EVOLUTION OF LOHAN KUNGFU
Four-Gate -- the early version of Lohan Kungfu
Question
You described in the first answer that Lohan Kung Fu lacked certain features that were developed later and is more simple and straight-forward. Could this also be an advantage at a master's level, just as it is an advantage in, for instance, Xing Yi Kung Fu and Wuzuquan?
Sifu Roeland Dijkema
Answer
For a short, direct answer, it is yes, at a master’s level the simplicity of Lohan Kungfu is an advantage.
As a supplement, we may say that for those not at a master’s level, it is not an advantage. It can be a weakness. If an opponent applies a chin-na technique on a student practicing simple Lohan Kungfu, for example, he may not know how to overcome it.
We may further add, if the listener is willing to hear further, that for most people today, and this includes those who say they practice a martial art, its simplicity is an advantage because most people are unable to apply sophisticated techniques, like a chin-na attack, and are concerned with freely exchanging blows. Simple Lohan techniques make it easier to exchange blows. If the techniques are more sophisticated, they will just receive blows, like many kungfu practitioners today endure.
Elite people, like us in Shaolin Wahnam, prefer a longer answer, with insight that may enable us to enrich our daily life.
Your question highlights a fact not many people may realize. Lohan Kungfu has a long history of about 1500 years and has been practiced by countless people. Throughout its long history, it has continued to evolve and develop. Hence, Lohan Kunfu practiced during the Qing Dynasty would be very different from Lohan Kungfu practiced during the Tang Dynasty more than 1000 years ago.
Let us look at a martial art with a history of about 100 years, like Karate, first introduced by Sensei Gichin Funakoshi to Japan, in 1916. The techniques are simple, mainly consisting of straight-forward punches and kicks. There are no what could be thought of as fanciful patterns like Spiritual Lion Opens Mouth and Immortal Lies Down to Nap, or even less fanciful but still unthinkable patterns like Lohan Subdues Dragon and Buterfly Dancing in Front of Flowers. Lohan Kungfu in its first 100 years of development could be like Karate today.
An important question often overlooked is which version of Lohan Kungfu should we use when we wish to compare it with other styles? For convenience we may generalize the various versions of Lohan Kungfu into three categories, representing its early, middle and later development. All these three versions are found in our school. They are “Cross-Roads at Four Gates”, our version of “Eighteen Lohan Fist” and “108-Pattern Tiger-Crane”.
Please note that our version of Eighteen Lohan Fist is more sophisticated than that represented at the middle period of Lohan Kungfu development because I have added many sophisticated patterns to it. There were original Lohan patterns like Lohan Takes Afternoon Nap and Lohan Thinks Silently, but I have added patterns like Immortals Lies Down to Nap, Lazy Man Smoke Pipes, Immortal Stretches Waist, and Immortal Lifts Pot from the Drunken Eighteen Immortals.
Although Four Fates and Tiger-Crane are not labeled as Lohan Kungfu, they are actually early and later development of Lohan Kungfu respectively.
Four Gates gives a good picture of what the early version of Lohan Kungfu could have been. Its patterns are simple, and straight-forward, consisting of right level fists and left palm thrust. It looks like Karate, except that it does not give out free offers like exposed ribs and exposed groin. Such sophisticated protection for safety was probably due to the later development of Shaolin Kungfu.
Indeed, Four Gates has the double feature of maintaining the simplicity of the early version of Lohan Fist, as Four Gates was the first kungfu set taught at the southern Shaolin Tmple, as well as enjoying the benefit of the long history of Shaolin Kungfu development, as it was taught in the later part of the Qing Dynasty, more than 1000 years after the Lohan Fist was first taught at the northern Shaolin Temple.
The progress from Four Gates to Eighteen Lohan Fist is remarkable. While most martial artists will be able to recognize the combat application of the patterns in Four Gates, many may not know what combat functions many patterns in Eighteen Lohan Fist would serve.
It is easy to tell the combat application of patterns like “Black Tiger Steals Heart” and “Poisonous Snake Emerges from Hole” in Four Gates. Even in patterns like Lohan Strikes Bell and Sharp Knife Trims Bamboo their combat application can be deducted after some thought.
