The 18 Lohan Hands

Discuss shaolin longfist, white crane or other styles. Theory, practice and applications. Please stay on topic.

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The 18 Lohan Hands

Postby Sorcerer » Wed Dec 07, 2011 10:48 pm

I've mentioned this form on this forum before. Personally, it is one of the most fascinating things I know. I have done Lohan ofte oftne oftne over the years, but always end up giving up, because it is so hard to do it again and again and again.

Do any of you have similar troubles in your studies? How do you deal with this? I am trying to find fors that have similar effects. For instance, I suspect the Lohan Kung is actually a type of Wai Dan Qi Gong in which energy stagnates in the arms. At the end of the form, when one relaxes and brethes, that energy then flows back to the dantien, nourishing the qi channels and drawing energy from the mind (which makes one feel spiritual and more sensitive to Tian Qi.

I am tryin to do someting similar by doing the Horse Stance (Ma Bu) whilst holding my hand sup in the air, and the breathing / relaxing afterwards. I am also trying to reach similr spiritual states without Lohan Kung by doing basic Wai Dan standing Qi Gong first thing in the morning and then normal Katas / Forms in the afternoon.

Thoughts? Suggestions?
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Re: The 18 Lohan Hands

Postby yeniseri » Thu Dec 08, 2011 9:03 am

There are a few 18 Lohan systems out there!
The system I learned from Yucheng Huang was an alleged Shaolin equivalent nanquan routine and it contained 2 man training regimen. 18 Lohan could be considered wushugong encompassing the working of upperjiao with emphais on lung/large intestine innervation.

What you see is valid enough so enjoy training!
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Re: The 18 Lohan Hands

Postby Dvivid » Fri Dec 09, 2011 10:16 am

Yes, the 18 Lohan are wai dan qigong. Any qigong that uses the limbs and movement to develop qi and the return it to the center is wai dan.

Da Mo wrote the detailed theory, actually a Buddhist sutra, of these movements during his "nine years facing the wall" at Shaolin. He wrote three others at that time too. (And, after he began teaching these things, the former head monk Batuo, who was the founder at Shaolin, finally accepted Da Mo into Shaolin, and became his disciple.)

It has been interpreted many ways, but its best to trace back to the root of Da Mo's Lohan and understand the theory of the movements as he intended them.

Jay Dunbar's looks pretty good. I am always looking for more versions of these exercises, keep them coming!

One thing I'd mention is, after hard-style qigong, your body can be overly-energized. Relaxing afterward may not be enough. You may also want to practice some soft-style qigong to get loose, or else you risk a stagnant feeling in the body. Stagnation is the root of many kind of illness, and it can make you feel tired, weak, frustrated, or depressed.
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