Why ‘Sao Lim’ and not ‘Shaolin’?

Why ‘Sao Lim’ and not ‘Shaolin’?

Lim is just the way many Chinese of Hokkian (Fujian) decent in Malaysia would transcribe the characters ‘少林’.

The transcription ‘Shaolin’ is also best known in Western countries, but in South East Asian countries many variations exist. Sometimes caused by different linguistical backgrounds (different dialects) or by using non-standard transcription systems (often based on the language of the country’s former colonial ruler).

Some examples:

‘Shaolin’/’Shao Lin’; most widely accepted. Standard Mandarin written using the 1958 Hanyu Pinyin system.
‘Sao Lim’; used in Malaysia. Based on Hokkien dialect from Fujian province.
‘Shao Lim’; used in Malaysia.
‘Seow Lim’; seen in Malaysia and also in Singapore. Maybe a Hakka or Teow Chew dialect (Southern China).
‘Siao Lin’; seen in Singapore.
‘Siau Lim’; seen in Singapore.
‘Siauw Lim’; from Indonesia.
‘Siu Lam’; used in Hong Kong. Cantonese dialect
‘Sjao Lin’: used in Indonesia. Dutch transliteration.
(‘Shorin’; Japanese)

Only in Communist China the Hanyu Pinyin transliteration system is widely accepted. This system was adopted in 1958; by that time the overseas Chinese were already writing in their own transcription instead.

The Martial arts of Sek Koh Sam go by quite a few different names. Reportedly he himself just called it ‘少林拳’ meaning Shaolin Boxing. How he would Romanize this is unknown. For Chinese readers this in no issue but for me as a Westerner the different ways to Romanize it is an interesting view on the culture surrounding the martial arts of Sek Koh Sam.

Likely most of the list stated below were compiled after the demise of Sek Koh Sam:

  • 南少林 Nan Shaolin. Southern Shaolin. Other styles also use this in there name. Most notably Nan Shaolin Wuzuquan (Ngo Cho Kun 五组拳). This style Sek Koh Sam studied before he started Shaolin.
    Others point to Nan Shaolin as their root, for example Hung Gar (洪家) and Choy Lee Fat (蔡李佛)
  • 佛家派 Fojia Pai. Buddhist Style or Sect. This is Hood Khar Pai. A (as far as I know unrelated style) in Guangdong also uses this name. In Cantonese: Fatt Gar.
  • 少林高渗派 Shaolin Gaoshen Pai. Shaolin Gaoshen Sect.
  • 高参堂 – 双林高参堂 Gaoshen Tang – Shuanglin Gaoshen Tang. Shuanglin is the mandarin pinyin transliteration of Siong Lim.  The temple in Singapore where Sek Koh Sam lived and taught.
  • 南北拳 – 少林南北拳  Nam Pai Chuan. Although the style is a form of Southern Shaolin, sometimes the term ‘Northern & Southern Shaolin’ is used. Uknow to me is why this is exactly. Now changed to  少林高參門南北拳. Gao Can Mun. Mun or Men stands for school or style. Derived from Quek Heng Choon’s Nanyang Shaolin Gao Can Mun 南洋少林高參門.
  • 南洋少林 – Nanyang Shaolin. Nanyang (‘Southern Ocean’) is the Chinese term for the warmer and fertile geographical region along the southern coastal regions of China and beyond, otherwise known as the ‘South Sea’ or Southeast Asia.
    ‘Nanyang Shaolin National Martial Arts Association’ 南洋少林國術總會in Singapore. It seems to be an alternative (old) name for the 新加坡少林國術總會.
  •  南洋一带南派少林武术”怡山派”; The Yishan School of Southern Shaolin Kungfu in Southeast Asia. Yishan is a location in Fuzhou city. In inside that area a temple is located; the Xichan Temple. 福建州怡山西禪寺. That is the place where 微嘉. Monk Wei Jia came from . He was the one that organized Sek Koh Sam.

An interesting delineation of Sek Koh Sam’s Shaolin is the following: ‘Lohan body & Monkey fist’. 羅漢體猴拳 Lohan Tee Kao Kun. The meaning of this is hard to explain, especially the ‘Lohan body’ section. Essentially it means a form of Kung Fu with a body which radiates a certain kind of power, self-confidence and empyrean. It symbolizes the iron skills such as iron body and a powerful and strong body. Monkey style is associated with agility, nimbleness, rolling & sweeping and crouching. These are the characteristics of Sek Koh Sam’s Shaolin.

I think we can summarize and identify the style as following:

南少林    佛家派   高參門
羅漢體猴拳

Or just “ Sao Lim” 😊