Martial Arts is a catch-all term used to discuss any type of structured fighting style within the SARPiverse, even if practitioners of some styles do not consider themselves martial artists. This is meant to be a quick reference guide for various combat styles that may be encountered while Roleplaying, with links to further information or characters that have demonstrated that style.
Yamatai has an extensive and organized structure for its martial arts. Though one style dominates the modern conversation around the Empire, pre-YSE teachings, styles and tactics contributed. The military is the chief teacher, leading to a large portion of the population being martially trained.
Outside this structure exists an older, less organized history nested among clans and small-scale practitioners.
[Heritage, Mixed]
Meaning 'Sky Dance' this style is the basis for many martial art styles native to Yamatai. Ketsurui Samurai are the masters of this style and created or perfected many of its offshoots. It involves both traditional hand-to-hand combat and weaponry. While the traditional katana is favored, other melee weapons such as bows, firearms and even power armor is included in training. Samurai usually focus on a particular sub-style they excel at, eventually creating their own personal style (bûdo) catering to their specific abilities. Many techniques exploit inventive uses of abilities inherent to all Nekovalkyrja and similar enhanced lifeforms.
[Stealth, Sword, Sora-Mai Variant]
This school centers mainly on the use of a Nekovalkyrja's thermooptic stealth, how to lurk and how to ambush with it. They can move especially fast while in concealment thanks to well honed volumetric control, and their swordplay specializes in iaido. Because thermooptic stealth demands a lot of exposed skin to be pulled off, they are also adept with ranged parries. Because skin vision is so often bared, extra attention is paid to being very alert. The founder of the school had mottos such as “one strike, one kill” and “a single blade works best”. They favor a transparent Zesuaium blade.
[Multiple Opponents, Dual Swords, Sora-Mai Variant]
This school focuses on dual wielding katana. It is extremely effective when facing multiple opponents, and is considered a strong duelist style due to its offensive/defensive versatility.
[Neko-Specific, Katana, Sora-Mai Variant]
Mugen'Yoshu Senko is a style focused even further on the inherent abilities of Nekovalkyrja. It emphasizes movement that would be impossible for other species and uses volumetrics to cover the practitioner's skin in poetic phrases that inspire their techniques. Empty hand training is included, but the katana is preferred, with field combat traditionally involving blades too heavy for other species to properly wield.
[Range, Long Weapons, Sora-Mai Variant]
Unpopular in space duty due to the encumbrance of the chosen weapon. Also involves chained weapons conveying extra reach. Most often chosen by the more visible, more ceremonial guards. Most effective in groups.
[Range, Firearms, Sora-Mai Variant]
Outwardly, the school is ceremonially represented by the bow, but it has a heavy penchant for concealed weaponry, from spring-action sandal daggers to shuriken. All Samurai learn marksmanship with firearms, but these specialize in it. They also tend to have an easier time with power armor. They are commonly the more visible threat, clearly showing their focus at taking down threats before they reach their charges. Their training also affords the gift of observation and incredible situational awareness.
[Mixed, Power Armour, Sora-Mai Variant]
Less of a school and more of a specialized training regimen. While all Samurai are trained in the operation of power armor, certain assignments require its mastery, and some Samurai find their skills as a pilot outpacing their performance in the traditional arts. Practitioners are skilled at incorporating techniques from other styles and adjusting them to fit new situations, as well as innovating new techniques that are only possible with the assistance of power armor. The Ke-M2-W2901 Aether Beam Saber-Rifle is a favorite weapon, useful in multiple situations.
[Mixed, Long Weapons, Polearms Variant]
Nana Kamigami Seifuku Chikyu Ryu Sojutsu is a rather obscure style with only a few practitioners, based on a unique combination of several other martial arts.
[Easy to Teach, Mixed, Sora-Mai Variant]
Developed by the Shinken Initiative, Gendaijutsu is a derivative of Sora-Mai styles. The main purpose of Gendaijutsu is to teach a combat pure martial arts in order to train and deploy troops as quickly and efficiently as possible. In an effort to make martial arts knowledge more accessible, there are also Gendaijutsu classes meant for civilians that teach varying levels of proficiency.
[Functional, Pistol-Focused]
Adapted from the somewhat more flexible and ceremonial Sora-Mai, a loose collection of styles ultimately tailored to individual skill, SACQC is a rigid and focused style taught to billions of soldiers. Only techniques that will work for nearly every soldier in nearly every situation were included, leading to a straight-forward style that is very good at simply getting the job done. All Star Army of Yamatai soldiers are taught this style, either through digital learning or traditional instruction, although Star Army Infantry receive the most hands-on experience. This style features an emphasis on utilizing the Nekovalkyrja Service Pistol, Type 33 over hand-to-hand combat whenever possible, even including techniques that maneuver melee range opponents into position for successful shots.
[Trapping, Hand-to-Hand]
Standing for Control, Restrain, Immobilize, Exhaust, Disable the CRIED system is used by SAINT Operatives to quickly and efficiently handle threats. Control your approach and the environment you handle your target in, even if this is just working them into a corner during a struggle. Restrain the target with physical contact to reduce the chance of escape or escalation of the encounter, including joint locks to deny access to weaponry. Immobilize the target by focusing attacks on bones, joints, and sensory organs, which are more of a concern than blood loss to many targets (and usually involve less mess, too). Exhaust the target, primarily through extreme pain, joint trauma, asphyxiation and possibly utilization of gravity-control powers. Finally, disable the target, as permanently as the situation and your orders require, again focusing on weak points like the throat and spine.
