Martial Art(s) for a Batman-esque Character

[SteveZilla]

I am looking for suggestions for a (preferably) singular Martial Art for a character I am building.  Currently I have 27 points available for maneuvers (points for Extra DCs have already been allocated).  This is for a Standard Superheroic game, 6th Ed.

 

Also, is it a requirement to purchase a KS:  <name of martial art> as part of the overall Martial Art purchasing?

[Funk Thompson]

By RAW, yes, you have to have the KS skill.  Your GM might have their own take on this.

 

But you pretty much can't go wrong for Batman-esque than:

 

Martial Strike

Martial Block

Martial Dodge

Martial Throw

Counterstrike

Leg Sweep

 

Should be right about 24 points or so.

[Lord Liaden]

As per Ultimate Martial Artist, having a Knowledge Skill in your Martial Art also provides a few practical benefits.

[SteveZilla]

1 hour ago, Lord Liaden said:

As per Ultimate Martial Artist, having a Knowledge Skill in your Martial Art also provides a few practical benefits.

 

I'll have to check out what those are.  Thanks for the tip!

 

1 hour ago, Funk Thompson said:

By RAW, yes, you have to have the KS skill.  Your GM might have their own take on this.

 

But you pretty much can't go wrong for Batman-esque than:

 

Martial Strike

Martial Block

Martial Dodge

Martial Throw

Counterstrike

Leg Sweep

 

Should be right about 24 points or so.

 

I was thinking about a similar (but different) list of maneuvers, but my question was aimed more at what *kind* of real-world art would be workable for such a character?  Kung-Fu?  Karate?  Krav Maga?  Something else?  I *can* read all of the 6e HSMA book, but I was hoping to shorten the build process by tapping the knowledge of other Heroites...

 

[Funk Thompson]

Batman was supposedly trained in Ninjitsu, but that was before the whole Rash Al Gul thing IIRC.  I think the League of Assassins had their own fictional martial art form.

 

I'd say he is really an expert of several forms including Ninjitsu and Jiu Jitsu.  He mostly uses throws, sweeps, low kicks, etc.

[Ninja-Bear]

Depends on Era of Batman. Iirc Batman has the most popular Martial Art of the time. So today I would say MMA if it’s in MA 6th. If it isn’t then I’d pull from jujitsu list.

[Ninja-Bear]

And as far as I know, you aren’t required to take the KS for the martial art. It’s useful for determining if you are a Blackbelt though.

[Lord Liaden]

Well, UMA never explicitly says you have to take it. But it does say you should take it, and should not buy any Maneuvers unless you have. At least that's in the 5E UMA -- 6E might have changed that. (Knowing Steve Long's writing, I guessed not.)

[Lord Liaden]

4 hours ago, SteveZilla said:

I was thinking about a similar (but different) list of maneuvers, but my question was aimed more at what *kind* of real-world art would be workable for such a character?  Kung-Fu?  Karate?  Krav Maga?  Something else?  I *can* read all of the 6e HSMA book, but I was hoping to shorten the build process by tapping the knowledge of other Heroites...

 

Now see, your original post stated you were building a "preferably singular" martial art. I assumed by that you meant "original" martial art. If you want your character to practice an existing martial art (even if modified), that really translates back to the background you want for him; what region or culture he comes from; what kind of teacher would he have found or been led to; what sort of approach he has to fighting, e.g. "hard" or "soft" style; and do you want his skills to be more realistic, or cinematic.

[dmjalund]

i though singular meant opposite of a combination of different martial arts

 

[SteveZilla]

4 hours ago, dmjalund said:

i though singular meant opposite of a combination of different martial arts

 

 

To avoid buying multiple KS, I would like to keep it within a single Art if possible.

[SteveZilla]

5 hours ago, Lord Liaden said:

 

Now see, your original post stated you were building a "preferably singular" martial art. I assumed by that you meant "original" martial art. If you want your character to practice an existing martial art (even if modified), that really translates back to the background you want for him; what region or culture he comes from; what kind of teacher would he have found or been led to; what sort of approach he has to fighting, e.g. "hard" or "soft" style; and do you want his skills to be more realistic, or cinematic.

 

I'm sorry I wasn't clear.  If possible I'd like to keep the build to using just a single Art to avoid having to buy multiple KS.  It does translate back, which is why I'd like to entertain suggested Arts to pick from.  I can say that the art would likely not be overly "showy", and would be (as I understand it) an 'external/hard' art and one from the "Jutsu" category (HSMA, p16).

I want to avoid the (possible) mistake of picking Martial Art "X", and then writing his background as learning it in region "Y" - which is why I'd like to narrow the list of possibles before I flesh out a background.

