The Sium-Lam-Jow was created by the Shaolin monks around 600 a.c., to help the "warrior
priests" in the search for armony and in the training for a strong, enduring body, ready to every
fighting eventuality, developing a mix between the the leg techniques, wich was typical of the
northern style, and the strong arm oriented southern style.

Many old monks brought their experience in the developing of this fighting style unique and inimitable. Its very philosophy should bring to the creation of an armony and a force able to "overhang the mountains" and "dominate the elments". The monk who left his undelable mark on this style is named Chium- Kam-Lo, first spirtual pupil of Ta- Mo, founder of Chan Buddhism (see the section referred to Fut-Gar style).

Chiu-Kam-Lo modified the basic exercises ideated by Ta-Mo to help the developing of C'hi
(internal energy) studing five animals who could help to achieve the task:

the LEOPARD: it should strenght all the musculature, including the backbone's one.

the SNAKE: it trained the C'hi until the body's extremities (fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders etc.)

the TIGER: it trained the bones, strenghtening the tendons and the joints, to maintain the skeleton aligned in every position.

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the HERON: for the inner balance, through the external work on positions particularly "unbalanced"

the DRAGON: for the spirit, through an extremely laborius on basic positions and breathing

Through the centuries, the Sium-Lam-Jow has changed a lot, as many masters brought
substantial modificationsto to improve the style with their experience.

This fact shouldn't be misunderstood, thinking that the changes may somehow altered too much
the tradition and the purity of the style. Only the Abbots of the temple, elected through very long
voting, had the permission to bring innovations to the "Hand of Shaolin", also asking to
Abbots from other monasteries to help them in the process.