There had been a lot of development from the time of Lohan Kungfu represented by Four Gates to the time represented by Eighteen Lohan Fist. It is not easy to know some of the patterns in Eighteen Lohan Fist, like Gold Coin on Ground, and Lohan Thinks Silently. Such sophisticated patterns were evolved from actual fighting, not taught out by some creative thinkers. When I first saw the pattern, Lohan Takes Afternoon Nap, many years ago I wondered what this pattern was for. It was only when I saw Kai (Sifu Kai Uwe) teaching ground fighting that it dawned on me how useful these seemingly decorative Lohan patterns were.
Although the 108-Pattern set is called Tiger-Crane, more than two-thirds are Lohan Kungfu. Indeed, Southern Shaolin Kungfu, including the tiger and crane forms, was a development of Lohan Kungfu represented by Eighteen Lohan Fist in the middle period, just as this period of Lohan Kungfu was a development from its early period as represented by Four Gates.
Unlike in cases like Eagle Claw and Praying Mantis, there was no conscious effort to change the style of kungfu practiced at the Shaolin Temple, but the style developed or was modified over time according to the needs and aspirations of its practitioners. What Hoong Hei Koon and Lok Ah Choy taught, which later led to the development of Tiger-Crane, was what they learned from their teacher, Chee Seen, who in turn taught what he learned from the lineage all the way to the prototype Lohan Kungfu when it evolved from the Eighteen Lohan Hands.
Eighteen-Lohan Fist -- the middle version of Lohan Kungfu
Lohan Kungfu represented by Tiger-Crane marks a new level of sophistication. Not only tiger and crane patterns like Black Tiger Bars Door and Well-Fed Reincarnated Crane, but even Lohan patterns like Double Lifting of Sun and Moon, False Leg Lift Fists and Thousand Tons to Ground defy easy recognition of their combat function.
Besides the development of sophisticated techniques to meet advanced combat situations, there were two other notable developments. One was the development of new hand forms for more specialized ways of striking, and the other was the development of internal force training within the set itself.
Before the third stage of development, the hands were mainly held in a close fist or an open palm. Gradually masters found that using the fist or palm to strike certain specific areas like the spine at the back, vital points, the eyes, the groin, or to apply chin-na techniques would not be as effective as striking ordinary areas. So special hand forms, like the leopard fist, the phoenix-eye fist, the dragon-hand form, the crane beak and the tiger-claw were invented.
Previously, practitioners had to employ internal force methods outside the set. Gradually masters incorporated these force training methods into the set itself. Hence, in sets like 108-Pattern Tiger-Crane and Triple Stretch, the first part of the set was used for force training, and the remaining part for combat application. In sets like Iron Wire and Siu Lin Tou, the whole set was used for force training.
By virtue of the fact that it was the latest in the long developmental history of Shaolin Kungfu, Southern Shaolin was most prominent with these developments.
Yet, despite its long, continuous development with the result that one version of Lohan Kungfu at one time may be different from another version of Lohan Kungfu at another time, there are general features common to all versions of Lohan Kungfu that make it characteristically different from other kiungfu styles, especially those styles where their inventors or first patriarchs consciously made changes to the kungfu they had learned from their teachers. Lohan Kungfu is characteristically different from, for example, Xingyiquan, Eagle Claw, Wuzuquan, Taijiquan, Praying Mantis, Baguazhang and Wing Choon Kungfu.
After a long explanation of the development of Lohan Kungfu, which is not only interesting but also beneficial, we are now able to answer the question with some insight.
As Lohan Kungfu in general lacks developments, like tiger claw and force training within the set, that came later, would it be an advantage to a master. The answer can be yes or no depending on various factor.
As a short answer, it is yes, its simplicity is an advantage. Usually it is force, or skill, and not technique, that enables a master to defeat his opponent. The simplicity of Lohan Kungfu would enable the master to focus on developing internal force.
The master is so forceful or skillful that he can use any technique on his opponent. Imagine a five-year old boy fighting with you. Irrespective of his techniques, you can easily beat him with your sheer strength. In terms of internal force, an opponent is like a five-year old compared to a master, even when their biological age may be similar.
