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[Saede Riordan]

This is a brainstorming session, that I sort of hope to turn out a few styles of martial arts native to new eden. Once we have something firmly established we can hammer out a pdf or something. So to provide a starting point, lets look at each race:

Amarrian:
Amarrian martial arts strikes me like it would be very focused on directing blows, keeping your opponent knocked off balance, like kickboxing, only more refined. It would focus on strength of mind and body, being able to take one blow in order to inflict two more. There would probably be less a focus on dodging a blow and more a focus on deflecting it. Something interesting to note is that Martial arts develops in style as it ages. Ammarian martial arts are likely to be very old, and therefore very flowery. Steeped in tradition and custom. This might make it marginally weaker compared to a newer style, but also means it would be harder to progress, meaning that when you are a master, you are really a master.

Caldari:
The name of the game with the Caldari strikes me as efficiency. How to dispatch an enemy using as little force as possible. It would focus on using the enemy's strength against him, dodges that move one as little as possible, and blocks that turn the opponents momentum against him, similar to Aikido or Tai Chi. It would likely also be steeped in tradition, but in a different way then the Amarrians, it would teach a sort of quiet dignity. The Caldari lived in a brutal climate for most of their history, and their combat would be more refined due to this. Combat would be turned into an artform, the quiet dance of limbs, rending an enemy with as little force as possible.

Gallente:
I was hoping to collaborate with Seriphyn on this, since my knowledge of Gallente PF is lacking. However, the Gallentean mainstream Martial arts would likely suffer some of the problems of Amarrian ones. the Gallente enjoyed a fairly peaceful existance through most of history, giving much time for a martial art to turn from a practiced method of combat into more of a tradition then an actual combat style. There is also the possibility of a martial art suffering a sort of commercialization, with the school churning out masters who aren't terribly well trained (its interesting to note that because of the differing culture values, this likely wouldn't happen in Caldari martial arts. Something like Karate would not be terribly out of place in Gallentean culture.

Minmatar:
The Minmatar martial arts would be rather different then the other three races. Coming from a culture that treated being a warrior with reverence, It would be a much more direct style. Again, more focused on taking a blow to give another then to deflect that blow and not strike back. Their blows would possibly designed less to harm outright, and more to inflict pain. They would also likely have a higher focus on weapons then other styles, as well as learning to use anything as a weapon. That trashcan? Its a weapon? That pipe? weapon? the other person? they can be a weapon too.

Guristas:
Honestly, I lack much knowledge of the Guristas, but "thug fu" immediately comes to mind. Their styles are likely to be lacking any subtlety and focus on outright brutality. Knocking someone down and smashing them into a pulp.

Angels:
The angels would likely have a style equal brutal to the Guristas, but with a bit more planning. Something like Krav Maga comes to mind. It doesn't screw around with flowery moves, a knee to the crotch, an elbow to the throat, nothing is off limits. Its designed to chew someone up as fast a possible, take down multiple opponents quickly, and generally not screw around in combat.

Blood Raiders:
The blood raiders strike me as having a highly efficient style, but in a different way. Lighting fast strikes to incapacitate or kill before the opponent even has a chance to throw a punch. A jab to the solarplexus, a forearm to the neck, hit pressure points, and dance around your opponent.

Sansha's Nation:
They've probably got something but I have no idea.

There are several groups I haven't included, and many of the subfactions likely have their own styles, but this is as far as I can get and I feel provides a decent starting point. My hope would be in the end, we have at least 1 fighting style per bloodline, and one for each of the other factions that it would make sense to have one.

Well, lets get to it

[Seriphyn]

In 21st century IRL, a lot of the martial arts today are immediately stereotyped with the Far East...but in EVE I think all cultures will have some degree of martial arts...

If we want to go with lolAsian, we know that Khanid does stuff. Jin-Mei might to, they are a quite militaristic culture if only by virtue of being Federation nationalists...

Hm, sort of drawing a blank on this one. I would say that the pirates would likely have lifted the styles from the empires, as opposed to invent their own. Most of their stuff is like so, but twisted for their own purposes.

[Morwen Lagann]

First thing that comes to mind is this.

