What does the tiger mean in martial arts?

Answer 1

The Dragon is an ancient symbol for power and is viewed as an ancient Deity in some cultures and can be either a power for good or evil. In Martial Arts the Dragon is portrayed many ways. In Kung-Fu it is portrayed as an aggressive style and many techniques are named after a dragon such as Dragon's Tail, or Dragon's Claw. In the Yin/Yang philosophy the dragon is often portrayed as a symbol countered and mirrored by the Tiger. Titles may even be given to Master practitioners as a Dragon. The Dragon is deeply embedded in eastern lore and therefore deeply embedded in martial Arts as a symbol for power.

Answer 2

The tiger is the "yang" element of martial arts; the basics, the pre arranged drills, the two person drills, general physical fitness and conditioning, and sparring. Not to mention more advanced and complex martial arts strategy. With the high end experts, individuals above the 4th Dan, it no longer boils down to a matter of instinct and timing. Think of a fight between two true martial artists, as a high speed Chess game with bad consequences if you make an error in judgement. If two men have been training long and hard enough, specifically speaking East Asia, they have to study advanced tactics.

Now, these are men or women that is, able to hold the horse riding stance (Google "Mabu") for four hours or longer, individuals with incredible willpower, those are the TRUE martial artists, everyone else is merely an athlete of varying talent or work ethic. What separates a martial artist from an athlete, is their willpower; if your will is too weak to even hold Mabu for 4 hours, then you are not a true martial artist. Okay maybe not 4; in olden China the minimum requirement was 2 hours, at least that.

The physical and mechanical stuff, and the planning, all these things represent the Yang element, the external. The Ying element, the Dragon, encompasses meditation, cleansing the soul, the spiritual side of martial arts, and of course chi. Now, owing to the Daoist influence on martial arts, Ying and Yang can be interpreted in many ways. For example, you can say you do Karate for Yang, and Tai Chi for Ying, but another person can say that Karate has Ying AND Yang elements. That is, the Ying of Karate is the relaxation and focus, while the Yang is the actual blocking and hitting. Likewise in Tai Chi, the Ying is the intention, while the Yang is the movement. Ying and Yang are not exclusive to one interpretation alone, however in the world of Chinese Kung Fu, the interpretation accepted as "orthodox" is the Shaolin temple's. The Shaolin believe it is impossible to have strong chi, if you do not condition your body, and cultivate your willpower first. The tiger and the dragon, must be brought into balance within the person, it is a fundamental teaching of the Shaolin temple.

A true master of martial arts, has the brain of a chess master, the physical conditioning of an olympic athlete, the flexibility of a female gymnast, and the instincts of a wild animal, but said instinct being possessed of the higher human mind. Very few people achieve this, and those who do are said to have acquired a sacred level, true mastery.