Announcement no Ryu

During my daily moments of contemplation it has recently occurred to me how frequently I have seen the stereotypical Kung-Fu movie style announced attacks in modern media ala "My monkey fist will defeat your complacent lotus!" I suppose this mostly occurs in Anime, but I have also begun to see it in western media and live action as well. I find this phenomenon most interesting, since it is not beyond my memory to recall the days when you would only see offensive maneuvers like the 'Planet Jurai Super-Supreme Total Annihilation Beam' complete with spastic pose and theme music during such classics as Tenchi Muyo or Power Rangers. Now it seems that this has become an acceptable way of engaging ones enemies in mortal combat - similar to the way a person might challenge their arch nemesis to a Yugioh Card match to decide the fate of the playground.

This concept of announced attacks and RPG-style antics has given me an idea for a new martial arts wherein no attack can be valid unless it is called out in advance of its execution. This would be a step beyond the target identification kiai of Kendo (which takes place as the target is struck), since it would require the practitioner to fully announce the attack, assuming the appropriate fighting stance, and then launch it. This would probably require a great deal of skill, since the defending party would then be fully prepared for the attack to be launched - so the attacker would have to be that much faster or stronger to be successful. Also, the attack's power would be indicated by the length and intricacy of the name; literally meaning that the "Flying whale assault of the three heavens," would be far less powerful than the, "Unobtainium Vulcan hammer earthquake submission slam of doom," Provided that the elemental affiliation of the person launching the UVHESSOD was fire or steel, since the FWAOTTH is more of an air/water type attack - but that's getting off track.

The style might also give rise to various schools of 'Announced Attack Arts' which would focus on themes such as "Sand based attacks," "Rubber based attacks," "Twisty submission style attacks," "Psychotic Scare Attacks," and etc. The art itself could get very diverse and interesting very quickly - although the fights would have to take the form of two opponents posturing against each other with a lot of staring and glaring and grunting (or witty one-liners, depending on the dubs chosen by the fighter's PR agents) - waiting for the right time to announce their attack in order to surprise the opponent, who at the announcement of the attack would stand in horrified awe and say something like, "Argh! Not that attack! He wouldn't!" as he receives it head on, suffering defeat in the form of a massive explosion.

But this could give rise to something I recently saw in an installment of the series One Piece, in which a character announced one attack and launched a completely different attack, effectively catching a well-prepared opponent off guard. Of course, in sport Attack-Title-Fu, this would result in a disqualification - but the idea of bait and switch on an opponent would have some applicability in real life if the art was ever to be touted as an art that is useful for self defense. However, I think the American audience would probably like to stick with traditional western arts like "Sprayem wi-mace no jutsu," or "Shootemen-callacops fu,"

Then again, maybe not. Developing concepts is a lot more boring that making them up and leaving them out for someone to find later - so I'm quitting this one here. I need to eventually get back to the memoir/story I was working on.