Quilone/TiersOfSchools

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Tiers of Mortal Martial Arts Schools (and therefore styles)

Not all kung-fu is created equal. Normally, a kung-fu movie determines a level at which the protagonists fight, and everyone else is lower than they are. But in Exalted, there are many power levels which coexist. Therefore, it is interesting to distinguish three main categories of schools of MMA.

Tier 1 - The everyman

These schools are founded by masters with the aim of spreading knowledge of Martial Arts among the general population of an area. The basic techniques and philosophies are easy to grasp by beginners. Itinerant monks teaching the basics of self-defense to peasant populations and government-sponsored schools for civilians or armed forces fall under this category. Practitioners are not confined to their schools, and often have different primary occupations. These styles tend to survive long after their creators, and mastery is within the reach of a dedicated student. However, because of the popular nature of first tier schools, their practitioners gain no face whatsoever in the main martial arts world and are often scorned by the 'true' martial artists.

There tend to be few requirements for entry to Tier 1 schools: sometimes, sifus will even train up students to the basic level of physical fitness required to safely practice the martial art.
Real world equivalents: Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do, Ju-Jitsu.

Tier 2 - The monk

Masters who create styles of this level tend to have a much more individualistic approach, and their techniques are almost never disseminated around to general populations. Training at this level requires isolation and dedication - high walls, remote locations and austere rules characterise life in one of these schools. Students must demonstrate a willingness to submit to the master's rule in one of these schools as well as swear loyalty to their school and style. They will spend most of their time training in their school, but may have lives in the outside world. School rivalries are common at this level, often originating in a rivalry bewteen two founders. While these rivalries generally mean little more than the odd scuffle in a market street or slanderous accusations after a few too many cups of drink, it can happen that all-out vendettas escalate between the schools, requiring local authorities to step in. Some schools will even employ connections with organized crime or corrupt officials to do away with their rivals. When such a conflict is discovered by authorities, punishment delivered is usually harsh - fights between gangs of brash martial artists can quickly result in massive property damage and collateral injuries. Some of the more extreme reactions can even include the ban of all practice of martial arts within city limits, but this is difficult to impose without the large armed militias of wealthy Threshold rulers. Tournaments are a much more socially acceptable form of contest, and some of the most renowned arenas attract massive crowds. Generally, this is the only occasion on which the public gain any insight into the techniques of professional martial artists - and even then, sifus carefully guard their students against demonstrating their most secret techniques in front of a large audience in a non-lethal fight. The requirements of face, however, can lead to this being ignored. These schools tend to be more transient than others, because they rely upon their masters to continue to exist. Most of the time, a particularly gifted student will inherit the school, however this often results in shifts in the style taught and the name of the school, and more than one new master has failed in the face of the rigors of running a martial arts school. Even if the school endures, all reputation can be lost literally overnight - making it very hard indeed to restory any credibility in the outside world.

Prospective students must find their own way into apprenticeship in one of these styles. Well-established schools will hold contests for applicants to prove their worth, but the true initiation begins after the weakest of the applicants are culled in these preliminaries. Over a period which can range from a week to several months, the would-be student must endure both the trials set by the school's master and the inevitable hazing from his peers. Deaths occur, naturally, but mostly accidentially - no self-respecting sifu would allow an applicant past the contest stage if she did not consider him to have even a chance of making it through to proper training. Individual sifus, wandering or otherwise, will have their own methods for judging worthiness of an applicant - but in all cases, the prospective student must be strong of body, strong of will, and capable of understanding the philosophies behind the moves, or else any training is wasted. It is easier to be accepted into a school at a younger age, when the body and the mind are both easily malleable.
Real World equivalents: Fictional schools in films focused on rivalries. The Karate Kid might be one example; I can't think of any others I know the names of. Keep in mind the possible characters of the masters - they may be well-meaning, esoteric, or utter bastards.

Tier 3 - the master

This is the level which is talked of in local legends, the styles created by the most powerful of mortals, or god-bloods, and occasionally Exalts (who perform a service similar to that of masters creating a style for the general public - demeaning for the Chosen involved, in their own circles). In all cases, their founders are already ancient, and have devoted a mortal lifetime to the refinement of their bodies and the study of martial arts. They are transcendent individuals (Prodigies with 6 dots of martial arts), or they are an entire school staffed by masters of different techniques, each one secret and coveted. They often attract god-bloods and other supernatural entities seeking focus and a way to push towards the Root of the Perfected Lotus. Merely finding such a school or wandering master is a gruelling trial onto itself, as they are carefully hidden within First Age ruins and at the peaks of the highest mountains. The techniques taught are the result of endless training and meditation, and any given tutor at this level will only know one or two truly special moves. Those who are destined to learn these techniques are generally those destined to surpass even these masters - to Exalt, or perhaps become gods in their own right.

Applicants must be of the utmost skill at the martial arts, and must absolutely follow the rigorous ideology espoused by their sifus. Martial arts must be a way of life for them. After all, the masters they seek to learn from may take only one or two students in their entire lifetimes - and those who are taught will forever be known as their students. The price for power is entry into legend, and martial artists may be forced into proving their worth to every itinerant they encounter. They are those destined to Exalt as Solars or Lunars, their place in Fate is written in the most auspicious precincts of the stars.
Real World equivalents: At a low level of this tier, the Shaolin temple is a good example of what might be achieved by practitioners. For a more powerful third tier of MMA, look at the temple featured in The Shadow (although his abilities are well beyond the MMA rules and into Charm territory), or else master Pai Mei in Kill Bill 2 - that's how selective these places are. The Wudan mountain temple of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon could easily be toned down to this level.