Martial Arts Techniques

Spectacular and secret martial art skills require years of dedicated practice under the most rare and talented instructors. Once learned, any of these skills can be used in conjunction with any martial art form.

Falling Technique(Ex)

Anyone can take a fall, but not many can take one quite so well as a trained practitioner of this technique. Not only can they lessen the impact of a fall, they can manage to bounce and roll back into a standing position from nearly any height.

Treat any fall as half the actual distance fallen. You may always land in a standing position from a fall.

Tamashiwara, Art of Breaking(Ex)

Often used in martial arts demonstrations to kick through boards, punch through bricks, and otherwise destroy hardened objects, Tamashiwara is the art of breaking. Practitioners train on increasingly strong objects until they learn the proper technique to smash through them with ease.

As a full round action, make an unarmed strike as a Touch Attack against an Object or foe. Deals damage to the target as well as any armor or shield they may be wielding. The attack deals double damage to any Object, armor, or shield struck.

You gain a +10 to break checks made by striking an Object unarmed.

Zanshin, Martial Art Awareness(Ex)

Also called Tsuki No Kokoro, which means "Mind like the Moon." That's because it is said that the practitioner's mind floats above the body, calmly sensing all activity around it. A threat, no matter how slight, will disturb that calm. As a a practitioner might put it, "As someone thinks to attack me, that person's Chi comes toward me. I have only to follow the Chi, and I will know the source of the attack." This ability is one of readiness and awareness. Training involves being constantly on the alert, even while sleeping. The practitioner will instantly sense anybody who enters their Zanshin circle, including those with who are Incorporeal and/or Invisible (although is grants no ability to see such creatures).

Gain a +2 Inherent Bonus to Initiative, parry attempts, and dodge checks. You cannot be caught by surprise by anyone within close range of you, and immediately know the presence of any about to take hostile action against you within that range (though not their location or intended action).

Iai-Jutsu(Ex)

Commonly called the "sword-drawing art", but also included in training without weapons, Iai-Jutsu is all about quickness, whether in drawing a weapon or being the first to strike in combat.

Gain quick draw as a bonus feat and a +6 Inherent Bonus to Initiative.

One Strike, Two cuts(Ex)

Considered the pinnacle of achievement for IaiJutsu practitioners, This technique involves making two separate attacks with a blade in one single, swift motion.

You can make two attacks with your weapon as a Standard Action. If you use an Iaido Strike, you may strike twice with each use of it (roll each hit separately, but use the same check roll).

This technique can only be used with the following weapons: aikuchi, Katana, ninjato, tanto, or wakizashi.

Quick Pins(Ex)

With the right technique, a simple hold can be leveraged into a pin before a defender even has a chance to react.

If you succeed on a Combat Maneuver Check to establish a lock by 10 or more, you can automatically advance it to a pin of the same type. This ability can only be used once per round.

Sword Chi Technique(Su)

By focusing Chi through a practitioners hands into a held weapon, it can be charged with Chi energy. A charged weapon becomes more powerful in combat, and the Chi within it has solid form in the formless plane of the Ethereal.

Activate as a Swift Action to Charge a weapon you have direct contact with (bare skin). Place half your current Chi (rounded down) into the weapon. This Chi is inaccessable until the effect ends. While active, the weapon gains an Enhancement Bonus of +1. This bonus increases to +2 at level 5, +3 at level 10, +4 at level 15, and +5 at level 20. While active, you can damage Incorporeal and Ethereal creatures without error. The maximum damage you can do to such creatures is equal to the amount of Chi placed within the weapon. If you are Ethereal or Incorporeal, this effect allows you to damage corporeal creatures in the same manner. You can end this power and regain the Chi within it as a Free Action. The effect ends and the Chi contained is returned to you instantaneously if you lose contact with the weapon.

Shift Internal Organs(Su)

By exercising the internal muscles of the body, the character can learn to move vital organs out of harm's way.

If you are struck by a critical hit, or suffer an attack that would bring you below 1 hp, you can make a Reflex Save (DC equal to the damage of the hit). On a success, the damage is halved, though critical effects may still take place. This technique can only be used once per round.