Eighteen is one of those numbers that shows up again and again in Chinese martial arts. Shaolin has the 18 Luohan Hands. Bak Fu Pai claims 18 short forms, 18 long forms, 18 two-man sets, 18 weapons, and 18 two-man weapon sets. Even in Daoist practices, eighteen is treated as a symbolic total — a way of saying “this is complete.” So when James Lacy introduced his system as the 18 Daoist Palms (originally 18 Devil Palms), it sounded familiar. It sounded like it fit. But when you look closely, the resemblance is mostly in the number. The 18 Daoist Palms are not the 18 Luohan Hands. They’re not Bagua’s Eight Mother Palms multiplied by two. They’re their own thing, and understanding that distinction matters.
The Shaolin 18 Luohan Hands
The Luohan Shiba Shou (18 Hands of the Arhats) are some of the oldest recorded Shaolin exercises. They’re simple qigong-like drills — stretches, postures, breathing sets — designed for health, coordination, and martial preparation. They were never meant to be a complete fighting system by themselves. Instead, they functioned as a foundation, conditioning the body for later training.
When Westerners hear “18 Daoist Palms,” it’s easy to assume it’s the Daoist counterpart to Shaolin’s Luohan Hands. But that’s not the case. The Luohan Hands are body-conditioning qigong. The Daoist Palms are a hybrid: forms, meditations, two-man drills, even Iron Palm material. They’re much less cohesive, but also more varied.
The Bak Fu Pai 18s
Bak Fu Pai, the White Tiger system associated with Doo Wai, is another source of “18 mania.” The claim is grand:
- 18 short forms
- 18 long forms
- 18 two-man sets
- 18 weapons
- 18 two-man weapon sets (Maybe?)
That’s 90 forms if you take it literally. That’s just in his Bak Fu Pai system. Doo Wai often invented series or sets of meditations and practices around the number 18. For instance, the 108 Dragon Palms systems consists of 18 Forms, the Miu Hin series consists of 18 Core Forms and 18 Core Meditations. The Stars Among the Heavens and the Wind Amongst the Treetops series each contain 18 Meditations, and San Yi Gong includes 4 sections of 18 Meditations. And the list goes on and on and on.
Lacy’s 18 Daoist Palms sits right at the intersection of this. On one hand, he inherited Miu Hin material (or what was presented as such). On the other, he adopted the number “18” to give his system legitimacy in a culture where “18” already implied completeness. It made sense — but it also created confusion. People assumed “18 Daoist Palms” was the same kind of structured 18 as Shaolin or Bak Fu Pai. It wasn’t.
Bagua’s Eight Mother Palms
Another easy point of confusion is with Baguazhang. Bagua has its “Eight Mother Palms,” the eight fundamental techniques that you circle-walk and expand into a full system. Some people think the 18 Daoist Palms must be related. After all, palms, Daoism, mysterious names — it’s a natural connection.
But in practice, the Daoist Palms don’t look or feel like Bagua. They’re not based on circular walking. They’re not built around palm changes. The forms like Six Shadow Fist or Sparrow Descending to Its Perch are linear, stance-driven, and structurally closer to Southern Shaolin hybrids. The connection is in branding, not content.
Common Misconceptions
One misconception is that all these “18s” are part of a single unified tradition. They’re not. Shaolin’s 18 Hands are old qigong. Bagua’s 8 Palms are internal martial training. Bak Fu Pai’s 18s are a claimed curriculum. Lacy’s 18 Daoist Palms are a modern attempt to impose order on fragments.
Another misconception is that “palms” means just open-hand strikes. In Chinese martial language, “palm” often signifies a system or style, not just a technique. So when Lacy said “18 Daoist Palms,” he wasn’t claiming 18 literal palm strikes. He was claiming 18 modules of a system.
My Reflection
What fascinates me is how much meaning a number can carry. In the West, numbers are mostly about counting. In Chinese tradition, they carry symbolism. Eighteen doesn’t just mean 18. It means auspiciousness, completion, a cycle. Lacy’s choice of 18 wasn’t about accuracy. It was about signaling.
When I look at his system I see someone borrowing a cultural template to create coherence. The irony is that it created more confusion than clarity, because students expected it to match the neatness of other “18s.”
Why It Matters
For modern practitioners, the takeaway is simple: don’t let the number fool you. The 18 Daoist Palms aren’t a missing chapter of Shaolin. They’re not Bagua’s cousin. They’re not a complete Bak Fu Pai curriculum. They’re their own fragmentary hybrid. That doesn’t make them worthless. It just makes them different.
Recognizing that difference frees us to appreciate them on their own terms. The 72 meditations, the quirky form names, the rough VHS tapes — they’re part of a living attempt to preserve and adapt. Numbers can give us a sense of tradition, but they can also trap us in false expectations.
If you enjoyed this comparison, I invite you to join me on Patreon. There, I dive deeper into these connections, showing side-by-side examples of the forms and meditations, and breaking down what’s really similar — and what’s not. Understanding the 18 Daoist Palms isn’t about chasing legends. It’s about seeing clearly what they are, what they aren’t, and why they still matter.