18 LOHAN HANDS AND BONE MARROW CLEANSING
Lifting the sky is used as a technique to attain a skill in Bone Marrow Cleansing
Question
I am so amazed how much value our foundational techniques have.
When you taught us the Skill of Bone Marrow Cleansing, why did you choose the techniques from the 18 Lohan Hands (and not techniques from our 18 Lohan Arts, Sinew Metamorphosis or One Finger Shooting Zen)?
Sifu Anton Schmick
Answer
Indeed, you have highlighted a very important point. Our fundamental techniques and skills have tremendous value. Besides meaning elementary, fundamental means very important. The fundamentals are the foundation upon which all future development depends upon. How fast and how far a practitioner progresses depends greatly on the fundamentals.
Many people say that the fundamentals are very important, but they may not really understand what they say. In kungfu training, to many people the fundamentals mean practicing kungfu sets. But they forget that they only practice kungfu sets without progressing to other things no matter how long they practice. Many people may not know what is meant when they talk about fundamentals.
What is meant by fundamentals may be interpreted at different levels. At the basic level, the fundamentals are standing upright and be relaxed, not thinking of anything, performing techniques without muscular tension, and breathing in and out gently. At another level of interpretation, the fundamental of chi kung is energy flow. At the level of progression of learning chi kung techniques, the fundamental level is the 18 Lohan Hands. Higher levels are 18 Lohan Art, and Sinew Metamorphosis.
A main reason why I chose techniques from the 18 Lohan Hands for Bone Marrow Cleansing was because that was what I believed Bodhidharma did. However, I also believed that Bodhidharma did not teach the Shaolin monks the five levels of skills in Bone Marrow Cleansing.
The Shaolin monks practiced the techniques and developed the skills on their own spontaneously. When they reported their results to Bodhidharma, the great master described that one had attained his skin level, another his flesh level, a third his bone level and Hui Ke, whom Bodhidharma named as his successor, attained the bone marrow level.
Then, why do I use the five levels of skin, flesh, meridians, internal organs and bone marrow in Bone Marrow Cleansing. It is because chi kung classics explain that energy flow at these five levels.
There are also other reasons why I choose techniques from the 18 Lohan Hands. Bone Marrow Cleansing is an advanced art. Students must have some prior chi kung experience before attempting it. All our chi kung students know Lifting the Sky, Pushing Mountain and Carrying the Moon. Only a few have taken courses in 18-Lohan Art and Sinew Metamorphosis. Hence, using these three techniques, or choosing some from the 18 Lohan Hands which are fundamental, is most logical.
Moreover, the techniques from the 18 Lohan Hands are excellent for the purpose of Bone Marrow Cleansing, and our students using them produce remarkable results. Using techniques from the 18-Lohan Art or from Sinew Metamorphosis would be too powerful.
Turning Head is used as a technique to attain a skill in Bone Marrow Cleansing
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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