Uploaded November 2014 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
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- "deterrence" strategy:
Buddha's 18 hands teaches the first tactic:
tactic 1 - 'prowess':
"empty-city tactic (空城计)" – in wars, a city is the target. an empty-city, with nothing to lose and win, is a wrong target. be a wrong opponent, with no sign of offense and defense. instead of showing your intimidation and fear, show calmness and confident gazes into their eyes to deter them.
this involves intense prowess in moves. in this style, all moves are rigid, brave, and furious, teaching you how to appear a wrong target.
__________________
- history:
this is the oldest form of Shaolin kung fu.
Liang dynasty (502-557):
Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism, entered Shaolin temple in 527 AD. he made meditation part of Shaolin monks' daily routine. monks had simple exercises to recover after meditation and cultivate their body as well. they combined martial art and Zen to form the union of body and mind.
Sui dynasty (581-618):
according to the historical records of Shaolin temple, monks of Shaolin temple had a select set of simple moves based on expressions of daily activities and Buddhism. they later combined these moves into a combat form which was later called 'luohan 18 hands'.
Tang dynasty (618-907):
until the Tang dynasty, the 18 moves were increased into 36 moves.
Jin and Yuan dynasties (1115-1368):
monk Jue Yuan, with the help of folk masters Li Sou and Bai Yufeng, developed the 36 moves into about 72. Bai Yufeng, after becoming a monk with the Buddhist name Qiuyue, became the librarian of Shaolin temple and later increased these into 173 moves.
Ming dynasty (1368-1644):
in Chinese Buddhism, the luohans, those who reach the enlightenment of Buddhahood, were originally only 4, and their number was increased to 16 over time, and in the Ming dynasty it was increased to 18. a group of monks increased the number of the luohan hands into 18 forms, each form with 18 postures with the beginning and ending salutes.
however, these extensions were not officially accepted by Shaolin temple and the monks only preserved their original luohan 18 hands.
__________________
- note: there are various other forms and styles named 'luohan 18 hands' in Chinese kung fu, and they are historically and technically different from Shaolin luohan 18 hands. these are just different styles with similar names. 🙏
__________________
Shaolin Kung Fu tutorial:
- bodybuilding: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB9EB410ECABF43C8
- techniques: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6fQ8a5mXbyMpvEXB9C4j_NoVWmhf5zsz
- styles: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8F75C68BF1246C2B
- weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE48D537F756421A2
__________________
- "deterrence" strategy:
Buddha's 18 hands teaches the first tactic:
tactic 1 - 'prowess':
"empty-city tactic (空城计)" – in wars, a city is the target. an empty-city, with nothing to lose and win, is a wrong target. be a wrong opponent, with no sign of offense and defense. instead of showing your intimidation and fear, show calmness and confident gazes into their eyes to deter them.
this involves intense prowess in moves. in this style, all moves are rigid, brave, and furious, teaching you how to appear a wrong target.
__________________
- history:
this is the oldest form of Shaolin kung fu.
Liang dynasty (502-557):
Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism, entered Shaolin temple in 527 AD. he made meditation part of Shaolin monks' daily routine. monks had simple exercises to recover after meditation and cultivate their body as well. they combined martial art and Zen to form the union of body and mind.
Sui dynasty (581-618):
according to the historical records of Shaolin temple, monks of Shaolin temple had a select set of simple moves based on expressions of daily activities and Buddhism. they later combined these moves into a combat form which was later called 'luohan 18 hands'.
Tang dynasty (618-907):
until the Tang dynasty, the 18 moves were increased into 36 moves.
Jin and Yuan dynasties (1115-1368):
monk Jue Yuan, with the help of folk masters Li Sou and Bai Yufeng, developed the 36 moves into about 72. Bai Yufeng, after becoming a monk with the Buddhist name Qiuyue, became the librarian of Shaolin temple and later increased these into 173 moves.
Ming dynasty (1368-1644):
in Chinese Buddhism, the luohans, those who reach the enlightenment of Buddhahood, were originally only 4, and their number was increased to 16 over time, and in the Ming dynasty it was increased to 18. a group of monks increased the number of the luohan hands into 18 forms, each form with 18 postures with the beginning and ending salutes.
however, these extensions were not officially accepted by Shaolin temple and the monks only preserved their original luohan 18 hands.
__________________
- note: there are various other forms and styles named 'luohan 18 hands' in Chinese kung fu, and they are historically and technically different from Shaolin luohan 18 hands. these are just different styles with similar names. 🙏
__________________
Shaolin Kung Fu tutorial:
- bodybuilding: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB9EB410ECABF43C8
- techniques: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6fQ8a5mXbyMpvEXB9C4j_NoVWmhf5zsz
- styles: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8F75C68BF1246C2B
- weapons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE48D537F756421A2
