were sometimes subjected to certain discrimination from local who had settled in before them. Consequently the men had to defend their families. The Hakkas were very adaptive and used whatever that was found locally to their self defense systems. And this resulted in several fighting system arts which evolved over time to suit their needs.

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MalaysianHakka Tiger Fist

by Low Kin-Wan & James Lee Peek Kuan

illustrations and design by Adrian Camoens

PREFACE .........................................................................................5THE ORIGIN OF THE HAKKA TIGER FIST ..........................................6LINEAGE CHART ..............................................................................7THE HAKKA TIGER FIST SYSTEM .......................................................8STANCES .......................................................................................10BLOCKS ........................................................................................12STRIKES .........................................................................................14A) HAND TECHNIQUES ................................................................14B) LEG TECHNIQUES ....................................................................16CONDITIONING ...........................................................................18I) SPEED CONDITIONING .............................................................18II) WHIPLASH STRIKE ......................................................................19III) BASIC CLAW STRENGTHENING ................................................20TIGER BODY FIST PATTERN ............................................................22SECTION I - IV ..............................................................................22SECTION V – VI .............................................................................22SECTION VII - VIII ..........................................................................22SECTION IX ...................................................................................22SECTION X ....................................................................................23SECTION XI ...................................................................................23SECTION XII ..................................................................................23HAKKA TIGER BODY FIST SHADOW BOXING .................................24SECTION I - SALUTATION ..............................................................27SECTION II ....................................................................................28SECTION III ...................................................................................29SECTION IV ...................................................................................35SECTION V ...................................................................................35SECTION VI ...................................................................................37SECTION VII ..................................................................................39SECTION VIII .................................................................................42SECTION IX ...................................................................................45SECTION X ....................................................................................47SECTION XI ...................................................................................49SECTION XII ..................................................................................50YING TIGER AND YANG TIGER ......................................................52YING TIGER (DEFENSIVE TIGER ......................................................541) AGAINST A STRAIGHT PUNCH ...................................................542) AGAINST A HOOK PUNCH .......................................................553) AGAINST A KICK .......................................................................56

Contents

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4) AGAINST A KICK .......................................................................585) AGAINST WRISTS GRAB .............................................................606) AGAINST A LAPEL GRAB ............................................................627) AGAINST A DOUBLE LAPEL GRAB ..............................................648) AGAINST COLLAR GRAB FROM BEHIND ....................................669) AGAINST A REAR BEAR HUG ......................................................6810) AGAINST A KNIFE STAB. ..........................................................7011) AGAINST A LAPEL GRAB WITH KNIFE POINTING TO BODY. ......7212) AGAINST A KNIFE ....................................................................7413) AGAINST A MACHETE LIKE WEAPON .......................................7614) AGAINST A MACHETE LIKE WEAPON .......................................7815) AGAINST A REAR STRANGLE WITH A KNIFE TO THE BACK ........80YANG TIGER (AGGRESSIVE TIGER) .................................................821) TEN-CHARACTER CLAW ............................................................822) STEPPING GROUND CLAW .......................................................843) PAWING THE AIR .......................................................................854) FLOWERY CAT PLAYS WITH SAND ..............................................865) TIGER SWINGS IT’S TAIL ............................................................886) HANGING FIST .........................................................................907) DRAGON STRETCHES LEG .........................................................928) SCHOLAR ASKING THE WAY .....................................................949) SEA DRAGONS RISING TO HEAVEN ...........................................95WEAPONS.....................................................................................97BUTTERFLY SWORDS .....................................................................98BUTTERFLY SWORDS AGAINST MACHETY BROADSWORD ..............98BUTTERFLY SWORDS HIDDEN REVERSE GRIP – CLOSE DISTANCE .100BUTTERFLY SWORDS VS. LONG POLE ..........................................102LONG POLE ................................................................................104LONG POLE VS. LONG POLE ......................................................104LONG POLE VS. KATANA .............................................................106GRABBING YOUR LONG POLE ....................................................108HANDKERCHIEF ..........................................................................110TECHNIQUES USING THE HANDKERCHIEF ..................................110THE BELT .....................................................................................114THE LEOPARD HOE .....................................................................117VARIOUS OF STANCES USING THE LEOPARD HOE ......................117HOE ...........................................................................................118AGAINST A SLASH .......................................................................120AGAINST A POLE.........................................................................122ABOUT THE AUTHORS ................................................................124

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My friend asked me, why didn’t I write a book on Hakka Tiger Fist? I had a lot of excuses to give.

