Ideas for fight Styles? (Mostly to help new guys)

[Ayal Nissim]

Hey all, first post in the OOC board; i'm still new, so this is a half "I'm here" and a half "Summary/ place for new guys to get fighting style ideas"

I've noticed there is a good variety of styles here; from Muay Thai to Kung Fu to Krav Maga (had to use mine, sorry). However, there are a lot of guys who use "Street Brawler" style as well.

Now, I'm not condemning this, but I think that we could get more variety in the board if we made a thread about some of the many different styles that some people don't consider.

It'd be cool if we could put:
A) the name,
B) the general area of origin
C) a small overall summary of the style, (Doesn't even have to be a paragraph, just some of the little nuances.)

For example: This is a style I'd REALLY like to see on here.
A) Capoeira
B) Brazil, Latin America
C) Primarily developed by slaves on plantations, Capoeira is an extremely kick-oriented style because the slave's hands were traditionally chained, and therefore useless in fighting. Extremely quick, very graceful, and very different than upper-body fighting disciplines.

Now, this would be for REAL fighting styles only; nothing made up or found in a board game, but a real martial art.

If you like this idea and have one of your own to add to the list, please post it here. If you just wanna say hi to me, post that too.

[Allen Daughtry]

Oooo, I'm really liking this idea Ayal, perks to you on that. I've seen threads about people's experiences in the martial arts, but never a listing of them.

Unfortunately, I can't help out by adding fighting styles to the list, as martial arts have never been my thing, and since I'm happy with the free-form idea of "street fighting style," I'll be sticking with that. However, your idea kicks ass all the same.

To point out, however, this thread should not replace research and personal experience. It should only help to give people knowledge about a martial art that they had never heard of.

[Aden Allett]

Now, just to make sure I get this thread straight, we are to post fighting styles, some people may not have heard of before, correct? So, if are character is using a legitimate and real fighting style that isn't well known you would leek us to post it? Also, if we just know of a good, but not well known style, it should be posted here? If that's all correct:

A) Pradal Serey
B)Indonesia
C)The style is very similar to that of Muay Thai and is taught around the world. Pradal Serey is founded on four techniques which consist of: blows of the fist, kicks (comprising of kicks from the shin and feet), blows of the elbow, and blows of the knee. The clinch is also used to wear down the opponent.

This style was banished in the 70's, but is now making a strong comeback, opening gyms around the world. My character, Aden, uses this.

[Shamino Warhen Ph.D]

y'gotta remember people Roleplay what they are familiar with. Since i actually have never learned a martial art, I just grab what I can. A good friend of mine knows Wing Chun, so I incorporate a lot of what I learn from him as well. Etc etc..

[Kyukaku]

Jun 8, 2008 5:06:51 GMT 1 Shamino Warhen Ph.D said:

y'gotta remember people Roleplay what they are familiar with. Since i actually have never learned a martial art, I just grab what I can. A good friend of mine knows Wing Chun, so I incorporate a lot of what I learn from him as well. Etc etc..

Exactly what I was going to say. There are only a handful of us who really know alot about martial arts like myself and Liam. Besides Ryan, I've found that people cannot research a fighting style and incorporate it very well. If you can, great, but the last thing I want to see is someone saying they do capoeira and dropping some elbows, or claiming to do Tae Kwon Do while fighting like a boxer (character wise, not you Odin.)

[Kei]

I appreciate the gesture, but just to include something, I strongly oppose Capoeira on the forum. Yes, while it's awesome to have different styles (like a lot of characters used to have), a lot of it, like these guys said, revolved around knowledge and comfort in RP. But, Capoeira?... Nah. Even on our old board it was something that shouldn't be messed with. It's a martial art of constant motion (the slaves in Brazil made it look like they were dancing to not arouse any suspicion) and momentum. I think it's not something to be used for RP places you know? But, now that I really think about it... hm... >_>... well, i'll stick to my original thought, screw it xD.

~Manuel

EDIT: Wow. I thought I wrote what I wanted to point out. Since it's based on that constant motion, think of how a fight would go. Through somewhat loose detail it can somehow work in a fight (Rp of course), but it can't be right to call someone a god modder when all i'll do is kick you in the stomach or something to stop you from moving. Of course it's not that simple, but I'm aiming at the intricacies of RPing the style. I think i repeated myself..... but I had a really, long, and bad day today so forgive my worn out brain >_<

[Nobu]

Even a having brief knowledge of martial arts helps improve one's combat role-playing ability exponentially. Moreso with striking than grappling, since grappling, I believe, is more difficult/complex to explain in a post than striking if you've had no previous experience with it, the exception being some Chinese martial arts that have a bunch of funky stances and such.

