| From: | dbuehrer@******.carl.org dbuehrer@******.carl.org |
|---|---|
| Subject: | CC Martial Arts |
| Date: | Mon, 05 Jun 2000 07:39:27 -0600 |
>The two main reasons I don't like CC Martial Arts rules: 1) It reduces
>Martial Arts to technique and knowledge. Just because a person knows Aikido
>doesn't mean he/she doesn't know how to throw a decent punch or kick. By
>the same token, a person who can break bricks with his/her fists isn't able
>to focus that kind of power on a moving, resisting opponent. When someone
>fights, he doesn't reduce himself to a single "style".... he uses everything
>he knows and hopes for the best. 2) The rules cannot do justice to the
>combination of training, hardening, philosophy, and technique that goes into
>a combined Martial Art. I don't think any rules can... it'd be too hard to
>describe and too hard to resolve in a gameplay situation. In short, I'll
>stick to abstracting it.
Also, the rules don't specify, IMHO, that a character's unarmed combat
skill reflects their ability to fight, not their martial arts
knowledge. IMO the number of techniques that a person knows should be a
function of Knowledge: Martial Arts skill.
I've taken Hapkido for a year and a half. Hapkido is a particularly brutal
martial art. I know how to maim people. But can I do it in a
fight? Honestly, probably not, unless I get lucky or my opponent isn't
much better at fighting than I am. If I were to ever end up facing off
against an experienced fighter, I'd probably get my ass
whupped. Why? Because Hapkido doesn't train me to fight. All of the
techniques I know have been taught in a controlled environment (if they
weren't, Hapkido students would spend a lot of time in the
hospital). Occasionally we spar, and then it quickly becomes apparent that
knowledge and fighting ability are not the same.
Martial arts knowledge and training does not necessarily equate with an
ability to fight. Few martial arts actually train their students to
fight. Tae Kwan Do and Karate are the only two that are coming to mind at
the moment that train their students to fight, and then it's in a
controlled situation with rules. A street fight is not a controlled
situation, and it has no rules.
IMO a character with unarmed combat skill is someone who as actual
experience fighting. I'm going to experiment with treating martial arts as
a knowledge skill that can be used as a complimentary skill to unarmed
combat. And maybe a martial artist can default from the complimentary
skill to martial arts (so every two successes would count as one success
and the TN would be increased). Anyone have any thoughts?
To Life,
-Graht
http://www.users.uswest.net/~abaker3
--
"Warm nights, good food, kindred spirits....great life!"