One of them was that I felt that it was just a set of patterns taught to me by a father to a son so that he could build up his health.

James went on to show the values especially in the practicality and the ferocity of the Tiger Claw System in my family.

I went on to learn other martial arts like Bujinkan Ninjutsu, Tae Kwon Do, free style self defense, Silat Tongkat and etc. only then did I realize the values and useful-ness of what I have inherited from my father.

All this while, I was searching for “Budo” and “Bujutsu” outside my circle without realizing whatever I have been searching for was right before my eyes. The result is this book.

PREFACE

The Hakka peoples are believed to be from central China. They fled south to escape from war and famine. Hakka people were known to be very diligent in preserving of their cultural characteristics as seen from their customs, cuisine and language.

During their migration southwards they were sometimes subjected to certain discrimination from local who had settled in before them. Consequently the men had to defend their families. The Hakkas were very adaptive and used whatever that was found locally to their self defense systems. And this resulted in several fighting system arts which evolved over time to suit their needs.

There are several well known arts such as the Chu Family Style, Liu Family, Tiao Family, Niu Family and etc.

One of the rare forms inherited by my father was the Hakka Tiger Fist.

My father Mr. Low Yong Ten was then a policeman then in the 1950s and 1960s. During his social ties with the people of Seremban (a small town in west of Malaysia) he managed to learn from three Hakka Chinese immigrants. This art was eventually passed on to some close friends and myself.

Fearful that the art may be lost forever, I started a class to teach this art and at the same time decided to write a book with my close friend James Lee P.K. in order to ensure the survivability of this unique ancient Chinese culture heritage.

THE ORIGIN OF THE HAKKA TIGER FIST

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LINEAGE CHART

James Lee Peek Kuan

Low Kin-Wan

Low Yong-Ten

Chin Fatt(Ah-Fatt Pak) Chong Fatt A chinese

medicine peddler

Many Chinese martial arts system are based on animal’s movements, eg. Hsing-I, Five Animal Pattern, White Crane Systems, Monkey Fist, Mantis Fist and etc. In Shaolin traditions, especially those of the south, the Five Animals Pattern forms the main basic foundations of most styles.

The Five Animals are the Dragon, Tiger, Leopard, Snake and the Crane. Basically, the Tiger trains external strength and agility. Its power comes from powerful stances and strong waist. The bones are well developed and muscles are relied upon for hard external strength.

The Leopard being very similar to the Tiger in aspects such as ferocity and power is a smaller animal. It depended on its footwork and speed to generate force and agility.

The Crane trains a person to be calmed so that his mental concentration is maximized. In this way its essential energy (Jin) is conserved, and “Chi” is developed. The strength is developed internally and externally as well. Crane techniques tend to be circular and soft.

The Snake looks the least forceful when compared to the rest because it relies on internal power. It is usually more defensive than offensive compared to the others, but not in the least any less effective.

The Dragon is a soft-hard style. It represents internal as well as external strength. It may be similar to the snake but when it is necessary it can generate tremendous hard power.

It is our belief that the Hakka Tiger Fist may have branched out from the Southern Shaolin Monastery after it was burned down (circa 1768). While it has Tiger characteristic, such as the Tiger Claw, it also has whiplash techniques found in the Crane. There is also fingertip strike seen in the Snake form.

The system has few forms and it is simple to learn and fast to master.

THE HAKKA TIGER FIST SYSTEM

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The unarmed forms are as follows:

I) Yang Tiger Body FistII) Ying Tiger Body Fist – This for mid and long range fighting.III) Tiger Elbow Fist – This is for short range purposes.IV) Piercing Arrow Fist – This is for meditation and Chi development.

The weapons include:

I) The Butterfly knivesII) The Single Head Pole III) HoeIV) The Belt / SashV) The Handkerchief

Although this volume will discusses mostly the techniques from the Yang Tiger Body Fist, it will touch on the weapons from the system.

STANCES

Basically there are 4 stances in the Yang Tiger Body Fist. There are:

A) Bow Stance - is often used to execute attacks, it provides a fast attacking base.

