Karate:
78 to 80: It was difficult to tell the difference between Karate and MMA at first.
You mean, it's in the latter's title. Mixed Martial Arts. All about mixing every fighting style you have together and making something more efficient out of it. You already do that now at your current level of MMA. You couldn't see what made them different.
Then, as you began working with Sakura...the answer became clear to you.
To put it simply, MMA is a jack of all trades. It mixes everything together so that it can have an answer to every situation.
Karate, on the other hand, is specialized for a single thing.
Defense.
The stances you take always ensure your arms are positioned to intercept incoming blows.
Your legs are mainly used to keep your balance, while your hands are used to attack.
Most of your kata are focused around precision strikes meant to bring the enemy down before they become a problem. A style of fighting that was perfect when mixed with counters.
When you made this assessment before, it was on a base level. After all, most Martial Arts were created for self-defense.
Karate, however, is specialized for that express purpose.
It's why Sakura is able to strike back despite her injuries. She just has to defend herself from every attack you throw at her. Even with an injured leg, she can pull off attacks as long as you make the first move. With this understanding you begin to incorporate it into your training. Your movements, your stances, your strikes. All things are dedicated not to attacking the enemy and bringing them down. But simply to defend yourself from everything they throw at you.
You begin to understand how Karate is truly used for "Self-Defense". Perk Added: Sanchin-dachi: Enemies suffer a -15 Debuff to Martial Arts Melee Attacks against you.
80 to 85: You're just below a Master of Karate now. You feel like you could block the attacks of all unskilled fighters. Perk Added: No Weapons: You can now disarm enemies if they attack you with Basic (read, not metal) Melee Weapons. This will debuff their Skill Check based on the weapon they are using.
90: Once again, you can feel the change. This time it's while you're practicing with the Wing Chun Dummy in the Karate section of the gym. Sakura's there watching you as you body starts to sing again. You hear your body calling out again. To push further than before. To leave that barrier in your way in the dust.
[] Make Karate a Super Art: Lose Two Current Perks: Gain: Impregnable Defense: Enemies suffer a -10 Debuff to Martial Arts Melee Attacks against you. You can now disarm enemies if they're using Any Mortal Melee Weapon against you. Enemies that attack you first suffer a -10 Debuff to their attacks.
[] Don't Make Karate a Super Art. No Change. Gain Perk: Redirection Kata: Enemy Martial Arts and Unarmed Melee Attacks suffer a -15 Debuff against you.
Kendo:
78 to 80: Much like with MMA and Karate before it, practicing more with Kendo nets you more than just skills and techniques. It gives you a better understanding of the style itself and what it's meant to do. What it's meant to teach those who practice it. And, of the three, you gain the grimmest.
Kendo was made to kill people.
Well, not exactly. It's not "meant" to kill people. Especially not in this day and age. While swords are still around they aren't exactly something that everyone uses for defense or battle anymore. And as you said before, it was more or less created to make sure the techniques practiced before the decline of the samurai survived. It is not purposely used, nor taught in such a way, so that people learn how to take the lives of others. Not anymore.
However, it is still swordsmanship.
And swords were made to kill others.
Sometimes to protect those who couldn't protect themselves, sometimes as simple self defense, and sometimes simply cause there are some serious assholes out there.
As you fight you start to see it in the techniques and movements. How you're supposed to aim for a specific body part to defeat your opponent. How you're meant to try to go for blows that, if you were using a real sword, would maim or injure your opponent.
That's not the only part of it. Far from it. Like other Martial Arts, Kendo is supposed to teach discipline, respect, honor, and other virtues. You must be disciplined to be able to wield the weapon without wavering. You must give it, yourself, and your opponent the respect they deserve. So on and so forth.
But it's something you needed to understand. Otherwise, how would you get better? How would you be able to go farther than where you are now?
You begin to understand what Kendo is for. What it was, and in someways still, meant to teach. Gained Perk: A Blade In Hand: Gain +10 to Swords.
80 to 85: Seteke seems to sense when you make this realization. His training remains the same, but you feel him get a bit more aggressive. You match him blow for blow and begin to learn how you can use this new understanding of the craft to better yourself.
After a bit, it becomes obvious.
Kendo techniques are about eliminating your enemy in as few moves as possible. And, as of now, you think you're approaching the point where you can accomplish that. You're just below a Master of Kendo now. Any untrained person coming at you with a Shinai is in trouble. Gain Perk: The First Strike: When using a Shinai in Combat, gain a +15 to your Check on the First Round. Can't be used with metal swords.
90: Once more, that feeling.
Once again, it happens while you're training.
You swing your blade through the air, shouting out the mantras Seteke has drilled into your head. All three senpai sit nearby, watching your progress.
Your body sings.
Your hands grip the Shinai tighter.
You can feel the want to go further. To break another barrier.
[] Make Kendo a Super Art: Lose Two Current Perks: Gain: Kenjutsu: Any and all swords are valid for the use of Kendo Perks. Gain +15 to Swords. You know how to hit someone with your blade that will make it really hurt, giving you +10 to all Combat Checks when using a sword.
[] Don't Make Kendo a Super Art. No Change. Gain Perk: A Firm Grip: You can't be disarmed when using a Shinai.
I did try with these Perks. Hopefully they work. Went back through older AGG Quest to better understand what I can do with them and how I want them to be done.
Also, I'm gonna write the part with the Midterms and such in the next update.
