Sifu Michael Chow demonstrating the pattern “Rising Dragon Galloping Tiger”

Tantui or “Spring-Kick Kungfu” is a signature style of Northern Shaolin. It was famous for kicks and was first developed at the Long Tan Temple in northern China. Hence, this kungfu style was called “Tantui”. In Chinese, “Long Tan” means “Dragon's Pone”, and “tui” means “kicks”. Nevertheless, other sources mention that “tan” in “Tantui” comes from the Chinese word meaning “spring”, because “spring-kick” is a signature kick in this style of kungfu. .

In Mandarin, which is popularly spoken in northern China where this style of kungfu was widely practice, both the words meaning “pond” and meaning “spring” are pronounced as “tan”, though the written characters are different. However, in Cantonese the word for “pond “ is pronounced as “tam”, but the word for “spring” is pronounced as “tan”. So in Cantonese this signature Northern Shaolin style can be pronounced as “Tamtui” or “Tantui”.

There are 12 sequences in Tantui, and they are shown below with the names of the patterns. The Chinese characters for the patterns, kindly provided by Sifu Michael Chow with the help of Sifu Zhang Wuji, will be posted later.

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1. Sun Emerges from Clouds	2. Big Boss Offer Wine	3. Black Crow Flaps Wings	4. Second Brother Offers Wine

5. Rising Dragon Galloping Tiger	6. Big Boss Offer Wine	7. Black Crow Flaps Wings	8. Second Brother Offers Wine

9. Rising Dragon Galloping Tiger	10. Big Boss Offer Wine	11. Black Crow Flaps Wings	12. Second Brother Offers Wine

13. Rising Dragon Galloping Tiger	14. Sun Emerges from Clouds

1. Sun Emerges from Clouds	2. White Horse Returns Head	3. Black Tiger Steals Heart	4. Rising Dragon Galloping Tiger

5. White Horse Returns Head	6. Black Tiger Steals Heart	7. Rising Dragon Galloping Tiger	8. White Horse Returns Head

9. Black Tiger Steals Heart	10. Rising Dragon Galloping Tiger	11. Sun Emerges from Clouds

1. Sun Emerges from Clouds	2. Big Boss Offers Wine	3. Cannon Punch towards the Sky	4. Second Brother Chops Firewood

5. Rising Dragon Galloping Tiger	6. Big Boss Offers Wine	7. Cannon Punch towards the Sky	8. Second Brother Chops Firewood

9. Rising Dragon Galloping Tiger	10. Big Boss Offers Wine	11. Cannon Punch towards the Sky	12. Second Brother Chops Firewood

13. Rising Dragon Galloping Tiger	14. Sun Emerges from Clouds

1. Sun Emerges from Clouds	2. Golden Leopard Enters Rock	3. Green Dragon Exhibits Tail	4. Dark Dragon Enters Well

5. Green Dragon Exhibits Tail	6. Fui Sing Kicks Bushel	7. Golden Leopard Enters Rock	8. Green Dragon Exhibits Tail

9. Dark Dragon Enters Well	10. Green Dragon Exhibits Tail	11. Fui Sing Kicks Bushel	12. Golden Leopard Enters Rock

13. Green Dragon Exhibits Tail	14. Dark Dragon Enters Well	15. Green Dragon Exhibits Tail

16. Fui Sing Kicks Bushel	17. Sun Emerges from Clouds

1. Sun Emerges from Clouds	2. Precious Duck Swims through Lotus	3. Cross-Road Lift Strike	4. Rising Dragon Galloping Tiger

5. Precious Duck Swims through Lotus	6. Cross-Road Lift Strike	7. Rising Dragon Galloping Tiger	8. Precious Duck Swims through Lotus

9. Cross-Road Lift Strike	10. Rising Dragon Galloping Tiger	11. Sun Emerges from Clouds

1. Sun Emerges from Clouds	2. Big Boss Offers Wine	3. General Waves Flap	4. Embrace Moon in Bosom

5. Rising Dragon Galloping Tiger	6. Big Boss Offers Wine	7. General Waves Flap	8. Embrace Moon in Bosom

9. Rising Dragon Galloping Tiger	10. Big Boss Offers Wine	11. General Waves Flap	12. Embrace Moon in Bosom

13. Rising Dragon Galloping Tiger	14. Sun Emerges from Clouds

1. Sun Emerges fro Clouds	2. Precious Duck Swims through Lotus	3. Copper Hammer Strikes Rock	4. Single Strike Bell Sounds

