In my years as a devoted player and storyteller in the World of Darkness, one thing has plagued me when I’ve chosen to play a martial artist...The lack of a satisfactory system for such a character’s chosen profession.  Until recently, there have been precious few options.  I could take a specific martial art as a Brawl specialty, but that doesn’t quite reflect the complexity of the art.  Then there’s the option of cheapening Do and making it available to non-Akashics, but then even Do has a fairly simple system that only slightly ripples the surface of what it could be.  Kailindo?  Perhaps if I was playing a Stargazer, but even that is about as extensive as Do.
    Recently, the Year of the Lotus books have brought a new option:  a Martial Arts skill.  It comes closer to reflecting what I’ve always wanted Martial Arts to be, but still is only a step in the right direction.  Please don’t misunderstand me...I adore all of these books, and would throw run into a burning inferno to rescue them.  I merely intend to expand on a single aspect of them that I feel is integral in many ways.  I hope none of this is the same as World of Darkness: Combat, though. I have yet to buy it.
    So...After a late night of watching Jackie Chan flicks and reflecting back on my life as a roleplayer, I present to you...Martial Arts.  Enjoy!
 

Section 2:  The Basics

     The skill of Martial Arts has been broken down into multiple skills, to reflect the variety and difficulty involved in learning them.  Each specific Martial Art must be taken separately, with the costs described in Kindred of the East being applied to each.  A multiple master is a rare thing indeed.  Though each variety is different from the others, they all follow the same basic format:

     *         Beginner
     **       Trainee
     ***     Skilled
     ****   Expert
     ***** Master

     Beyond that, however, the various arts diverge.  Each art has unique maneuvers, and personalized specialties.  Though a martial art is practically a paradigm in itself, there are certain Abilities that complement an artist’s repertoir, and enable him to achieve greater feats.
 As anyone even remotely in the know can tell you, martial arts is not just an after school hobby, or a fancy kind of college sport.  It is a career.  The average school on the street will not give you a great deal of enlightenment in anything beyond ‘whupping ass in style’.  Though even a true martial artist will often have a more mundane career (fireman, teacher, etc.) that puts food on the table, there is rarely a question of what the artist’s life is devoted to.  Therefore, it is recommended that beginning characters be restricted to a rating of no greater than 2, unless they have set aside a large portion of their background to the study.  Naturally, this means that characters such as Shih or Akashic Brothers could purchase greater levels, though even such cases should be limited to 3 or 4 at the most.
 

Section 3:  The Martial Arts

KARATE / KARATE-DO

 True practice is done not with words but with the entire body.
 -Gichin Funakoshi, KARATE-DO  My Way of Life

 ‘Open Hand’, or ‘The Way of Open Hand’.  One of the most publicly known martial arts, Karate has long been a word that even westerners associate with martial arts.  Many different varieties of this art exist across the globe, though it finds its origins on the islands of Japan, where it was developed by peasants and farmers who sought to defend themselves in a land where weapons were allowed only to the nobility.  The actual origins of this art are contested by most ‘authorities’, but the important thing is that it exists, and is an effective way to a disciplined life.  The art is considered a primarily offensive one, focusing mainly on various forms of strikes from the hands and feet, though not excluding such weapons as the elbows, knees, and forehead.  Many weapons see common use in this art, most of which originated as farming tools or easily-concealed accoutrements of a standard peasant’s wardrobe.

JUDO

 Another Japanese art, this particular one focuses on grapples and throws.  Similar in some ways to wrestling, a Judo practitioner is skilled not only in blocks and attacks, but maneuvering an opponent into a vulnerable position.  Unlike many other arts, the objective is not to kill one’s opponent, or even to cause them a great deal of pain.  The primary intent of this art is in fact to subdue an opponent with a minimum of bloodshed, leaving them alive and healthy so that they may learn from the experience.

AIKIDO

 An unquestionably ‘soft’ Japanese martial art, Aikido makes an art form out of redirecting energy.  Throws, blocks, and evasions are a hallmark of this art.  An artist simply seeks to avoid damage when it comes to fighting.  The simplest way to this goal, naturally, is not being there.  Therefore, it is a rare Aikido artist who actively seeks out combat, unless to test themselves in a life situation.

Kung-Fu / Gong-Fu

 Ev’rybody was Kung-Fu fighting
 Those cats were fast as lightning
 In fact, it was a little bit fright’ning
 For they fought with expert timing...
 -Carl Douglas, ”Kung-Fu Fighting”

 Another of the more popularized martial art forms, Kung-Fu finds its ancient origins in the lands of China.  Made famous by Bruce Lee and campy ‘choppy socky’ films, it is unquestionably another art that average people associate with the idea of martial arts.  Countless variations of the art exist, from the many animal styles of the wilderness regions to the Mo Chi style practiced by the Shih of World of Darkness: Demon Hunter X.  Storytellers are encouraged to entertain options of new, heretofore undiscovered styles, as they surely exist even in the real world.

