Re: Martial Arts in WWII
 

I think Kendo was common among Japanese officers. In fact it was part of the naval aviation course(more for general exercise, "weeding out" and perhaps for tradition's sake then for application to being a naval aviator.

There was German "cheek-scratching" fencing. A cinematic cliffhangers-espionage-wwii crossover could easily have a character good at that.

Of course that would probably be more decoration to the character then something he would actually use.

Though there was one time when two German staff officers were quarreling and Hitler suggested they have a duel. So while dueling was unfashionable, it would be easy enough to make an eccentric character that might fight a duel without to much inplausibility. After all you can't say it NEVER happened.

Then there were all those wonderfully gruesome Kukri legends("Leftenant Sahib, you told me to sneak ahead of the Germans. Here is a German head.").

Re: Martial Arts in WWII
 

Actually the brain-dead "Mensur" "fencing" (still practiced by low-IQ but old family students in germany) is an thing for some "academic" types, not! a typical military thing.

Re: Martial Arts in WWII
 

The Japanese officer learnt a style of sword play now called Toyama Ryu (after Toyama military academy), though from what I understand it had a different name back in the day. The style seems to have changed somewhat from what I can piece together from the manuals I've found (and what I can comprehend not being able to read Japanese), having taken on many aspects of classical sword styles.

Re: Martial Arts in WWII
 

I've recently handed in the First Draft of FAIRBAIRN CLOSE COMBAT SYSTEMS, one of the first style supplements for GURPS MARTIAL ARTS. It covers Defendu, Fairbairn Close Combat Training ("Silent Killing"), and Fairbairn-Sykes Handgun Shooting, the latter two being trained by practically all Allied special ops units and agents. I even have some stuff on Abwehr englischer Gangstermethoden, the German answer to FCCT. In short, if you're interested in martial arts during WWII, this should be a book for you. The playtest will probably start real soon, so watch the announcements (and get a PYRAMID subscription, if you haven't got one yet).

Cheers

HANS

Re: Martial Arts in WWII
 

That breaks one of my preconceptions then! I had always pictured it as a Prussian aristo-thing, essential for the cultured upper-class officer (of the type apparently despised by Hitler but still prevalent in the SS).

Re: Martial Arts in WWII
 

This type of fencing is a rather typical pasttime for members of student fraternities. Most members are either M.D.´s or lawyers. Also, in GURPS terms, it is probably a certain type of Fencing Art, not a combat skill. By the way, the were dissolved in 1935.

There are wikipedia articles on this phenomenon in english : hereand here

As of today, these student Burschenschaften are known for heavy drinking, forming low scale corruption networks and singing right-wing if not extremist folk songs.

They are no useful addition for a Martial Arts campaign, unless used as a comic relief (heavy accented, drunken field doctor, fumbling with his sword).

Re: Martial Arts in WWII
 

Uhmm ... Then the more correct name for GURPS Martial Arts would be ... GURPS War Crafts ... ;-)

Re: Martial Arts in WWII
 

In GURPS terms, Mensur-fencing is Broadsword Sport, I believe. At least according to MA.

Re: Martial Arts in WWII
 

Even in the 1930s that "fencing" where two guys wearing so much armor that they could barely more wielding a saber (not a broadsword) using only the articulation shoulder and below in a very static fashion. The did 4-8 slashes - pause - 4-8 slashed - pause etc.

Broadsword Sport is IMHO what some Reenactors / SCA guys do today.

Re: Martial Arts in WWII
 

Broadsword Sport is both, I believe. One is just Broadsword Sport, with a saber that is heavy enough to use Broadsword skill (pretty much any real saber) and the other is often Broadsword Sport, Shield Sport, Wrestling, Brawling and maybe some team Tactics.