However, if the opponent is equally forceful or skillful, appropriate techniques are important. If a five-year old boy grips an adult, the adult can easily fling the boy away. But if another strong adult grips him, he needs appropriate techniques to release the grip. Hence, if a Lohan master meets another master, the lack of sophisticated techniques in Lohan Kungfu would be a setback.
This simplicity of Lohan Kungfu is relative. Lohan Kungfu is simple compared to other kungfu styles like Praying Mantis, Baguazhang, Hoong Ka and Wing Choon. But when compared to non-kungfu martial arts, even the early version of Lohan Kungfu as represented by Four Gates, is sophisticated. This situation is particularly relevant today as many people practice other martial arts. So the simplicity of Lohan Kungfu relative to other kungfu styles, is a double advantage to a Lohan master.
It is significant to note that the simplicity of Lohan Kungfu is different from the simplicity of Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan. Lohan Kungfu is simple because we refer to the version of Lohan Kungfu before the development of sophisticated techniques. On the other hand, Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan are simple because they were simplified by masters after the masters had known sophisticated techniques.
Suppose we grade the development of kungfu from 1 to 100, 1 being the lowest and 100 being the highest in its development. Lohan Kungfu was developed by masters who were at the 30th mark of development. Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan were simplified from complex techniques by masters who had gone beyond the 100th mark.
Masters who developed Lohan Kungfu used simple techniques because they did not know sophisticated techniques. Masters who developed Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan knew sophisticated technqies but they preferred simple ones because these were more effective. Both Yue Fei and Bai Yu Feng who invented Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan knew a lot of sophisticated techniques.
Although Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan students today do not have the rich experience of the inventors of these arts, these arts were developed in such a way that their simplicity was different from the simplicity of Lohan Kungfu. For example, the simple technique, “pi-quan” or “thrust palm” of Xingyiquan, and the simple technique, “tu’ or “shoot” of Wuzuquan, could be used against any attack – yes, any attack! But this could not be said for Lohan Kungfu.
Of course, only masters can have such understanding and ability of Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan. Most Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan practitioners may not even know most of the patterns they perform. Damian (Dr Damian Kissey) demonstrated this rare ability at a Special Shaolin-Taijiquan Course in Sabah in 2011. Various people attacked Damian in different ways, including felling attacks, and Damian countered every attack with a Wuzuquan shoot. A Lohan Kungfu master would have to use different counters for different attacks.
How would the insight from this long answer help us in our daily life?
We may, for example, benefit from its general principles.
The same question may have different right answers due to different conditions. The simplicity of Lohan Kungfu is an advantage to a master, but not to ordinary students. Yet, if the master meets another master, the simplicity may be a setback.
The same principle can be applied to other things besides Lohan Kungfu, and appreciating this principle can save us a lot of misunderstanding and quarrels. With our experience, we know that practicing chi kung can overcome so-called incurable diseases, but most other people who have no exposure of genuine chi kung, or those who practice gentle physical exercise using chi kung forms, would not believe this fact. Others may vehemently accuse us for mis-information.
We may also benefit from the practical development of techniques. We traced the development of Lohan Kungfu from simple punches and kicks to sophisticated techniques that the uninitiated may not realize their combat application. The same development can also be applied to other things, like relationship at your work place, or the relationship between husband and wife.
Just like a later version of Lohan Kungfu is very different from its early version, your relationship with your colleagues, or with your husband or wife would be very different now than when you first met. As past masters gradually improved Lohan Kungfu, often without their conscious intervention, you could also improve your relationship, without being obtrusive. If you let the relationship continue without subtle guidance, it may turn into what you may not like.
Learning in our school will help you to enhance every aspect of your life.
Tiger-Crane -- the latest version of Lohan Kungfu
Little Lohan Fist
18-Lohan Fist
Treasure House of Kungfu Sets
Treasure House of Combat Application
Those who wish to attend the 18-Lohan Fist course in Frankfurt, Germany on 26th, 29th, 30th September and 1st October 2014, please contact Secretary, Wahnam Germany or phone (069) 904-31954.
The questions and answers are reproduced from the thread 10 Questions on 18-Lohan Fist in the Shaolin Wahnam Discussion Forum.
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