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[shockdude]

The first iteration of a fighting game tended to invent a martial art for its main characters, and many other games invented martial arts styles for their own reasons. Of these martial arts styles, which one is best?

• The martial art must have been invented by a video game, fighting or otherwise. Use your best judgement.
• Joke movesets (e.g. Phoenix Wright from MVC3) are not a martial art.
• Ideally, the martial art should have more than one practitioner.

Some examples of video game martial arts:

Street Fighter's Ansatsuken Shotokan
Practitioners: Ryu, Ken Masters, Akuma
Notable techniques: Hadoken, Shoryuken
A balanced martial art utilizing ki energy to attack opponents who are airborne or at a distance.

Tekken's Mishima Style Fighting Karate
Practitioners: Heihachi Mishima, Kazuya Mishima, Jin Kazama
Notable techniques: Wind God Fist, Spinning Demon
A fighting style with an emphasis on powerful strikes and up-close offense.

Dead or Alive's Mugen Tenshin Style Ninjutsu
Practitioners: Kasumi, Ayane, Hayate
Notable techniques: Backflip kick (various move names), Teleport/Dash (various move names)
A fancy class of fighting styles featuring heavy use of momentum and rapid movement.

I personally like Mishima Style. EWGF is simply a really good move, both visually and practically (in the video game sense).
I can't deny that learning how to throw Hadokens would be cool, though.

 

[YoshiStrife]

Kasumi's Mugen Tenshin is graceful.

 

[TetraGenesis]

Does CQC count?

 

[Psychoward]

Divekick for divekick. I'd post gifs but I'm on mobile.

 

[Shaanyboi]

Not directly what the question is asking, but I'd say the fighting style from Arkham Asylum.

I say this because it had a direct influence on the Captain America tie-in game by Next Level Games, which then influenced the Russo Brothers and Chris Evans on the film's sequel, which completely changed how we view Captain America as a fighter in live-action.

 

[Laws00]

Where is Kyokugenryu Karate at?

 

[Munch Poke]

Not directly what the question is asking, but I'd say the fighting style from Arkham Asylum.

I say this because it had a direct influence on the Captain America tie-in game by Next Level Games, which then influenced the Russo Brothers and Chris Evans on the film's sequel, which completely changed how we view Captain America as a fighter in live-action.

I know it shouldn't bother me at all but...he totally doesn't even kick that dude.

 

[NameGenerated]

Shaq Fu

 

[quesalupa]

Freeflow

 

[gafneo]

Dante running on upsidedown buildings doing backflips

 

[JusDoIt]

Ansatsuken. The shoto specials are pop-culture universals. Both the moves and the shouts. Also the phrase ASSASSINATION FIST is probably the most gangsta expression in the history of human language.

 

[arturo2666]

Does Z targeting ala OoT count? If so, that.

 

[TheBowen]

Really hard to think of others that either aren't based on real martial arts/ forms of fighting, or ones that you haven't mentioned but

Yoshimitsu and Kunimitsu : Manji Ninjutsu ( Used by ninja clans for martial arts, wonder if yoshimitsu spinning around like a fucking octopus was a included technique)

Hakan: Turkish Oil Wrestling
Ovisouly based off a real sport but seems to be way over the top, so I'll include it.


Dan : Saikyo Style
The one true fighting style

 

[Rookhelm]

How about Teras Kasi from the Star Wars fighting game

 

[shockdude]

Does CQC count?

Divekick for divekick. I'd post gifs but I'm on mobile.

Where is Kyokugenryu Karate at?

Shaq Fu

Freeflow

These all count imo. Some might argue against Freeflow, but it's a video game fighting style so hey.
It'd be good if you mentioned which game the martial art originated from and what makes them so special. I had to look up Freeflow (it's from Arkham Asylum).

Does Z targeting ala OoT count? If so, that.

Dante running on upsidedown buildings doing backflips

These kinda stretch the idea of martial art, but otherwise probably count. It'd be better if the fighting style had a proper name.
I know Dante has multiple styles, like Trickster and Swordmaster.

 

[Finaika]

Shiranui-ryuu Ninjutsu.

 

[Soul of the Beast]

Does CQC count?

No, it's already a thing in real life.

CQC/CQB (aka Close Quarter Combat / Close Quarter Battle) is a tactical concept used by the military and law enforcement, and it is mostly with guns, rarely hand-to-hand.
Even though hand-to-hand combat technically counts as CQC too.

The hand-to-hand CQC technique you see in MGS games is a combination of Jiu-jitsu, Krav Maga and Systema.

example of Krav Maga in self-defense

 

[ProgenitorCastle]

Bullet Arts from Bayonetta series is a good one imo

Practicioners as far as I know: Bayonetta, Jeanne, Rosa, I think the vast majority of the Umbran Witches practice it

 

[Scrooge McDuck]

These all count imo. Some might argue against Freeflow, but it's a video game fighting style so hey.
It'd be good if you mentioned which game the martial art originated from and what makes them so special. I had to look up Freeflow (it's from Arkham Asylum).

