The Lohan Qigong System

The Luohan Qigong System

The origin of Qigong can be traced back to ancient China, as far back as 2,500 B.C. More than a thousand years later; Qigong was listed as one of the Traditional Chinese Medicines for principal methods of treatment. It became very popular among the general public as a form of health maintenance exercise.

The main purpose of Qigong is to develop ones Qi or vital energy. It can help realize the bodies full physical potential, resist sickness and repair damages caused by disease and balance the body’s energy flow. The control of respiration plays a central role in the system. The use of the breath is a fundamental aspect of Qigong practice and is the key to energy control as well as the bridge between the body and the mind.

The elderly can practice Qigong for it's specific therapeutic or rehabilitative properties. Athletes and martial artists from other systems of martial arts can also practice it to compliment their other training.

Four basic forms

There are four internal forms that were never passed down outside the immediate family circle of the descendants of the Chan Heung.

These are the "Buddhidarma Lohan 18 Hands" ("Lohan Kung" for short), the "Siu Lohan", the "Da Lohan" and the "Wu Chi". Together these four form a complete system of internal Kung Fu to cover the whole range of Choy Lee Fut Qigong skills. We have grouped these four forms under the generic name of "Lohan Qigong", literally "the art of the breath of the enlightened ones".

In its original form Lohan Qigong is an internal set of exercises for cultivating the "three treasures" of Qi (vital energy), Jing (essence), and Shen (spirit). Done regularly it activates the flow of the intrinsic life energy along the meridians, strengthens the internal organs, increases longevity through maintenance of health and vigor of body and mind, exercises the joints and muscles, promotes relaxation and stress management, prevents occupational physical stress diseases, promotes postural awareness and correct posture, and provides the essence and base for many internal and external martial arts.

Enter Damo

During the 6th century an Indian Buddhist monk, Bodidharma or Damo, the 36th Patriarch of Mahayana Buddhism, brought the tripitaka, the Three Sutras or
Scriptures to China and traveling throughout the country finally settled at the Shaolin Temple in Henan province. He was the founder of Chan Buddhism, later known as Zen in Japan.

Legend has it that Bodhidharma spent nine years in meditation in a cave. During these years of meditation he discovered that the lack of movements of his body and limbs over a long period of time, plus the bitter cold and wind around his mountain retreat, caused fatigue and body aches and pains. His disciples also suffered the same problems and often dozed off during meditation. To combat those hazards Bodidharma devised a set of exercises, based on Indian Yoga exercises, Chinese health and longevity exercise and his observations of the natural movements of wild animals. This set is known s the "18 Lohan Hands" and is considered to be the source of Shaolin Qigong and Shoalin martial arts.

It seems to be a contradiction that a group of Buddhist monks living a contemplative life are also renown for their expertise in the fighting arts. The reason lies in ancient times when imperial power was weak and corrupt, bands of bandits would terrorize times when imperial power was weak and corrupt, bands of bandits would terrorize the population, and people became the victims of oppression and injustice. It fell on the shoulders of the monks to be champions of justice and protectors of the people. Often people who fell foul of corrupt officials would seek sanctuary at the temple and become monks. Some of them were expert martial artists. In this way the range and skill of the Shaolin monks increased.

Two hundred years ago the Ching Emperor felt so threatened by the power of the Shaolin Temple that he ordered it destroyed. Choy Fook, one of the few surviving monks, fled to the Kwangtung province in the south of China.

When Chan Heung sought out monk Choy Fook in his mountain retreat at Law Fo Shan to be his disciple, Choy Fook taught Chan Heung the entire system of Shaolin Kung Fu as well as the rare set of four internal Qigong forms mentioned earlier. Each form has its own characteristics. All use breath control and the mind to manipulate the flow of qi along the meridians. Three are moving exercises and one uses stationary postures.

First form

The first form of the set, the "Lohan Kung", uses movement to generate the Qi; it emphasizes the extreme of Yin and Yang in the movements, and the full extension and contraction of the circulation of qi. However, even with the full expression of Yang, the body is still soft and supple without any stiffness.

Second form

The second form, the "Siu Lohan", is more rounded in movement and softer. In contrast to the "Lohan Kung", the "Siu Lohan" uses more of the breath (rather than body movement) to generate the Qi circulation. It incorporates stationary postures at different points of the form. Out of stillness movement is born, and out of the flowing movement stillness is cultivated.

Third form

The third form, the "Da Lohan", is done sitting cross-legged with the arms in different "murdas" or postures. The mind, coupled with the breath, is used to focus the qi at the different meridian points along the central axis of the body. Whereas the "Lohan Kung" and the "Siu Lohan" work mainly on the organ meridians, the "Da Lohan" utilizes the "jen-mai" or conception meridian and the "tu-mai" or governing meridian.

