5 Animals Play - Qigong

[witleo]

I have just watched a Chinese DVD (English subtitles) on the 5 animal play.

Does anyone here practise this set ???

Looking at the 5 animals each with 5 movements - it seems that some of these movements could transform into martial applications.

They looked like some of the various Kungfu styles animals movements.
One of the deer movements even had a 'Bagua' type stepping.

The DVD's Sifu also explains about going from soft to hard in some of the movements - just like martial arts.

Just curious - do they ever teach martial applications with these forms ?

I looked up 5 animal play on youtube - I found a Western guy doing the animals in his house. He was only doing 1 or 2 movements per animal.

Are there many different versions of 5 animal play ????

[Dvivid]

There are many versions of the 5 Animal Sports. Its 1,800 years old, passed on verbally for generations, and each time it is passed on, it changes a bit of course.

Dr. Yang has traced back to the root of this set and is releasing a DVD of the 5 Animal Sports in Summer 2008.