With striking, you can basically imitate what you see (i.e. "Nobu shot his left fist out toward _______'s face in a strong cross"), while grappling (wrestling mainly) takes much more technique, and therefore a better explanation than simply "_______ grabbed Nobu's wrist with his right hand and simultaneously side-stepped to his lleft and out of the punch's path, pulling Nobu toward himself and pivoting one-hundred and eight degrees clockwise to throw the smaller fighter over his shoulder."

Well, since Capoeira was brought up, and Manuel chopped it down (reasonably), I figure I'd add my two cents. Not only is it an art of constant motion and understanding momentum, it also relies heavily on feints that play well with its constant, bizarre movement in order to set the opponent up for a devestating, juicy, momentum-filled kick to the face. Feints tend not to work very well when role-playing because your opponent can simply read that your faking, and therefore meta-game their way into not making their character not react to the feint.

And Tyler, I believe there are also some elbow strikes taught in (fighting) capoeira. I understanding where you're coming from, and I'd also like to see practioners to stay true to their style, but what's stopping a TKD artist from throwing or kneeing someone? As long as they show that <insert martial art here> is the core of their style, I don't have a problem with it. I guess its up to the role-player to role-play their character and style well, but then again that also comes with the issue of "roleplaying what you know".

To support this thread, I'll put up some martial arts that I believe newer members that aren't so well-versed in fighting will be able to imitate quite easily, all of which of course striking or striking-based.

• Boxing (hands)
  
• Kickboxing and it's variants (Muay Thai, Pradal Serey, Savate, etc. Uses hands, feet, shins, elbows, knees)
  
• Karate (similar to kickboxing in the combat aspect, but is divded into several sub-styles)
  
• Taekwondo (kicking-based, uses snap of the knee to generate power and instep to connect as opposed to the hip and shin. This is mostly due to Taekwondo being a point-scoring sport as opposed to a combat sport. Kicks are usually much swifter but also weaker than kicks thrown from the hip)
  

Further suggestions would probably be appreciated, and of course, these are only suggestions, so don't take them to heart.

[Odin Reeves]

Just for Taekwondo, I'd like to add that it's more of a fluid based martial art, as in the kicks are usually formed into a combination instead of one kick - stop - repeat. Also, I don't know how it's taught else where, but I learned to kick from the hips, not the just the knee's. Though, I'm not up-to-date with the most current practionings of Taekwondo, as the sport has changed quite a bit in the last 5 years.

[Jesse St. Johns]

Some Fighting Styles you may have never heard of...

- Savate (France) French kickboxing, employs many powerful kicks especially high ones.
- Testa (Eritrea) This one actually employs headbutting predominantly, very cool stuff.
- Kajukenbo (Hawaii) A hybrid art that is mainly concerned with real world fighting and takes strikes, grapples, and movements from many arts like karate, kung fu, judo, and boxing.
- Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (USA) I think you can figure this one out.
- Jailhouse Rock (USA) A disputed martial art form that may or may not exist, known as America's only 'native art.' A boxing variant created in the US penal system or prisons.
- Okichitaw (Canada) Created in the 60's and based on the fighting styles of the Plains Cree Indians and several others. Requires a very high level of fitness.
- Pankration (Greece) One of the oldest known martial arts, it's essentially mixed martial arts from the ancient world. A sometimes deadly sport that was a mainstay at the Olympics.
- Kampfringen (Germany) Developed during the Middle Ages, it is a mixed martial arts form that deals mostly with unarmed combat but also teaches many forms of weapon fighting. A complete mixed martial art.

Of course for me I went the simplest and, in my opinion, most realistic and effective way of fighting. I called it Survival. Basically, Jesse will do absolutely anything to live and win, like kick a guy in the nuts, gouge out eyes, break fingers, you get the idea.

[Ayal Nissim]

Now JSJ has the right idea, this is what I wanted right here.

[Li]

Sorry, Odin. Gonna have to shoot you down there.
TaeKwonDo is really rough. Yes, you chain kicks but as a whole, it's "jittery." When you take a look at it's predecessor, TaeKKyon, TaeKwonDo isn't that fluid..

There are a lot of knee usage and stances which require knees. The dropkick (axe kick, whatever you call it) relies on being able to swing your knee with a lot of force and force your opponent down. I'm not sure if they teach that, but it is part of TaeKwonDo.