Fourth form

The fourth and final form, the “Wu Chi”, combines the skills of the last three with fighting intents. The movements are fluid and flowing, the body soft and supple. Stillness of mind is blended with movement of body, the fast flows into the slow. It is a reflection of the cosmic dance of creation where Yin and Yang, the universal opposites, interact to form the myriad phenomena and entities of the universe. It is a very effective fighting form, combining the hard physical fighting skills with the soft mental concentration and qi circulation. "Wu chi" is not unlike the Chen style taiji’s "Pao Chiu". There are graceful movements inter-mixed with explosive strikes. It is considered to be one of the most advanced fist forms of Choy Lee Fut. (Writer’s note: There is also a Lohan Qigong form call Tai Git Kuen  or Taijiquan, seldom seen by outsiders) 

The key to the technique Lohan qigong can be practiced on its own for health and wellbeing. However, for the serious choy li fut stylist it holds the key to the secrets of the advanced techniques. In the primary level we tend to work mainly with the physical aspects of kung fu, stances, footwork, punches and kicks. Power comes mainly from the muscles and bones. It is external and superficial. To progress onto the higher levels we must work with the body, the mind and the spirit as an integral whole, in other words, the "internal" aspects of kung fu. We achieve this by working with the qi, our intrinsic life force, for this is where lohan qigong really shines.

In terms of form, "Lohan Kung" is usually taught at the beginning of the secondary level, "Siu Lohan" at the end, and "Da Lohan" at the beginning of the advanced level. What about "Wu Chi?" Well, true to the translation of the name (literally "without ultimate"), it is an endless search for perfection.

There is an interesting story of how Lohan Qigong has played an important part in the continual survival of a traditional family style. After all, there are few styles nowadays that can trace its direct family descendants back to the original founder. Two of the more famous exceptions are master Chen Xiaowang of Chen style taiji, and master Chen Yong Fa, of Choy Lee Fut.

Master Chan Yong-Fa, the great, great grandson of Chen Heung, was born just after the Communist Chinese revolution. Because of the nutritional problems in the country at the time, Yong-Fa was born a sickly child. Worried about his chance of survival, his grandfather, Master Chan Yiu-Chi, started to teach Yong-Fa "Lohan Kung" when he was only four years old. His health improved, he became stronger, and has never suffered any major illness. Of all the children (three boys and one girl), he was physically the smallest, but through his early training in the Lohan Qigong and his diligent practice of the fighting arts, he surpassed his larger brothers to become the most skillful in Choy Lee Fut Kung Fu. He is presently the accepted "keeper of the style", or Jeurng Mun Yeng of Choy Lee Fut as passed down through his family lineage.

Master Chen Yong-Fa did not forget the benefit of Lohan Qigong when he left China to settle in Australia. He realized that the only way for Choy Lee Fut to survive is as a genuine traditional martial art was to open up its teaching to the outside world. Traditional knowledge should be used to serve and benefit humanity. In its selfless service, Choy Lee Fut will survive. Before Yong-Fa’s generation, Lohan Qigong was taught only to the members of the Chen family. It is historic that the secret is now made available to the world thanks to Master Chen’s wish to share this life-saving health treasure with as many people as possible.

(Editor’s note: The surnames "Chen" and "Chan" have the same character and meaning in Chinese. The former is a Mandarin translation and the latter is a Cantonese translation. Likewise, the names "Choy Li Fut", "Choy Lee Fut", "Choi Lay Fat", and "Cai Li Fo" all refer to the same style of martial arts in different Chinese dialects and pronunciations, but the characters are written the same way.)

The Lineage of Lohan Qigong

Da Mo (Bodhidharma) the 36th Patriarch - Arrived in China from India in the early 6th century.

Generations of Shaolin monks and disciples, the most famous being monk Gok Yeun, who enlarged the exercise to 72 movements, and Lee Sau and Bak Juk Fung, who further enlarged the 72 movements and transformed the original "Lohan 18 Hands" into an effective fighting system.

Monk Choy Fook (died in 1840).

Chan Heung, founder of Choy Lee Fut, 1806-1875.

Chan Koon Pak, son of Chan Heung, 1847-1920.

Chan Yiu Chi, grandson, 1888-1965.

Chan Wan Hon, great grandson, 1919-1979.

Chen Yong Fa, great, great grandson, born in 1951.

By Howard Choy, reprinted from IKF June 1992