Courses Shaolin Wahnam Sabah

One essential condition is required for participating in the courses is to uphold and practice the Ten Shaolin Laws. Please read and understand the 10 Shaolin Laws carefully. Application for the courses is taken to be an indication that you have accepted this condition.

The Shaolin Wahnam Logo | The 10 Shaolin Laws | Shaolin Wahnam Lineage

SHAOLIN WAHNAM LOGO

The design of the logo is red in colour and the background yellow. These are the colours of our school. Red represents courage and righteousness, and yellow represents compassion and wisdom, manifesting the ideals of a scholar-warrior as well as the ideals of a warrior-monk.

The design of the trident and three-sectional soft-whip makes the letter W and N, indicating "Wah Nam", named after Grandmaster Lai Chin Wah and Grandmaster Ho Fatt Nam, the two sources from which our school developed.

The trident and soft-whip also represent "kong" ("gang" in Mandarin) and "yow" ("rou"), indicating both the "hard" and "soft" dimensions of our training.

The inner and the outer circles represent both the internal and external approaches of our cultivation, and also signify that we pay importance to both our mind as well as our body. The inner circle reminds us of the importance of internal unity, and the outer circle our universality, i.e. we spread our arts to deserving people irrespective of their race, culture and religion.

In addition,, note that "Shaolin" is a Mandarin translation, whereas "Wahnam" is Cantonese. "Shaolin" was chosen over "Siu Lam" (which is in Cantonese) because it is universally known, whereas "Wahnam" was chosen over "Huanan" (in Mandarin) because the names of our grandmasters, "Lai Chin Wah" and "Ho Fatt Nam" are generally known in Cantonese.

This shows we can be both idealistic and practical at the same time -- the non-dualistic characteristic of Zen. We are idealistic in our aspiration, but practical in our application. It also reflects that while our origin (Shaolin) was from the northern Shaolin Temple, our development (Wahnam) was from the Shaolin Temple in the south.

Joan points out that the number three, as suggested by the trident and the three sectional whip, is important. It reminds us of the three treasures of Shaolin, namely chi kung, kungfu and Zen, and that our training involves all the three dimensions of form, energy and mind.

(Editorial Note: Joan is Sifu Joan Browne of Shaolin Wahnam Ireland.)

THE 10 SHAOLIN LAWS

The Ten Shaolin Laws are non-religious, and transcend all cultures and races, i.e. people of any culture and race would agree that they promote values that are worthy and desirable. Laws, in the Shaolin tradition, are not meant to be punitive or restrictive, but as practical means to help followers achieve set aims and objectives; in this case to help them attain the best possible results in practising Shaolin Kungfu for combat efficiency, joyful living, mind expansion, and spiritual fulfilment.

There is no legal binding on the Ten Shaolin Laws; one cannot be prosecuted in a law court if he breaks these laws. The binding is moral. But they are not forced upon the follower; the follower accepts them because he chooses to, because he believes they are helpful to him in his physical, emotional, mental and spiritual cultivation. If he breaks the laws, despite sufficient warnings, he may be asked to leave the Shaolin training, not as a punishment, but because the training is not suitable for him.

The Ten Shaolin Laws

Required to respect the master, honour the Moral Way and love fellow disciples as brothers and sisters.
Required to train the Shaolin arts diligently, and as a pre-requisite, to be physically and mentally healthy.
Required to be filial to parents, be respectful to the elderly, and protective of the young.
Required to uphold righteousness, and to be both wise and courageous.
Forbidden to be ungrateful and unscrupulous, ignoring the Laws of man and heaven.
Forbidden to rape, molest, do evil, steal, rob, abduct or cheat.
Forbidden to associate with wicked people; forbidden to do any sorts of wickedness.
Forbidden to abuse power, be it official or physical; forbidden to oppress the good and bully the kind.
Obliged to be humane, compassionate and spread love, and to realize everlasting peace and happiness for all people.
Obliged to be chivalrous and generous, to nurture talents and pass on the Shaolin arts to deserving disciples.

THE LINEAGE OF SHAOLIN WAHNAM

Shaolin Wahnam Sabah