GURPS Martial Arts - Home

BAJUTSU
3 points
Bajutsu was the traditional Japanese art of horsemanship.
It taught the horseman how to control his mount. He
had to study fighting from his mount separately. Other cultures
that employed cavalry took a similar approach and
had identical styles. Riders trained in Bajutsu or its equivalent
should study an armed style separately or merge its
techniques with those of Bajutsu via the Style Adaptation
perk. For candidate styles, see Armatura Equestris (p. 150),
Furusiyya (pp. 159-161), Knightly Mounted Combat (pp. 175-
177), and Yabusame (p. 181).
Cinematic Bajutsu masters often have fantastic mounts
and/or high levels of Animal Friend. They can also learn
unique specialties of certain cinematic skills that enable
them to augment their mount’s abilities. These skills can’t
exceed the horseman’s Riding skill, and work on the horse –
not the rider.
Skills: Animal Handling (Equines); Riding (Horse).
Techniques: Combat Riding; Hands-Free Riding; Quick
Mount; Staying Seated.
Cinematic Skills: Flying Leap (Horse); Immovable Stance
(Horse); Light Walk (Horse).
Perks: Style Adaptation (Any mounted style).
Optional Traits
Advantages: Ally (Mount); Animal Empathy; Animal
Friend; Signature Gear (Mount); Speak With Animals
(Horses, -80%).
Disadvantages: Sense of Duty (Animals).
Skills: Acrobatics; Savoir-Faire (Dojo).
Techniques: Cavalry Training; Horse Archery; Mounted
Shooting.
BANDO
Bando is one of a range of Burmese martial arts that fall
under the umbrella term Thaing. Prior to World War II,
there were nine regional Bando styles. After WWII, most of
these merged into ABA Bando, which is now common
worldwide. This style appears below, along with the rarer
Kachin Bando.
Bando is famous for its many animal forms, each of
which represents an aspect of the style. Only the master’s
family learns the full style. This helps keep the style “pure”
and prevents outsiders from learning all of the master’s
tricks.
All Bando styles practice physical toughening techniques
such as striking tree trunks, heavy bags, or other hard
objects. Physical fitness is emphasized – as is heedlessness
of death.
ABA Bando
4 points
Dr. Maung Gyi – son of one of the men who developed
Bando after World War II – introduced Bando to the U.S. in
1959, formed the American Bando Association (ABA), and
founded its namesake style. ABA Bando is a powerful style
meant for self-defense and combat situations. The ABA
Bando Animal
Forms
Bando contains various animal forms, the exact
number of which depends on the specific school.
There are typically 12 in ABA Bando (boar, bull,
cobra, deer, eagle, monkey, paddy bird, panther,
python, scorpion, tiger, and viper) and 16 in Kachin
Bando (barking deer, boar, bull, cobra, crocodile,
eagle, monkey, paddy bird, panther, python, scorpion,
sun bear, tiger, viper, white elephant, and white
rhino). These forms aren’t sub-styles! They describe
the personality, tactics, and favored techniques of the
fighter – not of Bando itself. They also differ from
kung fu animal forms, which aim to replicate the animal’s
tactics.
The lineage holder and his immediate family train
in all of Bando’s techniques and skills. Outsiders,
even trusted students, learn only the small subset of
moves appropriate to their animal form. This makes
them effective fighters . . . but they lack the gamut of
skills necessary to defeat the lineage holder and his
family. A student who wishes to learn the full style
must persuade his master to part with a family secret
– or to let him join the family.
The GM may wish to treat each animal form as a
separate Style Familiarity – e.g., Style Familiarity
(Kachin Bando, Bull Form) – and reserve the full version
– e.g., Style Familiarity (Kachin Bando) – for the
lineage holder and his family.
describes it as the “Jeep of martial arts”: practical and reliable,
but free of frills.
Stylists are known for their aggressiveness. Attacks are
fast and continuous, aimed at overwhelming and defeating
the foe. Rapid Strike and All-Out Attack (Double) are very
common as the practitioner rains down blows on his adversary.
He’ll attack the legs in order to disable his opponent,
and then switch his attention to the skull, face, and body to
finish him. The goal is a rapid and decisive victory. The precise
methodology depends on the fighter’s animal form.
Deer emphasizes flight and escape, snake focuses more on
grapples and chokes, boar prefers a full-bore, head-on
attack heedless of injury, and so on; see Bando Animal
Forms (see above).
ABA Bando has a belt system like that of the Japanese
martial arts, and students also wear the gi. Many techniques
are adaptations from non-Burmese systems. This makes the
system more eclectic and flexible but subjects it to claims
that it’s “watered down.” Instruction in ABA Bando is available
worldwide.
Skills: Judo; Karate; Savoir-Faire (Dojo).
Techniques: Aggressive Parry (Karate); Arm Lock;
Counterattack (Karate); Elbow Strike; Hammer Fist; Head
Butt; Head Lock; Knee Strike; Stamp Kick.
Cinematic Skills: Breaking Blow; Mental Strength; Power
Blow.
Cinematic Techniques: Roll with Blow.
STYLES 151