The Lin Kuei clan or " forest demons" were an ancient secretive cult that operated somewhere in Northern China many hundred years ago. This individual clan's past and history is shrouded in mystery, however, it's believed that they resided in the deep parts of the forests ( how they got their name) and capture unsuspecting travelers and force them to breed with the clan in order to grow their numbers and members. Children are usually brainwashed and were chosen at birth to work as spies, assassins, and thieves for the benefits of the clan. But when more and more people began moving into their territories their numbers dwindled and went their separate ways. Probably during China's Tang Dynasty, some of the Lin Kuei members traveled to Japan to teach their secret arts and ways to the local villagers and over the years, many of these methods were used and were incorporated into the art of ninjitsu. It's believed that some Lin Kuei stayed in Japan and made a living as mountain hermits or priests called the Yamabushi. Other Lin Kuei traveled to Korea and taught their ways to the Hwarang-do warriors. No depiction of them has ever been made in Chinese poetry, art, and literature but it's believed they were monks who practiced their ways and customs secretly in caves and in forests for centuries. After, the clan's decline, the last Shr-lin (grandmaster of the Lin Kuei) moved to the USA to re-form the clan. The last Chinese shr-lin died during the 1970's, and since then, a clan member known as Li Hsing,who claims to have been a friend of the last Chinese Shr-lin has written two books about the clan. These 2 books that were known to have been written by Li Hsing are " China's Ninja Connection" and " The Combat Skills of the Lin Kuei: Heritage of the Ninja".
The idea of the "Lin Kuei" soon became known in the hit fighting video game, " Mortal Kombat" in which the Lin Kuei were portrayed as Sub-Zero's clan of Chinese "ninjas". The Lin Kuei known in the game besides Sub-Zero are Sektor, Cyrax, Smoke, and Frost.
An'Chi- A secretive Chinese art, and a distant cousin to Ninjitsu.
This unusual Chinese style concentrates on hidden weapons and gadgets, and is taught in secret. Its reliance on exotic tools make it a distant cousin to Ninjutsu, and An Ch'i exiles in Japan might have been among the original ninja. Like Ninjutsu, it concentrates on the use of deception, guerilla warfare, tricks and traps, and the like.
This style concentrates on the use of thrown weapons. It is said that masters of this style can turn any common household object into a deadly weapon. This form also specializes in concealing techniques for small throwing weapons, such as spring-loaded arrows, shuriken disguised as common items like coins, harmless-looking darts, and countless others. In combat, an An Ch'i specialist will try to take his opponents by surprise. He will seem helpless. Suddenly, weapons will appear in his hands, and he will start raining them on his enemies, aiming for vital points. An Ch'i masters are also well-known for filling their hiding places with exotic booby traps.
As a style, An Ch'i is rather incomplete and was probably not meant to be studied alone, but in combination with other styles, particularly external Kung Fu forms. This style was common among the Chinese equivalent of the ninja -- the Lin Kuei, or "forest demons."
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