Plenty of people here have said they use them for spiritual reasons or for fitness. It is the practicality in any sense of "martial" that is questioned.

Goddess almighty, is there a capsuleer who ISN'T trained in martial arts?

Goddess almighty, is there a capsuleer who ISN'T trained in martial arts?

Even we capsuleers don't feel like being embarrassed when we go home and are challenged.

Goddess almighty, is there a capsuleer who ISN'T trained in martial arts?

Physical strength is largely irrelevant in the sorts of challenges a capsuleer faces. Emotional and mental strength are what matters for us.

That someone can out-dance me with a knife in person seems rather amusing when I can incinerate a ship with thousands of crew from a hundred kilometers with a monstrous machine around me bound to my will.


Ours is the arena of the stars, and the ships therein, and of the will power necessary to move them.

Physical strength is largely irrelevant in the sorts of challenges a capsuleer faces. Emotional and mental strength are what matters for us.

That someone can out-dance me with a knife in person seems rather amusing when I can incinerate a ship with thousands of crew from a hundred kilometers with a monstrous machine around me bound to my will.


Ours is the arena of the stars, and the ships therein, and of the will power necessary to move them.

Discipline in the lesser aids in the pursuit of the greater. Don't be quick to write off the benefits of a personal training regimen just because of the difference in scale.

A large part of Taistoiitsu is about positioning, applying force where it will do the most good, and remaining calm and balanced in a hectic scenario. All of which, I think you'll agree, is applicable to starship combat, on an abstract level.

I can understand a Clone Trooper needing unarmed martial skills or training in them but I'm always going to be more wary of a capsuleer with a proven combat record, particularly a number of solo kills.

To note, even in clone soldier combat martial arts skills remain largely unused. With the exception of certain people who took it to themselves to wield a set of nova knives as their primary weapon(those things can cut through several inches of armor like it's nothing), when you end up in a situation where your martial skills would be of any use, everything else has failed already and you use it as your last resort. I can only count a handful of times when my martial skills have had any real application. Also, our bodies are so augmented already that a single punch can make a hole through an unarmored person, while our armor can withstand being shot at for a very long time.

As many have stated already, martial arts are mostly used as a freetime activity, and to keep yourself in shape and other non-practical reasons.

There are still a few places where unarmed skills are incredibly useful. Firearms are extremely easily detectable, whereas modern vibroblades can be made out of all sorts of materials. As such, plenty of people who need concealable weapons that aren't going to be facing a lot of firearms can find knives extremely useful.

To note, even in clone soldier combat martial arts skills remain largely unused. With the exception of certain people who took it to themselves to wield a set of nova knives as their primary weapon(those things can cut through several inches of armor like it's nothing), when you end up in a situation where your martial skills would be of any use, everything else has failed already and you use it as your last resort. I can only count a handful of times when my martial skills have had any real application. Also, our bodies are so augmented already that a single punch can make a hole through an unarmored person, while our armor can withstand being shot at for a very long time.

As many have stated already, martial arts are mostly used as a freetime activity, and to keep yourself in shape and other non-practical reasons.

Perhaps. But someone doing such a thing would generally be considered a 'suicide' attack.

Individuals willing to conduct suicide attacks often have less discriminate and more explosive options.

But then again just because something is implausible doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

Hmm.

Tell me Veikitamo, what is the riddle of steel?

Tell me Veikitamo, what is the riddle of steel?

The version of the riddle I was taught was much shorter than Scherezad's. Basically it goes thusly:

"Steel isn't strong. Flesh is strong. What is the tool compared to the hand that wields it?"

Tell me Veikitamo, what is the riddle of steel?

All that can be destroyed, shall be destroyed.
All that must endure, shall endure.
All that corruption sees shall be corrupt,
and all it passes by stays pure.

The version of the riddle I was taught was much shorter than Scherezad's. Basically it goes thusly:

"Steel isn't strong. Flesh is strong. What is the tool compared to the hand that wields it?"