Now that part of my daily smartass quota has been filled, I've never really spent much time thinking about the subject. I figured the Blood Raiders (if not Sabik in general) perhaps had a bit more focus on weapon-based martial arts, particularly bladed weapons, but then again, that's probably just taking the whole thing a step too far in the "lol" direction... about the others, not sure - I figure that at this point there are probably a few "commercialized" (as you put it) strains of martial arts for each empire/faction that are widely popular or commonly used, but given we're talking about groups that encompass hundreds of planets more populated than our own, I get the feeling that one could find all of those flavors of martial arts within the space of a single empire or faction just by looking around.

I do like the idea of Minmatar martial arts being based on a concept of parkour-fu, however.

[Saede Riordan]

In 21st century IRL, a lot of the martial arts today are immediately stereotyped with the Far East...but in EVE I think all cultures will have some degree of martial arts...

If we want to go with lolAsian, we know that Khanid does stuff. Jin-Mei might to, they are a quite militaristic culture if only by virtue of being Federation nationalists...

You'll notice I didn't say lolAsian for all of them, and honestly, none of them would be really "Asian" but since what we think of as Martial arts today stems from Asian, its easiest to list Asian martial arts as a starting point.

I would say that the pirates would likely have lifted the styles from the empires, as opposed to invent their own. Most of their stuff is like so, but twisted for their own purposes.

I rather disagree with you. I mean, specifically with the Blood Raiders, they are an old, old group, they've been around the block and will have likely developed Their own martial arts styles. As for the Sansha and Angels, they're fairly new groups, but their very much their own cultures, and will have very likely developed their own styles. As I said with the Cartel, Krav Maga is a style is only roughly 50 years old, but it is one of the most respected forms of martial arts in terms of its combat efficiency.

[Seriphyn]

No, you didn't say lolAsian, I said lolAsian 

Even Blood Raiders are historically Amarrian. The nature of martial arts, as far as I know anyway, is that it's very tradition-based. Thus it's tied to civilization...the way it's passed down from generation-to-generation etc. The two major pirate groups, Cartel and Guristas, emerged in the modern era, and are not civilizations. Overall, across New Eden, there likely isn't a great demand for martial arts outside of tradition. Their "martial arts" of the pirate groups, if they have any, would more likely just be "hand-to-hand combat", something designed to be used in the last resort, versus more traditional, ceremonial practices of the "historical" bloodlines.

[Saede Riordan]

that's not exactly true though, at its core, a martial art is an organized system of combat used to take down an opponent. It has nothing to do with tradition, or ceremony, or any of that, at its core, its just the combat, look at kickboxing, Krav Maga, and Jeet Kune Do, they're completely devoid of ceremony, yet they're still a style of martial arts. Also, the angels, and the sansha (no offense to the guristas players, but I'm not sure if the same arguement could apply to them) definitely qualify as having a civilization.

[hellgremlin]

The Caldari - Systema. Definitely.

[Kaleigh Doyle]

Considering how many arts and styles of martial arts there are on Earth, one could, in my eyes, make a reasonable assumption that there are thousands of techniques and maneuvers (with plenty of overlap) throughout New Eden. Room for some variation and avoiding stereotypes? Hell yes!

And while Terran styles vary considerably, each method can be broken down into what it favors most. You have your direct hit styles (strikes), throws, joint locks, pinning techniques (grappling), or fighting styles designed with specific weapons in mind (weaponry). But physical moves shouldn't be the sole focus in these styles; you have to take into account the additional disciplines that come with the art, such as medicinal practice, breathing exercises, and mental preparation required to engage in hand-to-hand combat. There's a spiritual aspect to take into account; what is the philosophy and meaning behind the physical act?

Considering the technological advantage in New Eden, how does this affect martial arts? We have intense and extreme body modification that enable people to be stronger and faster, or even bend in ways that humans would otherwise not be able to. We have exotic weapons and blades of all shapes and sizes, and what about gun arts? The possibilities are endless.

Also, are all arts made for war? Dance, tradition and ceremony, rituals, and arts are another use for such techniques. Not all methods are made to kill.

[Ember Vykos]

Good starting point Kita. Guess I'll add my own 2 cents.

Cladari - I very much agree with Istvaan that Systema is very Caldari-ish. I would also add Krav Maga in there as well. I doubt they would have very much tradition to it though. Aside from being efficient the Caldari are also practical so I would see them more as watch this, practice it, learn it, and be prepared to regurgitate it in the morning. At least for the Civire and Deteis.

