[MA Style] Cat-Fu

[Kromm]

My definition was just Peter's rephrased. The important element, which I repeated in various words, was this:

"Blanket penalty" covers "unintuitive" while "specific training" covers "being effective if you train at it." This is the essence of a technique.

In this case, you have the first part but not the second. Reality checking shows that there's no specific training that makes you as good at fighting when restrained as when free. It doesn't exist. Being restrained is inherently bad in a fight. It's a result of screwing up and being hit with an attack, except that where a striking attack costs you HP, a grappling one costs you effective DX. But you can't buy off the DX penalty any more than you can learn Fighting While Wounded to avoid shock penalties when injured.

Ground Fighting is different because it doesn't eliminate the essential flaw of being on the ground (you're less mobile, limited in what you can reach and do, and a target for a dogpile), it just makes use of a firm foundation (the back) and a four-limbed guard position to compensate for lack of reach and mobility. When you're grappled, you have fewer body parts free, not more, and your foundation is shaky, not firm, because it's at your assailant's mercy. And there's no good way to justify that being as easy a position to fight from as not being grappled.

A cat's main benefit is that it has Claws and a good DX, so that when you restrain its upper body, it can score a kick on you and it bleeds. If you want to make a martial art for cats, note that Claws work with Karate (p. 57: "martial artists who gain Claws or Strikers as part of their training – or who belong to races with natural Claws or Strikers – may wield them with Karate to further enhance damage"). Give the cat-fu expert Karate, and be sure to include the Kicking technique, and probably Ground Fighting. Good perks include Biting Mastery (adds Karate bonuses to bites), Clinch (for grappling with a striking skill), Ground Guard (for using all fours when grappling), and Neck Control (for a bonus to hit with, say, that kick after grabbing). For realistic cats rather than anime people, I'd toss in Sumo Wrestling for the intial slam and ensuing hugging and grappling that cats like to use when tussling.