I feel that Freeflow is really dubious. Like, Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, Catwoman, Azrael, Joker, Harley Quinn, Red Hood and Deathstroke use the Freeflow system but there is no way all of them actually subscribe to the same martial arts style.

 

[You Pay This Much]

Shaq Fu

Came here to say this.

 

[Alexander DeLarge]

Not directly what the question is asking, but I'd say the fighting style from Arkham Asylum.

I say this because it had a direct influence on the Captain America tie-in game by Next Level Games, which then influenced the Russo Brothers and Chris Evans on the film's sequel, which completely changed how we view Captain America as a fighter in live-action.

Is this from Civil War? Looks terrible (like the entire airport sequence).

 

[lvl99 Pixel]

Twig Style
it functions as a sword, boomerang, whip, flamethrower and broomstick

 

[Dremorak]

Yakuza 0 and Breaker style
https://youtu.be/b8R5wBGPuEQ?t=606

 

[rackham]

I like parappas chop chop onion martial arts style in PlayStation all stars.

 

[NeOak]

I know it shouldn't bother me at all but...he totally doesn't even kick that dude.

Shhhhhh

Just pretend he did.

 

[Boss Doggie]

Incoming SNK post

kyokugen is rad

some say it's a ripoff of ryu and ken's style (it was), but it diverged into clean, straightforward attacks, I think Robert is the one that added variety to it making it more agile, but generally they're singular, strong hits with even a touch of defensive playstyle like what you see in Ryo and Marco

also whatever the style Heidern and Leona use, basically using your hands as knives and apparently injecting explosives into your enemies, pretty rad

Ansatsuken. The shoto specials are pop-culture universals. Both the moves and the shouts. Also the phrase ASSASSINATION FIST is probably the most gangsta expression in the history of human language.

I thought Gouken's style isn't techncially ansatsuken but a derivation from it?

 

[privitsan02]

Whatever Spider-Man was doing in the E3 demo this year.

 

[zoodoo]

Crab from mortal kombat deception.

 

[ChronotriggerJM]

Not directly what the question is asking, but I'd say the fighting style from Arkham Asylum.

I say this because it had a direct influence on the Captain America tie-in game by Next Level Games, which then influenced the Russo Brothers and Chris Evans on the film's sequel, which completely changed how we view Captain America as a fighter in live-action.

This is awesome! The fighting in Captain America films is soooooo much better than the rest of the marvel universe, this helps explain lol.

 

[BackwardCap]

What is Terry and Rock Howards fighting style from KOF?

 

[Gitaroo]

What is Terry and Rock Howards fighting style from KOF?

Terry is suppose to be baji I think but his moves look nothing like it... Rock is suppose to be a mixture of geese and terry.

 

[Boss Doggie]

What is Terry and Rock Howards fighting style from KOF?

If we go by origin, Terry got his style similar to his dad (Jeff) and master (Tung). Tung taught the same style to Jeff and Geese. Terry's style is a more street fighter/brawler type mixed with what he learned, compared to Andy's combining of ninjutsu and Tung's style.

Rock uses both Terry and Geese's style.

 

[Ninja Dom]

Kasumi's Mugen Tenshin is graceful.

Shiranui-ryuu Ninjutsu.

Hayabusa Ninjutsu!

 

[HeatBoost]

Bayonetta fights with four guns on each of her limbs

So probably hers

 

[Slamtastic]

http://mortalkombat.wikia.com/wiki/Horse

 

[Renekton]

Is Muscle Power a martial art?

 

[joeblow]

The Dragon's Elbow

 

[AerialAir]

This is a pretty fine martial art, difficult to execute i believe.

 

[MisterHero]

It's obviously Dan Hibiki's Saikyo style.

He has the strongest move in MvC2

 

[Outrun]

Shaq Fu

Shaq Fu indeed.

 

[Ryouji Gunblade]

Do hidden skills count?

If so, then also Minish Cap's.

 

[A.Romero]

Some people are confusing fighting style with mechanic or can't have a thread without mentioning their favourite game...

In my opinion the best would be Yagami/Yasakani fighting style. Even without powers (default Iori in FFXII) it kicks ass.

 

[TetraGenesis]

No, it's already a thing in real life.

CQC/CQB (aka Close Quarter Combat / Close Quarter Battle) is a tactical concept used by the military and law enforcement, and it is mostly with guns, rarely hand-to-hand.
Even though hand-to-hand combat technically counts as CQC too.

The hand-to-hand CQC technique you see in MGS games is a combination of Jiu-jitsu, Krav Maga and Systema.

example of Krav Maga in self-defense

This is my point.

I know that MGS3 didn't actually invent Close Quarters Combat as a general term used for that kind of engagement. But the MGS3-coined combat style "CQC" (which clearly pulls from a number of different martial/fighting arts) is unique to the series to my knowledge. By the nature of pulling from Jiu-Jitsu, Krav Maga, Systema, Defendu into a unique moveset, it becomes it's own martial art.