Why is Martial Arts given to characters who don't know Martial Arts?

[ElajRuengies]

I can get giving Acrobatics to anyone who can jump their height into the air, but

Knowing how to throw a punch/kick correctly without hurting the appendage ≠ Specifically knowing Boxing, Karate, Judo, etc...

So what's up with that?

 

[ZillertheBucko]

it's a filler ability that's almost as pointless as superhuman physical characteristics

 

[ElajRuengies]

it's a filler ability that's almost as pointless as superhuman physical characteristics

Well that figures

 

[Antoniofer]

Is mostly used as synonym of being proficient in unarmed combat. Yeah, don't think it has more requeriments than simply that, and is not like most people here can tell the difference between launching high speed punches and boxing or moai thai.

 

[ElajRuengies]

Is mostly used as synonym of being proficient in unarmed combat. Yeah, don't think it has more requeriments than simply that, and is not like most people here can tell the difference between launching high speed punches and boxing or moai thai.

In other words, it's Weapon Mastery, but for your body

 

[Antoniofer]

Basically, I would even suggest merging both pages into a new one called Combat Proficiency, and rename the Martial Art User category in Unarmed Combat Users.

 

[DarkDragonMedeus]

Being a skilled at Street Fighting has been named martial arts in a lot of places. And even Bruce Lee mentioned street fighting is the independent method to teach yourself martial arts. But yeah, plenty of characters do get martial arts just for knowing white belt levels of hand to hand combat.

 

[SamanPatou]

We should rather say that some characters get it unappropriately, rather than calling it filler ability, since not everyone has it.

The you can say that some characters blessed by the rules of fiction are such good freestylers, self taught of natural talents that basically enter the domain of martial arts even without having received formal training or abiding to a specific style.