Sao Lim Lohan or Hood Khar Pai was brought from Southern China to Singapore in 1947 by Sao Lim monk Seh Koh Sam Cho-Si. He settled in that place and was appointed patriarch of the famous Siong Lim Ssu (temple) in the Toa Payoh district. Like Other monks, Cho-Si was skilled in kung fu. he started classes there, which are still continued to this day. After eight years in Singapore, Cho-Si made his way to Penang, the pearl of west Malaysia, to repair a temple there. He founded the Sao Lim Hood Khar Pai Association and until his death in 1960 worked dedicatedly to disseminate genuine Sao Lim teachings. The present master of the Hood Khar Pai is P’ng Chye Khim, who is also head instructor of the Penang Sao Lim Athletic Association of Malaysia. He was the most senior student of Great Grand Master Seh Koh Sam. Master Khim own speciality is the Secretive iron Palm. Specialist in this type of technique are repute to have awesome, even magical, powers of breaking, compared with untrained men. They can break the large bones of an opponent only by blocking his attack. The doors of the Temple and the Sao Lim headquarters opened in 1953,42 Lebuh Mutri 10200 Penang Malaysia. The place in the Mutri street is easily recognizable by the huge sign board hanging over the hand carved wooden doors in Chinese, Malay and English: Penang Sao Lim Athletic Association. Grand-master P’ng Chye Khim is a recognized instructor of Sao Lim methods. He is a polite, mild-mannered man whose dedication to the art is admirable. He is an excellent technician, especially skillful with the chien, or long double-edged sword. Grand-master P’ng Chye Khim see today’s standards of technical skill as equal to what was once the pride of Sao Lim exponents. Modern Sao Lim, at least in Malaysia, differs from the original kind in yet another fashion. Sao Lim in Malaysia opens it’s doors to all candidates for membership, providing the applicants are of sound moral character.
In association with the late Donn F. Dreager, Grand-Master P’ng Chye Khim wrote a book on his art, “SHAOLIN an introduction to Lohan fighting techniques” as a tribute of Great Grand-Master Seh Koh Sam Cho-Si.
Ramon Vermey,a student of Sifu Scharff visiting Grand-Master P’ng Chye Khim on his vacation in Penang in august 2000.
