Nighend's guide to Wushu

[Nighend]

Alright, I've been meaning to do this for a while.

It's safe to say that Wushu is my favorite gametype. I've been playing it for as long as it's existed, and it represents probably over 3/4 the games I've played in Toribash. What I love so much about it is that it allows for so much creativity; more defined moves exist for Wushu than any other gametype. Since contact generally isn't made on the first turn, the attack is set up on the first and executed on the second. That makes the combat slow enough that you can modify your plan of attack on your second turn, allowing for even more variety. It's true that very few Toribash fights are alike, but I think this holds most true for Wushu.

Throughout my time playing, I've developed quite a few moves myself, used even more that have been developed by others, and seen even more countless moves used beyond that. I've gotten very good at Wushu to say the least, and I've used my skills to dominate other players. I know that I've been called noobish and other things quite often by others due to my style and tactics, but I've never let that change how I play. I just want to let everyone know that this thread isn't for criticizing anyone's playstyle. The only criticism I want to hear is that relating to the actual effectiveness of the moves discussed.

I'm going to devote posts in this thread to individual moves. I want to show replays of the moves in combat, and their various modifications. I'll also share with you info about each move's strengths, weaknesses, who developed it, and even some of the moves' histories. Keep in mind that the replays are not from actual battles, they are simply demonstrations designed to show you how to effectively perform the moves. Also, the names that I use for the various moves aren't really official, they're just what I call them, so you can call them anything you like. But I'd really prefer if you used the names I've given to moves that I created myself. These moves are all going to be ones that I've actually used in combat, so you're not actually going to see most of the moves utilized in the game today described.

I'll also be glad to answer any questions anyone has about Wushu, and offer additional tips on how to play. If you're new to the game, I think this thread will be a great place to turn to for help. But there's still something here for everyone to learn, since there are so many moves and tactics for Wushu that exist and are yet to be discovered. Also, feel free to share your own moves in this thread, I think I can help give you some pointers on how to use them, or modifications to the moves themselves.

Okay, with all that out of the way, Let's get started with the moves.

Move: The Nighend Kick
Developed by: Myself
Type: Anti-aerial kick
Strengths: High, leaping jumps
Weaknesses: Low, sweeping kicks and defensive moves

This is it. This is really where my obsession with Wushu began. When Wushu first showed up around early 2007, most people had difficulty just getting their attacks to reach their opponent. The most effective moves were jump-kicks, usually aimed for the head. One day I found out that contracting my knees and relaxing everything except my glutes allowed me to set up a high, leaping kick on the second turn. With one leg pushing off the ground and the other kicking into the air, the kick had a lot of explosive power that caused a lot of damage to anyone in the air. Plus, the head was usually safely out of the way of any attack. I used this kick over and over, and eventually people named it after me. While it was effective for a long time, I really don't use it anymore. Instead, I mostly just use the Platoon Kick, another move I developed that has similar motion but much greater range. I still use it on occasion, though. This move is really important to me, because it truly opened my eyes to all the possibilities that existed in Wushu. And I think it did the same for other players, as well.

Steps: (These are for kicking with your right leg)
On the first turn, contract both knees and hold both glutes. Keep all other joints relaxed.
On the second turn, press c to hold all. After that, extend both knees, contract the right hip, extend the left hip, rotate the chest right, and extend the right pec.

That is basic form of the move, seen in the first replay below. I've also included two other modifications. In the second replay, bending the lumbar right increases the horizontal range, while in the third, lowering the right shoulder increases the vertical range. In the second replay you can also see how I use the legs and upper body to create a powerful followup punch. Another thing you can do on the third turn if you're above your opponent is extending and contracting your hips again, but this time in the opposite directions. With this, you can catch your opponent bewteen your legs.

I've seen plenty of other moves similar to the Nighend kick, most of them seem to involve relaxing even the glutes on the first turn, and are more complex in their execution. They generally serve the same purpose, but I'm not really familiar with them.

Phew, it feels good to get that first post out of the way. I promise that there are plenty more to come.

[BlakNWyte]

I myself am starting a transition from aikido to wushu, and I'm finding it very hard for me to manipulate my joints to make any sort of a comeback. Do you have any tips for me?

Nice guide, too.

[Nighend]

Originally Posted by BlakNWyte I myself am starting a transition from aikido to wushu, and I'm finding it very hard for me to manipulate my joints to make any sort of a comeback. Do you have any tips for me? Nice guide, too.

Thanks. Comebacks are always tricky, and I'd say most of the time they don't even work. But there are a few tips I can give you.

First off, the easiest way to come back is probably using wrist jumps. If you face the ground and have your arm pointed away from the direction you want to go, you should extend that arm's elbow and contract the wrist. Once you hand touches the ground or is very close to touching it, extending your wrist can quickly propel you horizontally. It's still very difficult to pull off, though. An example of a wrist jump is below.

Coming back using your legs relies on the same principal: getting low to the ground. You should be facing upward, and probably also "falling" towards your opponent. Pulling this off can be very difficult, and you'll often just launch yourself into the sky.

Really though, there are a lot of ways to come back. I've had situations where I've lowered my arms, then used them to push off the ground towards my opponent, and there was one time I actually fractured both my ankles while jumping back towards my opponent, but I was able to do it successfully and win.

Or you could just ask Odlov here about his "twist your body until it snaps and your top half flies at your opponent" style of comeback (Odlov, if you could post that again, I'm sure it would be very helpful).

[Odlov]

Originally Posted by Nighend Or you could just ask Odlov here about his "twist your body until it snaps and your top half flies at your opponent" style of comeback (Odlov, if you could post that again, I'm sure it would be very helpful).

It's a shame, but that replay is forever lost....
My OS died and that replay along with it.
Somehow it disappeared from forum attachment also.

[Nighend]

Originally Posted by Odlov It's a shame, but that replay is forever lost.... My OS died and that replay along with it. Somehow it disappeared from forum attachment also.

Aw, nuts.

[NutHug]

Short illustration of direction dancing:



If your center of gravity(blue) is behing your pushing part you fly in tha direciotn. if it is above you make a flip. Quite easy.
The knee is about to extend.

[SuperJoJo]

Originally Posted by Odlov It's a shame, but that replay is forever lost.... My OS died and that replay along with it. Somehow it disappeared from forum attachment also.

Did it look something like one of these two?

Very nice thread Nighend, you will get many people off to a good start in wushu.

[Odlov]

Originally Posted by SuperJoJo Did it look something like one of these two? Very nice thread Nighend, you will get many people off to a good start in wushu.

Nice ones

Mine was where i split myself in the middle of the game and then my upper body flew at target, punched him in the face and DQd him.

[Odlov]

Beat me to it didn't you :P

Hope it's cool if i make another guide later on.
Although that depends on how detailed yours will be.

[ouchek]

I find wushu easier than aikido personally. The tf makes it easier for moves (though not as complex moves with the lower tf in aikdo) And to not have to make a comeback very often try to do a jumping charge or a ground charge at them and try to dq them.