User blog comment:Julez117/All RWBY Allusions/Speculations/@comment-10390252-20131120114824/@comment-4010415-20131121044309

Zolnir, Monty said Team JNPR are based on figures who crossdressed. Mulan is the only Chinese figure I know of who dressed as a man in their story, so I'd guess that Ren is based on Mulan.