The Long Ying Motto
 

ABOUT LONG YING KUNG FU

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Long Ying (龍形) Keun (Dragon Shape Fist) is a powerful style of Chinese Kung Fu whose legendary origins can be traced back to the Huashoutai Shaolin Temple (华首台) on Mount Luofu (罗浮山) in southern China. Dragon is considered a Hakkanese art, that is, pertaining to the Hakkanese people, a nomadic people and hails more specifically from the Lam family style of the art's founder Lam Yiu Gwai. Hakkanese people were persecuted viamently by wider Chinese society and so Long Ying and other Hakka arts are in no way a sport, and was designed to defend against real attacks on one's life. A ferociously effective self-defence system, Long Ying develops strength, structure, flexibility and endurance in the body and mind whilst also helping to maintain a healthy overall well being.

 

The movements of the Southern Dragon style 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 amalgamation 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 also the symbolic guardian to the gods, and as such the source of true wisdom.

 

Southern Dragon kung fu is essentially an internal, chi cultivating art, but initial training is far more like a hard, external style than the delicate approach an internal style (like t'ai chi ch'uan or baguazhang) would have. In learning the moves, the student will strike hard, block hard and stomp into each position, with the idea of learning the proper place to be once each movement is complete. Eventually, the method of transmitting power is retained, and the physically strengthened body is able to make transitions in the proper, fluid manner. In turn, this dragon-like smoothness helps disguise the attack, making it extremely difficult for an adversary to effectively counter.

 

Long Ying (Dragon form) focuses mainly on powerful, short range attacks, as is common among southern Chinese styles of kung fu. Gripping techniques and extensive use of forearms typify the art. The style was created as an aggressive combat art and operates under the basic assumption that you are trying to either disable your opponent to the point that they are no longer a threat in battle, or kill them, though these are not by any means the only options a Long Ying practitioner has. As such Long Ying employs a large number of techniques to damage the opponent's joints, either through joint manipulation or direct striking, nullify the opponent's defences, either through breaking their stance or compromising their guard and thus their ability to defend; and other such tactics. Like most southern styles of kung fu, it has limited kicks and jumps and consisted mainly of fist, palm and clawing techniques. Power is generally generated from the waist, using soft hard jin (see neijin and waijin).