The Tiger is an important symbol and its image is used in most eastern martial arts. It is considered a mythological creature in many of the Asian cultures. In The ancient Orient, people believed the tiger to be the king of all beasts, strong, fast, and noble. The tiger is full of life and embodies the spirit and drive to achieve and make progress. Tigers were one of the four ‘super-intelligent’ creatures - along with the dragon, phoenix, and tortoise. In Chinese folk lore tigers kill evil men and protect good men. That belief continues to this day.

According to Chinese myths, five types of tigers balance the energy in the cosmos, preventing the universe from falling into chaos. 

 Yellow Tiger:  Supreme ruler of all tigers, symbolic of the Sun

Red Tiger:  Ruler of the Summer, governor of the Fire elementals

Black Tiger:  Ruler of the Winter, governor of the water elementals

Blue Tiger:  Ruler of the Spring, governor of the earthly elementals

White Tiger:  Ruler of the Autumn, governor of the metallic elementals