In China, traditional arts and disciplines are passed on through a discipleship system. In this system, the acknowledged Master of a given tradition teaches a small circle of close students.  Traditionally, the Master designs many obstacles for the students, making it difficult for them to continue their studies.  By design, most students will eventually “drop off” because of these obstacles.  

When the Master feels the time is right, he (or she) will select the next “lineage holder” from the close-knit circle of students who have had the perseverance and commitment to carry on.  The next lineage holder is then responsible to preserve the entire system of knowledge and pass this knowledge to others.