I've noticed a trend that certain specializations seem to come up over and over. Some examples:

Dodge (Melee Combat) - Since Dodge is so seldom used against ranged combat attacks - they typically are defended against using only Reaction - this has been a big one for my players.

Pistol (Semi-Automatics) - This seems to cover any (non-Revolver) pistol that is incapable of BF. Is this correct, because if it is, then that's a vast majority of the pistols my players use.

Unarmed Combat (Martial Arts) - This one's really gray. Just what are the limits to this specialty?

Any feedback would be appreciated.

I think in pistols they weren't thinking it through clearly, I house rule spec in pistols to be Hold-Out, Light, or Heavy Pistols. Then I make sure that there are cases where the runers must go places where their heavy pistols will be noticed and the only things they can get through are hold-outs. So the spec is not freebies.

Re: Unarmed Combat (Martial Arts)--Without having an update to the Cannon Companion materials, I'd say to have the player decide whether this is for attacking or blocking, or to specify a unique situation (Multiple opponents, close combat, etc) I'm hoping that Arsenal will update the materials from CC to SR4, but without that telling us what the advantages and disadvantages of a specific style of martial arts are, we have to make things up on the fly.

If you have access to a CC, you and your player can sit down and discuss which form of martial arts they have bene trained in and determine the best way to simulate that training without it dominating areas where the martial art form is weak.

I can see going with the "by style" approach in some games, but SR4 really only uses Unarmed Strike - whether that be by fist, foot, elbow, knee, kneelig/sitting on your opponent (don't laugh too much, it happens in Silat all the time).

I suppose that Martial Arts would be inappropriate for touch attacks (shock gloves and touch-range spells), and subduing, but it should still be useful for blocking so long as you're not "armed" with shock gloves or holding a touch-range spell or currently grappling (subduing combat)...

I really don't like the Martial Arts Specialization.

Martial arts are fine as long as they describe what the primary functions of the martial art is.

For example:
Boxing: +2 when punching
Karate: +2 when kicking
Judo, Wrestling: +2 for subdual

Maybe even split the +2 into two separate attacks.
Kung Fu, Kicking Boxing: +1 when punching, +1 when kicking
Street Fighting: +1 for subdual, +1 punching

+2 for anyone with Martial Arts to block a melee attack. (This doesn't help though for dodging falling debris or that old, senile lady driving on the sidewalk!)

Why split it? Situations might exist when only your legs are free. Maybe you can only strike at someone with your hands. Maybe you just have to tackle that elf and keep him down. A little diversity in the martial art might be preferred.

This is where house rules need to clarify the function of the skill.

House Rules I've impemented:

Specs for Pistols change to: Hold-Out, Light, Heavy. There are actually quite a few situations where packing the heavy pistol is a bad idea.

Unarmed: Specs change to Offensive (when attacking), Defensive (when defending), and Subdual (used in any subdual/grappling attempt)

I'm not 100% satisfied with how I split up Pistols. Unarmed, though, works excellently.

I can't really think of a better way to break up pistols. Maybe HO, LP, HP, and Revolver (regardless of size), but that's it. It's not like there's a lot of different kinds of handgun.

I dunno. If the Roomsweeper and the AVS weren't both Heavy Pistols, I might not wonder about it so much. As is, two of the more bizarre guns in the game fit in to the pistols category.

I don't know. If I change the specializations to HO, LP, and HP then they'll just specialize in heavy pistols and be back in the old situation of refusing to use a light pistol or a hold-out, EVER.

You can always force them to pick a specific weapon instead.

how about gunnery(ballistic).

Or Peception (vision)
Or Computer (commlink)

What about the specs that have NO use. Elec Warfare has a Jamming spec that can't ever be applied to a roll.

The point was how much more often vision is used than the others. Use Ultrasound and your hearing is technically vision.

Don't forget First Aid (Combat Wounds)

unarmed combat (martial art)
For me someone practicing a few balanced styles of kung fu isn't specialized at all because those styles cover most kind of attack / defence.
As said before I would agree for :
english boxing : +2 for attacking with punch (could include subdual)
karate : +2 for attacking (not for subdual)
muai thai : +2 for strikes with hard parts of the body (no subdual either !)
Aikido : +2 for defense OR +2 for grapple/throwing

... Those are just Idea. Basically I just think a specialization must stay what it is : being better in a part of the skill covering less than half its applications
Some karate style could be more focused on hand, or on kick ... The character must just specify the range of application of the specialization.

Apart from flavor text, what's the difference between them saying "I throw a punch" and "I throw a kick?" If we get martial arts rules we'll have difference, but for now it seems like just a difference in descriptors, although I suppose there are situations where you can't use one or the other, but those would be few and far between.

There seems to be a slight misconception within this thread:

Specialisations are mutually exclusive... so Martial Arts adds dice exactly when attacking normally in unarmed combat.