The Achura probably have their own style, and I would imagine it is more of a martial art that is steeped in tradition. I would guess something like Kung-Fu since they have monks, but each sect probably has their own personal style. Another idea is something like Japanese samurai. Forms focusing on weapons like swords, spears, bows and the like, but that's also present in Kung-Fu as well. So perhaps a mix of the two depending on the monk group they belong in. Personally I view the Achuran philosophy(at least part of it) like this.(specifically the part about perfection at about 1:40, so no matter what style they may practice they are devoted to perfecting it with both mind and body) Given the lack of PF about Achura you could probably go crazy with em and about anything would be considered plausible, but this is my take.

Amarr - Kickboxing is reasonable, but instead of Muay Thai, I would see them using something more refined like Savate( Ex. 1, Ex. 2 and maybe also some Pankration ( Examples )  thrown into the mix as well.

The Khanid I see as being somewhat similar to the the Achura. No Kung-Fu but very heavy into weapons with a samurai feel. Though I see them as being less spiritual about it and more ferocious in how they do it. Less devotion to perfection and more devotion to taking someones head off.

Minmatar - Muay Thai all the way with some Bokator ( Ex.1, Ex. 2 ) thrown in for good measure.

Gallente - I would say they would be a melting pot of sorts given that at least some members from all the other empires do make residence in the federation. The Intaki would probably have their own thing and for them Tai Chi comes to mind, but I know little to nothing about the Intaki other than they have a liberation front  . The Jin-Mei would probably have something of their own as well, but I know even less about them than I do the Intaki.   For their military I would suggest a military martial art. ( Ex. 1, Ex 2 )

The Guristas, and Cartel would most likely be a mix of all the empires. The Guristas would probably be more heavy on the Caldari martial arts, but given that both do take in members from all the empires I would imagine alot of cross training would take place. The same hold true for the Serpentis as well. I would imagine given both the Gallente and Cartel influences they are most definately a melting pot of all the martial arts styles.

The Blood Raiders would probably be heavy in Amarr and Minmatar influence, but the only reasoning I have for that is that you have to have Amarr and Minmatar ship skills to fly the Blood Raider ships.  

Nation - From what I remember of TBL I doubt they would really have one. I distinctly remember the child(?) I believe it was in the giant rolling ball(?) ( I really need to read it again). If anything, and I hate to make the reference, I would see them as being somewhat Borg-ish in their fighting. Not so much taking alot of blows and modulating their shield frequency, but since they would be enhanced and modified in some way(Ghost Hunters spikes for example) they would most likely just overpower anyone foolish enough to come into one of their stations without an invitation with sheer numbers and intimidation given their reputation.

[Amann Karris]

Note: written from a fiction writing perspective.

You would most likely find a huge variety of styles represented in each bloodline, race, and Empire.  A True Amarr Holder fighting his neighbor over some allegation of wrong-doing would most likely fight very differently than a Khanid Cyber-Knight orchestrating a corporate takeover, for instance.  Traditional duel-based styles, functional military training ("Just enough to get you killed," as a couple friends have stated about their respective military hand-to-hand training), and the various tournament leagues that most likely exist across New Eden....  I see the landscape of martial training (or lack thereof) available to the denizens of EVE as a place ripe for literary exploitation.

Two excellent examples:
Sand Giants
The Rite

Shades of gray FTW.  In all things EVE. 

When creating a martial art though, a few things to consider:

1. Where did it originate?
2. What were the conditions (culture, economics, etc.) surrounding it's creation?
3. What makes it different and unique?
4. Most importantly: is it really necessary to flesh this out?  This is actually an important thing to consider; do you need to name the style? (Aptly demonstrated in "The Rite").

For instance:  Guy A and Guy B get in a fight.  Are they going to notice the style of the other fighter?  Does it matter if Guy A is using a "South Khanid Grappling Stance" or Guy B "obviously took a 6 week course in Spacelane Patrol CQB Tactics I(R)"?  I know if I get in a fight I'm noticing the stance, but rarely does it occur to me what style the guy's practicing.

"He's in a low stance, get ready for a grappler," or "Arms high, legs limber, definitely get this guy down fast" goes through my head, not "This guy's got to be a 6th Dan Hapkido practitioner."

For RP purposes, I've never named Amann's style.  He was trained in hand to hand combat, most definitely practiced a specific style, but I've never had a need to name it.  The character has also probably picked up a few tricks and techniques from other styles, and knew how to mix it up when the situation demanded.  He favors low kicks, blocks, grappling and holds, as well as knives.  He's also an "old man", and despite his physique feels his age.  The one RP fight the character got into, he got one of his knees badly injured.

