GURPS Martial Arts - Home

Armed Grapple
Hard
Defaults: Cloak, or other prerequisite skill-2.
Prerequisite: Cloak or appropriate Melee Weapon skill;
cannot exceed prerequisite skill.
Many armed styles teach how to step close to a foe,
maneuver a weapon past him, and then pull it in tightly to
restrain him. This results in an actual grapple of his body in
close combat. To snag an opponent at full reach, use
Entangle (p. 71) for a flexible weapon or Hook (p. 74) for
one with a hook or other projection. To lock blades with
him, use Bind Weapon (see below).
To initiate an armed grapple, roll against weapon skill at
-2 – this is an awkward and unconventional attack for most
weapons. It’s a standard move with a cloak, however, and
uses your unpenalized Cloak skill (see p. B404). Use the hit
location penalties for grappling, not those for striking.
Your opponent may use any normal defense. If he fails to
defend, you’ve successfully grappled him with your weapon.
While using your weapon to grapple, you can neither attack
nor defend with it. On your turn, you can follow up with a
takedown, pin, choke, or Arm Lock (options depend on the
body part grappled). Releasing the grapple is a free action.
A one-handed weapon other than a cloak can only grapple
if you grip it in two hands first. This requires a Ready
maneuver.
Attack from Above
Average
Default: prerequisite skill-2.
Prerequisite: Any unarmed or Melee Weapon skill; cannot
exceed prerequisite skill.
Some styles teach techniques for pouncing on a foe from
above. This technique lets you buy off the -2 to attack
described in Attack from Above (p. B402). It’s particularly
suitable for cinematic ninja!
Axe Kick
Hard
Default: Karate-4.
Prerequisite: Karate; cannot exceed Karate skill.
This kick involves lifting a leg and smashing it down onto
the target heel-first. It’s a special option for Committed
Attack (pp. 99-100) and All-Out Attack (p. B365). Use the
rules below instead of the normal rules for those maneuvers.
An Axe Kick has reduced vertical reach. If your foe’s SM
exceeds yours by +1, you can’t target his head while he’s
standing. If he’s larger, you can’t hit his head unless he’s
crawling or on the ground. Resolve an attack to the foot as
a Stamp Kick (pp. 80-81) rolled at your Axe Kick level.
As a Committed Attack, an Axe Kick does thrust+1 crushing
damage – or thrust at +1 per two dice, if better – plus
skill bonuses. Roll against Axe Kick to hit. Afterward, you
can’t dodge or retreat until your next turn, and are at -2 on
all remaining active defenses.
As an All-Out Attack, an Axe Kick does thrust+2 – or
thrust at +1 per die, if better – plus skill bonuses. Hit or
miss, you have no defenses until your next turn!
An Axe Kick is difficult to back away from. If your opponent’s
retreat bonus makes the difference between a hit and
a miss for an attack aimed above the foot, the kick still hits
a lower body part. Head or neck shots strike the torso; torso,
arm, or hand blows hit a leg; and kicks to the groin or leg
stomp a foot.
This move also beats down the target’s guard. A successful
attack roll gives the defender -1 to parry any attack following
the Axe Kick until his next turn – even if his defense
against the kick succeeds. Axe Kick is a good opener for a
Rapid Strike or Combination!
Back Kick or Back Strike
Hard
Defaults: prerequisite skill-2, or -4 for a kick.
Prerequisite: Karate or any Melee Weapon skill; cannot
exceed prerequisite skill.
This technique lets you kick or use a melee weapon
against a foe to your rear without making a Wild Swing or
changing facing – although your legs must be free in order
to change stance. Back Kick defaults to Karate-4. Back
Strike defaults to Melee Weapon-2 and you must specialize;
e.g., Back Strike (Staff). To throw a “back punch,” use
Elbow Strike (p. 71).
To use this technique, you must know that your adversary
is behind you! Roll against Back Kick or Back Strike to
hit, at an extra -1 if you target a specific hit location.
A Back Kick has standard reach and damage for a kick.
A Back Strike can only reach an enemy within one yard,
regardless of weapon length. Thrusting attacks do their
usual damage; swinging attacks have -2 damage or -1 damage
per die, whichever is worse. A Back Strike from a
Reversed Grip (pp. 111-112) uses the reach and damage
effects of that grip instead of those given here.
In all cases, you’re at -2 to all active defenses until your
next turn. This is cumulative with the -2 to parry with a
weapon in a Reversed Grip!
Bind Weapon
Hard
Default: prerequisite skill-3.
Prerequisite: Jitte/Sai or any fencing weapon skill; cannot
exceed prerequisite skill.
Fencers with swords that have crosspiece hilts can lock
blades or hilts in a so-called bind. With a pronged weapon
such as the jitte (p. 217), it’s possible to bind any weapon.
This technique covers all such tactics.
To bind, you must first successfully parry your opponent’s
fencing blade with your own such sword – or use a
Jitte/Sai weapon to parry any weapon. On your first turn
after the parry, roll against Bind Weapon to try to bind the
weapon you parried; this is an attack. If you’re using a fencing
weapon, your adversary must be within a yard and you
must step into close combat. With a Jitte/Sai weapon, the
target weapon must merely be in reach (see p. B400).
TECHNIQUES 67