The Monkey is an animal that mirrors human-like characteristics and, in truth, a creature we likely share a distant common ancestor. Like man, the desires and morality of a Monkey reflect the qualities of a lake. Often shallow but can be dangerous and unexpectedly deep. The surface of the Lake reflects all of heaven above. It is a mirror for man to see his reflection in the significant mandate of Celestial movements. Humanity's place in the universe. Monkey is also a mirror for man, seeing himself in the lower world of the base and animalistic. As above, so below. There are profound truths held by both worlds.  Monkey wears its emotions on its sleeve. Hyperexcitable and easy to rile, Monkey is expressive in its displays of surprise and wonder. The Monkey is not far off, emotionally, from the wild exhilaration of a man when he first made a fire (perhaps the defining moment when "man" split from or defined himself as distinctly separate from the Monkey). Monkey is exception

The Thunder trigram of the I-Ching expresses the energy and birth rank of the eldest son, Dragon. Dragon is not the pinnacle of Yang's energy that his father, the Lion, but a close second. The eldest son possesses the elemental attributes of wood or bursting, growing, and coiling power. We see this as tree roots breaking through concrete, uplifting objects weighing thousands of pounds, wrapping around pipes, or whatever else they find. Thunder is twin to lightning, which causes sudden fear and awe. Dragon has excellent strength. Only his youngest brother, Bear, and his father, Lion, surpass him in this. Dragon's power is that of tensile and tendon strength. He possesses a near-unparalleled degree of movement. Dragon's fighting skills are worthy of his air of superiority and arrogance.  Dragon is smug and aloof due to his prowess. He delights in the inevitable defeat of his enemies. Dragon is the eldest and firstborn son, reflecting his brash personality. His birthright is t

The Mountain trigram expresses the energy and birth order of the youngest son in the I-Ching. Outwardly, he is the least active of the sons. He is considered introspective and obstinate. His act of defiance is an action of non-action. Holding firm and rooting himself in one spot. The youngest son possesses elemental attributes of wet and solid earth. Muddy and heavy. He drains the life out of anyone attempting to slog past him. He is the Bear, a mountain of muscle, teeth, and claws. The foolish find themselves buried beneath him.  Like his father, the Lion, Bear has the size and incredible strength but lacks his father's outward aggressiveness. Bear is unquestionably more muscular than his two brothers, Dragon and Snake. However, Bear does not possess Dragon's natural athleticism, nor does he have the fluidic speed of Snake. Bear hopes that his size and robust strength will be enough to deter would-be adversaries. When that fails, he is a formidable fighter capable of exce

The quality of Heaven or Qian trigram is that of pinnacle "yang," with all attributions in its purest concentrate. These pinnacle qualities, or associations, are uncompromising strength, courage, power, creativity, and audacity. These traits culminate in the Lion in the physical dimension and in the Chinese cultural context. The Lion is a fearless animal who fully expects victory in every conflict. His commanding personality is one of absolute righteousness, albeit wrathful and sometimes short-tempered. The Lion funnels anger into his martial prowess. The Heaven or Qian trigram of the I-Ching is represented by three yang lines. It brims with raw power and unlimited potential. If we break down the three lines to express a human's mind and upper and lower body, we see someone who is fully committed and oozing confidence. Their upper and lower bodies are primed for action. Ready to conquer whatever comes their way. This is the expression of the Lion. The militar

Hung Gar is the last complete fighting style developed in Shaolin and the crystallization of Shaolin's doctrine: the fearless confrontation and subduing of evil. Tiger boxing methods and metaphysical principles align with the fire element first and metal second. Ferocity, power, and courage serve as the three virtues expressed by the wild Tiger, the heart and soul of Hung Gar Kung Fu. Both the Tiger and the fire element are straightforward and explosive. The Tiger latches on and clings to its target like fire, devouring its host as fire on a log. The Tiger is heavy but sharp, like metal. The Tiger possesses a springy, mechanical pounce and maintains its durability while transitioning shape. As the ax head splits wood, so does the Tiger divide and separate another's power with unrelenting force. Tiger martial applications are directed against the heart and will of an adversary. Much of the Tiger's tactics are swathing away an adversary's guard to deliver cruel, stiff sho

The "Sea Maau Hok," or Three Shapes: Cat, Crane, and Snake combined fist boxing, is a lesser-known set taught and maintained by only a select few schools of Hung Gar. This method was choreographed sometime circa 1940 or 1950 by Sifu Leung Wing Haang in a fast-modernizing city of Hong Kong. The Sea Maau Hok is not from the Shaolin Temple or is hundreds of years old. This helps explain its unique composition compared to older Hung Gar sets, which had all or most of their formulation within the walls of Shaolin. During the mid-1900s, the streets of Hong Kong were bustling, extraordinarily crowded, and dangerous. Numerous family clans and societies were vying for control of those streets. Bloody gang wars were fought to hold or expand territory, protect economic interests, and show whose Clan, Family, and or Society was the best in Martial Arts. Demonstrating superior martial skills meant your school attracted more students, and your gang became wealthier and more influential.  T