Twelve martial arts styles for Oriental characters
by Wayne Goldsmith and Dan Salas
| Aikido | Escrima | Hwarang-do | Kobu-jutsu | Ninjutsu |
| Pentjak-silat | Savate | Shotokan | Sumai | Thai kick boxing |
| White crane | - | - | - | Wing chun |
| Dragon | - | - | - | Dragon 122 |
Martial arts: The phrase conjures up
images of swirling combatants in flowing
robes, black belts smashing boards with
their bare fists, monks meditating on
plateaus, French sailors brawling on foggy
E u r o p e a n w h a r f s . ...
Qu’avez-vous dit?
Contrary to common belief, martial arts
are not the sole property of the Orient.
Nearly every civilization has developed its
own brand of martial arts. As a term,
?martial art? applies to any formalized
system of fighting techniques; the phrase
is not limited to styles which contain high
kicks or purely Oriental fighting techniques.
With the introduction of Oriental Adventures and its new martial arts
system, a
new vista was opened to the character
who wanted to do more than swing a
sword. PCs now have the option of not
only choosing their weapon, but also
deciding how to use it. Likewise, PCs are
now able to choose not only which martial
arts maneuvers they wish to practice and
develop ? they are also able to decide
which formalized style they wish to learn.
Unfortunately, Oriental Adventures only
gives four examples of martial arts
styles
to use (page 101).
Admittedly, it is simple enough for a
player or DM to generate his own style,
but these styles often have the same consistency as demons have when
created
from random generation charts. Also,
what if a player wants to base a martial
art on a style already in existence and has
no idea what the style consists of? To
alleviate this problem, the following article
lists several martial arts still in practice
today.
A number of styles listed herein have
developed variant or synonymous arts
under different names. As these differences are minor in most cases,
the statistics for these styles are listed insofar as
they relate to the mother art in its basic
form.
Of course, there are as many styles of
martial arts in the world as there are
grains of sand in a sand castle. Consequently, other existing styles
can be
applied to the AD&D® game as well. This
article describes a dozen common martial
arts styles for monks and other characters.
Despite the fact that some of the styles
were developed by different civilizations,
at different times, and for different purposes, many share a number
of similar
maneuvers (which only goes to show that
there are only so many ways in which a
body can move). Thus, if a player happens
to like savate but is discouraged because it
was developed in France, there is no reason that a martial artist could
not have
developed the same style in an Oriental
campaign region. Also, if something about
the art bothers the player (for example,
the player prefers weapon use with his
PC’s martial art), feel free to add that
particular item to the art. These descriptions provide only the basic
styles. It is up
to the DM to flesh them out to meet specific needs.
NUMBER OF ATTACKS: 1/1
DAMAGE: 1-4
AC: 6
PRINCIPAL ATTACK: Body
SPECIAL MANEUVERS: Lock 1(choke
hold),2,3,4. Move 3. Throw 1,2,3,4. Mental 1,3. Kick 3.
WEAPONS: None
One of the few soft, Japanese martial
arts, aikido is a non-combative art which
relies on defense and flexibility. The roots
of aikido are founded in Zen Buddhism,
which teaches a philosophy of nonviolence.
Aikido bases its maneuvers on the
ultimate goal of neutralizing -- not
destroying — the opposing force. Aikido
specialists use circular techniques to redirect the opponent’s maneuvers
and turn
his own force against him. To accomplish
this, an aikido practitioner is trained to
move in the direction of a push and to give
in to a pull. Fighting an aikido expert has
been likened to fighting water, which gives
in to an opponent’s strikes, then surrounds
him from the sides.
Aikidoists extend the art into their life
philosophy. Their behavior is flexible,
easy-going, and generally nonviolent.
Escrima (es-kree’-ma)
NUMBER OF ATTACKS: 2/1
DAMAGE: 1-8
AC: 5
PRINCIPAL ATTACK: Body
SPECIAL MANEUVERS: Kick 3(backward
kick). Lock 1,2,3,4. Movement 2,6. Push 2. Throw 1,3. Weapon 1. Mental
2,3,4.