Tai Chi / Tai Chi Chuan

 A relatively well-known art hailing from China, Tai Chi is one of the more non-aggressive martial arts known to man.  Meditative and graceful, this art focuses on making healthy the body and soul of its practitioners, though it is certainly capable of teaching an opponent a good lesson.  Practice of the art is mainly carried out by going through the various ‘forms’ in a dance-like meditation that is nearly as relaxing to watch as it is to perform.  This art came into widespread use in the Western Hemisphere within the past few decades, as factions of society began to turn toward the mystic philosophies of the East.  Today, one is just as likely to find a businessman practicing the art as one is to find a mystically-inclined hippy doing the same.

NINJITSU

 Considered a myth by many, extinct by some, and a horrid reality by others, the Ninja are unquestionably and inevitably tied to the Western Society’s perceptions of Japan.  ‘Ninja masters’ have been featured in countless movies, comics, and cartoons, depicted as anything from honorable head-smashing crime-fighters to sinister shadow assassins that bide their time until you fall asleep.  The truth of these are, of course, known only to the Ninja themselves, who practice the art of Ninjitsu.  An art of assassination, stealth, misdirection and mystic paranoia.  Legends abound of Ninja performing superhuman feats such as walking through walls and climbing the sheerest buildings with little difficulty.

OTHER MARTIAL ARTS

 Do, Escrima, Kailindo, Muay Thai, Pentjak-Silat, Tae Kwon Do and countless others.  Due to space and time considerations, many worthy martial arts have been left out of this work, with only some of the most popular being included.  Interested parties are encouraged to design compatable systems for their own favorite martial arts, or to expand on those included in this work.  Above all else, it is recommended that even those arts listed here be researched by those who would use them.  The information listed here is brief, and some is quite possibly faulty.
 

Section 4:  Martial Arts Systems

Basic Maneuvers
 These maneuvers can be used by any martial art, though the difficulty varies.  Some maneuvers require certain ability ratings before they can be executed by a given practitioner.  For most maneuvers, if the damage successes exceed the target’s Stamina, a roll of Stamina vs 7 should be made, with failure indicating that the target is stunned for a round (-2 dice to all actions).  In addition to the maneuvers listed here, players may use those found in the main rule books, substituting their Martial Art skill for Brawl.  In all cases, players have access to all maneuvers that they meet the requirements for.

Basic Hand Strike
 The standard punch, chop, or jab.  This maneuver can be performed by anyone with at least one hand free to move about.  The standard maneuver uses an empty hand, though many weapons are available to make it more damaging, such as brass knuckles, fist packs, sap gloves, or the handguards of certain melee weapons.

 Roll:  Dexterity + Martial Art
 Requirements:  None
 Soft Damage:  Strength (Strength + 1 with weapon)
 Hard Damage:  Strength + 1 (Strength + 2 with weapon)
 Difficulty:  5 (Hard), 6 (Soft)

Basic Foot Strike
 The standard side kick, front kick, roundhouse, etc.  This maneuver can be performed by anyone who has at least one foot available, and some amount of balance to work with.  Some modifications are available to make strike more damaging, such as cleats or steel-toed footwear.

 Roll:  Dexterity + Martial Art
 Requirements:  None
 Soft Damage:  Strength + 1 (Strength + 2 with modifiers)
 Hard Damage:  Strength + 2 (Strength + 3 with modifiers)
 Difficulty:  6 (Hard), 7 (Soft)

Spinning Kick
 More impressive than the basic foot strike, a spinning kick consists of a kick of incredible force following a spin that may or may not be executed in the air.  This maneuver includes such feats as a spinning back kick, and even the graceful crescent kick.  Damage cannot be modified as with a standard foot strike, however.

 Roll:  Dexterity + Martial Art
 Requirements:  Martial Art 1, Acrobatics 1
 Soft Damage:  Strength + 2
 Hard Damage:  Strength + 3
 Difficulty:  8 (Hard), 9 (Soft)

Basic Throw
 The art of teaching your opponent to fly.  This maneuver can be used in any of several ways, from redirecting the motion of a charging opponent, to flinging someone out of a grapple.  If the style used in the maneuver is Hard, the opponent must be grappled before they can be thrown.  This maneuver automatically stuns an opponent who suffers at least 3 levels of damage.  A successfully thrown opponent must spend an action to get to their feet if they don’t want to incur the penalties for prone fighting.

 Roll:  Dexterity + Martial Art
 Requirements:  None (Soft), or Strength 2 (Hard)
 Damage:  Opponent’s Strength
 Difficulty:  6 (Soft), 7 (Hard)
 
Soft Maneuvers
 These maneuvers may only be used by those characters who have the required skill in a Soft Martial Art.

Deflecting Block
 The martial artist attempts to not only deflect an opponent’s strike, but also to use the target’s momentum to carry them to the ground.  Successes on the roll counter the opponent’s attack successes one for one.  If the martial artist scores more successes than the attacker, the attacker must roll Dexterity vs 8 to avoid falling to the ground and taking his Strength rating as damage.

