I have always assumed, and one of Tim Kask's latest vids speaks the same, that the inspiration for Brian Blume's monk class was the TV show Kung Fu, which had only just begun three years before Blackmoor was released.

According to Gary's Preface to Oriental Adventures, Brian's influence was a book series called The Destroyer (of Remo Williams fame), which first hit print in 1971.

Does anyone have corroborating or alternate info about the origin in print? Perhaps from A&E or some other fanzine?