For questions about HTCTC Kung Fu e-mail undergraduate Andrew Fong or Master Yon Lee.

Master Yon Lee is an expert in Hung Gar Tiger Crane Kung Fu and leads weekly Kung Fu practices. His long-time student, Stephen Lin, serves as assistant instructor. Time and place to be announced; check back on Wednesday, 9/20 for an update. Join the HTCTC mailing list for updates and information about the year's first classes. Why should I study Kung Fu? Kung Fu FAQ

Tiger Crane is the original southern Shaolin martial arts system of Hung Gar kung fu. This style is traditionally noted for its strong horse stance and powerful fist, integrating the agility of the tiger with the grace of the crane. As a Shaolin system of fighting, it incorporates the circular motions of the five elements (metal, fire, water, earth, and wood) and the movements of the five animals (dragon, tiger, crane, snake, and leopard) into extremely hard and yet at the same time soft hand techniques. For over three hundred years, Hung Gar Tiger Crane has been regarded as the most complete Shaolin kung fu system in China, both internal and external systems.

Hand techniques are the most fundamental and effective part of Hung Gar kung fu training. Unique only in Hung Gar, direct trans-lateral movements called bridges are interlaced with circular and spiral motions to produce multi-directional forces. This powerful collection of "12 Bridge Arms of Hung Gar" formed the cornerstone of southern Shaolin kung fu of antiquity.

Hung Gar is also noted for its unique weapons training, particularly its trademark Butterfly Swords and Double Broadswords, using extremely close body contact and rapid "lightning" movements. With short and long stick forms, Hung Gar students are trained in the application of "chi" from within the body onto the weapons in bold dynamic strikes to create impact or damage that sometime take days to detect or surface, thus causing "delayed" injuries to the opponents.

Hung Gar is also noted for its internal development of "chi". Whereas other systems must go outside their own training for techniques to develop chi, Hung Gar system has its own method of internal training. Both chi kung and regular fist forms are integrated into one, although they are often taught separately to beginners. Internal chi developed through forms such as the "Kung Tze Tiger Form" and "Iron Cloth Form" adds intrinsic power ordinarily unavailable even in the most advanced application of martial art techniques. In the application of chi in Hung Gar techniques, the movements can be deceptively slow and look weak in appearance but are powerful on contact and devastating upon impact.

Hung Gar Forms
Plum Flower Fist Set
War Palm Fist Set
Lau Gar Fist
Praying Mantis (Pang Po)
Kung Tse Subduing the Tiger
Tiger Crane Form
Iron Cloth
Ten Images

HTCTC Kung Fu Curriculum

Note: The curriculum for each year depends on the interest and dedication of the students. However, this is the typical progression (*denotes inclusion in warm-up exercises, ~denotes ability to "double" the technique):

Second Year Curriculum - Partial Description (Does not include list of individual techniques)

Refinements of Previous Forms (Chps. 1-3) and Techniques
"Little Tiger" Form
Praying Mantis Form
Weapons Specialization
- Individual Weapons Forms (including Single Broadsword Form, Single Straight Sword Form, Matching Staff Set, Three-Sectioned-Staff Form, Sword and Stick Form, etc)

Third Year Curriculum - Partial Description (Does not include list of individual techniques)

Refinements of Previous Forms (Chps. 1-4 and "Preying Mantis") and Techniques
"Subduing the Tiger" Form
Weapons Specialization

Possible:
Plum Flower Fist Set
War Palm Fist Set

Fourth Year Curriculum - Partial Description (Does not include list of individual techniques)

Refinements of Previous Forms and Techniques
Plum Flower Fist Set
War Palm Fist Set
Iron Wire
Weapons Specialization