Many wulin sects teach exclusive, elite martial arts skills to their leaders...let's use the Beggar's Union as a well-known example. In the Beggar's Union, the Union Chief is taught two elite skills...the Dog Beating Stick Technique and the Hong Lung 18 Palms. Throughout wulin history, people who master either or both of these two skills are often counted among the most powerful martial artists of their time, often BECAUSE they have mastered these skills.
Herein lines a problem: the leaders do not necessarily serve for life. Again using the Beggar's Union as an example, we have seen Union Chiefs get expelled (Kiu Fung) or voluntarily retire (North Beggar Hung 7 Gung and Wong Yung). In either case, the departing Union Chiefs take the skills with them: it's not like the Beggar's Union requires that the departing Chief destroy his/her martial arts when he/she vacates the position. Fortunately, Kiu Fung, Hung 7 Gung, and the mature Wong Yung of ROCH were good, responsible people who did not abuse their Beggar's Union Chief martial arts, but what if an ex-Chief did? Isn't it dangerous to the sect's reputation (not to mention public safety and the security of wulin) to let a former sect leader wander free and possibly go rogue with the sect's most powerful skills, which were not stolen (which would absolve the sect at least partly for whatever the rogue former leader might do with the skills), but legitimately learned? I'm surprised that no wulin sect adopted some kind of provision for neutralizing the departed leader's skills if he/she leaves the sect.
Herein lines a problem: the leaders do not necessarily serve for life. Again using the Beggar's Union as an example, we have seen Union Chiefs get expelled (Kiu Fung) or voluntarily retire (North Beggar Hung 7 Gung and Wong Yung). In either case, the departing Union Chiefs take the skills with them: it's not like the Beggar's Union requires that the departing Chief destroy his/her martial arts when he/she vacates the position. Fortunately, Kiu Fung, Hung 7 Gung, and the mature Wong Yung of ROCH were good, responsible people who did not abuse their Beggar's Union Chief martial arts, but what if an ex-Chief did? Isn't it dangerous to the sect's reputation (not to mention public safety and the security of wulin) to let a former sect leader wander free and possibly go rogue with the sect's most powerful skills, which were not stolen (which would absolve the sect at least partly for whatever the rogue former leader might do with the skills), but legitimately learned? I'm surprised that no wulin sect adopted some kind of provision for neutralizing the departed leader's skills if he/she leaves the sect.