Lol, Sub_7th. I was wondering where you were. I found it hard to believe that a thread on fighting styles for the kombatants wouldn't interest you. I was confused but now I see what happened. Lol.

Anyway, I see you mentioning lots of fighting styles that have never been in MK games. It's frustrated cuz since I've never seen them, I can't make a judgement on how they'd suit the particular character. MK is my only source for fighting style info/knowledge.

Oh well.

I'm selecting fighting styles for the characters based solely on the ones that have appeared in MK before. You can keep bringing up different styles though.

It's hard for me to choose just from the styles and weapons that've been in MKDA-MKA as there are just some styles I would not see being used by certain characters (e.g. Kano using Aikido).

If you want to get some idea on Xin Yi Liu He Quan, you should probably try out Tekken Tag Tournament and play as either Julia Chang or Michelle Chang, more so Michelle Chang as she seems to have more of the Xin Yi Liu He Quan in her gameplay style, especially with her fighting style. Both of them use a mixture of certain Chinese martial arts and other techniques, mainly from Xin Yi Liu He Quan and Baji Quan, which have similarities.

Baji is another style I'd see someone like Reiko using as it's a very direct and brutal style in the similar sense to the Xing Yi Quan styles. Baji and Pi Gua are kind of like two sides of the same coin. While Baji is close-ranged and direct, Pi Gua is long-ranged and indirect.

Here are some videos showing Baji related material:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=JKUC4l3pfCQ

http://youtube.com/watch?v=9q6p1-n7888

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2ETiQZzw6w&eurl;=

http://youtube.com/watch?v=WDviLUaqRb0

As you can see, it's not like the horribly inaccurate crap they put in MKDA. I think Baji would also be good for Shao Kahn, despite him giving the impression of using brute strength.

Anyway, I hope you do the next character soon.

Baji Quan looks pretty cool. I can imagine Reiko with that, as well as with Pi Qua. To me though, he seems very intelligent and determined so I think an indirect style would suit him better.

Let's move on to someone else now...

While we're on the subject, let's talk about Shao Kahn.

I know he's cunning and intelligent but when it comes to fighting, like all bosses, he should have a direct fighting style that uses brute force over stealth. I can't imagine someone as large, powerful, and intimidating as Shao Kahn using sneaky little jabs and tricky moves. Someone as overconfident and unrestraint as him doesn't go with a style that relies strongly on defense and calculated maneuvers.

I'd say Val Tudo would be the style I'd mainly like him to have. The stance goes nicely with him and the moves appear rather careless and straightforward. He's seems like an "I get what I want and don't give a shit" type of person so a style that not only looks good on him but means "anything goes" sounds just about right for him.

I see what you're saying regarding Shao Kahn save for the jabs and tricky moves thing. Vale Tudo would fit him. Craig Marduk from the Tekken series uses Vale Tudo and he's a very big and muscular character. Some don't consider Vale Tudo as a style, but others believe it to be a martial art that is derived from Muay Thai, Wrestling, Boxing, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Another style idea could be for him to use Pankration, which is kind of similar to Vale Tudo in that it has that "no holds barred" mentality. Like I said before, Pankration is an ancient Greek martial art that was known for its fierceness and brutality. It's derived from the words Pan, which means "all", and Kratos, which means "powers". So basically, Pankration is the style of "all powers". Some believe that Pankration led to the influence of Kung Fu, Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Jujutsu, and other Asian martial arts, but there really isn't sufficient evidence to back that up.

For those that want to see a bit more sophisticated styles for Shao Kahn, I'd perhaps go with something like Xin Yi Liu He Quan or Baji Quan, which are known for their directness, brutality, aggressiveness, and cruelty in terms of combat mentality. Styles like those, especially Baji, like to use elbow and shoulder strikes.

Then we have Tai Tzu Chang Chuan, which is kind of like the parent of the different Long Fist (Chang Chuan) styles, such as Cha Chuan, Hua Chuan, etc. It also happens to have had a part in the creation of Chen style Tai Chi Chuan, the oldest and perhaps the most dynamic of the 5 main styles of Tai Chi Chuan. It may look kind of fancy, but if I'm not mistaken, it is a direct and external style taught to soldiers, and it was created by Emperor Tai Tzu.

