Dragons Powerful and Mysterious
Written by Grandmaster Caprio

When most people think of dragons they envision a dinosaur like beast that breathes fire and wreaks havoc on medieval villages.  Most of the stories that dragons appear in, the bravest and best warrior of the village will slay the dragon, free the imprisoned princess, and will live happily ever after.  These stories are great to read but do not represent the true meaning of a martial arts dragon.

For most eastern cultures the dragon comes from spiritual beliefs that began many thousand of years ago. Ancient text tells us that the dragon is a supernatural beast that can appear and disappear.  The dragon lives in the seas and can use the waters of the oceans, lakes, and rains to transport itself.  The oriental beliefs recognize the dragon as a mystical predator that pulls its devastating power from the heavens.

The dragon exists only in the martial artists mind, because there are no dragons in reality.  One must use their imagination to see how the dragon moves in the inner mind.  This a a very abstract thought.  That is why many martial artists use the dragon when they fight.  Using the dragon makes one very unpredictable and makes it difficult for their adversary to tell which way they are going to move.

The ancient eastern martial artists used what they saw in nature to enhance and improve their own fighting styles, hence the existence of many "animal styles".  They would assume the characteristics of certain animals to overcome the weaknesses and strengths of their opponents.  Because of its similarity to nature and its abstractness, the dragon is a very formidable style to emulate.  The Dragon style is incorporated in some of the various forms in the art of Capkido.

Dragon Cross Word Puzzle

Dragon Connect the Dots