What is Hung Gar exactly???

I've been reading about all the different styles of Kung Fu there are, and i just don't under stand something. Please answer me thing in the simplist form; Hung Gar is supposed to be all five southern animals styles put together right? My Sifu told me that each animal has it's own style, i.e.- tiger style (Which only teaches tiger), crane style (Which only teaches crane), and so on for the three other animals, but what i don't under stand is, why does hung gar teach all five of those styles together? Why would someone want to learn JUST tiger style when they can learn all five animals in hung gar? Is hung gar like a bunos pack or something. Is it a combination of five martial arts styles, and if so, why? That's like putting together karate, jujitsu, judo, aikido, and sumo into one. Please explain this, and i will be ever so grateful. Thank you in advance.

What is Hung Gar exactly???
That's like putting together karate, jujitsu, judo, aikido, and sumo into one.





No, not exactly. Realize first, though, that jujutsu is that Japanese art that spawned all other Japanese systems, or rather the techniques of what is now called jujutsu did.





Shaolin Southern Hung Gar is just that- a Shaolin temple-derived style that, as indicative of being southern, incorporates low kicks, strong stances, and many hand techniques (whereas northern styles have many 'flashy' kicks, fluid stances, and fewer hand techniques). Shaolin Hung Gar, also known as Tiger-Crane Wushu, is typified by just that- its signature tiger-crane unified fist. However, it also includes Snake fist boxing, Black Tiger fist, Five Animal fist, and other. Hung Gar is not the only Five Animal system, though. There is Five Animal style, Choy Lay Fut, and other Nanquan styles. The benefit is more comprehensive fighting (one with Chin Na and dragon for grappling, Leopard/ Panther and Tiger for power, Snake for speed, and Crane for body shifting). It was believed that one style beat another and was beaten by another, like a more complicated version of rock-paper-scissors.





So by learning all animals you can beat all animals (even Northern) animals.
Reply:Hung Gar is the name of the man that developed that particular effective style of kung fu.





Adrian Paul, who plays the Highlander on T.V., is a Hung Gar practitioner and that is the style he uses in his fights.
Reply:thats the style they use in avatar for earth bending i think its about gathering body energy and release it in a brute force
Reply:Many people do in fact study at MMA schools that teach a combination of Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai.

wallflower