I'm somewhat iffy on Tai Tzu Chang Chuan for Shao Kahn, especially since it's a Shaolin style of Kung Fu, which would have a sense of irony to it since one of his greatest enemies is Liu Kang, a Shaolin Warrior Monk. I'm also wondering how they would the direct elements of the style for a character like Shao Kahn.

Overall, I'm somewhat torn between going with something that easily seems to fit him and something that would take him away from the stereotypical brute image but still be direct, brutal, and aggressive.

The way MK has Tai Tzu, it uses all-out brute force, which fits a big boss like Kahn. While on the "no holds barred" path, why not the original version of JKD.

Tai Tzu is horribly inaccurate in MK. Real Tai Tzu resembles the other Long Fist styles that come from it.

As for the "original version of JKD", I suppose you are referring to Jun Fan, which I think should be used by Liu Kang due to being based off of Bruce Lee.

Next Character....

Let's do Ermac.

The thing that I don't like about Hua Chuan for him is the stance. It's way too creaturely and creepy for him I think.

Choy Lay Fut had a stance that appeared mysterious over creaturely and the moves fit nicely with him, so I say that is the best fighting style for him. Hua Chuan's moves also fit with him though except for how they seemed too aggressive for his character which is suppose to be mystical and mysterious over rough.

I heard Sub_7th say Choy Lay Fut is a hybrid style somewhere (which I learned more about from the MKD videos), and Ermac is a hybrid character so that tops it off.

He's a difficult character to imagine with other styles, but I can see him with Shuai Chiao, Mitzu, and Pao Chui. Choy Lay Fut should definitely become his signature style though.

P.S. I change my mind about Reptile and Hua Chuan. I think Snake would be the best choice for him. Not just because he's often associated with serpents, but because the stance and moves are just as creepy and sneaky as he would be. So it's perfect, imo.

Yeah, from a style choice perspective, I choose Choy Lay Fut over Hua Chuan for Ermac. You're right about me saying that it's a hybrid style. It is derived from Choy Gar, Lee Gar, and Fut Gar. Choy Gar and Lee Gar (also spelled Li Gar) are two of the five family styles of Southern Chinese martial arts while Fut Gar is a Northern style. Choy Lay Fut contains 5 animals as well as Lohan Chi Kung so it has that blend of external and internal training in it.

One style that I think fits Ermac as well as or maybe even more so than Choy Lay Fut would be Yi Quan (Mind/Mentality/Intention Boxing), a Chinese martial art founded by Wang Xiangzhai in the mid 1920s. Also known as Dachengquan (Great Achievement Boxing), Yi Quan is an internal martial art that is largely derived from Xing Yi Quan (Form Mind Boxing) but instead has more Western philosophies and is a very scientific form of Kung Fu. Yi Quan also takes influence from styles like Ba Gua Zhang.

I personally prefer the idea of giving Ermac 2 unarmed styles instead of giving him a weapon.

Definitely Cai Jia Choy Li Fut, and as for weapons, definitely the Mandarin Duck Axe.

hua chuan fit the best, it matched his appearance and everything perfect and the moves it set out for it were excellent, i think ermac should stay with hua chuan. if not than maybe, um just something that makes him look more dangerous and knows somebody should be afraid of him. like scorpion in hapkido, it fits the best for scorpion because it makes him look very skilled which he is, and hapkido is a art of using great self defense and great attacking skills. and it fits good for scorpion being a ninja although he needs a style that comes from a form of ninjitsu. hua chuan fits ermac the best in my opinion and it gives him that very mysterious look, and like you dont know what hes gonna do. keep it

How does Hapkido, a modern Korean martial art, fit Scorpion, a Japanese Ninja, better than any of the martial traditions used by the historical Ninja?

Btw, the correct spelling is Ninjutsu, not Ninjitsu. Ninjitsu is the crap that frauds like Ashida Kim teach. However, given Scorpion's lack of discipline, valor, competence, and correct mind and heart, he wouldn't be able to use Ninjutsu properly anyway, so I guess it somewhat makes sense that he would be a failure at using the Taijutsu.

A hybrid style (Choy Lay Fut) for a soul hybrid (Ermac)...Fits well enough for me.

Choy Lay Fut suits him more.

Wonderful.

How bout a different character now?

Sub-Zero.

I've never really liked Shotokan for him. The stance doesn't suit him well and the moves appear too simple for the verstatile character that he's suppose to be. He seems like one of the intelligent heroes and so he should have a style that feels that way.

