Our history
We are one of the largest and most respected Shaolin Kung Fu schools in the world.
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Our style originates from the Shaolin temples in northern and southern
China, and is taught at centres around the world. We employ traditional
training methods which have been used for centuries to teach Kung Fu to
Shaolin monks, alongside more modern methods to help our students learn
self-defence techniques and improve their fitness.
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The ancient martial art of Shaolin Lohan Kung Fu -
Rite of the 35 Chambers
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The Lohan Sect (Group or Association) existed in China for over 1,650 years. They were the founders of the “White Lotus Society,” one of the few groups authorized to teach non-Buddhists the secrets of Shaolin Kung Fu.
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Shaolin monks were considered among the foremost exponents of Martial Arts (Wushu) in China and abroad. Due to the extreme nature of their training, some practitioners were believed to have gained almost super-human abilities.
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“Lohan” is a Chinese word derived from the Sanskrit word “Arhat” which means “worthy one.” There have been many tales and legends regarding who and what the Lohan Sect was. In Northern China Lohan were described to be the “enlightened spirits” from the Honan Shaolin Temple. In Southern China the Lohan were considered to be renegade monks from the Fukien Siu Lum Temple.
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Legend states that around 520AD Da´ Mo (Bodhidharma) created Sho Pa Lo Han (18 Postures of Lohan). This set of exercise postures formed the foundation of many of the martial styles established during that era at Shaolin. According to Buddhist tradition, monks were not allowed to leave the temple(s). How was it that the Buddhist Patriarch Bodhidharma was able to leave his temple in India? Interesting question. This was an interesting problem for the monks Shaolin also. How were they able to leave the temple(s) to conduct charitable missions, recruiting, etc.? The answer is quite simple. In very traditional Chinese fashion the monks of Shaolin created another sect to their order. This sect would be allowed to become the “Wandering Monks of China” heard of in legends and history.
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These ´Lohan´ wandered all over feudal China. During those many years, the monks acquired many different styles of Martial Arts. The Shaolin monks were (and still are) considered the foremost experts of Chuan Fa in China but they were not the sole people practicing the Martial Arts.
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Also, during the late Ming Dynasty the Shaolin monks became concerned about the changes in their country. They knew that the up and coming Manchurian government would be coming after them. They wanted to teach non-Buddhist the Martial Arts that they had become so famous for to assist in protecting their way of life. Unfortunately, they were left with another problem. Non-Buddhist could not be taught the Martial Arts of their temple. Not without first converting. Therefore they commissioned the Lohan Sect for this task.
This tradition is the foundation of our system. We have many styles integrated into our own that are not solely Shaolin techniques. These sub-styles of the system have been modified with Shaolin philosophy and understanding.
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There are 72 confirmed sects from the Shaolin Temples. Within those sects there are many different styles of Martial Arts. Not to mention that with so many people in one country the development of different understandings (systems) will happen.
Sifu Lai
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16/11/2019
It is the Lohan way of seeking balance between established traditional and selective new techniques that makes Shaolin Gao Can Mun Nam Pai Chuan a truly living martial art.
The Shaolin style Gao Can Mun Nam Pai Chuan has its roots and origins in the traditional martial arts practiced by the Shaolin Monks of China over 2000 years ago.
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Though much of martial arts history could be told in the form of legends and stories of martial arts heroes, it is widely accepted that Shaolin Kung Fu was brought to China and Japan/Korea in the year 525AD by a travelling Buddhist monk known to the Chinese as ‘Da-Moh’ (Bodhidharma).
He is credited with having taught kung fu to the monks in order to strengthen them for meditation and prayer. It is hard to believe that war-like nations like the Chinese, Japanese and Koreans did not possess a martial arts skill of their own.
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The truth is probably that Da-Moh consolidated these skills and had the organisational ability to advocate it to his students. Through the years, the art has grown and developed into many diverse forms and schools but regardless of the style, they could all be traced back to Da-Mo (Bodhidharma).
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The Gao Can Mun Nam Pai Chuan tradition or style can trace its lineage far back to Great Grandmaster Hui Cheng of the Chek Chian Nan Hai Pooi Chee Temple in China. Master Hui was a direct descendant of the Southern Shaolin tradition taught by Buddhist monks in the tradition of Da-Mo.
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One of Master Hui Cheng’s students was Grand Master Seh Koh San, A famous Shaolin Monk attributed to be the father of traditional Shaolin Arts in South East Asia. Shi Gao Can (1886 – 1960) or widely known as Sek Koh Sam, was a Chinese monk who brought traditional Shaolin teachings from Mainland China to South East Asia.
Master Quek Heng Choon is considered to be Shi Gao Can’s most important and influential student from the Singapore/Malaysia era. Born in 1926 in Huian county, Fujian province, China, Master Quek represents the original 50th generation of Shaolin and taught students from Malaysia, Singapore, and China between 1956 and 2010.
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During a training visit to London in 2009 Master Quek named Christopher Lai Khee Choong who is head of Nam Pai Chuan worldwide as his successor and asked that the school be renamed as “Shaolin Gao Can Mun Nam Pai Chuan”.
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Master Lai lives in London and continues to teach the Shaolin System to this day.
