The votes have been tabulated, and the results are in. The plan had been to add at least two additional styles bringing us to a nice 20 styles in total for the series. What we didn’t plan for was a pair of ties, and a small misprint in the form on our part. So, what happened?
There was a tie for first place in Defensive Styles, and a tie for second place in Striking Styles. Also, one martial art was accidentally listed in both Striking and our Dark Horse category. What does that mean? It means that instead of doing just two, we are going to push ourselves and go for the top two in each category, even when there’s a tie, and we’re going to make it up to Lethwei for the counting errors.
Who Won?
Winners
Striking: Arnis (Eskrima / Kali)
Defensive: Kung Fu, Shaolin
Defensive: Sambo
Dark Horse: Glima, Viking
Runners Up
Striking: Jeet Kune Do
Striking: Taekwondo
Dark Horse: Crucible (The Non-Style of “Practical Experience”)
Not to be Counted Out: Lethwei
YouTube Channels That Helped Inspire Revisiting This Series
Hard2Hurt: The Man, the myth, the flashlight. (Link)
Martial Arts Journey: A former Aikido instructor who has been exploring different martial arts styles after a harrowing encounter. Also, the creator of the excellent Ultimate Self-Defense Championship. (Link)
Sensei Seth: A 4th Degree Kenpo Karate black belt who’s YouTube explores other martial arts. (Link)
You can also check out our Altitus entry for Icy Mike, Undead Hunter based on the USDC episode Z Day.
Bonus: Building Martial Arts Heroes Around A Style
Since starting this article series, a question has come up a few times, should players take everything listed in a Super Style when building a Classic Power Level Hero. One of the core tenets of Metahumans Rising is providing a framework to build the character you want. So, instead of a hard and fast rule, here are general guidelines.
Characteristics & Boons
Attributes
When selecting Attributes, pair your highest value to one of the suggested Parent Attributes for the style
Talents
Select at least three or more of the listed Talents for the character. They don’t have to have all of them, but consider which Talents make the training for the hero unique.
Boons
Select at least 4 AP worth of Boons from the chosen style. Select at least 2 Combos from the martial art. Reminder, while not required, almost all Martial Arts include the Languages Boon which can add a lot of flavor to the character and how they interact with the world.
Fighting Style
Take the Super Style as listed, adjusting the Specialties based on the Combos selected in Boons. This should result in one or two Specialties for Combos and two to three Specialties for Combat Maneuvers, or other unique aspects of the style such as Hung Ga’s Specialty for Multiple Foes or Muay Femur Muay Thai’s Got Your Timing.
Finishing Touches
Following the steps above spends 15 – 20 of the starting 30 AP, depending on how deeply the character invests in Boons. From here, the player can season to taste, picking up Boons or Advancements based on their style, improving or adding Specialties, along with rounding out the character according to other aspects of their background.
Final Note on Modifying Fighting Styles
Consider the styles provided as jumping off points. One way to update a style is by following the Advancement Options for a given Power Boon. Who’s to say your Sumo character can’t be Impervious, or that your Boxer’s punches can’t be Chi Stopping blows? Mastery of the hero’s chosen style may allow them to create micro-tornadoes with a punch, or blasts of pure Ki (Alternate Source, and Ranged.) Alternatively, players can develop their own style, there are dozens of different recognized forms of Karate alone, we only scratched the surface there, and no matter the style from Capoeira to Savate, the teacher and student are going to be a factor in what one’s abilities are going to look like. Consider the elements of the style that give it a unique feel, then tweak them slightly. Kobayashi Shorin Ryu and Shotokan can be used as examples of having a similar core, but different feels.