Out of the styles he's had, I prefer Dragon for him. The moves seem a little awkward for him at times but it's always the style I choose whenever I play as him. The stance is better for him too, imo.

Niether of these styles have seemed like "Oh yeah, that's the one for him" though. I think other styles that might suit him can be Nan Chuan or maybe Ninjutsu.

I really imagine him using stealth before speed and brute force, but still combining all 3 things. So it's hard for me to decide. Just to be safe, I'll with Dragon, and then Nan Chuan.

I would consider a more disciplined style for the grandmaster. I just have no examples.

When it comes to Sub-Zero, I definitely agree with QS(TB) on this one. I feel that Dragon suits Sub-Zero better as it has that more well-rounded, versatile feel to it. Shotokan and most other Japanese styles of Karate generally focus a great deal on striking and kicking techniques and not as much on grappling while the Okinawan styles of Karate are more like the Chinese martial arts in that they are more well-rounded, thus containing more grappling techniques.

Another style that I think could fit Sub-Zero would be Uechi Ryu, an Okinawan style of Karate that contains animal techniques of the Dragon, Tiger, and Crane. It's said to be the closest to its Chinese origins and is derived from an extinct Southern Chinese martial art called Pangai Noon (half-hard, half-soft). Some say that Uechi Ryu is pretty much an Okinawan version of Pangai Noon, save for perhaps some changes. If he were to have a style of Karate, this is the one I feel suits him best due to its well-roundedness and use of Dragon techniques.

Other general characteristics of Okinawan styles of Karate are that they favor natural stances, proper breathing and posture, and bigger hip rotation.

As for something like Ninjutsu, I would rather the Lin Kuei and most other Ninja-type characters not use the Taijutsu of any of the Ninjutsu traditions. It has to be kept in mind that in the MK storyline, Takeda, the founder of the Shirai Ryu Ninja clan, created Ninjutsu. So what I'm getting at is that it would be strange and illogical for someone from their rival clan to use their style.

Regarding Nan Chuan, it is more so designed for smaller, stockier people, hence the bigger focus on closer-ranged techniques and more focus on strikes than kicks.

Anyway, I can't wait to see which character you'll pick next.

I woulda liked to have seen him with Tae Kwon Do, as I recall some early screens and gameplay vids had him with it.

Okay now another character.... Fujin.
He's only had one fighting style in MK history and that is Lui He.

I personally don't like that for him. It's too simple for someone who should be wise and powerful.

I imagine a God would have great combat experience and so would use more stealthy, brainy-type moves. Lui He is seriously direct and uninspiring. The moves it comes with for him are especially way too few. In fact, he's got probably the lowest count of moves in a style than any other character. I'm not sure though.

The stance is okay for him but I say he could have used something more extraordinary and exciting. I mean he's a God.

The style that I think would suit him well is Crane because it looks as if he's floating with his hands and leg up in the air, and the moves appear to use some sort of strategic and premeditated approach to combat, which is I think he would use. It's also a graceful style, in a wierd way, which suits him because he controls wind.

I'd say that's the best style he could have used. Another style that I think would have suit him would have been Mantis, but I can't think of a better style for him than Crane because of its stategy usage, balanced grace, and floatation-like stance.

I'm pretty sure Lui He is one of the many styles they fucked up on. The correct spelling is Liu He, and there are actually two Chinese martial arts called Liu He Quan. One of them is another name for Xing Yi Quan, the other being some Shaolin style of Kung Fu.

As for what styles I think would be good for Fujin, I would say something like Feng Shou and Daito Ryu.

Feng Shou is a modern internal Chinese martial art that is translated as "Wind Hand" or "Hand of the Wind". It's also known as Li style Tai Chi Chuan and has soft, fluid movements. I think it would be quite perfect for him.

Daito Ryu (Long Sword Tradition) is a Japanese martial art that uses circular movements and grappling techniques to neutralize or redirect the opponent's attack. It is a form of Aikijujutsu and styles such as Aikido, Hapkido, and Hakko Ryu are derived from Daito Ryu. The history of this style is a bit controversial as claims are made that Daito Ryu goes back to the 1100s yet there's no evidence to back up the claim. Since there's no real proof to back that up, some believe that Daito Ryu was created by Sokaku Takeda in the 1890s.

Both of these styles are more of the defensive side as far as I know.