WEAPONS: Short sword, Dagger, Jo Stick
This ancient and incredibly vast Filipino
art, also known as kali or arnis, stresses
weapons use as much as unarmed combat.
Together, these techniques make an effective combination of attacks.
An escrima
student initially trains with jo sticks to
achieve the intricate striking patterns on
which the style is founded. As the student’s skill grows, the sticks
are replaced
with short swords and daggers. Only after
mastering these weapons is the student
taught how to apply the same techniques
with empty hands and feet.
Though the principal unarmed attack
method is the strike, escrima uses palm
strikes, finger jabs, and elbow strikes
more than closed-fist punches. The art
also mixes these hand and arm attacks
with a variety of low kicks and grappling
techniques. The end result is a remarkably
adaptive combat skill. Accomplished escrimadors should be allowed to
use the jo,
stick, dagger, and short sword in any
combination without any penalty to hit or
damage (i.e., single dagger, double stick,
sword and dagger, etc.). They should also
be permitted to perform the special
maneuver “weapon catch” with any of the
style’s weapons.
Escrima is commonly known as a stickfighting art. Experts skilled in
speed
(Movement 6) are able to use this maneuver while wielding a jo stick
in each hand.
NUMBER OF ATTACKS: 2/1
DAMAGE: 1-6
AC: <?>
PRINCIPAL ATTACK: None
SPECIAL MANEUVERS: Kick 1(circle
kick). Lock 1,2,3. Push 1,2. Strike 1. Throw 1,3. Vital area 1,2,3.
Mental 1,2,4.
WEAPONS: None
This style combines a wide variety of
techniques into a complete and diversified
system. For this reason, there is no principal method or attack; likewise,
there are
15 special maneuvers to be learned.
Hwarang-do developed in a warring
nation and was used by warriors in combat situations. The style’s philosophy
stresses loyalty, courage, and willpower.
Specialists are proud (though not always
arrogant) in daily life and fierce in combat.
Monks do not like this style because of
its emphasis on violent behavior. Hwarangdo is practiced mainly by
bushi characters
of high social rank. This aristocratic nature allows hwarang-do practitioners
to
gain honor points for having court proficiencies as samurai characters
do.
Kobu-jutsu (ko'-boo joot'-soo)
NUMBER OF ATTACKS: 2/1
DAMAGE: Weapon +4
AC: 8
PRINCIPAL ATTACK: Weapon
SPECIAL MANEUVERS: Weapon 1(weapon
catch),2. Mental 1.
WEAPONS: Bo stick, Sai, Kama, Nunchaku, Tuifa.
This Okinawan art specializes in weapons. It was developed by local
farmers
who had a need for protection but were
not allowed to carry weapons. Since they
could legitimately carry farming tools in
public, farmers created a style that made
use of these tools in a combative form.
The walking stick became the bo stick, the
grain flail became the nunchaku, the
churn handle became the tui-fa, and the
hay blade became the kama. The sai,
which resembles several blacksmith tools,
was specifically designed to catch and lock
a sword. There were originally no schools
of kobu-jutsu; instead, the peasants would
gather together at night to practice their
art and trade hard-won knowledge of
proper combat techniques. Needless to
say, the disclosure of this art would mean
the further restriction of the meager
weapons the farmers carried. As a result,
kobu-jutsu practitioners operate in a highly clandestine manner and
do not openly
display their art except in a life-or-death
situation.
NUMBER OF ATTACKS: 2/1
DAMAGE: 1-8
AC: 7
PRINCIPAL ATTACK: Hand
SPECIAL MANEUVERS: Lock 3. Movement 2,5. Strike 1. Throw 1,3. Vital
area 1,2. Mental 2,4.
WEAPONS: None.
This is the unarmed combat of ninja
characters. It is commonly employed as a
last resort, however, since ninjas prefer to
fight with weapons.
The art is usually used to get an opponent out of the way so the ninja
can pass
by or escape. Throws and nerve strikes
are more effective for this purpose than
regular kicks and punches. Maneuvers
from Movement and Mental and Physical
Training (Table 70, page 103, Oriental
Adventures) also show the need for practical applications in
tight situations.
