EVOLUTION OF 18 LOHAN HANDS INTO 18-LOHAN ART
Lifting the Sky
Question
On your website you explain that "the Shaolin Eighteen Lohan Hands are fundamental chi kung exercises" and that "at the Shaolin Monastery, these Eighteen Lohan Hands evolved into a kungfu set called Eighteen Lohan Fist, which forms the prototype of Shaolin Kungfu today."
Please can you share your views about whether you believe there was always an intention to evolve the set into a martial art at a later date? Why or why not?
Please can you discuss the extent to which the fundamental nature of the chi kung set also provides benefits and capabilities relevant to the martial art?
Matt
Answer
Bodhidharma’s original aim in teaching the Eighteen Lohan Hands to the Shaolin monks when he found them too weak for the vigorous task of mediation was to strengthened them. There was a strong debate in Buddhist circles whether the physical body was important.
One school believed that as Enlightenment concerned the mind, the body was not important. Another school contented that though the mind was most important, as the mind was housed in the body, the body was also important.
Bodhidharma belonged to the second school. He advocated that if the body was week, it would not be efficient to cultivate the mind for the highest spiritual Enlightenment.
He taught the monks the Eighteen Lohan Hands to strengthened them, not just physically but also emotionally, mentally and spiritually so that the monks could better meditate for Enlightenment. Hence, there was no intention for Bodhidharma as well as the Shaolin monks in general to evolve the Eighteen Lohan Hands into a martial art.
Nevertheless, among the Shaolin monks were many retired generals who were expert in martial art. When they practiced the Eighteen Lohan Hands, they modified the exercises to suit their martial needs. I believe it was a gradual process, and there was no conscious intention of doing so.
In other words, the monks who were retired generals did not set out to change the Eighteen Lohan Hands, but because of their martial background, they practiced the same exercises differently from other monks who did not have martial art background.
For example, while performing “Punching with Angry Eyes”, a martial art monk might have done so with internal force, whereas other monks would do so more physically. Instead of performing the exercise in a stationary mood, he might have moved about in stances.
When performing “Dancing Crane”, a martial art monk might have changed his open palms into tiger-claws, and over time the pattern might evolve into what we now call “Tame Tiger with a String of Beads”.
Instead of standing at one spot, martial art monks might have performed the various eighteen exercises moving about. Eventually these moving patterns were linked together into a set called Eighteen Lohan Fist, which became the prototype of Shaolin Kungfu.
The transition was gradual. The evolution from Eighteen Lohan Hands to Eighteen Lohan Fist took many generations. Just as there were different versions of Eighteen Lohan Hands, they were also different versions of Eighteen Lohan Fist, and monks at different time periods would prefer different versions.
Parallel to this evolution of Eighteen Lohan Hands into Eighteen Lohan Fist, was the evolution of Eighteen Lohan Hands into Eighteen-Lohan Art. We have three sets of exercises, namely Eighteen Lohan Hands, Eighteen Lohan Fist and Eighteen-Lohan Art, and there were different versions at different times at the three Shaolin Monasteries.
Instead of performing “Plucking Star” in a upright standing position, some martial art monks might perform it in a Bow-Arrow Stance. Some of them might find rotating their waist improve their flexibility for combat. Gradually this evolved into ”Rhinoceros Looks at Moon”.
Other martial art monks might perform “Lifting the Sky” while sitting on a Horse-Riding Stance, and eventually they found this could generate a lot of internal force. Hence, gradually the pattern evolved into “Big Boss Lifts Bronze Vessel”.
We in Shaolin Wahnam are very lucky. We inherit these gradual evolutions which might take many centuries, and derive a lot of benefits from practicing their resultant arts. The arts we inherit are the crystallization of the effort of these past Shaolin masters, whatever that were found not useful were discarded, leaving the best for us as a heritage.
Every pattern of the Eighteen Lohan Hands has benefits and capabilities relevant to martial art, though the patterns may not exhibit overt combat applications.
As a chi kung set on a whole, it provides good health and vitality, which are the basic requirements any martial artist must have before embarking on combat efficiency. It loosens muscles and joints, facilitating agility and flexibility. It generates energy flow which forms the foundation of internal force. It develops mental clarity, which is essential for effective combat.
Each individual pattern has its special benefits, and the following is only a brief description.
“Lifting the Sky” harmonizes energy flow throughout three warmers, which means the whole body.
“Shooting Arrows” expands the lungs and focuses energy flow to the index fingers.
“Plucking Stars” develop internal force at the palms.
"Turning Head” enhances physical and mental reflexes, which are very important in combat.
“Punching with Angry Eyes” was a core pattern that set the evolution into Eighteen Lohan Fist.
“Merry-Go-Round” gave an impetus for waist rotation, constituting an important principle to minimize an opponent’s momentum.
“Carrying the Moon” develops flexibility and strengthens the back which is important in combat.
"Nourishing Kidneys” stimulates energy flow to the hands and legs.
“Three Levels to Ground” gave suggestion to low-body work, which Shaolin Kungfu is superb though little known to the public.
“Dancing Crane” provides the concepts of dodging and sinking back, without moving the feet.
“Carrying Mountain” develops powerful arms and flexibility of waist.
“Drawing Knives” gave the impetus to develop sophisticated techniques for combat.
“Presenting Claws” led to the use of fingers in advanced combat.
“Pushing Mountain” is an excellent introduction to internal force training.
“Separating Water” can develop tremendous internal force.
“Big Windmill” is excellent for developing flowing force.
“Deep Knee Bending” develops good balance, an important ingredient for effective combat.
“Rotating Knees” introduces the concept of circular movement in combat.
An important kungfu saying advises that “Before one thinks of combat, he must be healthy first.” If a Shaolin student is sick or weak, he should first practice Eighteen Lohan Hands to overcome his sickness and become strong before embarking on Shaolin Kungfu. Having attained health and strength, his continued practice of Eighteen Lohan Hands will enhance his kungfu performance.
Hanging of Double Hooks
The questions and answers are reproduced from the thread 18 Lohan Hands: 10 Questions to Grandmaster Wong in the Shaolin Wahnam Discussion Forum.
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