Kung Fu Panda: The Furious Five’s Real Life Martial Arts Styles Explained

The Furious Five in Kung Fu Panda are based on real-life martial arts styles. Here’s what they are and how they were worked into the movie.

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The Furious Five in Kung Fu Panda are based on real-life martial arts styles. The popular trilogy of animated films centers on animals living in ancient China, which of course means the stories are packed with Chinese culture. And so, the movies follow a lot of the same tropes as classic martial arts films. The Kung Fu Panda franchise primarily tells the story of a character, Po, whose destiny is to become a kung fu hero.

Voiced by Jack Black, the titular panda learns kung fu from Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) and battles a number of threats over the course of his three-movie journey. During his adventures, Po is joined by a team of five warriors called the Furious Five – all of whom practice a distinct form of kung fu. They are Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Viper (Lucy Liu), Crane (David Cross), and Monkey (Jackie Chan). Each character’s style of fighting matches the type of animal that they are. With all five characters being of various sizes and speeds, they all bring something interesting to the table, and are fundamentally different to each other.

Animal movements being translated to kung fu is nothing new to cinema, as the protagonists of classic martial arts films like The Five Deadly Venoms also involve their main characters training in styles that mimic animals. Also, it’s important to note that all of the styles in the movie exist in real life. They’ve been practiced for centuries, and are still being taught today all over the world. The specific styles represented in the film are inspired by the Five Animals of Kung Fu, as well as some other martial arts forms.

Tiger Style Kung Fu

The Five Animals of Kung Fu are a set of styles that originate from the Shaolin Temple in ancient China. One of them is Tiger Style Kung Fu, a system of moves derived from the movements of the tiger. Those who practice Tiger Style focus on explosive power and speed, which is reflected in how Tigress fights in Kung Fu Panda. She’s the fiercest and strongest member of the group, which should be expected from a Tiger Style master. Their primary method of attacking is the tiger claw technique, which is formed by curling the fingers. Just like those who fight using Tiger Style in real life, Tigress both attacks and poses with the tiger claw technique.

Crane Style Kung Fu

While the tiger is strong and fast, the crane is graceful and smooth in its movements, which is at the crux of Shaolin White Crane Style. In ancient China, Crane Style was often practiced by female martial artists, mostly because, unlike Tiger Style, it doesn’t rely on power. It incorporates numerous long-range techniques and helps the practitioner to defeat opponents by exploiting weak points. By bringing the fingers together to form a “crane beak”, Crane Style masters target pressure points and use other movements that mimic cranes, such as crane head strikes and crane wing blocks, which are performed by holding both arms up and to the side. This move is one of Crane’s signature poses in Kung Fu Panda.

Snake Style

In Shaolin martial arts, Snake Style bears some similarities to Crane Style, as it, too, leans on attacking the enemy’s vulnerable points. Snake Style fighters attack with fingertips and tend to go after the eyes, groin, and other areas that are regarded as weaknesses. Viper is the character who serves as Kung Fu Panda’s representation of Snake Style.

Praying Mantis Style

Only three of the Five Animals styles (Tiger, Crane, and Snake) are actually used by the Furious Five. The other two, Dragon and Leopard, are replaced by Praying Mantis and Monkey. Though neither are part of the Five Animals, both date back to ancient times. There are various forms of kung fu that are based on the movements of the praying mantis, including Northern Praying Mantis and Southern Preying Mantis. What they all share in common is a “mantis hook” technique where the fighter uses whip-like attacks with the wrist and strikes with the fingers. Pressure points are usually the intended targets. Kung Fu Panda’s Mantis makes use of these principles by employing a dangerous attack capable of immobilizing his opponents.

Monkey Style Kung Fu

Monkey Style is one of the most commonly used styles in old school kung fu movies from the 1970s. Though often implemented for comedic purposes, it was used in a more serious manner by martial arts legend Lau Kar-leung in the 1979 Shaw Brothers classic, Mad Monkey Kung Fu. People who practice Monkey Style copy all the movements and gestures of monkeys, including their facial expressions. Furthermore, experts often use a crouched stance and numerous acrobatic moves. That’s not far from Monkey’s approach to fighting in the Kung Fu Panda trilogy. Also, just like the real-life experts, Monkey uses a staff in many of his fight scenes.

Dragon Style Kung Fu

Dragon Style – a form of kung fu easily recognized by its signature two-finger-and-thumb claw technique – is missing from the Furious Five, but it does receive at least some attention in the Kung Fu Panda franchise. Po can be seen using some of its moves in his fighting; his footwork, for example, draws comparisons to how Dragon Style masters fight. This makes sense, considering that Po is, of course, known as the Dragon Warrior.

Leopard Style Kung Fu

The difference between the Tiger and Leopard Styles of the Five Animals of Kung Fu is not unlike the difference between the animals themselves. One jungle cat possesses great strength, while the other is a bit smaller and depends more on speed. That’s essentially the nature of Leopard Style, which employs an attack called the “leopard fist” or the “leopard paw”. Leopard Style practitioners have little use for defense and prefer to win through aggressive, unrelenting offensive attacks.

There is no leopard in the Furious Five, but there is Tai Lung (Ian McShane), the first movie’s main antagonist. Tai Lung is a snow leopard who was once a student of Master Shifu, and his extremely aggressive method of fighting and lightning-fast attacks make him an accurate adaptation of Leopard Style. It’s possible that Kung Fu Panda chose to make a leopard the villain instead of one of the heroes in order to ensure that each member of the Furious Five was of a completely different animal type.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/kung-fu-panda-martial-arts-styles-real-furious-five/