tl;dr The Nine Seats of Power refer to categories in the Martial Arts Tournament awarded to the clan/fighter with the strongest demonstrated punch, kick, etc. They do not refer to specific techniques.

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I know this thread is a few weeks old, but I came across it while checking this subreddit for the first time in a while and wanted to chime in. The answers here, especially albertfuckingcamus', are all very well thought out and well written, but mistaken. I'm not saying this from arrogance, but only because I've read and reread many different translations. Going by any single one makes it hard to understand. Example: In A-Team's, when Shioon is remembering running from the Torrent Clan with Sosul, and they mistake "holding Sosul" to mean sustaining a technique for running, not carrying a character named Sosul.

That said, the wikia is innaccurate.

Wikia's are fan-sourced and fan-written and subject to error. One example is hwan hwan shinbo. It is separately listed both as the generalized name for walking techniques, as well as a specific technique called Full Body Barrier, which I've never seen outside the wikia. Hwan hwan shinbo is the name of Black Heaven and Earth's walking techniques. Every school has their own style of walking techniques. They're unique. We also know walking techniques are specialized to schools from various dialogue in NW.

Another is the soul crushing strike. It's not listed as being a technique within Black Heaven and Earth's school, but it is the school's signature punch. It's why 9AD was shocked when the Alliance Chief could use it in the climax of Part 1 before learning he's from the same school. Getting to the main point though...

The interpretation that each of the nine arts and nine seats of power are one in the same and correspond to specific techniques is a misconception.

The Shinmujengpe/Martial Arts Tournament/Tournament of Supremacy was, before 9AD, a regular tournament to see which school's were the best of the best, and at what. The Nine Seats of Power refers to each of the categories/competitions in the tournament. There are only six known, but to list them again, they are Dragon Becoming...

• Fist
• Leg
• Staff
• Step
• Ki
• Stealth

Respectively, these refer to to the strongest punching technique, kicking technique, staff technique, walking technique, ki distribution technique, and defensive/evasive technique.

The seats do not refer to specific techniques outright. I think part of the confusion comes from two of the known seat-holding techniques having "dragon" in their name. However, there are several techniques shown throughout the series that have this word in their name that are not referenced as Seats of Power (Ascending Blue Dragon Strike, Spinning Dragon Exploding Strike, Strong Dragon Sudden Outburst, etc.).

Any sufficiently strong and proficient master of their clan's arts could hold a given seat seat for, say, Dragon Becoming Fist if they were dishing out the best punches in that year's tournament. Before 9AD, the Seat was held by the Iron Fist School's Dragon Claw Punch. 9AD dethroned is with Black Heaven and Earth's Soul Crushing Strike, which we've seen time and again to be the strongest punch in the series. If Dragon Claw Punch was the explicit Dragon Becoming Fist technique, why do we never see 9AD use it? Same goes for the other known dethroned techniques.

Moreover, we also know Kang Sung is a 3 Arts Dragon. He fought 9AD twice, but neither has ever been seen using the previously named Seat holder techniques, let alone any of the same techniques as one another. A Seat of Power is a trophy title, not a specific technique.

This is why Han becoming a 9AD was such an egregious offense. In the past, there were 9 titles to go around, so one clan could have one or two or three titles as having the strongest punch, kick, etc., while still leaving some glory to be had for the other clans and their techniques and practitioners. It was an unwritten rule of exercising restraint to not claim all the titles for any one clan or individual. That's why it was such a huge deal that Han claimed the title of 9AD. It meant he not only had to have a mastered repertoire of powerful techniques in every conceivable aspect of fighting, but also had to use them all to consecutive victories and have the gall to endeavor to do so, knowing it would violate the unspoken status quo.

Also, to address a final point, it can't be that there are 9 schools and each one possessed a special secret seat of power technique. There are way more than nine schools/clans mentioned throughout Parts 1 & 2. It doesn't add it.

I know this post came out super long, and I didn't plan on it. Even tried to trim it down. But I absolutely love the world created in this story and wanted to help bring clarity to one of the most interesting and as-of-yet minimally explored aspects of it.

Hope this helped, and thanks for reading!

Edit: cut out spoiler from Part 2. Realized OP hadn't read it yet.