Custom Martial Art, Trying to make Kendo Options

[Brol_The_Mighty]

So, after going through the selections of Martial Arts styles listed in Arsenal, I noticed there wasn't one that even resembled Kendo, a sword based Martial Art. There are many, many styles that improve or modify Unarmed, but not many for Blades. So, I'm trying to create Kendo. I honestly don't know much about the style, and what I can find is mostly the history on wikipedia. Anyone want to help me with this? The advantages I'm think of are:

+1 DV on Blades attacks ( may be taken twice for a cumulative +2 DV) - I based this off of what I could find promoting that Kendo was about powerful strikes and thrusts, as well as the abundance of such advantages for Unarmed.
+1 DV on attacks of Will - again, from what I could find, Kendo uses the Kiai in its technique's, but not the extent of the Kiai style which allows you to take it multiple times for cumulative affect.
+1 die to melee parry (but not block or dodge) Defense Tests (may be taken twice for a cumulative +2 dice - blocks made in Kendo, again from what I read, were made with the weapon.

What do you guys think?

[bernardo]

I once created a character who was a Kenjutsu master. Just took +2 DV for Blades and +2 melee parry. I wanted him to be skilled in the Niten Ichi Ryu style, the famous style developed by Miyamoto Musashi. It is a two swords style, so I gave him a wakizashi (short sword) for his off-hand and the following maneuvers: Iaijutsu, Off-Hand Training, Two-Weapon Style and Watchful Guard.

The character:

Kyuzo: A master in the traditional Japanese swordsmanship, he was once a respectful kenjutsu scholar and an Adept of the Warrior Path. He was a instructor of his art at Mitsuhama's magical research facilities. One day a disagreement with another master grown into a real sword duel and by the end of that he was the one standing. Kyuzo got arrested for murder and did his time in jail. After getting out, he realized that he could not go back to his old life and became a ronin shadowrunner.

Here are Kyuzo's stats...

[ Spoiler ]

Race: Human (0 BP)
Attributes: (265 BP)
B: 4
A: 4
R: 4 (6)
S: 4
C: 3
I: 3
L: 3
W: 3
Edge: 2
Magic: 6 (5)
Essence: 5
Initiative: 9 / 3 IPs

Active Skills: (98 BP)
Athletic Group: 2
Blades (Katana +2): 6 (11)
Unarmed Combat: 4
Infiltration: 3
Instruction: 3
Perception: 3

Knowledge Skills: (18 Free)
Japanese N
English 5
[Academic] Bushido 5
[Academic] Kenjutsu 5
[Academic] History 3

Qualities: (-10 BP)
Adept (5 BP)
Martial Arts (20 BP)
Incompetent: Computer (-5 BP) (there is a scene that did not make into the final cut that shows Kyuzo trying to work with the farmers and demonstrating his total lack of skill for that kind of work. And if we think that Computer is the laborers main skill of the 2070's...)
Talisman Geas: Katana (-10 BP)
Compulsive - Moderate: Training (-10 BP)
SINner: Criminal (-10 BP)

Adept Powers:
Improved Combat Ability [Blades]: 5
Mystic Armor: 4
Attribute Boost [Strength]: 2 (for the Kiai shout when striking with his katana)

Martial Arts: (8 BP)
Kenjutsu: +2 DV Blades, +2 Parry
Manuevers: Iaijutsu, Off-Hand Training, Two-Weapon Style, Watchful Guard (his fighting style in this build is the Niten Ichi Ryu, the two swords style created by Miyamoto Musashi.)

Gear and Lifestyle: (31 BP)
Squatter Lifestyle (1 month)

Katana Weapon Focus Rtg 2 (Bound: 2 BP)

Implants:
Synaptic Booster Rating 2

Lined Coat; Wakisashi; Commlink: Metalink/Vector Xim; Googles: Flare Comp, Image Link, Low Light, Thermographic, Vision Enhancement 3, Vision Mag; Earbuds: Audio Enhancement 3, Spatial Recognizer; Certified Credstick (120Y)

Contacts: (6 - Free Contacts House Rule)
Fixer: L1/C2
Armorer: L2/C1

Hope it can give you some ideas (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cyber.gif)

[Brol_The_Mighty]

That helps in showing that I'm not off my rocker (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Did you do a writeup for the style, or just left it as the mechanics of it?

[kjones]

Don't most martial arts only have four things you can take? I count five in your version of kendo. (+2 DV with blades, +2 to parry, +1 on attacks of will)

[Brol_The_Mighty]

Good point. At that point, I'd either take it to either +1 to parry, or take out attacks of will.....

[bernardo]

That helps in showing that I'm not off my rocker (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Did you do a writeup for the style, or just left it as the mechanics of it?

Didn't do a writeup, sorry... Actually I was more interested in recreating Niten Ichi Ryu then Kenjutsu in general. Thats why I choose the Off-Hand Training, Two-Weapon Style and Watchful Guard combination. For the +2 DV, I pictured a kind of combat that lasts no more than a couple of straightforward attacks before one of the combatants is dead. That put, when you are in this kind of combat, you better know how to parry those attacks, so +2 parry.

[Brol_The_Mighty]

No worries. I just feel better when creating custom content by doing it thoroughly. It also has a better chance of being allowed if I do so (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) I'm currently trying to bring blades, and melee weapons in general, up to par with unarmed in respects to options for an Adept. Which means I've got to come up with writeups for the custom Martial Art, as well as custom Adept Powers....or at least the power variants.

[McCummhail]

More styles and more adept powers are always great.
I would definitely recommend dropping the kiai bonus in favor of parry.
EDIT: If they want Kiai bonuses it is relatively easy to take levels in Kiai.
I would actually posit that "parry or dodge" would be a more accurate reflection.
Standard JF Kendo as taught in schools today emphasizes springing as much as parrying.
So giving the option of +2 parry, +2 dodge, or +1 dodge/+1 parry would be ideal.

Here is another for the list:
Fencing-
+1 die with blades for called shots to disarm or called shots to increase damage (may be taken twice);
Fencers are taught to fight with precision and grace, striking for vital areas.
+1 die with blades on melee parry defense tests (May be taken twice)
Parry, parry, thrust! Parry , parry, thrust!

Recommended maneuvers: Riposte, Finishing Move (Closing lunge), Two-weapon Style (main gauche), Herding

Custom maneuver:
Punish the guard: Characters using the 'Punish the guard" maneuver in melee
increase the penalty for “defender has defended against previous attacks” (see
p. 150, SR4) by 1.

[Brol_The_Mighty]

Oooh, I like that one. Very good.