Who is your most favourite Fresh Prince of Bel-Air male character of all time? A. William “Will” Smith B. Philip “Uncle Phil” Banks C. Geoffrey B. Butler D. Jazz E. Carlton Banks
Articles by Antoni Matteo Garcia
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I have been expanding my reviewing boundaries for a while, especially with my tributes to the four Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Christmas specials which I did nearly six months ago. Since I have been having a nostalgic Black sitcom rewatch, which one of these would you want me to make a review of in the future? A. The Cosby Show B. The Fresh Prince of Bel Air C. Family Matters D. My Wife and Kids E. That’s So Raven
Greetings and salutations, Splendid Seven devotees and martial arts aficionados. Antoni here. Rewatching Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Power Rangers Zeo, Power Rangers Turbo, and Power Rangers Dino Thunder made me gain a deeper appreciation for one character who commenced the franchise as a breakout character and remained as the face, moves, and skills of the Power Rangers. I am talking about Tommy Oliver portrayed by Jason David Frank. I bring Hanshi Frank up because, aside from portraying one of the Power Rangers franchise’s most popular characters, he is also a martial arts instructor in a style that he created called Toso Kune Do, which combines various martial arts including Karate, Judo, Jeet Kune Do, Muay Thai, Taekwondo, Wing Chun, and Aikido. Power Rangers fans dare not forget that Hanshi Frank opened his own Karate school ever since he was only eighteen years old. During his Mighty Morphin tenure and before Zeo came to fruition, Hanshi Frank hosted two martial arts instructional videos which covered not only the do’s and don’ts of martial arts but also what he calls the Code of the Arts. That is why I am here to cover that with my most beloved septet of Yokai warriors, martial artists, and fighters of all time The Splendid Seven consisting of Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, Shuran, Hakkaku, Ginta, Ayame, and Shunran. I am certain that Hanshi Frank would have loved to have Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, Shuran, Hakkaku, Ginta, Ayame, and Shunran as his students when they were younger, and it would have been a great pleasure to see them all grow under his guidance and mentorship. Furthermore, they would make the Code of the Arts as their way of life and even be great guests in Hanshi Frank’s two martial arts videos, especially his White Ranger Kata instructional video where they would also demonstrate their moves even at such young ages. Sure, they may practice different martial arts, with Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha being master specialists in their style of Ansatsuken which combines Shotokan, Kyokushin, Taekwondo, Hapkido, Mixed Martial Arts, Pankration, and Brazilian Jujitsu under Gouken’s, Akuma’s, Ryu’s, and Ken’s wing, Shuran being an expert in Sumo Wrestling, Mongolian Wrestling, Sambo, and Professional Wrestling plus forming great camaraderie with E. Honda, Zangief, and Blanka, Hakkaku being exceptional in Muay Thai, Kajukenbo, Pradal Serey, and Panantukan through Sagat’s mighty wing, Ginta being great in Lethwei, Pencak Silat, Jeet Kune Do, and Sanda through Dee Jay’s guidance, Ayame being absolutely masterful in Kickboxing, Boxing, Koppojutsu, and Delta Red’s Special Forces Training and becoming an honorary Delta Red member with Chun-Li, Cammy, and Sakura, and Shunran being a thrill to witness in Capoeira, Shaolin Kung Fu, Ninjutsu, and assassination-based martial arts while being an honorary member of Elena’s, Ibuki’s, and Karin Kanzuki’s families. However, their love and passion for the martial arts has always united Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, Shuran, Hakkaku, Ginta, Ayame, and Shunran as one family, thus living by the Code of the Arts’ principles and rules with all of their bodies, minds, hearts, and souls. With that said, let us get to the Code of the Arts as embodied by The Splendid Seven, but in a slightly different order from what has been said yet still has the core principles intact. Number One: Brother- and Sisterhood (All Splendid Seven