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[April Knox]

A long time ago while working on The Forge cultural resources (You can view the different and several topics covered world building over here: http://coldwing.100luz.com.ar/board/viewtopic.php?t=37
One of them is about a martial art (Archery) . I wrote a "quotation" from an interview to a local Wirashoda Archer. Please bear in mind that this was written as an informal interview with Natsisainen Noki, The Forge Regional Archery Champion.

Archery in the Orpana Constellation
Archery in the Orpana constellation has a long and famous history. Our folk legends tell how a mother wanting to instil the idea of unity into her sons sat them down before her and gave each an arrow telling them to snap it. Of course, they could do that easily. Then she gave each of them six arrows and told them to snap them all together. None of them could. This is how the Orpana colonists first learned about strength through unity.
Today, the sport has three main divisions based on regional styles of archery and different construction of the bow. My style is ‘Tsumine’ which is the tradition of the people of the northern Forge, and the most representative archers of this tradition can be found in Wirashoda. Another style is ‘Suitonen’ practised by the people of the center and eastern systems of The Forge. Finally, there is the ‘Uisen’ style which represents the southern Forge people.
We shoot different targets and distances. In the Suitonen style archers shoot at 35 meters, in the Tsumine at 45 meters and in the Uisen style at 75 meters. We are all united by The Forge Archers’ Union. Suitonen and Tsumine archery have many women competitors. Uisen archers are by tradition men. Each of our traditions has a special style of singing which is used by the scorer to indicate the score of each competitor. This helps us tell from a distance how our shooting is progressing.

Each of our different traditions has a different style of bow: but in fact, we can choose the type of bow we want to use freely. There are different sizes and draw-weights to suit men, women and children. The three styles of bow are ‘Imine’ – a deep form of bow based on the Raata style; ‘Senai’ and Kisonen. All these bows used to be made in the traditional fashion, using wood, sheep’s horn and sinew, although nowadays is really hard to find true handmade bows, and the original organic materials have been replaced by synthetic ones.

Natsisainen Noki, Regional Archery Champion: The Forge
Interviewed for Instinctive Archer Magazine. AD 23341 – Nugoeihuvi Corporation Press.
(Reprinted with permission)[/size]

[Nofearion]

I like the Idea of adding archery, as in relation to the Minmatar home world and the many differing environments I can see it developing its own style. Another addition to the ones arguing about one or two weapons. It did not take much research for me to find that most "Gentleman" arts that would latter become sport were based on one on one dueling and fell to using one weapon in an honorable fight. however combat based arts tended to keep two weapons and an open mind to use what weapons and terrain are available. Many fencing styles include a dirk as a secondary weapon used primarily for defense and blocking. As to would a slave chance to prepare himself a defense for being used as a pin cushion by a overlord. I would say most defiantly, unless Vitoc was a major player, yes, yes he would take the opportunity to die and take a captor with him/her rather than live in chains.

[Arnulf Ogunkoya]

I don't think archery would be a logical part of Ogunoke as it's root are as a hidden art.

I have shot myself. I was a member of a field archery club some time back & still own a longbow. But that was less archery as martial art & more simulated hunting.

[Saikoyu]

I would question the idea of having knives as a very integrated part of this "disguised" martial art.  At least in the begining of it, since knives are a very offensive thing.  I mean, a kitchen knife, probably yes, or maybe a knife for a favorite servent or one entrusted with some important position.  But your average slave? 

Now, on the other hand, there are lots of things that are knife like, or can be made knife like, and don't have the same negative reaction from the slave owners point of view as a knife.  Like hand shovels.  No one looks at a hand shovel and thinks, "Hey, that could take my throat out."  But it can be sharpened, and shined up so that if someone was dancing with a pair of them, it might just look pretty.  Anyway, just my rambling on the subject.

Though I do wonder if there would have been some group of slaves in a mine who created a martial art with pick axes. 

[Arnulf Ogunkoya]

I would question the idea of having knives as a very integrated part of this "disguised" martial art.  At least in the begining of it, since knives are a very offensive thing.  I mean, a kitchen knife, probably yes, or maybe a knife for a favorite servent or one entrusted with some important position.  But your average slave? 

Knives are a fairly basic tool, especially for agricultural slaves. And bear in mind the overlords have man portable lasers so are unlikely to be very worried about tools.

Also, work knives can sometimes be modified to be less useful as weapons. Back towards the end of the era of sail, merchant crews would carry a sheath knife, but on signing on the first mate would break off the point to make the blade useless for stabbing. Hard-case types would keep an unmodified blade in their kit.

[Shintoko Akahoshi]

Though I do wonder if there would have been some group of slaves in a mine who created a martial art with pick axes.

I wouldn't be surprised. War mattocks, war picks, flails (probably), nunchucks (see flails), and the everpopular pitchforks are all examples of weapons (with established techniques for use) that sprung up out of necessity.