CS Guide: Martial Arts Forms

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THIS PAGE IS NOT YET OFFICIAL. THE BROTHERHOOD WILL BE ALERTED WHEN THIS UPDATE GOES LIVE. THANK YOU --Combat Master

In a Galaxy far, far away, where Lightsabers and Blasters take headline, good old fashion hand to hand fighting is still prominent. Here is a look at the selectable Martial Arts forms members of the Dark Jedi Brotherhood may select from when building their Character Sheet.

How To Use This Guide

As with any large subject, it is impossible to express the full detail and nuance of Hand to Hand combat in just a few pages worth of writing. This guide should be a springboard for those looking to learn more about which Martial Arts form they are going to pursue while also acting as a quick reference for the seasoned veteran. This guide is not meant to be a crutch or restrictive to how you write your character. The descriptions listed below are by no means complete and should be treated not as an inflexible gospel, but as a first-order approximation for how to describe how practitioners of the form typically act, and how Graders could use these for interpreting material.

Martial Art Forms

Members of the Brotherhood are able to choose from the following Martial Art Forms when creating their characters:

  • Broken Gate
  • Whiptree
  • Corellian Kickboxing
  • Shadow Step
  • K'thri
  • Mandalorian Core
  • Echani
  • Wampa Do
  • IMAP
  • Teras Kasi
  • Sliding Hands

Martial Art Skill Tiers (1-5)

The following is a breakdown of how your respective Skill points in your character Primary or Secondary form can be visualized when writing martial combat. For more information, see the Skills page of the Character Creation Guide.

Primary Martial Arts Form

Primary Martial Arts Form
An individual's Primary Martial Arts Form. This skill must be trained (minimum of +1) to use.
+0 “Stop trying to hit me and hit me.” You can throw punches and kicks, but not with any style or form behind them. Brawler and raw mechanics.
+1 You have an understanding of the basic patterns and principles of your respective form.
+2 You have an understanding of the more advanced patterns and principles of your respective form.
+3 You’ve earned your Black Belt and have mastered the core techniques of your respective form.
+4 Sifu, Sensei, Mentor. People seek you out for you knowledge and ability in your respective form.
+5 Master. A master of your respective form, teachers seek you out to better their understanding and ability.
Related Feats {{{feats}}}
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Secondary Martial Arts Form

Secondary Martial Arts Form
An individual's Secondary Martial Arts Form. This skill must be trained (minimum of +1) to use.
+0 “Stop trying to hit me and hit me.” You can throw punches and kicks, but not with any style or form behind them.
+1 You have an understanding of the basic patterns and principles of your respective form.
+2 You have an understanding of the more advanced patterns and principles of your respective form.
+3 You’ve earned your Black Belt and have mastered the core techniques of your respective form.
+4 Sifu, Sensei, Mentor. People seek you out for you knowledge and ability in your respective form.
+5 Master. A master of your respective form, teachers seek you out to better their understanding and ability.
Related Feats {{{feats}}}
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Combat Aspects -- “Hybrid Styles”

Some members will choose to select both a Primary and Secondary Martial Arts form. For those same members that want to explain how your character uses both Martial Arts forms together to create their own unique “Style”, a Custom Combat Aspect would need to be created. Please contact the Voice staff or Combat Master if you require assistance with your Combat Aspects.

Martial Arts Forms (Primary /Secondary)

Whiptree

Whiptree
File:Whiptree-test.png

Buzzwords:

  • Throwing
  • Gripping
  • Unbalancing
  • Sturdy
  • Pulling
  • Pushing
  • Locking
  • Pinning
  • Pressure

Resembles:


  • Judo
  • Jiu-Jitsu

Description:

Whiptree is arguably one of the most common martial arts in the Galaxy due to its ubiquitousness and its ease with which new students can find classes and pick up the basics. The form's pure focus is on grappling, making it the popular poster child for self-defense techniques that could be used in everyday situations. Today, it is practiced by many police departments, militaries, and civilian’s throughout the galaxy.

