Kunlun Sect

The Kunlun School is a mostly fictional martial arts school mentioned in several works of ''wuxia'' fiction. It is usually featured as a leading orthodox school in the '' jianghu / wulin'' (martial artists' community). It is named after the place where it is based, the Kunlun Mountains in western China, near modern Qinghai and Xinjiang provinces. Due to its geographical location, it was hardly known to martial artists in the ''jianghu'' before its rise to prominence.

There is however a sect of folk Taoism that bares the same name, although the later is based more on traditional Chinese metaphysical practices rather than martial arts.

History

The school's history traces back to the Zhou dynasty during the reign of King Wu. According to legend, its founders were the semi-mythological figures Laozi and Yuanshi Tianzun. The latter had 12 apprentices, who later became the Twelve Elders of Kunlun. Although Kunlun has its roots in Taoism, its members do not strictly follow Taoist customs and practices.

Kunlun's rise to prominence in the '' wulin'' (martial artists' community) only came after martial artists such as He Zudao made their names through their prowess in martial arts and by doing deeds of gallantry.Cha, Louis. ''The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber'' (倚天屠龍記). ''Ming Pao'', 1961. He Zudao's successors led the school towards greater heights and achieving its status in the ''wulin'' as one of the leading orthodox school. The Kunlun School has the greatest strength and highest fame of all martial arts school in the western regions of China.

Kunlun has a strict code of conduct laid down for its members, who are forbidden from associating with people from unorthodox schools or else they will be expelled. Although Kunlun is considered to be a Taoist school just like Quanzhen and Wudang, it accepts students of both genders, and members are allowed to marry and start families, and are not bound by any regulation to maintain vegetarian diets.

One notable trait of the school is that it has a strong desire to become one of the superpowers in the ''wulin'', and some members are especially extreme in their plans towards achieving this goal. In Jin Yong's ''The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber'', He Zudao and He Taichong are depicted as ruthless and ambitious individuals who wish to dominate the ''wulin''. He Taichong, in particular, is depicted as a morally bankrupt villain who resorts to unscrupulous means in his attempt to seize hold of the Dragon Slaying Saber and use it against his rivals.

List of skills and martial arts

: ''Note: Although the skills listed here are entirely fictional, some may be based on or named after actual martial arts.''

* Fist styles:
** Rising Dragon Fist ()
** Heaven Shaking Fist ()
** Thousand Dragons Playing in the Air Fist ()
* Palm styles:
** Hidden Dragon Rising to the Heavens Palm ()
** Crane Releasing and Dragon Capturing Hand ()
** Kunlun Palm ()
** Swan Falling Palm ()
* Finger styles:
** Crane Releasing and Dragon Capturing Finger ()
* Grappling styles:
** Apparently Sealed Hand ()
** Kunlun Wishful Hand ()
** Three Yin Hand ()
* Movement skills (''qinggong''):
** Three Twists of the Dragon in the Clouds ()
** Dragon Soars in the Nine Heavens ()
** Treading on Snow Without Leaving Prints ()

* Sword styles:
** Soaring Dragon in the Sky Swordplay ()
** Ten Styles of Life Taking Swift Sword ()
** Wishful Linked Life Taking Sword ()
** Swift Dragon Lightning Sword ()
** Silent and Scentless Sword Stroke ()
** Kunlun Swordplay ()
** Swift Lightning Swordplay ()
** Dual Swordplay ()
** Raining Flying Flowers Swordplay ()
* Saber styles:
** Infinite Hidden in the Depths Saber ()
* Projectile weapon skills:
** Shower of Flowers ()
* Inner energy skills:
** Mystical Heaven Infinite Skill ()
** Vajra Prajñā Divine Skill ()
** Nine Dragons Soaring in the Sky Sutra ()
* Battle formations:
** Winter Plum Sword Formation ()
** Hundun Sword Formation ()

See also

*Kunlun Mountains
* Kunlunquan

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kunlun School
Organizations in Wuxia fiction