Members) All of The Splendid Seven members are not just a team of very powerful Yokai martial artists. They are a family who work for each others’ and everybody’s benefit. Sesshoumaru’s, Shuran’s, Inuyasha’s, Hakkaku’s, and Ginta’s unbeatable brotherhood as well as Ayame’s and Shunran’s sturdy sisterhood signify that they always have each others’ backs, which is a promise they have made ever since they were young children. Even their children are living proof that brother- and sisterhood truly is one of the strongest principles that make a great warrior complete with solidarity and trust. Number Two: Dedication (Ayame) Ayame is never one to surrender from reaching goals. Despite all of the odds, troubles, strife, and anguish, she always sticks to her goals and keeps on trying. Her life as a warrior queen is always exciting when it comes to the time she allots for improving herself everyday. Number Three: Cooperation (Shunran) Shunran is undoubtedly the heart and soul of The Splendid Seven as well as a partisan of strong family ties and never giving up on each other. She firmly believes that there is real power in working together as one family. Number Four: Self Respect (Shuran) Shuran knows that he is important and that he matters regardless of what anybody else thinks of him let alone tells him and would never want to change the way he feels about himself and would never let himself go in the worst possible way. Number Five: Attitude (Hakkaku) Hakkaku cannot afford to permit negativity to creep into his well-being because that is only going to damage him as a person. He, instead, chooses to be positive and look for the good in every situation he and his family find themselves in. Number Six: Respect (Ginta) Ginta would do everything in his power to show respect for those important to him. He always shows respect to his mentors, his training grounds, and, most of all, is family, for they shape him to be the fighter that he is today. Number Seven: Discipline (Sesshoumaru) Sesshoumaru embodies how imperative it is to have discipline form the backbone of a true warrior. It is evident in his punctuality to train with his family, willingness to do things that would benefit him long term, and readiness to put his methods into practice. Number Eight: Confidence (Inuyasha) Inuyasha imbues a great sense of believing in himself as well as embracing new challenges and experiences in everything he does. He is not one to shy away from challenges that will make him stronger in his life as a warrior king ready to take charge of his destiny. The Code of the Arts as founded by…
Greetings and salutations, fellow aficionados of anime, Power Rangers, and everything early 1990s to early 2000s. Antoni here. Ever since I made the cast list of what I would love to call the “Saban” Era of Inurangers for the first time, I thought I was going to be satisfied with it. However, looking back at that former list, I was not entirely happy let alone satisfied with it, as there were some casting choices that could have been more legitimate let alone improved. There were casting choices which were based on me not fully researching on the character enough, which made me inquire to myself, what I was thinking when I made that move. Furthermore, some of the casting choices were based off of either blind nostalgia or just simply not knowing any better. I have also done some reflecting on the “Saban” era of the Inurangers. Much like how its original and real-life Saban-era Power Rangers counterpart aired on Fox Kids from 1993 to 2002, I figured that the Inurangers’ “Saban” era would be called the Toonami Era from 2000 to 2009 because Toonami would be a great Cartoon Network afternoon block for children, teenagers, and the young at heart to see anime characters in spandex fighting evil while also having the occasional PSA that would teach us lessons about discipline, honesty, encouragement, and dedication. Yes, I know the original Toonami ended in October 2008, but just think of this as my personal vindication for the fans who really loved and were passionate about the 1997 to 2008 era of Toonami. Once again the same rule applies for Inurangers in terms of main members, especially when I also list the anime series they originally