Created, The Destroyer

This fast paced adventure takes elements of early 1970s kung-fu chop chop action movies and merges them with the bloody violence of pulp novels. This is the first novel in a very lengthy series of books (more than 150 to date) and while it doesn't feature Remo's Yoda-like teacher Chuin all that much as I understand it he became a more prominent character in later novels. So this book focuses on Remo almost exclusively; who is as tough as nails, but still fairly likeable bloke. However, saying this he isn't the sharpest tool in the toolbox as while he's been trained in ‘Sinanju', the ‘sun source' of all martial arts and therefore has superhuman abilities at times he acts like an overgrown child.

For me, the most interesting part of the series is Sinanju; according to Chiun, other martial arts are all diluted imitations of Sinanju. He compares the other arts to rays of sunshine with Sinanju being the sun itself. Some of the specific teachings are worth repeating:

Let your opponent point to you the way to overcome him.The most dangerous man is he who does not appear dangerous.A man who cannot apologize is no man at all.Everything is a weapon in the hands of a man who knows.One cannot sew a silk purse from a sow's ear.One cannot fit the ocean into a brandy snifter.One cannot make a diamond out of river mud; be happy with a brick.

Overall a fun book: chewing gum for the brain.