DC's Martial Arts World appreciation thread 2022

[Jcogginsa]

As far as Connor Hawke goes, in the current Robin series he's considered the biggest threat in the tournament he's participating in. A Tournament that does not include Shiva or Cass, for what it's worth

[The Cool Thatguy]

As far as Connor Hawke goes, in the current Robin series he's considered the biggest threat in the tournament he's participating in. A Tournament that does not include Shiva or Cass, for what it's worth

Doesn't include Bronze Tiger or Richard Dragon, either.

But it includes such legendary fighters like Nitewing and Shrike.

*cough*

[golgi]

oh, here's another idea: Cassandra has he body reading, Jason can summon the All-Blades, Bronze Tiger and I-Ching can manipulate Ki/Qi/Chi, what are some cool and/or unique Martial Arts abilities in the DC Universe?

The old, short grandmaster from the All-Caste. She had some unique abilities, including immortality.

[golgi]

The one that trained Jason Todd.

[Ra-El]

oh, here's another idea: Cassandra has he body reading, Jason can summon the All-Blades, Bronze Tiger and I-Ching can manipulate Ki/Qi/Chi, what are some cool and/or unique Martial Arts abilities in the DC Universe?

How would go down a fight between Cassandra and Midnighter? She can read her opponents body language and he have a computer on his brain that allows him to predict his enemies moves.

[lemonpeace]

How would go down a fight between Cassandra and Midnighter? She can read her opponents body language and he have a computer on his brain that allows him to predict his enemies moves.

hmmm thats a tough one. I think if you take away all of Midnighters other enhancements and leave him with just a human body and the combat computer, Cassandra could defeat him or at least fight till she pushes his combat computer to a standstill. she appears to be the more technically skilled and thoroughly trained fighter imo, so i think since Midnighters combat computer is proactive, and Cass's body read is reactive, she can effectively keep countering his counters and adapting to his ticks and body language enough to shave down the number of scenarios he could win over time; and between the two i'm willing to bet Midnighter isn't as conditioned of a martial artist as Cass, in a non-enhanced body. however, the thing that makes Midnighter so dangerous (possibly SS tbh) is his ridiculous body and physicality working in conjunction with his combat computer. so a standard Midnighter always has scenarios to fall back on where he could absorb just about any of her shots and physically overwhelm her enough to beat Cassandra Cain in a solo duel.

[Gitagon]

Can Batman use Chi?

[lemonpeace]

Can Batman use Chi?

I don't think he's typically shown to use it but, considering Chi usage is typically more used as a specialized breathing technique than a destructive force like at Marvel or in Manga, i wouldn't be surprised if he's been shown to use Chi or something similar at some point.

In need of placement:
Question
King Snake
Constantine Drakon
Shado
Shrike
Lady Vic
Stephanie Brown
Hush
David Cain
Duke Thomas
Red X
Silencer
Flatline
Two-Face (Preist made him a legit martial artist iirc)
Midnighter
Prometheus
Mr. Terrific
Onyx
John Stewart

decided to go back and place the guys i missed before (as best I can)


SS Tier (God Tier) "martial arts is my superpower." more than a legend, this tier is for fighters that effectively transcend traditional martial arts and have reached a point where their combat ability are effectively metahuman or mystical in status.

Midnighter

S Tier (Legendary Tier) this tier is for characters that have skills beyond reasonable human ability and can reliably tangle with certain metahumans. these fighters are the meta of the DC martial arts world, their skills are the stuff of legend and set the bar for martial arts in the DC universe.

Constantine Drakon

A Tier (Master Tier) these individuals have a distinct fighting style and are athletes operating at the peak of human ability and/or have an ability that greatly enhances their fighting ability. These are masters of their respective martial arts disciplines and can typically produce capable fighters as pupils. from this tier onward guns become nearly irrelevant.

David Cain
Cheshire
Silencer
Question (Vic Sage)
King Snake
Shado
Lady Vic
Shrike
Prometheus



B Tier (Elite Tier) these are exceptional combatants that possess combat skills that are leagues ahead of the average fighter. those in this tier are typically near-peak level athletes, relative to an olympian.

Onyx
Red X - I'm guessing he's gonna end up about here once we learn more about him
Hush
Two-Face
Mr. Terrific
Flatline


C Tier (Very Good Tier) these are the above-average fighters. typically hardened from experience and can handle most henchmen and street-level threats with no problem. these characters possess above-average physicality and while guns pose a threat, they're not a significant threat.


Duke Thomas - should be higher and could make the jump with the right feat. with his powers and his training he should at least be high Elite.
Stephanie Brown
John Stewart

[marhawkman]

oh, here's another idea: Cassandra has he body reading, Jason can summon the All-Blades, Bronze Tiger and I-Ching can manipulate Ki/Qi/Chi, what are some cool and/or unique Martial Arts abilities in the DC Universe?

Well... Kal-El knows a martial art called "Torquasm-vo" that's a form of mental combat... that somehow isn't telepathy or telekinesis. It also lets you look at the world in a different way... that also isn't telepathy. This even worked for his student.... Lois Lane.

Yeah... that's a whole new level of "Super" martial art... and probably not useful for this list since I can't think of a way to directly compare it.

