Looking over the martial arts skills, I wondered about whirling. If I'm all pistol'd up and getting pressed by the bad guys, can I use my whirling to prevent the friends in combat bonus whilst still using my pistols?

as club with no reach, or just shooting randomly?

to keep them at bay I assume, right?

If you had a Simple Action left after the Complex Action of Whirling.

I was thinking of shooting, actually, although using them as clubs is also good.

Toturi: whirling is a complex action? Must re-read the rules then. I take it that means therefore that you're having to rely on counterattacks to actually strike when using it. Hmm... so shooting would be out then.

I think toturi means that Whirling is part and parcel of a Melee attack (or defence). As such, it is considered a Complex Action.

Isn't there a ranged combat modifier for characters in melee? I think it's in SR 3 in the ranged combat modifiers table. I've let players fire in melee before but added modifiers on top of this one for your opponent moving.

Yes there is, but that isn't the point. You couldn't both fire in melee and conduct a melee attack (or maneuver), which was the original question.

Yeah, I was thinking of the HKAT styles of combat sequence, but it turns out it isn't really supported in Shadowrun. No biggie, I'm not even playing my pistol adept at the moment

no, you can use manuevers on your defense roll. you can use your actions to shoot, and then declare that you're whirling as soon as anybody closes to melee you.

Whirling in combat?

Whirling like those guys?

Wouldn't recommand it.