Importance of Authenticity

Authenticity. It's a word that is thrown around a lot in Martial Arts circles. Why? Lineage, a complete understanding of what is being taught, a COMPLETE system, these things ensure you are benefiting as fully as you can from your dedication and not learning a watered down art form.
That need for authenticity has transferred over into the Wuxia Kung Fu fiction I write. I had searched for decades and not found anything that I felt accurately depicts Chinese Martial Arts as in depth as it should and wanted to avoid similar feelings from anyone reading my books. I cannot say where all of the research has come from, I simply do to remember it all, but conversations with teachers (not only my own) and other a Martial Artists played a big part. When I did not feel I knew about a certain "style" sufficiently I asked someone who did. The response was amazing! Martial Artists are truly a great bunch of people, especially when you approach them with honesty and sincerity.
Each fight in the books has been played out and tested to ensure it is the best response in relation to the method, personality/body type involved and the character's current frame of mind. These factors play a part in real life fighting and should do so in fiction. At one point in Book 4, the characters discuss this, going so far as to say a hungry or overly full person will not fight as effectively.
But the fights are not the sole content of the Tigers of Wulin series or Cloud Hands. Martial Arts (especially the ones on these books) are equal parts self protection and self perfection (see the next post for more on this). Morals and philosophy play a part in traditional systems. Historically, the time period the Tigers of Wulin books are set in (can't reveal that yet....need to wait a book or two) was a time of turmoil. Rebellions, milita, a lock down on the religious centers of learning where these arts evolved from, even Christianity was banned at a point. There was a "foreign" ruler on the throne. All of this needed to be considered and tied together, the effects altering the characters lives. But there's good ol' fun stuff too. The creation of too many Martial Arts to detail here play out in the nine book story. History has provided the outline and I held to fact wherever possible. Why create something when history has provided us with such a ripper of a tale?