 Roll:  Dexterity + Martial Art
 Requirements:  None
 Damage:  Opponent’s Strength
 Difficulty:  6

Joint Lock
 After a successful grappling attack, the martial artist may damage or control him through applying pressure to joints and to the opponent’s pressure points.  This can often result in broken bones.

 Roll:  Dexterity + Martial Art (Grapple)
 Requirements:  Dim Mak 1 (See Below)
 Damage:  Dexterity + Melee
 Difficulty:  6

Withering Grasp
 On a successful roll, the artist not only inflicts basic hand strike damage on the foe, but disarms him as well.  With three successes on the attack roll, the opponent is disarmed.  With five, the martial artist may claim the weapon for herself.

 Roll:  Dexterity + Martial Art
 Requirements:  None
 Damage:  Strength
 Difficulty:  6

Hard Maneuvers
 These maneuvers may only be used by those characters who have the required skill in a Hard Martial Art.

Damaging Block
 As a standard Block maneuver, though if the martial artist succeeds with three or more net successes, he deals Strength damage to the attacker.

Foot Sweep
 Treated as a standard Throw, though the artist need not grapple the opponent.

 Roll:  Dexterity + Martial Art
 Requirements:  None
 Damage:  Opponent’s Strength
 Difficulty:  8

Drop Kick
 An impressive leap through the air, followed by a kick with both feet to the opponent.  Damage may be modified as with the standard foot strike.

 Roll:  Dexterity + Martial Art
 Requirements:  Athletics 1 or Acrobatics 1
 Damage:  Strength + 3 (+4 with modifiers)
 Difficulty:  8
 

Section 5:  Advanced Systems

New Abilities
 Many Martial Artists are capable of incredible feats, from incredible leaps to disrupting an opponent’s concentration in a fight.  All of the following Abilities are considered Skills.

Contortion
 Through application of body-warping techniques and dislocating joints, the character has learned to slip out of bonds, squeeze through narrow gaps in a row of bars, etc.  A roll of Dexterity + Contortion will subtract its successes from the difficulty of a subsequent Escapology roll.  A character with the merit Double Jointed may apply the -2 difficulty to the Contortion roll.

 *         Chinese finger traps don’t stand a chance.
 **       You can ride comfortably in a compact.
 ***     You can ride comfortably in the trunk of a compact.
 ****   No bars can hold you for long.
 ***** You sure look odd when you squeeze into those aquariums.

Cantrip
 Martial artists have always been known for, or at least suspected of, possessing mystical abilities of some kind or another.  With this skill, the artist can actually manifest small displays of power that have little effect on their surroundings, but are impressive as hell to your average observer.  There are no set guidelines for these effects, nor is there any kind of roll unless the Storyteller wants one.  This Skill, naturally, is subject to Storyteller approval, and is rare outside of Sorcerer martial artists.

 *         Very minor effects, easily passed off as magic tricks or sleight of hand.  Vanishing coins, etc.
 **       Relatively minor effects, that are more impressive than before, but still believable.  Conjuring a flash of light, linking two solid rings, etc.
 ***     Mediocre effects that leave a viewer confused as to what just happened. Conjuring an item out of a strongbox after locking it up, etc.
 ****   Strong effects that are hard to rationalize as possible.  Lighting candles with your forefinger, levitating small items, etc.
 ***** Powerful effects that are practically impossible to rationalize. Levitating yourself inches off the ground, telling someone the contents   of their pockets, etc.

Dim Mak
 The science and art of Dim Mak, or pressure point technique, is no stranger to the martial artist.  With this Skill, a character may manipulate the pressure points of the body to cause pain and damage, alleviate pain briefly, or even bring pleasure to the target.  With a turn of concentration and a roll of Perception + Dim Mak vs 8, a character may apply any successes to her next combat roll(+1 damage per 2 successes.  Optionally, may be used to destroy an opponents Chi on the same 2 for 1 basis.), to negate health penalties (1 die of penalty per 2 successes is canceled for one day, recipient must not engage in strenuous activity.), or to add dice to a Seduction roll on a one-for-one basis.

 *         You are familiar with the legendary ‘Shemp Eye Gouge’ technique.
 **       The kidney punch gets ‘em every time.
 ***     You can almost see pressure points as tangible marks.
 ****   Death resides in your little finger.
 ***** Chi gates open and close at your whim.

Falling
 Through application of certain impact-nullification techniques and methods of slowing one’s fall, you have learned to avoid the damage usually associated with a normal fall, or damage from a throw maneuver.  You may add your rating in this Skill to all soak rolls that involve falling damage, above and beyond all other modifiers.  A martial artist skilled in Falling, Acrobatics, and Resistance can get back up after some ridiculous falls.

Resistance
 Few people who have watched martial arts movies or competitions have any illusions that even an average strike isn’t painful as hell.  Yet, somehow, martial artists constantly take the licking and come back for more.  This skill is that reason.  Through toughening of the body, vigorous kiai shouts, and simply absorbing pain, the artist can ignore even the worst damage.  This skill is added to all soak rolls for the artist, and allows him to soak aggravated damage.