come from. Unlike its real-life Power Rangers counterparts where there are between five to six main members of their respective groups from Mighty Morphin to Wild Force, there is going to be seven main members in the Inuranger franchise. Why seven, I hear you ask again? Let me remind you that the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers from Seasons 1 to 3, despite Tommy Oliver being the Green Ranger from Seasons 1 to 2 and the White Ranger from Seasons 2 to 3, actually has a total of seven Power Ranger suits, thus following the colour scheme of having a red ranger, a green ranger, a white ranger, a black ranger, a blue ranger, a yellow ranger, and a pink ranger. Member-wise, there will also be some deviations, especially in the later parts of Mighty Morphin Inurangers Seasons 2, all of Mighty Morphin Inurangers Season 3, and the later parts of Inurangers Zeo, as there are going to be a total of eleven members at least in those seasons. Colour-wise, there are also going to be some deviations in In Space, Lightspeed Rescue, Time Force, and Wild Force. Finally, and this is something I should have done in the older list, I am also going to list their English voice actors for their respective rangers because I am sure you would love the thought of hearing them say their respective Inuranger morphing time roll calls. With that said, grab your bowl of cereal, plate of bacon and eggs, glass of orange juice, and pieces of fruit, as you sit in front of the television to see your favourite anime heroes in spandex defend the world from all evil. It’s Morphin time! Shift into Turbo! Let’s rocket! Go galactic! Lightspeed rescue! Time for Time Force! Mighty Morphin Inurangers Season 1 (2000–2001) Inuyasha from Inuyasha the Red Tyrannosaurus Ranger version of Jason Lee Scott voiced by Richard Ian Cox Shuran from Inuyasha the Green Dragonzord Ranger version of Tom Oliver voiced by Scott Logie Sesshoumaru from Inuyasha the White Tigerzord Ranger version of Tommy Oliver voiced by David Kaye Hakkaku from Inuyasha the Black Mastodon Ranger version of Zack Taylor voiced by Alistair Abell Ginta from Inuyasha the Blue Triceratops Ranger version of Billy Cranston voiced by Paul Dobson Ayame from Inuyasha the Yellow Sabre-Toothed Ranger version of Trini Kwan voiced by Natalie Walters Shunran from Inuyasha the Pink Pterodactyl Ranger version of Kimberly Ann Hart voiced by Jocelyne Loewen Mighty Morphin Inurangers the Movie (2001) Sesshoumaru from Inuyasha the White Tigerzord Ranger version of Tommy Oliver voiced by David Kaye Inuyasha from Inuyasha the Red Tyrannosaurus Ranger version of Jason Lee Scott voiced by Richard Ian Cox Ayame from Inuyasha the Yellow Sabre-Toothed Ranger version of Trini Kwan voiced by Natalie Walters Shuran from Inuyasha the Green Dragonzord Ranger version of Tom Oliver voiced by Scott Logie Hakkaku from Inuyasha the Black Mastodon Ranger version of Zack Taylor voiced by Alistair Abell Ginta from Inuyasha the Blue Triceratops Ranger version of Billy Cranston voiced by Paul Dobson Shunran from Inuyasha the Pink Pterodactyl Ranger version of Kimberly Ann Hart voiced by Jocelyne Loewen Mighty Morphin Inurangers Season 2 Episodes 1 to 28 (2001) Sesshoumaru from Inuyasha the White Tigerzord Ranger version of Tommy Oliver voiced by David Kaye Inuyasha from Inuyasha the Red Tyrannosaurus Ranger version of Jason Lee Scott voiced by Richard Ian Cox Ayame from Inuyasha the Yellow Sabre-Toothed Ranger version of Trini Kwan voiced by Natalie Walters Shuran from Inuyasha the Green Dragonzord Ranger version of Tom Oliver voiced by Scott Logie Hakkaku from Inuyasha the Black Mastodon Ranger version of Zack Taylor voiced by Alistair Abell Ginta from Inuyasha the Blue Triceratops Ranger version of Billy Cranston voiced by Paul Dobson Shunran from Inuyasha the Pink Pterodactyl Ranger version of Kimberly Ann Hart voiced by Jocelyne Loewen Mighty Morphin Inurangers Season 2 Episodes 29 to 52 (2001–2002) Sesshoumaru from Inuyasha the White Tigerzord Ranger version of Tommy Oliver voiced by David Kaye Inuyasha from Inuyasha the Red Tyrannosaurus Ranger version of Jason Lee Scott voiced by Richard Ian Cox Ayame from Inuyasha the Yellow Sabre-Toothed Ranger version of Trini Kwan voiced by Natalie Walters Shuran from Inuyasha the Green Dragonzord Ranger version of Tom Oliver…