Lui He I just read about not too long ago since I like Fujin, it seems pretty accurate to me actually the stuff I read. Granted, not every single move is on there from the stuff I read that I remember but then again no fighter supports "every single move" for any character when it comes to fighters.



They just take a lot of moves or some from all of these styles and implement some of them into these games. Afterall it is a game, not course on martial arts.

I think Liu He is very good for Fujin actually.



Liu he means six integration. The six integrations are: integration of heart and will, will and qi, qi and strength, the shoulders and hips, the knees and elbows, and the hands and feet.

Since Fujin is a God, a God should have a common knowledge of everything IMO. He's a good guy and the definition of his style is perfect for him.

Personally though, his weapon should have stayed as Wind Staff rather then Devastator.

Since I'm known online for using Fujin also, I can tell ya that he is indeed a defensive character for sure. His pokes in the style are great offensive/defensive tactics at the same time. His punches are ok, they come out at a reasonably good speed.

His chop is a great launcher for juggles but anyway lol. I already wrote a Fujin guide.



The Wind Staff looked awesome in the early concepts/versions of MKA Fujin. There aren't even a lot here that are aware of that, he originally had that as a weapon style and different hand to hand style before the final version.

I think his style Lui He is alright for him. Like mkf explained, the whole six harmonies and 8 methods concept goes well with his character. In armageddon though, Fujin didn't have enough moves with the style which sucked. I'm sure more techniques will be included in future the Mortal Kombat games if they decide to give him the style again.



Yeah, I was mad when I found out Midway decided to give him that huge piece of rust. The Windstaff looks way better and so much more unique with the aura of wind it has around it. Furthermore, If I remember correctly, their is weapon form of Liu He that can support support the Windstaff: Xin Yi Guan.

Anyhow, I'd love to see Fujin and the Windstaff in Mortal Kombat 8.

Here is a couple of early MKA footage in which you can see the Windstaff in, enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGPHEQRdoQg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcYCghqdgvw&mode;=related&search;=

-MiNe

To mkflegend: Although it is a game and not a course on martial arts, that doesn't mean that there shouldn't be authencity to the different martial styles. It's like trying to say that you'll be putting in Tae Kwon Do roundhouse kicks but instead, there'd be Muay Thai roundhouse kicks. It just doesn't make any sense. I'm not saying that there should be 100% accuracy with the styles. But if you're going to put in real martial arts styles, actually put in moves and stances that are used in them. Look what they did with styles like Bajiquan. Horrible!

As for Liu He, I think it could work for Fujin, but I still think styles like Feng Shou fit him better. Liu He has other meanings such as six coordinates and six harmonies.

Wind Staff would've been better for Fujin, indeed, especially if the moves were based off of a form of Bojutsu.

To MiNeOuT: I think you are confusing Liu He Quan (6 Harmonies Boxing) with Liu He Ba Fa Quan (6 Harmonies 8 Methods Boxing/Water Boxing).

I never noticed that Wind Staff in his bio card before. It looks amazing. What a bummer that they didn't go with it.

The moves seem to be the same as Hotaru's weapon. That would have been cool.

MKA is such a tease.

Yeah, the meaning of Liu I already posted previously ^^ by myself, sub-zero7th and such but that now that that's covered. I read about some of the moves in that style, he does have some accurate but I'll admit they could have put more moves in there. They put more moves in the Lui He Ba Style for Li Mei(I think that's her style) then Fujin's I've noticed.

But although most are disappointed with his style moves being limited and such it's not so bad. Perhaps you guys would like to see my Fujin Guide, I also have vids of me playing as him. I'll tape more for future reference, the style he has isn't as bad as a lot make it out to be.

The Wind Staff looked badass indeed, I liked the range on it also. I really do hope in MK8 if they have weapons he gets that wind staff.

What about Johnny Cage?

Imo, I think Karate is the best style for him simply because it's a very ordinary style and he's a very ordinary, or realistic, type of character. He's not some fantasy creature from a different realm who should have a style as unusual and extraordinary as that. He's just a martial arts movie star.

For that matter, he should have a simple, common, unbizarre style and Karate does an excellent job being that. The moves and stance are simple and don't appear very stealthy and tricky as I'm sure he isn't.

Jeet Kune Do also goes with him. The stance especially since it gives the carrier a very cocky feel. The moves weren't complexy tactical either.