EDIT: Nevermind, I brainfarted.





That's not a house rule - that's RAW. Krav Maga simply allows Quick Draw (SR4 p137) to be a free action. Quick Draw, as defined on p137 of SR4, is limited to "pistols and pistol-sized weapons". You can only quick-draw other weapons if you get the Iaijutsu maneuver (which any martial artist can take, not just Krav Maga practitioners), or take the Quick Draw adept power (Street Magic, p179).

My book doesn't say 'Quick Draw as a Free Action', Sponge. I don't think anything allows that, because that would mean firing the gun as a free action.

Ack you're right, my brain was wandering down some parallel universe train of thought.

Kravs main benefits are the ready weapon and take aim actions as free actions. Firefight does not get this. Given that firefight is the martial art specifically designed to incorporate using your guns in a fight it seems odd that krav maga is not only better at that but better generally as well.

The martial art system is really poorly done IMO, this is just one example of it.

Krav Maga goes a bit beyond just a martial art. Most people just take self defense courses in it, which include basics like the ancient Egyption method of defending yourself against handguns. Its not all martial arts material though, its more the mindset of knowing what to do in or how to avoid a situation before it actually occurs. All in all it teaches you to respond quickly and brutally to resolve a situation as fast as possible. Attacks that would be considered cheap shots in other martial arts are your opening moves in Krav Maga.

Weapon wise that means getting your weapon out/ready and taking down your opponent as quickly and accurately as possible, hence the quick draw and aim bonuses. This doesn't apply only to pistols, Israeli military techniques for readying other firearms fall under 'Krav Maga' as well. The same techniques from other militaries or security forces (police/SWAT) might be similar and just as effective, but Krav Maga tends to stand out because it includes modern techniques (it is not an ancient martial art) and has become widespread after most of the world has seen the brutal effectiveness of Israeli military and security...which has more to do with the mindset of those departments (and the state of the country) than the fact that they're taught Krav Maga.

The major issue with Firefight is that it only gets three benefits while most other Martial Arts with the exception of Kung Fu, though it is arguable that you can take the one advantage for block, dodge, and parry to reach 4, have 4 abilities.

It doesn't surprise me that Firefight appears weak. Whoever made it screwed up by not including the 4th benefit. It may be that Krav Maga is overpowered, but that's not a fair assessment when the competitor is intentionally weaker by lacking the 4th benefit.

And if you want to draw pistols (or pistol-sized items) with a free action, the arm slide does the same job.


Oh, Neraph forgot to tell where the ancient Israelites got Krav Maga from: They learned it from the flying saucer Nazis from Aldebaran, who were just in town to build the pyramids. The origins of KRav Maga on Aldebaran have not been conclusively proven, the prevailing theory is that it was developed to combat the reptiloids and their mutant sea brass allies.

From the Arsenal errata:
p. 157 Firefight Advantages
After the first advantage option, add: “+1 die to Defense
Tests to dodge Ranged Attacks if engaged in melee.”

It also makes clear that you can do exactly what you said with kunfu

I'm not fond of how they split things between different arts; this is the solution I use in my games:

Really? Because I've always heard that it was a "martial art" put together specifically for the IDF to train in, developed by Imi Lichtenfield in the 1930's and 1940's...and it was, specifically, a cobbled-together collection of effective street fighting techniques (learned in Jewish ghettos), with a smattering of Eastern martial arts added in and appropriately credited. Based off the early "Kapap" fighting stile Lichtenfield pioneered, but with strong influences from Judo and Jujitsu, some la cane stick-fighting from Europe, and then they just kept adding to the stew-pot with everything they found that (a) worked very well, and (b) could be taught to the Israeli army very quickly and efficiently.

This is the first I've ever heard any sort of claim about it being an ancient martial art.

Can you cite a source for it having any sort of ancient, pre-Greek, origins?

Do I really read 'an ancient egyptian method of defending yourself against handguns ? Granted some guys see lightbulbs on some egyptian bas-reliefs, or interpret a small piece of goldsmithing as a delta-winged plane, but handguns are a tad more recent than the pharaos...

As other have stated, the 'Krav Maga an ancient über-martial art that spawned juste about every other' is plain fantasy.

That's not what I've heard. In fact, Krav Maga was one of the first martial arts (if not the first) to incorporate firearms both offensively and defensively into its core techniques. Unless you're saying the ancient Egyptian slaves had guns?

Just throwing in 'Krav Maga History' into Satan's Maw Google Search brings back its founding in the 30's with Lichtenfield.

http://i603.photobucket.com/albums/tt112/a...MeterSplode.jpg

Woha, thank god I didn't take the headware version (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Aren't people using Free Actions for Called Shot to increase DV?

So your restricting a maneuver specifically named after a technique of drawing a katana in to pistol sized weapons only(ie. no quick drawing a katana), that sounds reasonable (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wobble.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wobble.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wobble.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wobble.gif)

I know I am. cuz thats just damn sexy with DP around 20

Hell, I did it with a dice pool around 12.

Haha. Called shots. They are useful, and powerful. Now, how does one get more free actions to take aim at range, called shot and draw your pistol sized weapon before firing? Because unless you can do all that, Krav Maga isn`t the be all end all of abilities.

Me Too!

Just recently we had a discussion in one of the German Forums with a Guy who wanted to use
Krav Maga for Bows and Arrows (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohplease.gif)
thats what You get when one of the MAs is imbalanced Ruleswise

with a balanced Dance
Medicineman

I do or don't. Depends on my mood, but you know that I do called shot disarms.... a lot. Probably more than is necessary (I think I have more disarm attempts than your brother) and in situations where I probably should just shoot the guy dead. At least after he shoots at me I start shooting them dead.

What can I say. It's just cool to shoot the gun out of someone's hands.

--



I think I found the problem. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

No. For a level one quality per advantage, like all MAs, it's not really worth it.

MAs are a great way of burning karma, they don't really matter in play. The only thing they got going for themselves is that you are explicitly allowed to get them in play, not on the GMs mercy like most other qualities.

So he is nearly as efficient as a normal handgun, while still lacking AP ammo. That's… incredible, right?

@Rotbarts Comment
The point is not the effectivity !(I like effectivity but it has to be backed Up by beliviability)
The point is the Thought of using Krav Maga for Bows and Arrows
next comes Tae Kwon Do and Maneuver Kick and tying a Whip to your Ankle to have a Reach of 3 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sarcastic.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohplease.gif)

HokaHey
Medicineman

Kick is Unarmed Combat only and whips, no matter if tied to the feet or not, are Exotic Weapons.

But the idea is awesome.