Greetings and salutations, Splendid Seven devotees, martial arts aficionados, and hand-to-hand fighting game fans. Antoni here. When I did my written entry focusing on The Splendid Seven’s fighting game character inspirations, I was initially quite pleased with it. However, having a more critical second look at it, I know I could do one better for Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, Shuran, Hakkaku, Ginta, Ayame, and Shunran. This version is going to be a bit more modified because the first version, when I look back at it, mostly relied on wild guesses on some characters. I also want to take this up a notch because the fighting game characters from Street Fighter, Tekken, and King of Fighters I have chosen for Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, Shuran, Hakkaku, Ginta, Ayame, and Shunran are not just going to be inspirations but also mentors who will gladly aid and guide them to reach their fullest potential and cut their own paths as fighters, as individuals, and most importantly as a family. There is no doubt that the following strengthening tactics are going to happen for The Splendid Seven when they are with their mentors. Gouken, Ryu Hoshi, T. Hawk, Charlie Nash, and Kazuya Mishima plus Akuma, Ken Masters, Guile, Alex, and Paul Phoenix could turn Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha into a pair of more powerful, stronger, and mightier Ansatsuken practitioners whose punches, kicks, takedowns, grapples, and submission holds match their beefier muscles of steel. E Honda, Zangief, Hugo, Darun, and Ganryu could further strengthen Shuran’s grappling and striking abilities to become a truly powerful and versatile wrestler. Sagat, Dhalsim, Dan Hibiki, Balrog, and Bruce Irvin could make Hakkaku an all-out striker and clincher who can use his entire body to bring opponents to their knees. Adon, Dee Jay, Fei Long, Vega, and Lei Wulong could transform Ginta into a lethal weapon with a great repertory of kicks, punches, and strikes up his sleeve. Chun-Li, Cammy White, Sakura Kasugano, Nina Williams, and Jun Kazama could ensure that Ayame combines strength, agility, and balance in terms of building her body to be a powerful yet lithe weapon with nicely formed sinews. Elena, Ibuki, Karin Kanzuki, Anna Williams, and Michelle Chang could give Shunran space to discover a union between power, agility, and style as a fighter complete with well-developed sinews in all the right places. That is just the short answer. The long answer lies within each Splendid Seven member and their respective seven mentors. Sesshoumaru is a gold-medal champion in Shotokan, Kyokushin, Mixed Martial Arts, Marine Corps Martial Arts, Brazilian Jujitsu, and Japanese Jujitsu who can also master Ansatsuken, Mishima Style Fighting Karate, Thunderfoot Style Martial Arts, Kyokengryu Karate, and Hybrid Martial Arts that combine Karate, Judo, Jujitsu, Wrestling, and Boxing with his powerful mentors who inject him with huge doses of stealth, strength, balance, and courage. Gouken from Street Fighter T. Hawk from Street Fighter Charlie Nash from Street Fighter Ryu Hoshi from Street Fighter Kazuya Mishima from Tekken Ryo Sakazaki from King of Fighters Robert Garcia from King of Fighters Inuyasha is a gold-medal champion in Taekwondo, Hapkido, Pankration, Ancient Greek Wrestling, Ancient Greek Boxing, Kapu Kuialua, and Bokator who also masters Ansatsuken, Mishima Style Fighting Karate, and Hybrid Martial Arts combining Karate, Judo, Wrestling, Boxing, and Jujitsu with his mighty mentors who incorporate him with strength, dedication, determination, and perseverance. Akuma from Street Fighter Guile from Street Fighter Alex from Street Fighter Ken Masters from Street Fighter Paul Phoenix from Tekken Terry Bogard from King of Fighters Andy Bogard from King of Fighters Shuran is a gold-medal champion in Sumo Wrestling, Mongolian Wrestling, Professional Wrestling, Ssireum, Turkish Oil Wrestling, Pehlwani, and Malla-yuddha who can also throw himself in with Brazilian Jujitsu, Sambo, and Vale Tudo with all of his being thanks to his extremely macho mentors who imbue him with all the