Whenever people ask me how I teach the 18 Daoist Palms, I smile, because the honest answer is: I don’t teach everything. I don’t try to preserve every fragment, every form name on a long list, every grainy VHS sequence. Instead, I’ve chosen the pieces that speak to me — the practices that feel coherent, alive, and worth passing on. And when I put those pieces together, what emerges is a living path that balances form, meditation, power training, and weapons.
The 18 Miu Hin Forms
For me, the foundation is the 18 Miu Hin Forms. These are the core hand sets that give structure to the art. They’re not polished like modern wushu, but they have flavor — a distinctly Southern feel, with the explosive short power you see in Pak Mei and Lung Ying. Practicing them develops rooted stances, coiled energy, and that springy, ging-driven force that Southern kung fu is known for.
They’re not just choreography. They’re expressions of energy. Each form has its own rhythm, its own personality. Together, they provide a framework that feels like a real curriculum, not just fragments.
The 18 Core Meditations
Alongside the forms, I emphasize the 18 Core Meditations. These are where clarity, health, and grounding come from. I focus on these 18 — enough to offer variety and depth, without overwhelming.
The meditations give balance to the forms. Where the forms are explosive, the meditations are calming. Where the forms train power, the meditations train presence. Together, they create harmony.
Song Dan Burning Palm: 8 Levels
One of the practices I’m most excited about is Song Dan Burning Palm. It’s a method built around striking a hanging iron palm bag with a series of five strikes. Each of the 8 levels includes one seated meditation and one standing meditation, pairing stillness with action.
The name “Burning Palm” is fitting — it’s about developing explosive short power, that loose, springy ging that defines arts like Pak Mei. When you hit the bag, it’s not about brute force. It’s about sudden, coiled energy released in an instant. Training this way changes the way your whole body generates power.
For me, this is where the 18 Daoist Palms shines. It’s not just forms for show — it’s power you can feel in your hands, rooted in both physical training and meditative practice.
18 Methods of Song Dan Ging
To support the Burning Palm, I also teach the 18 Methods of Song Dan Ging. These are ways of expressing short, explosive force in different contexts — bridging, striking, redirecting. They give students tools for applying the ging they build on the iron palm bag. It’s where theory turns into practice.
Again, the flavor is Southern — Pak Mei and Lung Ying influences, with that unmistakable springy energy. This keeps the system coherent and grounded in recognizable martial logic.
Weapons Forms
Finally, I include a handful of weapons forms. Not dozens, not an overwhelming catalog — just enough to connect students to the broader tradition. Staff, sword, maybe spear. The point isn’t to overload with endless sets, but to give variety and show how the same principles of ging, structure, and meditation carry into armed practice.
My Reflection
I don’t teach the 18 Daoist Palms as a museum piece. I teach it as a living practice. That means choosing what resonates, what feels coherent, what has value today. For me, that’s the Miu Hin forms, the core meditations, the Song Dan Burning Palm and Ging methods, and a few weapons.
It’s not about forcing completeness. It’s about creating a balance: stillness and movement, form and power, tradition and practicality.
Why It Matters
The world is full of martial styles. If the 18 Daoist Palms speaks to you — if its rhythm, its meditations, its springy Southern flavor resonate — then follow that. If not, there are countless other paths, and that’s fine. Not every art is for everyone.
But for those of us who feel something in these fragments, who find inspiration in the meditations or power in the Burning Palm, the 18 Daoist Palms is worth practicing. Not because it’s perfect, but because it’s alive.
Conclusion
If this way of teaching resonates with you, I invite you to join me on Patreon. There, I share demonstrations of the forms, guided meditations, and breakdowns of Song Dan Burning Palm training. You don’t have to master everything. You just have to find the piece that speaks to you — and let it guide your practice.