THE VARIOUS EIGHTEEN-LOHAN ARTS
Bodhidharma the great first taught the Eighteen Lohan Hands, or Sap Pat Lor Hon Sau in Chinese (Cantonese), at the Shaolin Temple. With the presence of many retired generals at the Shaolin Temple, the Eighteen Lohan Hands later evolved into the Eighteen-Lohan Fist, or Sap Pat Lor Hon Khuen, which was the prototype of Shaolin Kungfu.
With the introduction of kungfu at the Shaolin Temple, the Eighteen Lohan Hands took on a martial flavor, with the result that the Eighteen Lohan Hands also evolved into the Eighteen-Lohan Art, or Sap Pat Lor Hon Kung. While the Eighteen-Lohan Fist was a kungfu set, both the Eighteen-Lohan Art and the Eighteen Lohan Hands remained as sets of chi kung exercises, but with the Eighteen-Lohan Art emphasizing on internal force whereas the Eighteen Lohan Hands emphasizing on maintaining good health.
Hence, there are three sets of Lohan exercises:
- Eighteen Lohan Hands
- Eighteen-Lohan Fist
- Eighteen-Lohan Art
Because these Shaolin arts have been taught over a long time across wide areas, there are different versions of them. We are lucky that all these three invaluable Shaolin arts are found in our school, Shaolin Wahnam. The Eighteen Lohan Hands form the base of our chi kung training. In the Praying Mantis Course in Switzerland in August 2010, Grandmaster Wong introduced the Eighteen-Lohan Art. The Eighteen-Lohan Fist will be taught at an opportune time.
Eighteen Lohan Hands
The names of the eighteen patterns are as follows:
- Lifting the Sky
- Shooting Arrows
- Turning Cosmos
- Plucking Stars
- Thrust Punch
- Merry-Go-Round
- Carrying the Moon
- Nourishing Kidneys
- Three Levels to Ground
- Dancing Crane
- Carrying Mountains
- Drawing Sabre
- Presenting Claws
- Pushing Mountains
- Separating Water
- Big Windmill
- Deep Knee Bend
- Rotating Knees
Eighteen-Lohan Art
The names of the Eighteen-Lohan Art patterns are as follows:
- Lohan Worships Buddha
- Reverse Hanging of Double Hooks
- Double Hooks Hanging on Wall
- Shake Head Wag Tail
- Rhinoceros Looks at Moon
- Big Boss Lifts Bronze Vessel
- Big Bird Spreads Wings
- Old Monk Grinds Rice
- Golden Leopard Trains Claws
- Father and Son Together
- Shoot Spear at Mystical Gate
- Green Dragon Charges at Face
- Hungry Tiger Charges at Prey
- Iron Bull Ploughs Field
- Open Window to Look at Moon
- Old Monk Takes off Shoes
- Night Guard Tests Sea
- Swallow Flies through Clouds
Eighteen-Lohan Fist
The names of the patterns of the Eighteen-Lohan Fist are as follows:
- Subdue Dragon
- Tame Tiger
- Push Mountains
- Thrust Kick
- Throw Tongue
- Arrow Punch
- One Finger Zen
- Lean Hand
- Three Arrows
- One Finger Zen
- Enter Rock
- Hang Fist
- Strike Tiger
- Kick Bushel
- Rush Pumch
- Strike Drum
- Enter a Well
- Sitting Meditation
- Golden Bell on Ground
- Lohan Stretches Waist
- Sweep Palm
- Carry Insignia
- Arrow Punch
- Butterfly Palms
- Present Claws
- Skyward Punch from Ground
- Kick Organ
- Arrow Punch
- Single Whip
- Stamp Insignia
- Emerge from Cave
- Skyward Punch
- Double Hanging Fists
- Double Punch
- Crouching on Ground
- Hand Sweep
- Chop Mountain
- Strike Bell
- Skward Cannon Punch
- Skyward Cannon Punch
- Strike Tiger
- Strike Tiger
- Spread Wings
- Save Emperor
- Enter Plain
- Bar Big Boss
- Single Whip
- Catch Tiger
- Comb Hair
- Worship Buddha
- Double Offer Wine
- Throw Ball
- Throw Ball
- Throw Ball
- Grip-Strike
- Press on Ground
- Lead Goat
- Hand Sweep
- Present Claw
- Tiger-Tail
- Separate Water
- Hand Sweep
- Strike Tiger
- Break Flank
- Single Whip
- Double Dragon-Hands
- Sweep Floor
- Sweep Floor
- Tiger-Tail
- Steal Heart
- Submerge Punch
- Skyward Cannon Punch