Tien is captured by a group of slave traders, who throw him into a pool with a large crocodile when he proves uncontrollable. Just then, the Pha Beek Khrut ("Garuda Wing Cliff"), a group of warriors specialising in various Asian martial arts, show up and attack the slave traders. Chernang, the group's leader, saves Tien by throwing him a knife, which Tien uses to slay the crocodile. Intrigued by the boy's physical prowess and sheer willpower, Chernang takes Tien to meet Father Sengpa, a soothsayer who claims that Tien is destined to become a great warrior. Chernang adopts Tien as his son and gets his followers to train him in the different types of Asian martial arts, including muay boran and krabi krabong, Japanese kenjutsu and ninjutsu, Indian Kalaripayattu, Malay silat, as well as various Chinese martial arts. Tien also learns to use weapons such as the ninjatō, katana, jian, dao, talwar, nunchaku, rope dart, and three-section staff.