Pentjak-silat (pent-zhok see'-lot)
NUMBER OF ATTACKS: 2/1
DAMAGE: 1-8
AC: 6
PRINCIPAL ATTACK: Hand and foot
SPECIAL MANEUVERS: Kick (circle
kick). Lock 1. Move 1,2,5. Throw 1,2,3,4. Mental 4.
WEAPONS: Scimitar, Whip
The national defense sport of Indonesia
has its base in combat forms of the 6th
century A.D. Most schools train their students (pandeka) to
be proficient with both
the scimitar and whip. The pandeka do
not need weapons to be formidable, however. Their flowery, leaping
art can send
devastating blows to an opponent from
any angle and from any position. Pandeka
have developed ground fighting to deadly
levels; they actually prefer taking an opponent to the ground (usually
landing on top
of them) and finish the fight from that
position. Pandeka do not need to be standing to perform any of their
special abilities
and can leap from a prone position.
NUMBER OF ATTACKS: 2/1
DAMAGE: 1-8
AC: 8
PRINCIPAL ATTACK: Foot
SPECIAL MANEUVERS: Kick 1(circle
kick),2,3
WEAPONS: None
The national sport of France, savate is
the only martial arts style native to Europe
that still exists in both sport and combative form. Savate was created
by street
brawlers in the 17th century and was
systematized in post-Napoleonic France.
Classic savateurs studied with the fencing
foil or, when weapons were legally barred,
the walking cane. These weapons were
used to supplement close melee combat,
but after using their long-range kicks to
close the gap, there was usually no need
for the savateurs to continue the fight.
NUMBER OF ATTACKS: 2/1
DAMAGE: 1-8
AC: 8
PRINCIPAL ATTACK: Hand
SPECIAL MANEUVERS: Kick 1. Movement 1,3. Strike 1,2,3. Mental 1.
WEAPONS: None
This style of karate uses linear attacks
more than circular motions. Strong
stances are learned (see Movement
3,
Oriental Adventures, page 103), whereas
flashy, high kicks are discouraged. Otherwise, this style is similar
to karate as
detailed in Oriental Adventures.
NUMBER OF ATTACKS: 2/1
DAMAGE: 1-6
AC: 7
PRINCIPAL ATTACK: Body or hand
SPECIAL MANEUVERS: Movement 3. Push 1,2. Strike 1,2. Throw 1,3,4. Mental
1,5.
WEAPONS: <?>
Sumai, or sumo wrestling, is the national
sport of Japan. An ancient wrestling art,
sumai is practiced by men of large size
(rikishi) who use their bodies to push and
throw their opponents. As a sport, sumai
requires a rikishi to force an opponent
onto the mat or out of the ring. Sport
wrestlers are not taught the punches and
kicks which were originally included in
ancient sumai.
Combatant sumai in its ancient form,
however, relies on sweeps, stunning slaps,
and throws to crush opponents. Combative sumai also allows iron
fist and crushing blow maneuvers
(Strike 1 and 2) as
shown on page 103 of Oriental Adventures. This combination of
fighting technique with such sheer mass results in a
lethal and often underrated martial arts
style. Although sumai was traditionally
limited to male practitioners, there is no
reason that women rikishi could not exist
in an AD&D game campaign.
Sumo wrestlers are unusually tall and
powerfully built, and are selected for their
size and physique. They are trained and
conditioned to reach gargantuan proportions in stature and power. Rikishi
are not
the fat slobs so often portrayed in modern
media; rather, they are highly skilled warriors practicing a devastating
style.
Because of the art’s emphasis on weight
and size, sumo wrestlers increase
in
strength and constitution as cavaliers
do
(see Unearthed Arcana). Bushi characters
are the most common practitioners of this
style.
NUMBER OF ATTACKS: 2/1
DAMAGE: 1-8
AC: 7
PRINCIPAL ATTACK: Legs and arms
SPECIAL MANEUVERS: Kick 1(circle
kick),2,3. Move 1. Strike 1.
