I8 I.

OHAN HANDS
Origin:
During 527 A.D., the lndion monk known os Bodhidhormo (To Mo) mode the
long trek from lndio to the Shoolin monostery in the Songshon mountoins of
Honon province fo spreod the teoching of Mohoyono Buddhism. Legend hos
it thot of the Shoolin monostery, Bodhidhormo sot ond foced the woll of o
cove retreot for nine yeors, meditoting in silence in his seoch for
enlightenment. During these long yeors of meditotion, To Mo discovered thot
lock of movement, plus the bitter cold ond wind of his mountoin retreot,
culminoted in extreme fotigue, body oches ond poin. His disciples suffered the
some oilments ond often dozed off into sleep during meditotion. To combot
these hozords, os well os meeting the monks'need to be fit ond strong to
defend the group from the bondits ond wild beosts thot lurked the oreo, To
Mo creoted o sei of exercises bosed portly on Buddhist yogo, portly on existing
fitness orts, ond portly on his own observotion of onimols in nofure. The exercise
he possed down wos known os "the I8 Lohon Honds" - regorded b mony
historions os the "seed" of Shoolin Kung Fu.

Lohon Kung is on "internol exercise" (nei Kung) thot uses movemenf, breoth
control (chi kung) ond the mind to octivote the flow of the chi olong the body
meridions. As on internol exercise, lohon kung cultivotes the jing, the chi ond
the shen inwordly. Outwordly it is procticed to build up o strong ond vigorous
body for the student to further his or her mortiol ort study.
Symbolicolly speoking, it is soid in lohon kung thot the movement of the
drogon cultivote the spirit (shen); the tiger toughens the muscles ond hordens
the bones; the leopord increoses one's vigor ond strength; the snoke octivotes
the life/vitol energy (chi); ond the crone gothers one's essence (jing). The
Chinese speok of the jing, the chi ond the shen os the "three treosures". They
ore interdependent of one onother ond ore fundomentol substonces of
being.
Points
-The cultivotion of chi through slow ond groceful movements.
-The concepf of Yin ond Yong cycle in motion ond in respirotion.

Lohon Kung hos on equol omount

of hord ond soft movemenls,

fully
fluctuoting from one extreme of Yin to other extreme of Yong ond vice verso.

Lohon 2
-By hordness one refers to the power of the mind in extending the limbs
ond rotoiing the joints. The hordness is creoted by the rising of the chi

octivoted by the

mind

much like the flow of woter hordens on

otherwise soft length of hose.

-By softness one refers to the contrqcting ond reloxing of the body ond
the gothering of chi between movements.
-With the expqnsion qnd controction of the muscles, os well os o deep
pottern of breothing the chi is octivoted ond flows in o vigorous woy.

-Perseveronce ond enduronce will cultivote

strength in the proctitioner.

powerful "internol"

MOVEMENTS:

Meditotion Stonce
l.-2. Rqise Pqlms Towqrds Heoven - LT hond up, RT hond down, RT hond
up, LT hond down.
3.-6. Push Honds To Topple Mounlqins - Lunge Rt, Lt, Rt, Lt. (Opposite
hond to leg forword).
7.-10. Blqck Tiger Slrqiqhlens lls Bock - Lunge Rt, Lt, Gid Stonce (push
honds bock) repeot on Lt, Horse sfonce forword ond push.
I l. Wild Goose Unfolds lls Winss - on toes with high crone beoks.
12. Bow With Hqnds Pressed - Forword, Lt ond Rt Leopord Stonce.
,l3.
Seporole Honds As Drowins Bow - Lt lunge - leopord pows, Rt hond
fonrrord , Lt hond bock, leon bock Rt hond under chin , Lt on bock, Rt
lunge, reverse honds ond repeot.
14. Golden Leopqrd Shows lls Clows - Lt lunge Rt clow high, Lt clow
behind, leon bock looking into the Rt clow, Rt lunge repeot ond reverse
honds, Lt lunge, reverse honds focing forword, repeot on Rt lunge.
,l5.
Fronl Kick With Poinled Toes - Lt foot fonryord, Leopord pows, (Rt
hond forword), repeot on Rt.
I6. Slrike Wilh Horizonlol leq Sweep - Lt leg forword, honds sweep on Lt,
reverse ond repeot.
I Z. Verticql Hiqh Kick - Lt hond ond leg bock, Rt hond forword, keep
honds some ond move leg forword, move leg bock ond swing forword
to kick, repeot on other side.
I B. Turn Bodv Wilh Twisled Sleps - Rt leg bock into girl stonce ond crone
beoks flt hond on top), Horse stonce orms open, leon bock, Lt leg
behind into girl stonce, beok honds (Rt hond on top), Horse stonce, orms
out, bring honds ond feet bock into Meditotion Stqnce.

opening position

- knees and shoulders relaxed

- even weight
- straight spine

- pa hui to tan tien meditation

- pull fingers back

- arch back slightly
- relax and push in both directions
- visualize meridians opening

pull fingers back

both feet 45 degrees
relax, have a straight spine and push in both directions
pelvis, shoulders and arms are in a straight line as though
a pole rests on the shoulders from wrist to wrist

- push

relax the arms and twist the waist to push the hands out.

with a straight back

pull fingers back

both feet 45 degrees

,{

&

- relar, twist and push with a straight back

- feet form a 'T', front heel on the ground
- keep the back straight and use the buttock and inner
trunk muscles to hold the pose square

- sit deep with even

weight

- knees directly over toes

- toes face straight forward
- keep spine straight and tuck buttock in
- visualize cups of water on the wrists and

thighs

t
.5

rl
- up on toes

- relax your neck

tr

- prayer hands
- step forward with left foot

concentrate between hands

- lift heel of back

- back straight

foot

weight on back leg

- leopard fists

- all

- pull left arm back so the back

ofthe hand is next to the left
ear at a distance of eight inches
- relax the arms and twist the

- look at the hand

- support the lower back with

the

left wrist and relax.

- straighten the front leg

waist

10

tiger claws

- tense

tiger claws

- tense

- stare

into palm

- stare into palm

- stretch the neck and ribcage

movements 12-15 are shown from the side, but they are performed kicking and punching in the same direction faced in the opening position.

't2

13

- be relaxed and rooted with a straight spine

- point toe and lift.

twist and push

14

- pelvis faces the

floor

- keep the arms in previous position

- bring the leg forward and straighten up
- pull the toe back and hold

stretch out in both directions

- punching fist9 pointed toe
- look over the shoulder at the foot
-

twist to the left

- left arm cocked with beak hand
beside left ear
- rioht wriit an inch under left elbow
-

feet squarg bend back

- swing the leg back and forward

a

into

straight kick

- expand the ribcage and relax

- resume the Opening position