[IndianaJoe3]

12 hours ago, SteveZilla said:

I was thinking about a similar (but different) list of maneuvers, but my question was aimed more at what *kind* of real-world art would be workable for such a character?  Kung-Fu?  Karate?  Krav Maga?  Something else?  I *can* read all of the 6e HSMA book, but I was hoping to shorten the build process by tapping the knowledge of other Heroites...

 

 

If I was becoming a Themed Avenger, I would choose one of the military-derived arts (Commando training, krav maga, etc). I'd be less concerned about the philosophical aspects and more concerned with how to take a bad guy down.

[Ninja-Bear]

44 minutes ago, IndianaJoe3 said:

 

If I was becoming a Themed Avenger, I would choose one of the military-derived arts (Commando training, krav maga, etc). I'd be less concerned about the philosophical aspects and more concerned with how to take a bad guy down.

Do you know where the martial arts came from into the USA? Military people stationed overseas.  And if you look at the history of military unarmed arts, it has changed from what was popular. There is a book from the US Army that had Jack Dempsey iirc teach self defense. In the ‘60s Black Belt magazine has an article on how the Marines are teaching Judi and it wasn’t a “soft” art

[ScrewySquirrel]

if your character is from the US, the good news is there's a school somewhere for almost any of the major martial arts that don't discriminate by background.

 

flavorful ones:

Karate - classic Okinawan art, and a good starting point

Kempo - a different Japanese art that is very syncretic - it borrows from everything that works  

Ju-jutsu (Judo as a "KS: Judo: Sport" might be an interesting additional KS)

Savate or Tai Kwon Do for a kick-specialist

Wing Chun Kung Fu (the most popular)

Jeet Kun Do - Bruce Lee created this style as a practical art.

Muay Thai - for brutal, dark fighting - Thai kickboxing kills several practitioners a year

Capoiera - Performance: Dancing would improve the art

Boxing/MMA - Manly fisticuffs

Hapkido - a Korean art mixing punches kicks and throws, also an unusual choice

[sentry0]

All you need is what this badass is selling.

[Ninja-Bear]

Practical martial art. Now there’s a term that’s thrown around a lot. Usually it goes like this, what I teach is practical but what you teach isn’t. For practical, you should look at what your character intends to do and his philosophy on the use of violence. Do you plan to just kill targets like John Wick? Then a style with lots of Killing attacks would be good. Classic Batman/martial arts? Then a classic system like karate or Kung fu works. How do you see him using it? Btw, you can have a mix of techniques.

[Ninja-Bear]

11 minutes ago, sentry0 said:

All you need is what this badass is selling.

Well maybe for an apocalypse it would be useful?

[Ninja-Bear]

Oh Stevezilka fwiw, as a GM, in liberal with maneuver lists so I would as your GM what’s allowed. And in that note, you can take one maneuver outside your list and not worry about taking another KS.

[Lord Liaden]

For your stated purposes, I'd go with one of the more recently developed combat martial arts, designed for efficiency and versatility rather than elegance or thematic unity. What the HSMA calls "Commando Training" would be most suitable to someone from a military or law-enforcement background. Jeet Kun Do, the style devised by Bruce Lee, is taught most widely in the United States. Krav Maga was developed for the Israeli military, but has become fashionable elsewhere in the developed world.

[sentry0]

4 hours ago, Ninja-Bear said:

Well maybe for an apocalypse it would be useful?

 

If BvS taught us anything it's that Gun Fu will be all the rage, I mean even Bats was using guns ?

[Ninja-Bear]

Jeet Kun Do as taught by Bruce Lee there is a phrase that brings up a lot of heated debate. (Not mocking at all but if your interested, read up on some of the students of Bruce Lee and you’ll see what I mean.)

[Cassandra]

20 hours ago, Funk Thompson said:

By RAW, yes, you have to have the KS skill.  Your GM might have their own take on this.

 

But you pretty much can't go wrong for Batman-esque than:

 

Martial Strike

Martial Block

Martial Dodge

Martial Throw

Counterstrike

Leg Sweep

 

Should be right about 24 points or so.

 

Martial Disarm

[Lord Liaden]

4 hours ago, Ninja-Bear said:

Jeet Kun Do as taught by Bruce Lee there is a phrase that brings up a lot of heated debate. (Not mocking at all but if your interested, read up on some of the students of Bruce Lee and you’ll see what I mean.)

 

Absolutely, I'm aware of the variations and disputes among Lee's former students. That's partly why I called it "the style devised by Bruce Lee."   But Lee's book on the subject makes his intent behind it pretty clear; and for gaming purposes the varying branches are largely irrelevant.

[Ninja-Bear]

LL I was just point it out to those who may not know. ?