Shaolin stances
The 18 Lohan stances
Or so they say.... Whether these are the initial practice positions from ancient times that were incorporated into what eventually became the Shaolin gong fu forms, or, if they are positions taken out of some of the original Lohan maneuvers, I don't know, and I can't find anyone to give me a definitive answer. (Definitive answers are not too common here). In any case, the following are representations of some of the most common Shaolin gong fu stances and positions, all commonly used throughout many of the Shaolin gong fu forms. There are boxing stances and positions mixed among the various animal stances and positions. However, due to the large amount of animal forms in Shaolin gong fu, many are not represented here.
Historical Stances: Click to open:
See Ji Ben Gong for modern day representations of stances.