Whiptree is focused on using an opponent's momentum against them and employing leverage, positioning, and redirection to minimize employing direct impact against direct force.

Stance and Striking:

Whiptree's basic stance favors balance and the ability to quickly enter an opponent's guard for pivots and throws. Feet are set about a shoulder's width apart, arms extended at chest level with bent elbows in order to establish a grip on the opponent while also protecting the face from attacks. Toes are generally pointing outwards at 45 degree angles for stability. The knees and hips are relaxed and bent, with one foot slightly further forward to maintain balance.

Whiptree's offensive arsenal consists of a wide series of throws in order to get the opponent to the ground. Using the arms and legs as pivot points, a practitioner can grapple an opponent to the floor with the shoulders and hips. Once an opponent is down, chokes, arm locks and pins become the major points of attacks with Whiptree. Once engaged, the form teaches force submission and can even lead to broken limbs from applying the right torque to different joints. There are also techniques taught for attacking the incoming limb and targeting the joints on the wrist for disarming.

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Broken Gate

Broken Gate

Buzzwords:

  • Solid
  • Grounded
  • Rooted
  • Tough
  • Resilient
  • Rounding
  • Absorbing
  • Flexing
  • Standup

Resembles:


  • Karate
  • Shotokan

Description:

Broken Gate is one of the most widespread and common standing combat forms in the Galaxy. Taught on hundreds of planets from the Core Worlds to the far reaches of the Outer Rim, the simple and efficient form is popular with those looking for a well rounded form rooted in physical fitness training.

Conditioning is key to Broken Gate, with adherents training rigorously to harden their bodies against strikes. As a stand-up fighting style, it employs little to no ground-fighting techniques but is entirely focused on upright combat. Using powerful blocks, kicks and strikes in conjunction with simple body control, it is a balanced martial art that can take hits but dish them out just as readily.

Stance and Striking:

A Broken Gate stance places the practitioner's hands out in front of their chest, front fist angled towards the opponent's face while the back hand lowers to protect the stomach. Elbows tuck in tight to the ribs as the hips twist off at an angle to present a smaller target. The lead foot is the foot opposite the main hand, with the other foot a shoulder width apart and then behind the other. Both knees are bent and weight is kept off the heels to allow for faster movement. From this stance, a practitioner can transition between deep and wide stances while moving in order to maintain balance while putting them in a position to lunging into an attack.

Practitioners will take advantage of the torque and power behind roundhouse kicks, uppercuts, and other chambered strikes. Counters are rudimentary but effective with the intent to safely absorb an incoming attack rather than to try and deflect it. Hand techniques vary from open handed chops and grabs to closed hand hammer fists and knuckle-jabs while utilizing the meatier parts of the wrists and arms to absorb impact. While it lacks many ground combat techniques, this form has more than a few a techniques designed around escaping quickly from grapples or any other maneuver that would take them off their feet and down to the ground.

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Corellian Kickboxing

Corellian Kickboxing

Buzzwords:

  • Brutal
  • Striking
  • Kneeing
  • Rapid
  • Chaining
  • Pummel
  • Clinching
  • Grabbing
  • Intense
  • Aggressive

Resembles:


  • Muy Thai
  • Kickboxing

Description:

Developed on the streets of Corellia, Kickboxing originated as a potent form of aggressive self defense. It was later adapted into self-fitness exercise practice and then eventually into a legitimate competitive sport. Formalised on a basic level and taught in gyms all across the Galaxy, it is a mix of toughness, speed and strength that has given it a widespread popularity.

Many martial artists consider it an extremely rudimentary and brutal style without much depth or complexity, but few can argue against its effectiveness in mid-to-close quarters.

Stance and Striking:

Practitioners are required to turn slightly to the side with their stronger side at the back. Both hands are up near the face with the elbows pointing downwards. Weight is evenly distributed between both legs, knees bent slightly to allow more mobility when attacking and defending.