WEAPONS: None
Thai kick boxing (muay thai) was developed in Thailand to supplement
the pike
and sword in close-range fighting. There
are no set forms (kata) to muay thai, and
training consists of constant sparring and
heavy bag work. Muay thai is a brutal but
highly effective art. Thai boxers use their
feet and hands to block and push, but the
real power lies in their shin and elbow
strikes (which slam into opponents with
devastating force). Thai kick boxing is not
a pretty style, but it has become the single
most popular spectator sport in Thailand.
Furthermore, its champions are seen as
national heroes.
NUMBER OF ATTACKS: 1/1
DAMAGE: 1-6
AC: 5
PRINCIPAL ATTACK: Hand or foot
SPECIAL MANEUVERS: Kick 1(circle
kick). Movement 6. Strike 1. Vital area 1,2,3,4. Mental 1.
WEAPONS: None
This style of kung-fu was inspired by the
behavior of cranes and apes. Pressure
points are the main targets of the foot and
hand strikes, making this art highly effective against humans and humanoids.
NUMBER OF ATTACKS: 2/1
DAMAGE: 1-6
AC: 5
PRINCIPAL ATTACK: Hand
SPECIAL MANEUVERS: Lock 2(locking
block). Movement 6. Strike 1,2,3. Mental 1.
WEAPONS: <?>
This style of kung-fu concentrates on
hand and arm maneuvers. Basically a soft
martial arts style, wing chun allows two
attacks per round due to its double usage
of these maneuvers; attacks double as
defensive motions and defensive motions
double as attacks.
The intricate weaving patterns of the
arms allow practitioners to employ the
locking block. Also, the martial artist’s AC
becomes one point lower per two levels
gained by the practitioner (to a minimum
AC of 2). Thus, a monk has AC 6 at 1st and
2nd level, AC 5 at 3rd and 4th level, and so
on, until the monk's AC reaches 2 at 8th
and 9th level. Afterwards, the monk's AC
is determined by Table 21 on page
18 in
Oriental Adventures. The main weapons
of wing chun are the bo stick and the
dagger.
[Detailed and variant versions of some of
these martial arts will appear in future
articles in DRAGON Magazine. -- Editor]
I have one or two comments
and corrections
concerning ?Marshalling the
Martial Arts? in
issue #122. Aikido is listed
as unarmed combat
only. In fact, aikido training
classically includes
work with knife, sword, and
staff. Aikido has its
main roots in daito-ryu,
which included not only
ju-jutsu, but also swordsmanship
and iai. I
would also add that a major
distinction aikido
enjoys is work against multiple
opponents; this
is a required part of black-belt
exams, and also
brown-belt exams in some
dojos. (In fact, I
require it of blue belts
in my own dojo.)
A problem I have in general
with including
unarmed combat vs. weapons
is that historically,
it was extremely uncommon.
Sure, some
accomplished martial artists
have defeated
attackers with weapons, but
only when the
attackers were relatively
untrained, or (as a last
resort) when a weapon was
unavailable. During
the eras of classic weaponry,
every martial-arts
school included weapons work.
Only an idiot
would choose to fight bare-handed
against a
sword if anything else was
available. In Okinawa
and other places, when swords,
spears, and
classic weapons were made
illegal by a foreign
ruling class, martial arts
schools came to specialize
in unarmed skills along with
staff, nunchaku,
etc. But this was not out
of choice.
In Japan, martial arts were
classically taught
in ryu, or schools, that
generally-included work
with several weapons, as
well as with strategy,
artillery use, and other
military skills. In aikido,
for instance, the same principles
would be
taught for staff, sword,
and unarmed combat.
(And the staff could be easily
adapted to spear
fighting.) For instance,
the principle of matsu, or
pine, is taken from the shape
of the pine needle.
A needle facing you is an
extremely difficult
target to hit. The principle
of matsu is applied to
a particular body stance,
to a way of turning the
hips in avoiding an attack,
to holding a sword or
staff in a way that covers
you from attack and
also threatens the opponent,
and to a style of
thrusting or cutting with
hand or weapon while
simultaneously stepping to
the side of an attack.
Bob Frager
Redwood City CA
(Dragon #126)
.