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 The
movements of the Dragon style (Traditional Chinese: 龍形摩橋;
Yale Cantonese: lung4 ying4 mo1 kiu4; literally "dragon shape
rubbing bridges") of Chinese martial arts are based on the
mythical Chinese dragon.
Because the history of Dragon
style has historically been transmitted orally rather than by text,
its origins will probably never be known in its entirety.
Modern Dragon style historians
relate that one of the last members of the Shaolin Temple before its
first destruction (1570) was Wu Mui, who is said to have originated
the Dragon style (Chow & Spangler, 1982, p. 44). The Shaolin Kung
Fu Institute of the Pacific Northwest agrees with a date of 1570 for a
destruction of the temple and states explicitly that Dragon style was
created at the Shaolin Temple in Henan c. 1565 but, in addition to the
Wu Mui attribution, also offers an alternative origin that identifies
Dragon with the related martial art Yau Gung Mun, which it attributes
to the monk Mui Fa San Yang in contradiction of Yau Kung Mun's own
traditions. The Institute goes on to say that Dragon diverged into
Northern and Southern variants.
According to the Dragon teacher
Steve Martin of the Sojourn Past Martial Arts Institute, Dragon style
has roots in Hakka Kuen, a combination of the local styles of the
Hakka heartland in inland eastern Guangdong with the style that the
monk Gee Sim Sim See taught in Guangdong and the neighboring province
of Fujian in the 1700s.
North of the Dongjiang in the
northwest of Bóluó (博羅)
County in the prefecture of Huizhou in Guangdong Province is the
sacred mountain Luófúshān. Luófúshān is the site of many
temples, including Wa Sau Toi where, c. 1900, a Chan (Zen) master
named Tai Yuk taught Dragon style to Lam Yiu-Kwai, who in turn passed
the art on to the many students of his schools in Guangzhou.
Because Lam Yiu-Kwai and Cheung
Lai-Chuen were longtime training partners, Dragon style and Cheung's
style of Bak Mei share many similarities. Good friends from their
youth in the Dongjiang region of Huizhou and later cousins by marriage,
Lam and Cheung would open several schools together.
There may be other styles named
after the dragon that other schools believe to be much older; however,
the Dragon style of Lam Yiu-Kwai is the most widespread and best-known.
 Overview
The dragon stylist relies on a
variety of fighting techniques that can be employed for a wide range
of needs. The style uses techniques that can cripple or kill an
opponent if the need arises or it can be used simply to control a
minor street fighting situation.
Basics
The Dragon Kung Fu practitioner
typically attacks with winding low yang powerful and quick movements.
For example, when striking with the fist, more power can be exerted
when the movement originates from the waist first, then flowing
through the body, and finally into the fist.
Foot
Work
In both the Northern and
Southern Dragon Style systems, leg work is characterized by a zig-zag
motion that mimics the imagined movement of the mythical Chinese
dragon. In Southern style, smaller strides are emphasized to
complement the system's short range combat style. In the Northern
system, the strides are greater, utilizing the strength of the legs to
move in and out of the opponent's range of attack with speed and
force.
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