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12 Animal Forms (十二形拳)

Three versions of the dragon form are: standard, jumping, and ground.  The jumping version is like the standard except that there is a jump on the upward/outward kick.  The ground dragon involves a twisting downward toward the ground.  It is most commonly seen in the Song style.

From 形意拳術大全
"One breath, rise and drop" (一氣之升降).

Tiger form is similar to Horse except the emphasis is on the upward/outward direction.  The hands make a circular pouncing motion, but just as a javelin thrower's arm moves through an arc, the issuing of power is an outward direction.

From 形意拳術大全
The Tiger is the king of animals.  When rushing toward another animal, it's so fierce, it can't be blocked.   The Tiger Form has the form of a fierce tiger about to pounce on it's prey.  The practice method: contract the body to rise, two palms continuously and visciously pounce, two legs alternately advance diagonally to the front.  "One breath, swallow and spit" (一氣之吞吐). 

Function
1. The old manuals say that Tiger Form is of the kidneys.  When practicing this form, rouse the qi of the entire body, strength rises like a gushing fountain, power issues from the tail, from your back to the brain, from the brain concentrate to the dantian, it's all one pouncing attack.  After a long period of correct practice, you'll have a strong waist and kidneys, full ears and eyes, healthy brain and marrow.  Water rises and fire drops, heart and kidneys combines, clear qi rises upward, dantian qi is ample.  Your body will be strong and healthy,  and you'll feel full of vigor and vitality.

2. Tiger form trains strength, fighting power and fierceness.  When practicing, the entire body rouses it's strength, like an angry tiger leaving a forest, both paws striking down a mountain.  The Tiger Form is also called "tiger pouncing", and is xingyiquan's  most commonly used hand method.  When practicing this form, both arms are embracing, the middle gate is sealed closed, the shoulders are relaxed, the kua are dropped, both palms go out simultaneously.  When truly attacking the enemy, first capture with a downward pushing strike, then follow with another pushing strike; the palm goes out quickly and fearlessly fierce, the smashing force is especially powerful.   By adding the "Touching Body Vertical Power" (zhan shen zong li, 沾身縱力) striking method, in a wink of an eye, the enemy is knocked away.   Actually, the hitting method, from low to high or high to low is the movement of the vertical circle; the objective of the strike are the torso's ribs.  Che Yizhai passed down both the method of two palms simultaneously going out, and of a single palm entering alone.

The double 'hoof' verison of Horse is similar to Tiger, but the focus is on a direct foward smashing with both fists.  Two other variations are the single 'hoof' horse form and linking horse form.

From 形意拳術大全
"One breath, swallow and spit" (一氣之吞吐).

Monkey form is like a monkey climbing up a tree

From 形意拳術大全
"One breath, extend and contract" (一氣之伸縮).

Snake form is a more compact version of tiao ling (挑領)

From 形意拳術大全
"One breath, swallow and spit" (一氣之吞吐).

This animal form is one of the longer ones in Che style.  It involves movements similar to chicken step beng quan along with scooping & jumping kicks and a large chopping technique.

From 形意拳術大全
The chicken (rooster) pecks it's food and likes to fight.  The Chicken Form adopts the bravery of a rooster in a cock fight, it's pecking ability, and the scraping of the shin as a fist technique.   When practicing, the two hands take turns in pecking above while the two legs take turns in kicking below in an integrated fashion.  The basic footwork is to enter in a straight line.  "One breath, receive and let go" (一氣之收縱), inhale on the receive, and exhale on the "let go". 

Translated as both a "turtle" and an "alligator", this form is related to pao quan.

From 形意拳術大全
"One breath, bend and extend" (一氣之屈伸).

Tai-Fish (along with tuo xing) is one of the animals not originally listed as one of the ten big shapes (十大形) in xinyi (心意).   It comprises of a double fist smash with palms facing upwards.

From 形意拳術大全
"One breath, raise and give" (一氣之提送).

This characteristic of this form is a swooping down toward the ground before coming back up.   It can be thought of as a low palm strike with an armbar throw moving into a groin slap and followed by a "supporting" (tuo, 托) palm strike.

From 形意拳術大全
"One breath, rise and fall" (一氣之起伏).

The swallow form comprises of a ao bu zuanquan (拗步鑽 拳) followed by a shun bu paoquan (順步炮拳).   It's a good cover and hit move.

From 形意拳術大全
The Sparrow Hawk is a vicious bird.  In the Sparrow Hawk Form the fist is like a sparrow hawk's special skill in entering a forest.   The practice method takes a straight line entry, the body is sideways and contracted, the form is like a flying sparrow hawk.  "One breath, open and close" (一氣之開合).

The Che style practices the Eagle and Bear Combined (ying xiong he yan, 鷹熊合演) version of this form.   Some have claimed that the form is actually called the "Bear Eagle" form since there is an actual bird known as the xiong ying (熊鷹).

From 形意拳術大全
"One breath combined" (一氣之合).  When inhaling, the bear form goes out; when exhaling, the eagle form goes out.

This form concentrates on a cross-body shoulder strike.