JY likes to characterize Chinese MA as the best - but Damo was Indian

[Ken Cheng]

One of Jin Yong's conventions is to establish that native Chinese (Han) martial arts are, as a rule, superior to martial arts created outside of China by non-Han peoples.

I wonder if the irony ever dawned on Jin Yong that Damo, who is believed to be the pioneer of Shaolin martial arts, was an Indian. Shaolin is considered the bedrock of all Chinese martial arts, but if an Indian created those martial arts...well, so much for the idea that Chinese martial arts are superior to those created by other cultures.

[kyss of the sword]

at different times, the best skills in jin yong wuxia had been skills other then those from shaolin but only shaolin had consistently stayed at the top. however the true shaolin martial arts have the origins in both india and chinese martials arts. it was the uniqueness of the two styles been mixed that distinguished shaolin martial arts from other styles in china and around the world.

[smurf120]

so are there any examples of modern Indian martial arts?

[PJ]

Jin Yong became more accepting of non-Han culture starting with DGSD. He had people at Juxian Zhuang wonder why they accept Indian Damo but not Khitans. And in the 3rd edition, he made You Tanzhi learn Yoga instead of Yijinjing, perhaps to give foreign martial arts more prominence.

[Ken Cheng]

JHe had people at Juxian Zhuang wonder why they accept Indian Damo but not Khitans.

This one, at least, is easy to explain: the Indians posed no military threat to the Chinese Central Plains.

In wuxia, being a foreigner didn't automatically qualify one for hatred. Being a foreigner from a hostile nationality/ethnicity is what brought the hatred on.

[kidd]

JY seem to be very partial towards Buddhism and Buddhist teaching and Damo is Buddhist.