5. Rising Dragon Galloping Tiger	6. Precious Duck Swims through Lotus	7. Copper Hammer Strikes Rock	8. Single Strike Bell Sounds

9. Rising Dragon Galloping Tiger	10. Precious Duck Swims through Lotus	11. Copper Hammer Strikes Rock	12. Single Strike Bell Sounds

13. Rising Dragon Galloping Tiger	14. Sun Emerges from Clouds

1. Sun Emerges from Clouds	2. Big Boss Offers Wine	3. Black Crow Flaps Wings	4. Second Brother Offers Wine

5. Rising Dragon Galloping Tiger	6. False-Leg Strike Tiger	7. Shoot Spear at Yun Pavilon	8. False-Leg Strike Tiger

9. Shoot Spear at Yun Pavilon	10. Big Boss Offers Wine	11. Black Crow Flaps Wings	12. Second Brother Offers Wine

13. Rising Dragon Galloping Tiger	14. False-Leg Strike Tiger	15. Shoot Spear at Yun Pavilon	16. False-Leg Strike Tiger

17. Shoot Spear at Yun Pavilon	18. Big Boss Offers Wine	19. Black Crow Flaps Wings	20. Second Brother Offers Wine

21. Rising Dragon Galloping Tiger	22. False-Leg Strike Tiger	23. Shoot Spear at Yun Pavilon	24. False-Leg Strike Tiger

25. Shoot Spear at Yun Pavilon	26. Sun Emerges from Clouds

1. Sun Emerges from Clouds	2. Big Boss Offers Wine	3. Second Brother Breaks Lock	4. Big Bird Flaps Wings

5. Rising Dragon Galloping Tiger	6. Big Boss Offers Wine	7. Second Brother Breaks Lock	8. Big Bird Flaps Wings

9. Rising Dragon Galloping Tiger	10. Big Boss Offers Wine	11. Second Brother Breaks Lock	12. Big Bird Flaps Wings

13. Rising Dragon Galloping Tiger	14. Sun Emerges from Clouds

1. Sun Emerges from Clouds	2. Big Boss Offers Wine	3. Black Crows Flaps Wings	4. Second Brother Offers Wine

5. Rising Dragon Galloping Tiger	6. White Horse Returns Head	7. Fierce Dragon Across Stread	8. Fui Sing Kicks Bushel

9. Swallows Flies through Clouds	10. Big Boss Offers Wine	11. Black Crows Flaps Wings	12. Second Brother Offers Wine

13. Rising Dragon Galloping Tiger	14. White Horse Returns Head	15. Fierce Dragon Across Stread	16. Fui Sing Kicks Bushel

17. Swallows Flies through Clouds	18. Big Boss Offers Wine	19. Black Crows Flaps Wings	20. Second Brother Offers Wine

21. Rising Dragon Galloping Tiger	22. White Horse Returns Head	23. Fierce Dragon Across Stread	24. Fui Sing Kicks Bushel

25. Swallows Flies through Clouds	26. Sun Emerges from Clouds

1. Sun Emerges from Clouds	2. Big Boss Offers Wine	3. Arrest Horse at Cliff	4. Second Auntie Kicks Ball

5. Empty Rugsack	6. Hang a Golden Star	7. Big Boss Offers Wine	8. Arrest Horse at Cliff

9. Second Auntie Kicks Ball	10. Empty Rugsack	11. Hang a Golden Star	12. Big Boss Offers Wine

13. Arrest Horse at Cliff	14. Second Auntie Kicks Ball	15. Empty Rugsack

16. Hang a Golden Star	17. Sun Emerges from Clouds

1. Sun Emerges from Clouds	2. Turn Body Strike Rock	3. Rising Dragon Galloping Tiger	4. Whirlwind Smashes Waves

5. Turn Body Strike Rock	6. Rising Dragon Galloping Tiger	7. Whirlwind Smashes Waves	8.Turn Body Strike Rock

9. Rising Dragon Galloping Tiger	10. Whirlwind Smashes Waves	11. Sun Emerges from Clouds

The names of the patterns, the Chinese (Cantonese) pronunciation and the Chinese characters are provided by Sifu Michael Chow of Shaolin Wahnam Canada, with the help of Sifu Zhang Wuji of Shaolin Wahnam Singapore. We wish to thank Sifu Michael Chow and Sifu Zhang Wuji for their splendid effort.