One of my favorite, long-term students recently asked about “Embrace Tiger Return to Mountain” during our Yang Short Form class. My research indicates that the name has confused many, and there is a lot of speculation and interpretations regarding the meaning. This is not surprising when one considers all the generations of oral transmission, some secrecy, the vast array of lineages of Tai Chi forms, and the evolution that has occurred. We must also consider translations (and translators) from Chinese to English!
Do we easily imagine that we embrace a tiger when we cross our hands and then move to the Mountain, or is it more complicated than it appears? In my humble opinion, there is no one, clear, and true answer. If you enjoy reading numerous interpretations, just go on the Yang Family Tai Chi Discussion Board or the Kung Fu Magazine Forum. They will provide you with a large variety of possibilities. Other resources have divergent opinions, some more philosophical than others!
Let’s talk about a Tiger: They stalk their prey and usually attack from the back. In fact, here is an amusing (but perhaps effective) method for foiling a tiger attack. Tigers like to surprise their prey, therefore, the last person in a group could wear a mask behind their head complete with eyes and a face. This supposedly makes the tiger assume he were being watched. Clever! Unfortunately, I found nothing to indicate whether that worked!
Of course, today we also have AI chiming in. According to AI (if one can believe AI): The meaning of the Tai Chi form "Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain" is to embrace fear or difficult situations, and then return to a strong, grounded state. I believe the mountain is the “strong, grounded state”. Okay, that’s one interpretation! However, there are a great many more, some conflicting.
Let’s look at the philosophical (and sometimes intrinsic) interpretations first.
As per the Taoist idea, the Tiger is both Yin and Yang. Meaning, it is both “hard and soft, light and dark, full and empty, moving and still, fire and water, ferocious and gentle”. The Mountain can be seen as still, peace, strength, etc. According to Taoism, we should embrace all aspects of ourselves. Our goal is to find OUR balance between Yin and Yang. For example, between being soft and fierce, which will be a unique blend for each of us. The aim is to find your own place of balance, happiness, and peace - your own Mountain!
How about taking a “mythic journey”? If our Tiger is fire and possibly dangerous, can that lead us to be cruel and violent? But can we also be a “fierce protector”? Are we willing to take a risk and confront our fear? How about transforming that fear through compassion? This will change our lives, and certainly our humanity. And last, but not least, can we accept our immortality?
Now let’s look at some of the different martial interpretations and applications.
In Yang Cheng-Fu’s 1931 book “Applications of Taijiquan”, it states that the Chinese characters 抱虎归山 Bào hǔ guī shān literally mean: “Embrace tiger, return (to) mountain”. Here the fierce, powerful, and dangerous tiger stands for a “fierce opponent who is sent back” to the mountain, its home.
According to Yang Cheng-Fu’s book, after Cross Hands, one would presume the opponent attacks you from behind “at the right corner.” This might lead one to assume that the subsequent movement would be a trip. One could pick up his right leg and put it behind the opponent’s leg, then push the opponent back and over.
Let’s think about this movement in Yang style. As we step to the corner, the right hand rises while the left one falls. Per Yang Cheng-Fu, if our opponent tries to strike with either their right hand or foot, our right forearm wraps the attacking limb. Our left hand then pushes our opponent over.
Yang Cheng-Fu also offered another application: When your opponent attacks with their left hand, your right hand circles around their back and you hug them close. As you continue forward, your left hand pushes their face or shoulder and you push them over.
Another application is used when someone is attacking you from the rear with a strike and/or a kick. The attack (hand and/or foot) may be so fast that you can only brush them off. As they counter-attack, you then move into a Roll Back, which is more stable. Further information is found in Yang Cheng Fu’s “Essence and Application of Yang Style Taijiqan”.
I have also read that when Yang Jun shows (and demonstrates this move) the right arm goes across the opponents back and encircles him. Yang Jun would pull him almost horizontally so that his head is facing behind Yang Jun. This would enable him to deal with a second opponent, if there was one.
Yang Jun’s demonstration: https://www.google.com/search?q=Yang+June+Embrace+Tiger+return+to+mountain&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS834US834&oq=Yang+June+Embrace+Tiger+return+to+mountain
There were even more lively discussions (and, yes, disagreement) in the Kung Fu Magazine Forum. And to muddy the waters a bit more, there are references to "Leopard Tiger Return to Mountain". The explanation for Leopard Paw and Tiger Claw is as follows: the right hand at the right knee is Leopard, and the left is the Tiger. “Tiger Tail” is said to be a hip check “to set up the throw”. Followed by a rake to the throat (Leopard technique) with a leopard paw. Enough said for now. This is a blog, not a dissertation, and it is not meant to be all-inclusive. Besides, I keep trying to shorten (not lengthen) my blogs!!
Do we allow the enemy to return to Mountain (his own territory)? Who is returning? The opponent or us?
“Return to Mountain” is often interpreted as standing strong like a mountain and not allowing your opponent to “barrel you over”. Following the logic of the tiger attacking from behind, you could turn to embrace the tiger, and then do a Roll Back in order to return to the mountain (a more secure position for you). Hmm.
Of course, there is a lot of disagreement regarding allowing our opponent to “return to mountain”. Will that be catastrophic? Would we do like a tiger and hold/control the enemy/prey?” Or, if necessary, do we pursue him, even if we have to enter his territory.
In ‘Watching Your Back: Chinese Martial Arts and Traditional Medicine” (2005, University of Hawaii Press), on page 26 Dr. Anthony L. Schmieg writes “The martial hero cries, ‘I know the mountain has tigers, but I must go to Tiger Mountain!’.”
Here are a few relevant Chinese proverbs: “You can't catch a cub without going into the tiger's den”; “Once on a tiger's back, it is hard to alight”; and, let’s not forget: “Retreat Astride Tiger.” The message seems to be: yes, there is danger, but once committed, you must follow through.
I, and most Tai Chi Instructors, Masters, and practitioners, do not take “embrace” as a sign of affection. When your arm circles your opponent, the next thing you do is to pull him in and off balance. Doesn’t sound too affectionate!
Here are the questions the martial artist has to ponder: Do we want our opponent to mentally surrender, as is becoming “compliant” in his heart and his mind? Do we want to do him physical harm? Or, do we want to release him, understanding that he might cause future harm?
Bottom line:
Is there one truth or one “correct” answer when it comes to “Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain”? I don’t believe there is.
After many years of research, I believe that the following is an excellent summation of what happens when we attempt to deepen our knowledge of Tai Chi and search for the answer. The comment (December 2006 on the Kung Fu Magazine Forum) is that Tai Chi is like many blind people touching an elephant. “One blind man touches the ear and claims it is like a fan. Other touches the body and says it is a wall, one touches the leg and says it is a pillar and so on. Whoever is right is only true to his own touch until he has in contact with every part of the elephant”.
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Here are several videos for your viewing pleasure. Remember instructions do differ from one practitioner to another.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEno3ggWbrU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vY_SrbIZz0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcchmclCYGM