Bak Sil Lum vs. Shaolin Temple #3

Who's Got the Real Shaolin Kungfu?
by Gene Ching

Shaolin versus Bak Sil Lum
Beyond the historical context of Songshan Shaolin kungfu and Bak Sil Lum kungfu, what is taught by both systems provides two contrasting perspectives on this venerated art. Bak Sil Lum is built around a core of ten empty-hand sets, complimented by a few dozen assorted weapon sets and some sparring sets. Most Bak Sil Lum masters have about 40 to 50 forms in their curriculum, give or take an odd weapon or two, but everyone has the ten empty-hand sets. Additionally, there is an 18 empty-hand techniques set, which is an assortment of 18 basic line drills, and the hard qigong of Iron Palm and an 18 step Iron Body (Master Ku's specialty.) The ten empty-hand sets of Bak Sil Lum (in Cantonese, then Mandarin, then English) are:

1. Koy Moon (kai men - open the door)
2. Leng Low (ling lu - the leader)
3. Jow Mah (zuo ma - horse stance)
4. Chum Sam (chuan xin - strike the heart)
5. Mo I (wu yi - martial arts)
6. Tun Da (duan da - short strike)
7. Moi Fah (mei hua - plum flower)
8. Bot Bo (ba bu - shuffling step)
9. Lien Wan (lan huan - continuation)
10. Sik Fot (shi fa - skilled technique)

These ten sets have a magnificent overall structure. Once all ten are learned, they form a cohesive curriculum in which each set compliments the next and patterns are built upon patterns until the very notion of patterns dissolves. It is a truly brilliant system, one that could have only been composed after years of development and refinement by many generations of masters.

In contrast, Songshan Shaolin kungfu claims around 200 sets sum total, although it is rare for a single practitioner to know them all. Also, these are just the traditional Shaolin sets, beyond the curriculum of contemporary wushu and sanda (free sparring) taught to competing students there. The 18 hand techniques are taught both as an empty-hand set and an assortment of 18 basic line drills, but it is not standardized across the all the monks and masters. There are a lot of similarities and overlap, but 18 is more significant as a symbolic number. According to legend, Shaolin kungfu founder Bodhidharma originally created an 18 empty-hand routine. Iron Palm and Iron Body are part of the 72 skills of Shaolin. Each of these skills is a unique conditioning method. Again, every master does not train all of these; they each pick a few to focus upon. It is often said that Shaolin has 18 weapons, but this is a common generalization for all kungfu. Actually, there are many more, and at least within the Songshan curriculum, often multiple sets for each weapon. For example, Shaolin has several different forms for staff alone. Interestingly, there is a ten empty-hand form grouping that is currently propounded by the present abbot, Shi Yongxin. The ten empty-hand sets of Songshan Shaolin are:

1. Xiaohongquan (small red fist)
2. Dahongquan (big red fist)
3. Tongbiquan (through arms fist)
4. Liuhequan (six harmonies fist)
5. Changquan (long fist)
6. Changhuxinyimen (long protect heart will gate)
7. Qixingquan (seven star fist)
8. Meihuaquan (plum flower fist - although not the same set as in Bak Sil Lum)
9. Paoquan (cannon fist)
10. Lohanquan (arhat fist)

The Songshan Shaolin curriculum is much more dependant upon who teaches it. In the old days, initiates were separated into different training halls and taught different material. This tradition persists only now the different halls are less literal. Each monk and master has his or her own personal set list, although many of the fundamental sets like the xiaohong and dahong are universal through Songshan. The sets do compliment each other, especially the paired sets (again the hong sets are a perfect example,) but it lacks the tight cohesiveness of Bak Sil Lum, since the system is so wide open.

There are several old adages about Shaolin kungfu. Shaolin kungfu travels a straight line. Shaolin kungfu can be practiced in the space it takes to lie down an ox. Shaolin kungfu is straight but not straight. There are also some characteristic movements. Shaolin sets begin by traveling to the left and conclude in Hero's pose (Jinnaluo Wang.) Both Songshan Shaolin and Bak Sil Lum share some of these attributes. Neither system has sets that can be practiced in the space it takes to lie down an ox without adjustments. This actually sounds more like some of the southern Shaolin descendents, like Wing Chun and the original version of Hung Gar. However, both systems are straight, but not straight, travel left and end in hero's pose for the most part.

Traveling in a straight line is the most interesting characteristic. In Bak Sil Lum, #1, #6 and #10 travel a straight line but the others deviate. Traditional Songshan Shaolin sets all travel a straight line, however, recently some sets have been modified for performance. Herein lies an interesting distinction between competitive wushu and traditional. Generally, competitive wushu travels an X-shaped pattern. This is because the judges are positioned at the corners of the ring, so a X-shaped pattern gives the judges the best presentation. It also maximizes the running space just like competitive gymnastics so the performers have more room to generate momentum for those spectacular leaps and flips. A few Shaolin schools have added X-shaped wushu patterns, often dropping them right smack in the middle of a traditional set, but this is not by any means the convention.

The Real Shaolin Kungfu
Songshan Shaolin is a much bigger system than Bak Sil Lum, but size isn't everything. However, in my personal opinion, Songshan Shaolin is more true to the original description of Shaolin kungfu. Although Bak Sil Lum has an astounding overall composition, since I am learning the individual Songshan sets now, they seem more profound in quality. Perhaps this is because I do not have a regular teacher of Songshan Shaolin like I do for Bak Sil Lum, so it is more a journey of self-discovery. Perhaps too, my study of Bak Sil Lum primed me for more penetrating examinations of Shaolin movements. There is certainly a recency effect, but since I have completed all of the Bak Sil Lum sets and only begun on the Songshan sets (with no realistic possibility of acquiring them all in this lifetime) Songshan Shaolin will remain a fresh study for the rest of my life.

This by no means invalidates Bak Sil Lum, nor does it lessen its claim as a true Shaolin style. Ultimately, both styles are 'real' Shaolin. But then, any derivation of Shaolin can be real, especially given Shaolin's long and tumultuous history. I have demonstrated Bak Sil Lum for many masters and monks at Shaolin Temple and they have all recognized it as authentic Shaolin. Given the nature of the Songshan curriculum, they have learned to look at the essence of the movements, not the patterns of the set, to determine authenticity. They saw that immediately in Bak Sil Lum, so much so that a few have even inquired about which monk I had learned it from. Currently, I know many Bak Sil Lum practitioners like myself who are studying the Songshan Shaolin sets. I think we would all love to discover any of the Bak Sil Lum sets still in practice there, but even without that, there is such a resonance between the systems it really doesn't matter. Both systems are so parallel that they can blend seamlessly into each other. I would love to hear of a Songshan Shaolin practitioner going the other way and studying Bak Sil Lum. Their insights would be very enlightening.

The most reaffirming aspect of Songshan Shaolin and Bak Sil Lum was that I didn't have to empty my Bak Sil Lum "cup" when I began practicing Songshan Shaolin. The Shaolin teacup is more of a huge kettle, brimming with a rich brew to slake the thirsty. It is as if Bak Sil Lum represents one of the lost halls of Shaolin Temple - a prodigal son who ventured out into the world but still honored his father in the end. Songshan Shaolin versus Bak Sil Lum immediately conjures up those old kungfu movies, but in reality, they are two alternate strains of tea sprung from the eyes of Bodhidharma.

Written by Gene Ching for KUNGFUMAGAZINE.COM

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