I'm a Freaking Hybrid

Sorry for not posting another technique in a couple of days. Work has sucked and for the last two days it has been Icy and rainy. We even lost power for a couple of hours last night. I wanted to run an idea out to all of the ninja vs. pirate fans. It's a story I want to write from time to time on this blog.

Jaques Luc Gagnon was just a child when his parent's, rich merchants from Marseilles, ship was overrun with pirates on a trading route to Japan. He was taken, as a recruit, by the Demon Captain Bronzebeard because of his fiery spirit and determination to "slay" the pirates invading the Mist Maiden. Jaques was trained from childhood to be a ruthless killer and plunderer. However, one day after his fifteenth birthday, the crew of the Demon Queen was attacked and destroyed trying to take a small ship in the North Japanese Ocean. Jaques saved himself with quick thinking and escaped as the Demon Queen met her demise in the cold waters of the ocean. A day later he washed ashore near a small village in Japan and held his own as a clan of mysterious ninjas tried to kill him. Impressed by his still fiery spirit, the leader of the clan took him back to their village where Jaques explained what had happened to him all those years ago. Manamoto, the leader, told Jaques that it had been men from his clan that defeated Bronzebeard, but also explained discontent in not being able to recover a corpse resembling Bronzebeard. Manamoto agreed to teach Jaques the Ways of the Ninja and vowed to help him find Bronzebeard and exact revenge upon the vile pirate Captain.

That's the idea in a nutshell. For the past couple of days, those following my twitter account have noticed me exclaiming that I am a Pirate trained in the Ways of the Ninja, thus referring to myself as a hybrid. I've always loved pirates and ninjas and feel that this could be a pretty cool story if I told it right. It's still rough and the names are just off the top of my head, but I think with some planning it could be a really cool Blovel (my combination of the words Blog and Novel). Let me know what you think, either with comments here or @dreyk replies on twitter and I'll work out the kinks and post the first chapter soon.

It's All in the Technique: Ryu (et. al)

Oh the memories. I used to sit with my brother and neighbors and waste countless hours of my childhood in front of the tv, hands glued to the SNES controller as I shouted words that only my parents were "allowed" to say. It was during this period of my adolesence that I fell in love with today's technique, the Hadouken.

The Hadouken is a special move in Street Fighter II (and all other subsequent reiterations of essentially the same game) used by two characters whose only difference was a head swap of the sprite that represented them in game. For years it has been referred to as a fireball, but for Japanese enthusiasts it means "wave motion fist."

The setup for the move is just the same as Sub-Zero and Goku, the user brings his hands to either the left or right side of his body at hip level. Holding the palms parallel and cupped the attacker charges and conentrates their chi into a ball of energy. At the desired level the user thrusts both hands forward uncupping their hands into a flat position effectively propeling the blast forward.

Over the years several other users have been taught to use it. Sakura, Ryu's biggest fan, learned the move from him but the move is hardly effective other than slowing down the attacker for a quick hit. Another character who tried to learn it and was refused is Dan. A kind of joke character, Dan was refused training and set out to learn the move on his own. He called it the Godouken, or self-taught wave motion fist. The hilarity is that he is a crummy martial artist and the move only travels mere inches in front of him as opposed to going nearly all the way across screen before it fizzles out entirely. Others have tried to mimic the move but only one, Gouken (Ken and Ryu's master), ever actually used it with effectivness. He could use it with one hand.

There is no question that the Hadouken is an awesome technique to use. Although it may not be as dramatic as the Kamehameha (although in Street Fighter IV Ryu charges it up close with electricity swirling all around him during his ultra combo), the Hadouken is an amazing move to behold and a easy one to do in the games.

Sorry

Sorry I didn't post a technique last night. I tend to become extremely lazy on my days off. I will post "Hadouken" this evening. And I am starting a new post called "So Geek." It's a pun on So Sheek. It will focus on geeky things such as characters and places from universes like Star Wars. It could end up focusing completely on Star Wars. So to all of my one viewers look for both this evening.

[Edit] I am starting that blog. It is going to be Star Wars based only and I am going to attempt to find something every day that is obscure in the Star Wars universe and if not I am going to post a character profile and tell you what I like about that character. I will try to keep up with it daily and I am going to call it "The Cantina."

It's All in the Technique: Sub-Zero

For as long as I can remember, I have enjoyed Mortal Kombat. Perhaps it is the overt, over the top violence that has always appealed to me. I loved playing for hours upon hours even though I always lost, and all I could do was thrown a spear or ice ball at an opponent. If Scorpion had not been present in Mortal Kombat then it is likely that the subject of discussion tonight would have been my favorite Kombatant.

I guess I like Sub-Zero because his technique is very similar to both Goku and Ryu's. When he throws an Icy Blast at an opponent Sub-Zero brings his hands behind the sides of his body and holds his hands half-cupped, palms parallel while the blast of icy cold goodness forms in his hands. After it has reached it's maximum, Sub-Zero thrusts his palms outward in front of his body uncupping his hands so that they are flat. This effectively propels the projectile forward at the opponent, and upon successfully hitting said opponent, they are frozen in place allowing a free hit for Sub-Zero.

Over the last couple of years Sub-Zero has become a lot cooler, pun intended, as continued use of this blast has permanantly frozen his forearms and hands in a kind of see through way. However, what seems to make this move seem so appealing to me is because of the way it is executed. As it is similar to the other two techniques in execution, I doubt that it is the most impactful. A free hit is cool, but it cannot always win the match.

It's All in the Technique

I'm coming at you like a fireball to the face. Get ready, 'cause over the next few nights I am gonna bring all the babes to their geeky knees and make all the dudes wanna have nerdgasms.

For the next few days I am going to analyze, describe, and try (although I may ultimately be unsuccessful) to decide which of the following is my favorite, and hopefully give you, the reader, insight to make a similar decision.

I want to look at Sub-Zero's Icy Blast, Ken and Ryu's Hadouken, and Goku's Kamehameha. All three are sleek, attractive moves and in the games, have same input command. Then I will make the feeble, but needed attempt to tell you which is my favorite and explain my reasons.

Tonight we look at Sub-Zero.