Aspiring acolytes who wished to learn had to show their dedication to the ascetic lifestyle of the monks, and their secrets, by performing any task a monk would set before them. Sometimes, these tasks would last for days.

By the time the twentieth century emerged, the monks had lost their secrets but the ‘closed-door’ idea did not go away. The masters who ran their own schools would often meet in secret to learn from one another, train with one another and train against one another to test their skills.

In the earlier days of this era, these masters fought in secret over besmirched honour or territorial bragging rights.

Martial Paths recognizes the fast-pace of modern times and how schedules are rarely in-synch and so the ‘closed-door’ idea comes back in the form of private lessons on your schedule.