[Heavy Blows, Hand-to-Hand]
A style that focuses on shattering the opponent's bones, detaching their tendons, and uncoupling their joints with specific braced strikes for the purpose of immediately disabling them and destroying their will to fight. Inspired by the ancient combat arts practiced by a sect of Kodian warrior-mystics, the style was rediscovered and further developed by a group of SAINT operatives during the Second Mishhuvurthyar War. The Kodian teachings effectively complemented the intelligence service's own fighting techniques well and were adopted by a handful of units. A lone Ketsurui Samurai magistrate learned the style and introduced its usage within their ranks. It is favored by the peacekeeping Fukei, who are often called upon to incapacitate targets without the use of weapons.
[Hand-to-Hand, Improvised, Mixed] Neju Koyu is a fighting style developed around the concept of hard and soft, having an emphasis on both open hand and lightly armed techniques. The predominant form of practice is found through kata. Now used predominantly by Nekovalkyrja, it was originally created by farmers on Hoshi no Iori struggling to fight with improvised weapons. The survivors of Battle of Yamatai were those who managed most competently, and spread the style as they were relocated.
[Stealth, Mixed]
Ninjutsu was created in secrecy and only recently brought out into the open by its practitioners. Requiring an understanding of many different subset skills, as well as fighting, ninjutsu is a martial art intent on destroying the enemy through any means possible and succeeding to victory through prowess and ability of the ninja. Gravity manipulation and skin-based holographic optic camouflage play important roles in the Neko being able to fully perform as a ninja.
[Separa-Focused, Hand-to-Hand, Requires a tail]
Hesskara is a Separa'Shan martial art adapted to their body type. Although best known as a grappling form, Hesskara is actually fairly varied due to incorporating movement and striking as distinctive parts of the style. The primary historical divide is between the Pythus and the Venis variations - the former is more focused on grappling while the latter is more focused on striking; modern Hesskara, however, is primarily divided between traditional styles that emphasize combat against Separa'Shan and styles that emphasize combat against other species and are more heavily influenced by them.
Elysia's martial arts were developed over centuries, from its young infancy to its current day.
[Brutal, Hand-to-Hand, No Wings Required]
Pankration is the national martial art of Elysia. As such it is the most commonly practiced art, originally focused on grappling and wrestling but eventually becoming an all-encompassing martial art of fists and wings. It is renowned for its sheer brutality and overwhelming firepower versus other martial arts.
[Versatile, Mixed, Wings Required]
Velos Ennoia (Arrow Sense) was, with Pankration, one of the ancient martial arts developed in Elysia. However, the former art was developed with Elysian aerial combat in mind, utilizing powerful telepathic abilities to sense the enemy out of view, and using superior agility and a refined instinct to both attack and defend from range. Today, few practitioners exist as the few who can must be strong telepaths.
Pre-independence, Nepleslia participated in martial arts development much like Yamatai, though its contribution involved a less philosophical approach.
After independence, Nepleslia cast off many of its Yamataian influences to favor what it saw as uniquely Nepleslian. The military most strongly adopted this ethos. However, like Yamatai, traditions are passed down through families and sometimes locales.
[Robust, Hand-to-Hand]
Nepleslian Marine Self-Defense Training is the fighting style of Star Military of the Democratic Imperium of Nepleslia.
Lor's history of martial arts development is assumed to be long and rich, but little is known about it at this time, at least to those outside of the Lorath Matriarchy. For those outside of the Matriarchy who have witnessed Lorath martial arts methodology, accounts differ greatly. Differences can be attributed to the fact that there is no uniform style adopted by the whole of Lorath society, but instead has been shaped by the culture and biology of the various subgroups within the Matriarchy.
[Extinct, Mixed]
Lorath Hand-to-hand combat is the fighting style of the Lorath Self Defense Force.
The Iroma have at least two styles that contain their own approaches to the arts of fighting, which are treated in a hobbyist style compared to the more militant and war-focused styles outside of Iruotl.
[Varied, Bladed Weapons]
Desert Wind is the Martial Art practiced by the nomadic Sund Wakir.
[Functional, Hand-to-Hand]
The Hundredfold Palm is a martial art practiced by the warrior priests of the Ivuori and is a safely guarded practice. There is an emphasis on learning forms, rehearsed steps of a fight that can be honed and repeated, and sparring in adverse conditions such as low lighting and multiple assailants.
While the Kuvexian Military trains their soldiers well, what would be considered true martial arts are passed down through monastic traditions.
[Hand-to-Hand]
Colluctance is the foremost martial art of the Kuvexians. It has a focus on the control of both the practitioner's and opponent's breathing, with an emphasis on grappling and chocking. It features several increasingly complex forms or sub-styles, with the rare masters of Colluctance possessing the ability to reliably grapple with multiple opponents at once, a situation usually considered disadvantageous in many similar styles.
While the Freespacers aren't the first to come to mind when 'traditional martial arts' are thought of, years of intolerance and discrimination leading to individual attacks and large scale assaults have led them to reconsider much of the contents of The Art of Never Again in a new light. With the time of peace behind them, extensive research was done to codify new standardized forms of physical resistance for the modern era's return to violence.
[Comprehensive, Mixed, Spacer-Only]
The information contained within the "Pathless Journey" Polysentience Learning Node is detailed and comprehensive, covering many combat situations the average Freespacer is faced with, including close quarters combat in zero-g, firefights in ship corridors, neural link swarm tactics and guerrilla warfare. Finding a dedicated dojo or training center is much rarer than online instruction or combat practice disguised as physical sporting events or digital games.
Reynolds created this article on 2016/09/12 22:59.