Splashing Hands – The Five Animals

Total Running Time: 5 Hours and 11 Minutes 
(Butterfly: 48 mins, Dragon: 58 mins, Tiger: 60 mins, Snake: 61 mins, Crane: 84 mins)

The Animal forms are typically only taught to advanced Splashing Hands practitioners and build on the foundational techniques taught in Splashing Hands Volumes 1-4. Sifu Chris Lomas demonstrates each form, breaks down each movement in detail and finally teaches fighting applications.

Splashing Hands was developed in the 17th century to teach fast powerful fighting skills quickly. Those who knew how effective the system is were reluctant teach this knowledge openly, teaching only a few select students. For this reason the system was never well known.

Master Humei Lefiti was the first to openly teach the system in the 1960s. Of his many students, very few attained black belt status. One of them is Sifu James McNeil who taught the complete system of Splashing Hands to Sifu Chris Lomas and asked him to produce these videos.

Please note that these videos were filmed in the early 2000s by a different production company in standard definition but Sifu Lomas’s teaching material is still excellent.

Butterfly: In keeping with the characteristics of a butterfly, this form develops light, circular motions, luring the opponent’s attack, causing them to lose balance, leaving them vulnerable to counter attack, a little like someone so intent on catching a butterfly that they fall down a hole.

Tiger: The Tiger form uses grasping, catching movements and tearing, clawing motions.

Dragon: In Chinese culture, the dragon is heavily linked to shen (神) or spirit. It was believed that you only see one once you were close to enlightenment. They could swim as well as fly and live in the water or the sky, so the Dragon form is closely linked to the idea of change and adaptivity – the ability of being able to adapt to what your opponent gives you without having pre-conceived moves in mind.

Snake: The movements of this form resemble a snake by attacking vital points quickly with fast finger strikes, and with the hands climbing and slithering up the opponent’s arms.

Crane: The Crane form strengthens you, improves grace, flexibility, rooting and power. Practising the Crane form lengthens the tendons and sinews. A traditional Chinese saying is that the longer the tendons, the longer one’s life.