Southern Dragon Kung Fu
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| Also known as | Longxingmoqiao, Long Xi Quan, Long Ying Mo Kiu |
|---|---|
| Focus | Striking |
| Country of origin | China |
| Creator | Daai Yuk / Tai Yuk |
| Famous practitioners |
Jee Sin Sim See (Five Elders) Lam Yiu Gwai / Lam Yiu-Kwai Jeung Lai Chuen / Cheung Lai-Chuen Li Ah Yu |
| Parenthood | Southern Shaolin Kung Fu, Lam Gar, Li (Lee) Family, Bak Mei |
| Descendant arts | Bak Mei (Jeung Lai Chuen lineage) |
| Olympic sport | No |
The movements of the Southern Dragon style (Chinese: 龍形摩橋; pinyin: lóng xíng mó qiáo; Cantonese Yale: long4 ying4 mo1 kiu4; literally: "dragon shape rubbing bridges") of Shaolin Boxing are based on the mythical Chinese dragon. The Dragon style is an imitative-style that was developed based on the imagined characteristics of the mythical Chinese dragon.
The Dragon played an influential and beneficial role in Chinese culture. An amalgam of several creatures, including monitor lizards, pythons and the Chinese alligator, the polymorphic dragon was a water spirit, responsible for bringing the rains and thus ensuring the survival of crops. The dragon was the symbolic guardian to the gods, and was the source of true wisdom. This latter feature most likely resulted from the observation of the living reptilian counterparts which, usually at rest, seem to be in a near constant state of contemplation.
The dragon represented two of the ancient elements, Earth and Water, endowing the creature with powers of illusion and strength. A Yang symbol, the Taoists saw the dragon as a personification of the Tao itself—"the Dragon reveals himself only to vanish". Shaolin Buddhists saw him as a vision of enlightened truth, to be felt, but never to be held. Certain very old men were called dragons, these being well versed in the life-supporting skills of herbal medicine, agriculture, and kung fu. In early China, these skills were surely a matter of life or death, and those so educated were held in high esteem.
The history of Southern Dragon style has historically been transmitted orally rather than by text, so its origins will probably never be known in their entirety. Modern Southern Dragon style's history can be reliably traced back to the monk Daai Yuk Sim Si who was the abbot of Wa Sau Toi (White Hair) temple on Mount Luofu. No reliable records of the style's origin prior to that exist, though there is much speculation regarding the subject.
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Wikipedia