steeliness, ambition, power, strength, and might of any triumphant champion. E. Honda from Street Fighter Zangief from Street Fighter Hugo from Street Fighter Darun from Street Fighter Blanka from Street Fighter Ganryu from Tekken Akatsuki-Maru from King of Fighters Hakkaku is a gold-medal champion in Muay Thai, Pradal Serey, Kajukenbo, Panantukan, Dambe, Moraingy, and Taekkyeon who can also implement moves from Boxing, Karate, Taekwondo, and Bushinryu with every fibre of his body and soul thanks to his formidable mentors who make sure that he has might, dedication, a great attitude, reverence, and relentlessness ingrained in his system. Sagat from Street Fighter Dhalsim from Street Fighter Dan Hibiki from Street Fighter Balrog from Street Fighter Guy from Street Fighter Bruce Irvin from Tekken Joe Higashi from King of Fighters Ginta is a gold-medal champion in Lethwei, Lethwei, Pencak Silat, Sanda, Hwa Rang Do, Tang Soo Do, Eagle Claw Kung Fu, and Systema who can also prove himself just as phenomenal in Muay Thai, Taekwondo, Boxing, Jeet Kune Do, Kickboxing, and Shaolin Kung Fu with every inch of his heart, mind, body, and soul thanks to his fierce mentors who capitalise on his fearlessness, virility, power, passion, and will to constantly strive to be better. Adon from Street Fighter Dee Jay from Street Fighter Fei Long from Street Fighter Vega from Street Fighter Cody Travers from Street Fighter Lei Wulong from Tekken Kim Kaphwan from King of Fighters Ayame is a gold-medal champion in Kickboxing, Nippon Kenpo, Shorinji Kenpo, Boxing, Judo, Krav Maga, and Sambo who is just as outstanding in Shaolin Kung Fu, Aikido, Karate, Koppojutsu, army-based martial arts, and assassination-based martial arts with the passion of a million burning suns helped by her strong mentors who fill her with courage, fortitude, determination, dedication, ambition, tenacity, and toughness. Chun-Li from Street Fighter Cammy White from Street Fighter Sakura Kasugano from Street Fighter Nina Williams from Tekken Jun Kazama from Tekken Mary “Blue Mary” Ryan from King of Fighters Mai Shiranui from King of Fighters Shunran is a gold-medal champion in Capoeira, Shaolin Kung Fu, Wing Chun, Wushu, Baguazhang, Changquan, and Northern Praying Mantis who is just as amazing in…
Greetings and salutations, Splendid Seven devotees, martial arts aficionados, and hand-to-hand fighting game fans. Antoni here. Ever since I sunk my teeth into Sesshoumaru, Shuran, Inuyasha, Hakkaku, Ginta, Ayame, and Shunran partaking in various martial arts, I also thought about my experience playing hand-to-hand video games such as Tekken, Street Fighter, and King of Fighters when I was a child. Furthermore, I also thought about Fatal Fury: Legend of the Hungry Wolf, Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie, Street Fighter Alpha the Animation, Street Fighter II V, and Street Fighter the Animated Series which have always been my most favourite animated adaptations from hand-to-hand fighting video games. What better way to unite my enjoyment of hand-to-hand fighting video games and the dedication I have to my beloved Inuyasha AU headcanon than to match the fighting game characters that I think match Sesshoumaru’s, Inuyasha’s, Shuran’s, Hakkaku’s, Ginta’s, Ayame’s, and Shunran’s fighting styles and personalities. Since The Splendid Seven consists of, naturally, seven members who are united as one powerful and unconditionally loving family, I am going to list seven fighting game characters to each Splendid Seven member that I believe encapsulates each of them in terms of personality, style, and appeal. Furthermore, these fighting game characters are who I believe they would emulate with all their being. With that said, let us get cracking and mauling. Sesshoumaru is undoubtedly a Shotokan, Kyokushin, Mixed Martial Arts, Marine Corps Martial Arts, Japanese Jujitsu, and Brazilian Jujitsu champion. However, I could also see him excelling in Ansatsuken, Mishima Style Fighting Karate, and Kyokengryu Karate with precision and lethalness. Here are the fighting game characters Sesshoumaru would potentially form the basis of his fighting style. Ryu Hoshi (Street Fighter) Guile (Street Fighter) Charlie Nash (Street Fighter) Kazuya Mishima (Tekken) Lee Chaolan (Tekken) Ryo Sakazaki (King of Fighters) Robert Garcia (King of Fighters) Inuyasha is the undisputed master of Taekwondo, Hapkido, Pankration, Ancient Greek Wrestling, Ancient Greek Boxing, Kapu Kuialua, and Bokator. Just like Sesshoumaru, he would also excel in Ansatsuken and Mishima Style Fighting Karate. The difference is that Inuyasha would also employ Hybrid Style Martial Arts in his combat resumé with great strength and power. Inuyasha’s fighting game character inspirations are as follows. Ken Masters (Street Fighter) Akuma (Street Fighter) Alex (Street Fighter) Paul Phoenix (Tekken) Baek Doo San (Tekken) Terry Bogard (King of Fighters) Alex Bogard (King of Fighters) Shuran can dominate any ring in Sumo Wrestling, Mongolian Wrestling, Professional Wrestling, Ssireum, Turkish Oil Wrestling, Pehlwani, and Malla-yuddha. Although he is predominantly a grappler, he could also adapt superbly with strikes, especially where his punches and palm strikes are concerned as well as having a background in Brazilian Jujitsu, Sambo, and Vale Tudo. No doubt is Shuran going to emulate these fighting game characters. E. Honda (Street Fighter) Zangief (Street Fighter) Hugo (Street Fighter) Ganryu (Tekken) The Jack Robots (Tekken) Akatsuki-Maru (King of Fighters) Antonov (King of Fighters) Hakkaku can use his skills in Muay Thai, Pradal Serey, Kajukenbo, Panantukan, Dambe, Moraingy, and Taekkyeon to knock every single one of his opponents down. His signature elbow strikes, knee strikes, and shin kicks may be gloriously devastating, but he could also employ these attacks from Taekwondo, Bushinryu, and Boxing. It is through these fighting game characters that Hakkaku is going to find inspiration from the following seven. Dan Hibiki (Street Fighter) Sagat (Street Fighter) Guy (Street Fighter) Bruce Irvin (Tekken) Bryan Fury (Tekken) Joe Higashi (King of Fighters) Shen Woo (King of Fighters) Ginta can implement what he has been learning from Lethwei, Pencak Silat, Sanda, Hwa Rang Do, Tang Soo Do, Eagle Claw Kung Fu, and Systema to effectively incapacitate all of his enemies. He is also extremely versatile in terms of his combat approaches, as evidenced in combining strikes from Muay Thai, Taekwondo, Boxing, Jeet Kune Do, and Shaolin Kung Fu. These seven fighting game characters are undoubtedly who can define Ginta. Fei Long (Street Fighter) Adon (Street Fighter) Cody (Street Fighter) Lei Wulong (Tekken) Marshall Law (Tekken) Kim Kaphwan (King of Fighters) Rick Strowd (King of Fighters) Ayame is an exemplarily picture-perfect example of championing Kickboxing, Nippon Kenpo, Shorinji Kenpo, Boxing, Judo, Krav Maga, and Sambo. Given her formidability and adaptability to any and every martial art, she can also use what she has learned in Shaolin Kung Fu, Aikido, Karate, and army-based martial arts to propel her physical abilities and use them for protection. This is evidenced in the seven fighting game characters who define her. Chun-Li (Street Fighter) Cammy White (Street Fighter) Sakura Kasugano (Street Fighter) Nina Williams (Tekken) Mary “Blue Mary” Ryan (King of Fighters) Mai Shiranui (King of Fighters) Yuri Sakazaki (King of Fighters) Shunran is a godsend through her incomparable Capoeira, Shaolin Kung Fu, Wing Chun, Wushu, Baguazhang, Changquan, and Northern Praying Mantis. She is also a very versatile martial artist who does not limit herself to kicks, somersaults, and dance-like moves, for she can use punches, hand strikes, knee strikes, elbow strikes, and joint locks to overcome her enemies. Shunran’s fighting game inspirations do shape what her identity as a fighter is. Hokuto (Street Fighter) Pullum Purna (Street Fighter) Elena (Street Fighter) Anna Williams (Tekken) Athena Asamiya (King of Fighters) Li Xiangfei (King of Fighters) May Lee Jinju (King of Fighters) There you have it, ladies and gentlemen, the fighting game characters I believe would fit Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, Shuran, Hakkaku, Ginta, Ayame, and Shunran really well. It was not easy compiling this, especially re-familiarising myself with certain fighting game characters, but it made me so overjoyed rediscovering my enjoyment of fighting games and incorporating it to my Splendid Seven AU headcanon.