That's how I approach martial arts in fiction and roleplay though.  Your mileage may vary. 

[Mithfindel]

Earlier musings:
http://www.eve-chatsubo.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=4518 - Caldari
http://www.eve-chatsubo.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=4529 - in general

In fiction, there's some limited details of Caldari using a two-sword (longsword and an off-hand) fighting style. (See Herko's stories.)

[Inara Subaka]

I always pictured the Amarrians using something similar in philosophy to Hung-Gar (or one of it's variants), focusing on slow steady approaches. Usually a reactionary method that means they take a blow in exchange for placing a more powerful blow; "why sure, you can punch me in the chest, but while you do that my fist is hitting your obliques." Rather artful in execution, fights that could result in several hours of patient holding of form waiting for a flaw to appear and/or the other person to attack at a perceived flaw.

I can also see the Kingdom using something similar to Dune-esque shield fighting, ceremonial fights based more on the ability to outwit your opponent rather than overpower.

A couple things from PF to take into consideration (at least for Jin-mei and the Achurans) are the Ancient Painblades and Ceremonial Brushes.

This antique weapon is the traditional precursor to the modern day's Painblade.

In ancient times, Jin-Mei soldiers riding to the field used to plunge their swords into filth, in the well-founded expectation that the wounds they inflicted would cause infection and rot. This nasty tactic was given new life when royal technicians (in those days referred to as Nuyin, something akin to "wizards") developed a blade whose surface, when unsheathed, swiftly attracted and encouraged bacterial growth, giving life to all kinds of deadly filth.

Nowadays, these items are mostly used in theatrical plays, and anyone who gets within a hand's reach of their swinging blades usually spends half an act wailing about it before finally dropping dead.

and

Before the advent of electronics, these writing tools were used throughout the Achuran continent. In times of war, it was not at all uncommon for a victor to use a brush-like pen to draw stylized icons representing the outcome of the battle and the heroics performed by his side. These icons would then be copied and molded onto an ivory or metal stamp, which was dipped into hot wax and used to stamp the victor's seal on the final agreement.

It should be noted that the brushes and stamps are not the only tools in this box. Cleaning implements are of course included, and so are tiny pliers and some manner of disinfectant, for it was traditional that the victor's brush be inset with eyelashes drawn from the screaming conquered.

The indications I pick up from these two items is the Jin-Mei are fans of the more 'theatrical' and psychological arts. Yes, deadly, but the ability to scare observers (or those that see the results afterwards) seems almost as important. However, I would imagine the actual art of 'killing' would be more towards the practical side than artistic.

And the Achurans appear to have an affinity for personal conquest in battle, even when it's army against army, the victor is the commanding officer who claims his trophy from the fallen enemy commanding officer. When going 'trophy hunting' in battle, typically throughout history, certain rules of engagement were followed; a lot of philosophical/spiritual guidelines to consider; attacking from a hidden position would probably not have been as favorable as knocking on their door during dinner and demanding they satisfy honor... Then proceeding to disembowel them in front of their family (or get disemboweled). The form and process is likely to be just as, if not more, important than winning/losing; killing a warlord in his sleep might win the fight, but lose the respect of those following you.

[Akrasjel Lanate]

Well...

Minmatar - i think some kind of Capoeira, you know thet they were slaves and still are do you 
Caldari - well i would say that Caldari don't want to waist time, "you know time is money" so i would say some matrial art that are easy to learn.
Gallente - well i really don't know but im sure one thing, the Federation has immigrants from all other races for sure, so maby some of them kno art of their own empire and they try to make a living teaching them in the federation
Amarr - i would say maby their arts would be part of the religion...

PS. In RL Amarr do this.

[Milo Caman]

-Truncated-

You missed a faction

[Lyn Farel]

I am pretty sure not to do a mistake by saying amarrian martial arts have to be countless. I mean, you have the whole huge amarr Empire with already a lot of different cultures inside (Udorian, Ni-Kunni, etc), then the Khanid and the whole samurai-like cyberknight thing, and even the kameiras and the ammatar mandate that must have kept some of the tribal more refined components (by refined I mean convoluted and aristocratic). Plus add to that a lot of parts of the PF tend to show that amarrian ground forces are generally considered as one of the best of all New Eden (cyberknights, kameiras, elite amarrian counter-boarding units, etc).