Your Chance for Immortality

[Writer]

I'm a writer and if all goes well, one of my characters could become one of the most kick-* heroines of all time. She is a SWAT specialist and she finds herself in several predicaments where she beats the bejesus out of some very worthy opponents (not all of whom are human). She's a street fighter and can use legs, fists, elbows. She's probably quite capable of using that thumb hold that seems to incapacitate people for Jet Li. At some point I need to describe her martial arts training, probably in about ten words (preferably fewer). Maybe a few of you would like to take a shot at it. There are a couple of requirements :

 

1. It must be the most deadly form of martial arts known to man

 

2. It has to be fairly recognizable (i.e. saying it is the hoy palloy school of kee gan do isn't going to cut it. I'm thinking kung fu, tkd or kenpo karate, but want it to sound awesome.

 

3. I need a level of training (i.e. eighth degree black. Saying 4th DAN won't cut it because nobody outside of martial arts has ever heard of a dan)

 

4. Some combination of martial arts is okay if easy to state such as "fifth degree black in karate with tae kwon doe underpinnings." or "expert level (whatever that is) kung fu, won junior state title, tae kwon doe at age 15".

 

Finally, what the heck does Jet Li use? Excuse my spelling of these martial arts. Good luck and thanks in advance.

 

P.S. Don't reply if you think you are due any royalties, because you aren't.

[Hudson]

How about a deadly ninja stealth operative?

 

Or someone like Jenna Castillo, a world ranking champion in Muay Thai kickboxing. So hard core that one kick will smash a normal persons bones into millions of pieces.

 

As for Jet Li, I believe he is a Wushu stylist mixed in with some Hollywood Special Effects

[White Warlock]

Writer. Write about what you know.

[Lenny]

Writer. Write about what you know.

 

Bad advice. George Lucas doesn't know about life on other planets but he wrote Star Wars. Quentin Tarantino would just write movies about working in a video store. That would really suck.

[White Warlock]

Writer. Write about what you know.

 

Bad advice. George Lucas doesn't know about life on other planets but he wrote Star Wars. Quentin Tarantino would just write movies about working in a video store. That would really suck.

Actually, not bad advice at all.

 

Don't confuse what is out there, with what you know. Your imagination is entirely your own. However, the details of quantum physics, molecular biology, goju ryu karate, and corporate litigation in Minnesota... these are things you must study in order to represent properly in your writings.

 

George Lucas wrote about what he did know. He made up those worlds, and what was on them, so he knew more about them than anyone else. In no uncertain terms, he was the expert in the field of "the Force," the Empire, Wookies, and just about everything else he made up.

 

As to Quentin Tarantino, he wrote screenplays, based on the works of other screenwriters. In fact, he credits many of his works to recreations of Japanese movies, much in the same way that the Seven Samurai was rewritten for American audiences into the Magnificant Seven. He based his works on the works of others that 'did' know of the particular topics. And, when he made his movies, he relied on experts to flesh out the details.

 

Anyway, the point here is... if you don't know something, research it. Don't just ask for people to hand you a martial art name so you can associate the stuff you put into a book with that martial art. You'll only misrepresent said style. If you do not have the time to research, don't give it a name... and apply your fantastical representation of ideas, rather than get caught up in specifics. The truth of the matter is, there are a select few readers that are truly interested in detailed descriptions of techniques in a conflict. It is best to give the 'impression' of what is happening, as opposed to the specifics of what is being done.

[P.A.L]

use Kill Bill 1,2. Tarantino is a nice guy ,he doesn't care. i only know that she has to be a ninjer.

[MenteReligieuse]

Jet Li trained at the Shaolin Temple, that is all I know.

 

Ninjitsu does not seem bad. Only ninjitsu styles I know are taijitsu and ninpo (I think they are styles..)

 

Ever heard of the game Tekken? Each character has his or her own martial art style. Some of them are made up: Like Mishima family style Karate, Combined Martial Arts based on judo. Other styles are just very vague: Xing yi based martial arts, Traditional Karate, Five Style chinese MA.

 

Or take for example Nina, the sexy stealth assasin trained in Assasination Techniques based on Bone Martial Arts and Aikido. Here the Bone MA is totally made up then a general statement is made about Aikido.

 

Anyway whatever style you give to your character, I think you have to add in Aiki-jujutsu (mother style of aikido and judo)! Would fit well with her SWAT profession, being able to disarm and neutralise enemies much bigger than her with ease .

Edited November 28, 2004 by MenteReligieuse

[Musse]

I don't think the readers will care about the name of the style. Just make sure that the story is good, which isn't very impressive now.

 

"Some dude beats other dudes with his AWESOME ninjamoves"

 

I bet it would make a great action movie, but a book? Well, add a little pictures and it would be a great kids book

 

Anyway, if you make up your own style, nobody can correct you about how this and that style doesn't use this or that technique etc. etc. etc. etc.

 

- Musse

[ncole_91]

Are you going to post your book on the internet, sounds like an interesting read.

 

Using a ninja would be a pretty good idea becuase alot of people know what they are, maybe not so muc hthe style, but the sterotype of a ninja.

[MenteReligieuse]

Are you going to post your book on the internet, sounds like an interesting read.

 

Using a ninja would be a pretty good idea becuase alot of people know what they are, maybe not so muc hthe style, but the sterotype of a ninja.

 

People think ninjas are evil mystic beings who can appear and disapear at will. I wouldn't say people know what they are