..........................................................................By Grandmaster Suh, In Hyuk................................................................................
The tiger and eagle represent two of the most aggressive, ferocious animals in nature. They are also noble, up front creatures which use some of the most effective fighting techniques in the animal world.
So what better creatures to add their technique to a martial art? The eagle ('dok-soo-ri' in Korean) locates its prey at great distances by means of its superior eyesight. Tigers ('ho-rang-ee') are smarter and more patient than the other big cats, choosing to attack at just the right moment.
Kuk Sool techniques are large, using raw speed and power and therefore very different from the delicate precision of eagle techniques which attack small pressure points. In Kuk Sool Won, animal techniques are less obvious than in other martial arts. Kuk Sool practitioners do not mimic animals as other styles try to do. Instead, they use animal fighting principles, understanding that the human body is not the same as the animal's body.
The tiger and eagle are good representatives of two very different fighting styles. For instance, tigers attack from the ground, leaping upward. Eagles, on the other hand, drop down from the air to catch their prey.
This being the case, Kuk Sool tiger and eagle techniques reflect the ascending and descending characteristics of their animals. Tiger techniques include open palm actions which mimic the way tigers attack other animals.
For instance, a tiger attacks a zebra, by knocking it down with its paws, then killing the zebra with its sharp teeth. The eagle uses its open claws to capture its prey, then kills the prey with those same talons.
Kuk Sool tiger open palm techniques attack with devastating force. Striking the opponent's chest with open palm is a common tiger fighting technique. Eagle techniques typically grab areas like the wrist and neck, applying pressure direct to vulnerable points.
Training to apply each technique requires different kinds of exercise. For example, push-ups on the flat hand strengthen them for tiger palm-heel strikes by making the wrist flexible. Additionally, you should toughen your palm-heel by pounding it against rocks and bricks. Soft bean bags are alse useful for improving power generation. However, training just the hands is not enough since Tiger techniques also require strong forearms.
These can be improved by training with the staff and sword. Eagle techniques require different training. Relevant push-ups are performed on the fingertips with either the fingertips with either the fingers splayed outwards, or formed into a claw. Both of these strengthen the joints. Catching a thrown beanbag is another way of practicing the eagle attack and the bag is caught with a very powerful claw hand action which digs the fingers into it. Use this tight grip in an eagle attack to your opponent's shoulder. This not only holds the opponent, but drains their power.
The tiger doesn't give up when it knocks the zebra down. It follows the prey to the ground and finishes it there. So it is with tiger techniques which aim to stun the opponent with palm-heel and then follow on with ground work. Typical tiger techniques include palm strikes to the face, neck, or back of the head. You can also use the back of the hand for striking the opponent's kidney area. Not all tiger techniques are strikes, however.
There are also strong pressing blocks used against kicks but whichever the technique, tiger actions all involve sheer power. Contrast this, then, with eagle grabbing movements which use the fingertips to manipulate pressure points. Pinpoint strikes to shoulders of knees are typical eagle techniques, though elbow and wristlocks are also found in the eagle repertoire. The eagle uses one hand the grab the opponent and the other to finish him with a pressure point strike or lock.
Neither tiger or eagle is better than the other. Each one has its own merits and what determines the success of any technique is the person who uses it. That's why Kuk Sool practitioners emphasize the animal techniques which suit them best. It is, you see, important to match animal and human personalities, so not just anyone in Kuk Sool gets to learn the animal forms and techniques they want. They must have an affinity to their special animal.
