Grappling with a Sarong

[EskrimadorNC]

So I'm working through getting the hang of Martial Arts and Technical Grappling, and one of my players asked about using a Sarong or something similar. He figures he could carry it pretty much anywhere, and it would help him out in unarmed combat, especially with grappling and throwing.

Here are some videos to help you guys visualize what I am talking about:

Ray Dionaldo, FCS Kali Sarong
Doesn't really get started until about 30 seconds in.

Ron Balicki - Sarong

Dan Inosanto
He doesn't use the Sarong until about 11:50, but the whole video is really worth watching

Some dudes using the Sarong


In reading through Martial Arts and Technical Grappling, I've found a few things that help me out. I know a Sarong would probably be classified as a Flexible weapon, it MIGHT be an Entangling weapon, and it makes sense that it would be an Incrementing weapon. However, that's about as far as I've gotten.

I kinda feel like it makes more sense for it to be used with the Judo skill and not with it's own weapon skill, but then how would it affect CP accumulation? +1 CP per die is kinda crappy, considering how well a properly used Sarong can grip a limb.

Maybe I'm just thinking too much and there is a very simple way to handle this.

Any feedback from the community is appreciated.

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by EskrimadorNC

. . . one of my players asked about using a Sarong or something similar.

Yah, TG can help you here. The flexible weapon rules had this sort of thing in mind.

In reading through Martial Arts and Technical Grappling, I've found a few things that help me out. I know a Sarong would probably be classified as a Flexible weapon, it MIGHT be an Entangling weapon, and it makes sense that it would be an Incrementing weapon. However, that's about as far as I've gotten.

Based on my descriptions, it's definitely flexible. I'd say that it's not entangling, because the prototypical weapons are at the end of the reach and use the striking penalties - this seems wrong unless you're using the sarong with Kusari, Whip. or Cloak skill (probably at a default). So I'd say sarong is Entangling when used with these skills (and you'd probably have to weight one end, which all of a sudden basically MAKES it a kusari - a weighted cloth rather than a chain, but the same in spirit.

Having weapons usable with more than one skill is a staple of GURPS. Sometimes annoying (because getting stuck with a staple hurts), but something you have to watch for.

Mostly, I'd say that when used as a grappling aid it's a classic Flexible weapon, which adds +1 per die to CP rolled, increases the Max CP allowed on a target by 50%, and can be used to re-attack again and again.

Incrementing weapons tend to be things like handcuffs and lariats, which have a mechanical contrivance to allow increasing CP at a distance, distinguishing them from a net, kusari, etc.

I kinda feel like it makes more sense for it to be used with the Judo skill and not with it's own weapon skill, but then how would it affect CP accumulation? +1 CP per die is kinda crappy, considering how well a properly used Sarong can grip a limb.

A sarong should probably be used with Judo or Wrestling as a booster to CP as the primary method, though you'll have to invoke Pass Limb to maintain the CP and let go with one or more hands.

The 30% boost you get will add up over repeated attacks - getting commanding CP totals in actual combat in one second is probably the stuff of demonstrations and cinema - modeled well by critical hits getting 2x to 4x control points.

Maybe I'm just thinking too much and there is a very simple way to handle this.

I'd start with just using it as a lever to increase CP and (more importantly) Maximum CP. Going from (say) 15 max CP (ST 12, +3 Trained ST from Wrestling at DX+4) to 22 CP can be a big deal when you're taking someone down the far side of the bell curve. Against someone of ST10-14, you're looking at going from -7 to ST and DX to -11 to both. That's probably enough to make resistance effectively impossible, since you'll be rolling against a net ST of 0 to 3 instead of 3-7 (not that ST 3 through 7 is all that effective) when trying to break free by attacking to remove CP.

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by EskrimadorNC

Ray Dionaldo, FCS Kali Sarong
Doesn't really get started until about 30 seconds in.

Ron Balicki - Sarong

Dan Inosanto
He doesn't use the Sarong until about 11:50, but the whole video is really worth watching

Some dudes using the Sarong

Having looked at the videos, they show what I expected to see (having trained with using a sash for this sort of thing myself in Hwa Rang Do seminars) - the sarong used as a grappling aid to provide additional CP on the way up to a higher max CP level.

If you look at the videos, you can start to see just how MANY times you get to add that +1 per die.

Someone punches at you. You do a Grabbing Parry, succeed, and inflict CP based on ST/2 . . . but at +1 CP per die because of the sarong (that's not clear in the rules, but it seems OK). Then you re-attack on your turn, inflicting full CP based on your Trained ST again at +1 per die, or even rolling against Arm Lock (since a grabbing parry establishes the grapple needed for that) and again you still get the CP bonus. There are then often some force Posture or Position changes to force the victim so that you're facing his side or rear arc (which makes it really hard for him to attack back), and then the penalties are leveraged to make a takedown.

There's an attack to force someone to be unstable in Pyramid #3/61 - some of those jerks off balance are going to be that. There's an alternate take on spending/risking CP that Peter and I worked out that is (a) awesome, but (b) in limbo.

[Dingle]

Armed grapple, MA page 68, possibly treating it as a really small cloak

[David Johansen]

HE'S GOT A TOWEL! RUN!

[Nymdok]

Originally Posted by David Johansen

HE'S GOT A TOWEL! RUN!

That Hoopy Frood will smack you like a lemon wedge wrapped around a large gold brick.

</Tangent>

Nymdok
With apologies