Corellian Kickboxing employs the eight points of contact - two fists, two elbows, two knees and two feet. Punches are typically straight and chained in rapid succession by using the rotation of the hips and the shoulders. Straight kicks and round kicks are employed in equal measure, as well as grabbing an opponent with one hand to deliver elbow strikes or both hands to clutch and then deliver strikes from the knee. Defensive techniques include basic arm deflections and movements away from the incoming attack, or simply absorbing the hit if it is not aimed at a vital area in order to counter with a hit of their own.

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Shadow Step

Shadow Step

Buzzwords:

  • Fluid
  • Striking
  • Swift
  • Agile
  • Nimble
  • Open-hand
  • Precision
  • Weak-point
  • Silent
  • Deft

Resembles:


  • Ninjutsu

Description:

Shadow Step focuses on taking your opponent out of the equation before they realize your presence. It was designed to be one part unpredictable and one part stealth. Speed and precisions are required to master a form that incorporates a wide array of techniques for defense against armed opponents as well as silent, non-lethal takedowns to subdue them. As it was originally developed by the ancient Sith assassins, “non-lethal” can be interpreted differently between each practitioner.

Stance and Striking:

Shadow Step has no formal stance. Like a hunting cat stalking its prey in the wild, movement is fluid and graceful as the practitioner moves lightly on the balls of the feet to quietly close the distance between targets. Balance and center of gravity are more important than using the hands or the angle of the body as protection.

Shadow Step makes use of various open-handed techniques, focusing on speed and timing over torque or power. Weak and vital points on the body such as the throat, eyes, or joints are targeted without hesitation or mercy. Footwork is important with these quick strikes, and practitioners are not afraid to employ acrobatic feints or rolls when needed.

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K'thri

K'thri

Buzzwords:

  • Spinning
  • Leaping
  • Dodging
  • Deceptive
  • Flashy
  • Acrobatic
  • Aggressive
  • Slippery
  • Evasive

Resembles:


  • Capoiera

Description:

K’thri traces its history to the early Zabrak on Iridonia, where it served as a form of ritualistic combat. This tribal form was based heavily on rhythmic dance motions mixed with sporadic ramping between slow and rapid movement. The form has gone through a renaissance of sorts as both a source of Zabrak pride as well as an art particularly suited for competitions. Acrobatic and kicking oriented attacks have become more prominent, allowing for more breathtaking stunts that can draw and distract the eye.

The tertiary goal of the K’thri practitioner is to utilize malice and trickery to fool the opponent into absolute vulnerability. Adherent’s wait patiently for the opponent to fall for the feints or false-openings they present before delivering the final blow. Darth Maul was famous for his use of this Martial Arts form.

Stance and Striking:

K’thri’s ready stance is more aptly termed a “ready movement”. It comes in the form of a swaying, rhythmic step where the stance is constantly shifted to confuse the opponent. Most opponents do not know when a strike will come and find it difficult to “catch” a practitioner. The arms are kept loose as well, with one hand always kept near the head for defense and the other used as a counterbalance and kept free to assist in dodging and evasion. Movement is often circular in nature, angling around an opponent to size them up. Practitioners remain in constant motion, swaying, executing acrobatic dodges and movements which embed the opponent in layers of trickery and feints.

K’thri favors kicking, particularly spinning kicks delivered with a great deal of momentum. These kicks and spins can be executed from a standing or prone position. Hand techniques are often delivered with the open palm, drawing their momentum from either spinning or swinging from twisting at the waist. Other techniques include more rudimentary attacks like eye pokes or gouges, along with knees and elbows aimed towards crippling an opponent. K’thri also possesses an extreme array of sweeps and takedowns which bring the opponent to the ground quickly and dramatically. The head is also used as a weapon more than in other arts, mainly due to the often horned and “hard headed” Zabrak physiology.

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Buzzwords:

Resembles:

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