[hareluyafan1]

I don't think he's typically shown to use it but, considering Chi usage is typically more used as a specialized breathing technique than a destructive force like at Marvel or in Manga, i wouldn't be surprised if he's been shown to use Chi or something similar at some point.


decided to go back and place the guys i missed before (as best I can)


SS Tier (God Tier) "martial arts is my superpower." more than a legend, this tier is for fighters that effectively transcend traditional martial arts and have reached a point where their combat ability are effectively metahuman or mystical in status.

Midnighter

S Tier (Legendary Tier) this tier is for characters that have skills beyond reasonable human ability and can reliably tangle with certain metahumans. these fighters are the meta of the DC martial arts world, their skills are the stuff of legend and set the bar for martial arts in the DC universe.

Constantine Drakon

A Tier (Master Tier) these individuals have a distinct fighting style and are athletes operating at the peak of human ability and/or have an ability that greatly enhances their fighting ability. These are masters of their respective martial arts disciplines and can typically produce capable fighters as pupils. from this tier onward guns become nearly irrelevant.

David Cain
Cheshire
Silencer
Question (Vic Sage)
King Snake
Shado
Lady Vic
Shrike
Prometheus



B Tier (Elite Tier) these are exceptional combatants that possess combat skills that are leagues ahead of the average fighter. those in this tier are typically near-peak level athletes, relative to an olympian.

Onyx
Red X
- I'm guessing he's gonna end up about here once we learn more about him
Hush
Two-Face
Mr. Terrific
Flatline


C Tier (Very Good Tier) these are the above-average fighters. typically hardened from experience and can handle most henchmen and street-level threats with no problem. these characters possess above-average physicality and while guns pose a threat, they're not a significant threat.


Duke Thomas
- should be higher and could make the jump with the right feat. with his powers and his training he should at least be high Elite.
Stephanie Brown
John Stewart

Where would you rank Dream Girl (Levitz/Giffen-era)?

Personally I'd place her at B Tier but my knowlege is limited as I've read fairly few LOSH comics.

I'd place Dolphin (Current) as a C Tier based on her ability to contend with magically enhanced Drift soldiers and her fight with Lord Satanis.

[Aahz]

Nightwing is probably the best hand-to-hand combatant at the bat-family (after Cass) and is arguably the same level or close to Batman (it changes from time to time). He trained against metahumans since he was a literal child,

Not really, he was a teen when he started to train, and meta humans were not really a thing when he started as Robin.

Connor Hawke
Raised in a Ashram monastery, Connor was trained in Aikido since the age of 13, and thus would develop into one of DC’s best martial artists, being one of the few who is able to fight Lady Shiva to a standstill.

Honestly with the kind of monasty he joined, it doesn't make much sense that he is that good.

[Jabare]

I don't think he's typically shown to use it but, considering Chi usage is typically more used as a specialized breathing technique than a destructive force like at Marvel or in Manga, i wouldn't be surprised if he's been shown to use Chi or something similar at some point.


decided to go back and place the guys i missed before (as best I can)


SS Tier (God Tier) "martial arts is my superpower." more than a legend, this tier is for fighters that effectively transcend traditional martial arts and have reached a point where their combat ability are effectively metahuman or mystical in status.

Midnighter

S Tier (Legendary Tier) this tier is for characters that have skills beyond reasonable human ability and can reliably tangle with certain metahumans. these fighters are the meta of the DC martial arts world, their skills are the stuff of legend and set the bar for martial arts in the DC universe.

Constantine Drakon

A Tier (Master Tier) these individuals have a distinct fighting style and are athletes operating at the peak of human ability and/or have an ability that greatly enhances their fighting ability. These are masters of their respective martial arts disciplines and can typically produce capable fighters as pupils. from this tier onward guns become nearly irrelevant.

David Cain
Cheshire
Silencer
Question (Vic Sage)
King Snake
Shado
Lady Vic
Shrike
Prometheus



B Tier (Elite Tier) these are exceptional combatants that possess combat skills that are leagues ahead of the average fighter. those in this tier are typically near-peak level athletes, relative to an olympian.

Onyx
Red X
- I'm guessing he's gonna end up about here once we learn more about him
Hush
Two-Face
Mr. Terrific
Flatline


C Tier (Very Good Tier) these are the above-average fighters. typically hardened from experience and can handle most henchmen and street-level threats with no problem. these characters possess above-average physicality and while guns pose a threat, they're not a significant threat.


Duke Thomas
- should be higher and could make the jump with the right feat. with his powers and his training he should at least be high Elite.
Stephanie Brown
John Stewart

wait where are you putting Hush and Two-Face?

[lemonpeace]

wait where are you putting Hush and Two-Face?

they're in the B/Elite tier, around the middle, but I don't think I have them ranked. pretty sure they come in just below where my top 20 rankings stop. Mr. Terrific bumped Emiko out of my top 20 too. I wanted to have him be A/Master Tier but he just doesn't have the feats due to relying on tech and espionage mainly. probably gonna end up going back and post all my rankings for all the tiers when my list grows, the slots moves around some more, and I get a better picture of the Martial Arts landscape.

[MajorHoy]

Where would Fruit Bat (from the first Batgirl arc during Rebirth) go?

[Rac7d*]

Can Batman use Chi?

Batman know an instant take down that is two fingers in the forehead. He demonstrated in the nee 53 Batman and Robin series
I had assume it was a technique using chi