The fox is stealthy, because it moves silently and light-footedly; its trotting walk is dance-like. As a hunter, it is both an opportunist that will grab an unexpected victim, and a strategist that will choose its moment to attack the hen-house. It has a territory, but creates few obvious paths. In its lair it is safe from attack.

The fox hunts by eye more than ear. Like the cat, it is patient enough to watch until the right moment to strike.

The fox is balanced by its tail, which almost as long as its body.

The fox stance emphasizes the hips; feet a shoulder’s width apart, feet parallel, one foot slightly forward so that heel of one foot and toe of the other are in line.

In this position, swing the staff parallel with the ground at hip level, shifting the weight from one foot to the other. With the fox, the weight shift always counters the movement of the staff - if the staff goes left, the weight is on the right foot. Using this counter-weight can add speed and momentum to the warrior’s strike.

stag | boar | cat | fox | bear | hawk

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