ORANGE BELT: The Tiger (Chi Chi)

Element: Sun, Lightning, Fire

The intensity of this color corresponds to the harnessed strength and endurance of the Tiger stylist. Fire--violent, strong, consuming with an impassioned intensity that will penetrate with enthusiasm and disregard for self to win at any cost. When properly directed, it can be totally positive; when misdirected it burns to self-destruction. Orange is the color of the Tiger who is a directed eruption of flame continuously searing and hammering at his intended goal.

Image

The Tiger's image is a searing orange firestorm annihilating everything in its path. Rather than letting fear cripple him, the Tiger stylist uses his fear to emotionally fuel a linear and pre-programmed jack-hammer offensive. The best defense is taken to be a continuously and aggressively maintained attack. The Tiger builds his style upon a firm physical foundation; physical conditioning and power are essential for the Tiger's aggressive style.

Stance

The feet are generally a double shoulder width apart and equally weighted in a classical fighting horse stance. The arms are slightly bent at the elbows and the hands are in the form of claws and stacked with the front hand lower and closer to the front than is the rear which is higher.

Commentary

The Tiger stylist rechannels his fear to make it work for, rather than against him. First, that fear provides the drive to physically condition the body and the motivation to learn the basics with both mind and body. Second, it will be this same fear which drives the Tiger where it impeded the novice. Fear is the Tiger's fire. The tangible character of the Tiger stylist consists in his linear movement and theory of pre-planned combat techniques. All of the Tiger's movement is straight line. His object is to get in first and fastest, and the straight line between himself and his opponent is shortest. The Tiger seeks to circumvent the indecision and hesitancy born of fear by prearranging offensive and defensive combination techniques which anticipate all contingencies.

It is as if the Tiger stylist seeks to create an encyclopedia of combination techniques, comprised of at least three separate moves but still learned as if they were a single continuous technique, each of which is represented by a letter of the alphabet. If a combat situation arises, then all the Tiger stylist need do is mentally push the letter button of choice and the corresponding combination technique is unthinkingly and mechanically executed. Hesitation and indecision play no part after the button is pushed; the combination technique has been so often practiced that no further physical or mental input or analysis is required. The intangible elements of the Tiger dovetail with the tangible; after all, body and mind are not separate entities but merely two different perspectives of the same whole. For the Tiger, these intangibles are the elements of discipline and intention. Discipline is almost too obvious to mention.

Without a commitment to rigorous physical conditioning and without honestly engaging oneself in an attempt to learn new modes of behavior, nothing is gained. However, mentally shaking one's head and saying "oh, yes, discipline is a must" is far different than actually living that commitment on a daily basis. Intention means a settled direction of the mind toward the doing of a given action. The Tiger is completely intentional. The prearranged character of the Tiger's combat response, presupposes this kind of intentionality. But this attitude transcends this obvious level. Such intent meant that the Tiger's mind is fixed and attentive, he had both a specific purpose and aim. His intentionality indicates an initial mental visualization of his intended weapon striking his intended target followed by the actual occurrence of this event. The Tiger stylist is an animal of specific purpose and preconception; he "creates" the objects of his environment. The Tiger stylist's appraisal of any situation gives meaning and life to objects of that context. Things do not come to us with meaning, our relative intention provide the meaning. A stick can be a weapon for the Tiger stylist, but a toy for a dog, or fuel for a fire. The "thing" as it is, is as we intend it. The tiger is a phenomenalist, that is, the world is and can be nothing other than the sum of our experiences of it. Our experiences are the world. This inward turning is the first significant meditational step toward enlightenment.