CHINESE MARTIAL ARTS ARE INTRINSICALLY LINKED TO Chinese philosophy and its worldview, not dissimilar to the way that yoga is rooted in the Hindu tradition.
When practising martial arts, one is searching for a path towards spiritual cultivation through movement. It is an effort to attain focus and clarity of mind, the first step in preparing oneself to face the familiar existential questions: of life and death, and beyond. In a way, it is a form of meditation. Martial prowess is simply a by-product of this process, rather than its goal; becoming the greatest fighter would never be the original reason for training.
The exercises in martial-arts training are often a physical manifestation of aspects of the philosophies that underpin particular branches of kung fu. For example, in tai chi, grounded in Taoist beliefs, every stance, posture and movement expresses the circular, continuous interplay of growth and decline between yin and yang – very crudely put, relaxation and strength – in a search for balance through unceasing motion.
So far, in the Legends of the Condor Heroes, the theories and ideas behind the moves described do correspond to actual martial practice and classical Chinese writings. That said, the more fanciful ones are fictional, by and large.
For instance, Count Seven Hong's explanation of the underlying concept of the Dragon-Subduing Palm quotes directly from the I'Ching, also translated as the Book of Changes. This divination text is a cornerstone of Chinese culture and its beliefs, serving as a guide to moral, social and familial decisions, particularly important to Taoist thought. The names of individual moves also come from the I'Ching, with several drawn from the description and commentary of the first hexagram, called Dynamic.
Meanwhile, the opening lines of the Nine Yin Manual are taken from another text of the Taoist canon, Classic of the Way and Virtue, sometimes known by the Romanisation of its Chinese title, Tao Te Ching. The text, written by Laozi, a thinker believed to have lived around the sixth century B.C., is of central importance to the Taoist philosophy and religion, and was also influential in the development of Confucianism and Buddhism. Classic of the Way and Virtue is fundamental to the values and principles held by Chinese people over centuries, even to this day.
Quotes from these classic texts in this volume are phrased in the way that best relates to, and explains, a martial skill or a particular concept that is key to the narrative. Any readers interested in exploring these Chinese philosophical writings, and their influence on civilisation in East and South-East Asia, are encouraged to consult full translations of the original works, all of which have been rendered into many different languages.