B) Horse Stance - this stance prevents imbalance and to serve as a platform to delivers strikes.

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C) False Step / Cat’s Stance – has ninety percent of its body weight on the rear leg. The other ten percent is on the front foot.

D) Subdue Tiger’s Stance – this stance is used when certain techniques were executed on the ground.

The blocks are not of the hard type using the bones to block incoming strikes, they are performed in a circular manner to parry and if possible to grab the at-tacker’s limbs.

The blocks are divided into upper and lower types performed in clockwise and anti-clockwise motion.

Fierce Tiger Descent MountainAgainst a punch to the face, the expo-nent blocks thrust by twisting the fore-arm. If possible, the claw is use to grab and control the opponent’s arm.

Stepping Ground ClawThis lower block is used to block / parry attacks to the stomach area. Block by twisting the outside edge of the forearm in a cutting motion.

BLOCKS

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Tiger Displays ClawThis upper parry is used to block strikes to the upper body by pushing them inwards and down. The contact is with the outside edge of the forearm. Again if possible the claw is used to grab the opponent’s hand.

Scholar Asking The WayBoth arms are used to block. This lower block is used to defend against a strike/ kick to the stomach region. The lower outside forearm comes in a downward swing. The other arm protects the upper region, to block kicks to the head.

Being a southern style the Hakka Tiger Fist uses mostly hand techniques. However leg tech-niques were not neglected.

Illustrated below are the methods involved:

HAND TECHNIQUES

The Fore Fist

Spear Hand Jab – This is to at-tack the eyes or throat.

Palm Hand Claw – this claw hand is the dominant weapon use in the system. It is usually use to rip / tear muscles and for palm strikes.

STRIKES

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The Hanging Back Fist

The Elbow – This technique is hardly used in the Tiger Body Fist. But it is the primary technique found in another pattern – The Tiger Elbow Fist.

Back Hand Whiplash – This technique is use to whip in a snapping motion to the face, back of the head, hand and etc.

The Front Kick / Dragon Stretches Its Leg – It is the easiest to use, and also use in jumping attack.

Side Kick / Flowery Cat Stretches Its Body – When the tiger stylist does not enough time to turn towards the opponent coming at him, he will use the side kick.

LEG TECHNIQUES

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Knee – This strike is found in the Tiger Elbow pattern. Obviously the kick is use for close-quarters fighting.

Back Sweep / Sweeping the Temple – The kick can be done clockwise or anti-clockwise to attack the lower part of the opponent.

Back Kick / Tiger’s Tail – When the opponent is at the rear the tiger stylist strikes using this kick.

It is common for most martial artist to devote some of his time to condition his body in order to protect himself from possible injuries.

The Hakka Tiger Stylist practices several types of conditioning, three of which are shown below:

SPEED CONDITIONING

The Tiger Stylist stands facing with a partner.

He leaps and grabs his partner as quickly as possible in order to train his footwork and seizing skills. This exercise can be practiced as many times as the stylist sees fit.

CONDITIONING

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WHIPLASH STRIKE

Here, the Hakka Tiger stylist stands facing each others.

He leaps and whiplashes his backhand against his partner as many times as possible in order to train his attacks.

BASIC CLAW STRENGTHENING

Tiger Claw Tensing: This exercise strengthens the muscles of the fingers.

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Another simple method to strengthen the fingers is to press the fingers together as hard as possible, one may count from ten to twenty times before releasing them. Section V – VI

Section I - IV

Section VII - VIII

The Tiger Body Fist Pattern is a set of movements which contains the fundamental strikes, parries, grabs and throws in the system.

All these movements can be utilized in defensive (Ying) and offensive (Yang) situations. This pattern contains the essence of Hakka Tiger Fist.

The authors have separates the pattern into several sections. Each section has several numbered photos and a corresponding diagram. Each diagram shows where the tiger stylist has to place his leg in order to perform the moves as shown in the photos. The numbers on the diagrams are the numbers given to the photographs of the pattern.

The starting position is indicated by a Ying-Yang circle. If the reader wishes to practice the pattern, he must remember to place his foot on either side of the line as shown on the diagrams and not on it

TIGER BODY FIST PATTERN