Dragon kung fu represents the perceived attributes of the ancient, and mythical Chinese dragon. The dragon dominates much of ancient Chinese culture. The concept and image of the dragon came from many animals, including pythons, alligators, and lizards. The ancient Chinese people saw the dragon as a water spirit that brought the rains, and delivered a productive crop season. The dragon symbolized a guardian for the gods, and a source of real wisdom. The Chinese dragon represented two archaic elements, Water and Earth. In ancient Chinese lore, the dragon possessed the power of strength and illusion. The Shaolin Buddhists considered the dragon an enlightened vision of truth, which could be felt, but never held.
History and Founding
Since transmitted orally for many generations, an exact origin is almost impossible to discover. However, the modern dragon styles trace back to a monk named Daai Yuk Sim Si. He was the abbot of the White Hair temple on Mount Luofu. The roots of Southern Dragon style derived from a variety of martial arts from the Hakka community of Southern China. Near the end of the 19th century, and during the early part of the 20th century, the southern dragon style carried over to Malaysia, and eventually Australia; where it was taught by master Li Ah Yu. Li Ah Yu founded the Long Choo Kung Fu Society, and created a base of operation in Penang, Malaysia.
Philosophy and Style
Dragon kung fu focuses on internal chi; though novice training resembles a harder, external style of fighting. While learning, a student will block hard, strike hard, and stomp into position each time; in an attempt to teach where to land after each maneuver. Over time, and with dedicated training, a student will become fluid, and move with dragon like softness, which will camouflage attacks, and make counter moves almost impossible. After mastering the physical side, a student will learn to incorporate a deep hissing noise that deepens his or her relationship with inner strength (chi). At this master level, blocking is done away with, and simple strikes or parries are used instead.
Dragon Forms
With each dragon form a student is taught to “ride the wind”, or follow his or her opponent’s lead. The forms rely on evasion, rather than aggressive attacks. This is accomplished by rotating the lower and upper torso, with almost no stance maneuvers. Similar to tiger kung fu, the dragon martial art uses fast clawing and punching attacks, stances that resemble snake kung fu, and guerrilla hit and run attacks resembling leopard style. Southern dragon also uses low sweep kicks to take down a weakened opponent.
The Bottom Line
If you’re looking for a fun, difficult, and not so widely used martial art, the dragon might work well for you. Finding a school dedicated to the teaching of dragon kung fu may prove difficult; but with patience and determination, you can find one. Like many of the other animal styles, the dragon is a great option for those small in stature, or for women seeking a fun alternative to traditional self-defense courses. Dragon kung fu will bring out the mystic in any student, conjuring images of ancient Chinese men and women discussing intriguing tales of dragon’s fire, and other magical stories. Learning this art will take you closer to your soul and imagination, and will bring out the best in anyone that commits to learning the ancient ways of the mythical Chinese Dragon.
Standing United We Pack a Punch — Modern Samurai Society
