There are Five Element forms in Shaolin family styles alongside of the Five Animals, but the Five Animals do indeed have Elemental analogues.
For instance, Dragon-style is I think associated with the Metal element, with a lot of precise, languid, arcing/chopping/shearing type movements, while the Snake is associated with Wood, with its linear, in-out, all-in-one-movement, controlling-the-centre characteristics. The Crane, with its soft, evasive characteristics should be Water-analogous. As for the other two, it took me a bit of thinking and research to come up with a suitable answer, but I think I have it.
Tiger should be Earth-analogous, with its firm, rooted stances and constant application of force and unyielding, crowding-in characteristics to force an opponent off balance and break his root.
Leopard, on the other hand, is explosive, violent and unpredictable - quite Fire-
analogous, IMHO.
Of course, this is all my own interpretation as I've never heard official opinion on this one.  |