Sorry, but I'm still unclear as to what the purpose of the thread was.
Is it to shine light on other fighting styles or to give other RPers another style they can work with? If the former, I have no problem, if the latter I do.

Reiterating what many said before me, I'm not too keen on this. I think that one needs to actually train and understand the martial art to be able to use it in roleplay. Of course you can borrow moves since individual techniques are much easier to master than an entire style but to have an entire fighting style to role play requires more than just brain power in my opinion. I, myself, am a "vagabond" or "jack-of-all-trades" fighter, having tried multiple styles for a decent period of time, I understand a few and think it's possible to roleplay them, but my greatest understanding is in TaeKwonDo and HapKiDo.

[Jesse St. Johns]

Might start an argument but I disagree with you Li. I don't feel you have to have trained in a martial art style to be able to use it effectively and realistically in role play. Even if that were true it seems an extremely limiting factor to a lot of people then.

For example, I can role play my character racing a car (downshifting, hand braking, etc.) and have never actually stepped inside a vehicle. I can learn all I need to effectively role play that scenario from reading other accounts, watching movies, things like that. Also, if having real world knowledge or training is necessary, a lot of things I've seen over the years could very well be totally disregarded, like advanced computer hacking, setting up closed circuit surveillance cameras, doing speed mixed with mushrooms, serving in a black ops military unit, and owning your own corporation/dojo/night club/sport bike. Of course, all the info you need to role play such things is available online.

So back to the point, I feel role playing a martial art I've never practiced myself is entirely feasible given your level of understanding is enough. That much I agree on. But ousting martial arts styles completely? Seems a little unfair and stiff.

[Kyukaku]

Wow, Li's still alive!

To your point Jesse, I think that's the lines Li was saying. I don't believe he was saying to oust martial arts completely, but you do need a deep understanding to do well, whether its through your own impressive perceptions or outside training. If you don't think your have a thurough enough understanding, its easy to say you do a modified version of something, and you can be much more flexibile. As long as your in the right direction, it would be pretty accepted.

And to the point of TKD, there are parts that are both fluid and rigid, like most martial arts. Really, it depends on the martial artist and not the martial art. There are no superior arts, just superior practioners (unless the art is a scam). Like with any style, to do it well you would need to be fluid in your movements.

[Vladimir Stukov]

I don't really know much fighting, to be honest. Just the kinda stuff you'd see children do on the schoolyard. ^ ^;;

[Director Troutman]

To second what Kyu's saying (in my own way), I think what Li's trying to put across is that to -fully- appreciate what you'd be writing, and to have a proper knowledge of it, the experience in hand adds considerably to that.

I mean, I chose Aikido as my original characters (Taiku) style, primarily because many, many years of actually doing it made it both exceptionally natural to write the style, and indeed, gave me a far deeper insight than someone who just read about it or saw it on TV.

No doubt, you can easily be capable of knowing -how- to do something, as you said about the driving and such, and on that note I also point to Shamino who's never had ANY formal training and can beat any of us, but the majority of those cases are people with a deep knowledge about it.

I mean, Jesse, you may not have ever driven a car as you stated, but that doesn't mean you don't know a lot about them. My character speaks several languages and is a skilled guitar player, two things I cannot do, but have enough knowledge to write effectively.

For a lot of people, they have a natural gift at how they portray something, whereas there's others (and I'm not implicating anyone) who state their characters knowledge of something and lack either the knowledge or the ability to back it up in writing about it. Experience is a great asset in that regard, but it doesn't mean knowledge and understanding don't count either.

-shrugs-

Guess I was rambling. Hope my point came across.

[Shuya Katsumoto]

Isn't that the whole point of roleplaying? Letting our characters do things we ourselves can't... just because at roleplaying... we can? As you stated, the only boarders are realism(Both myself as my characters cannot master their energy into a single point creating some sort of light beam thingy...) and originality... how do you bring it. Even if you have little knowledge on something, if you bring it right it doesn't matter that much... That is until someone who does have knowledge about it notices flaws and abuses them... but heh, you just got to outsmart those people.

[Kazuki Akimoto]

Jun 20, 2008 10:26:40 GMT 1 Shuya Katsumoto said:

Even if you have little knowledge on something, if you bring it right it doesn't matter that much...

That's PRETTY much what I was implying. Yes, knowledge is a massively advantageous tool in this game, but understanding without experience is just as good if you have the ability to portray it correctly.