Greetings and salutations, Splendid Seven devotees and martial arts aficionados. Antoni here. It is said that the martial arts have their place in culture, history, and sociolinguistic norms throughout the world. It is also said that when Sesshoumaru, Shuran, Inuyasha, Hakkaku, Ginta, Ayame, and Shunran practice various martial arts and make it a way of life, they not only become a powerful septet of Yokai warriors but also a strong family united by honour, courage, fortitude, discipline, attitude, confidence, and valour. Nothing can ever separate their bond as martial artists and as a family. For this written entry, I am going to do something that is called East meets West in which each Splendid Seven member has two Eastern martial arts and two Western martial arts. This match-up would open them up to various combat possibilities and would combine specific physical aspects from each martial art to create adaptability to overcome stronger and more skilled opponents. While this would apply to all of The Splendid Seven members, the only exceptions are Shuran, Hakkaku, Ginta, and Shunran whose fighting styles are predominantly Eastern with one martial art being of Western origin, thus having three Eastern martial arts and one Western martial art for the four of them. With that said, let us get kicking, punching, grappling, and mauling, everybody. Sesshoumaru combines tradition with innovation through Japan’s Shotokan and Kyokushin Karate, Brazil’s and America’s Mixed Martial Arts, and America’s Marine Corps Martial Arts. Shotokan’s and Kyokushin’s focus, balance, and power are combined with Mixed Martial Arts’ sheer brutality and Marine Corps Martial Arts’ speedy reaction time, survival tactics, and lethal precision. For Sesshoumaru, timing is everything when it comes to how he blocks, throws punches and kicks, and grapples his opponents to the ground to choke and batter the life out of them with his bare hands. If that were not enough, the Japanese and American army bases would be really proud to have Sesshoumaru on board with his skills in Marine Corps Martial Arts, for he has the speed and lethal accuracy to make his enemies squirm with terror, especially when he snatches their weapons away with lightning-fast quickness and incapacitates them with soul-shattering blows. He would even incorporate Karate’s main principles of Kihon, Kata, and Kumite in Mixed Martial Arts and Marine Corps Martial Arts as a means to condition himself, his teammates, and his troupes well against their enemies. Sesshoumaru is truly a martial artist worthy of respect and admiration. Inuyasha combines power with brutality through Korea’s Taekwondo and Hapkido, Greece’s Pankration, and Hawaii’s Kapu Kuialua. Taekwondo’s and Hapkido’s speed, power, balance, and timing are combined with Pankration’s brute strength and Kapu Kuialua’s fierce brutality. Inuyasha’s raw power, super strength, and muscular virility are a wonderful yet dangerous combination should thugs, hellions, and lowlives dare cross paths with him. He uses every part of his body from his fists to his elbows to his knees to his heels to overcome his enemies and make them submit to his awesome power. Furthermore, Inuyasha’s combination of Taekwondo’s predominant punches and kicks with Hapkido’s, Pankration’s, and Kapu Kuialua’s joint locks, arm bars, submission holds, bearhugs, back-breakers, and neck-breakers demonstrate how serious of a fighter he really is. Whether he delivers a series of fatal spinning back kicks or disfiguring jabs to the face or devastating uppercuts to the chin or submission holds so tight that an anaconda is strangling his prey, Inuyasha can accomplish them all with pride and glory as well as having his muscles being bathed in his enemies’ blood. There is no escape when Inuyasha invites his enemies to their own demise. Shuran combines brute force with grand virility through Japan’s Sumo Wrestling, Mongolian Wrestling, Korea’s Ssireum, and America’s and Great Britain’s Professional Wrestling. Sumo Wrestling’s, Mongolian Wrestling’s, and Ssireum’s grandly time-honoured tradition and cultural significance to Asia are combined with Professional Wrestling’s macho bravado and boundless thrills for all the spectators to witness. Locking enemies in various submission holds and throws is only one part of Shuran’s game in doing what he can to not falter. Consistency in his technique and dedication to his craft as a martial artist as well as to his family are also what make him thrive in perseverance and fortitude. Should any opponent dare to squeeze the life out of Shuran, he would just retaliate a million times harder with bearhugs, back-breakers, neck-breakers, suplexes, arm bars, joint locks, Boston Crabs, and Full Nelsons that can easily suffocate them to submission. Even his palm strikes and bodyslams have been proven to cause so much collateral damage. The ring and the ground are essentially home to Shuran. When potential opponents try their strength at him, they would not even last one nanosecond, thus bringing them to their knees. Hakkaku combines fierceness with quick reflexes through Thailand’s Muay Thai, Cambodia’s Pradal Serey, Hawaii’s Kajukenbo, and the Philippines’s Panantukan. Muay Thai’s and Pradal Serey’s lethalness and brute force are combined with Kajukenbo’s versatility and Panantukan’s no holds barred determination to triumph. Hakkaku’s repertoire of punches and kicks may be devastating, but how he uses his clinches, elbow strikes, knee strikes, and shin kicks is nothing short of phenomenally jaw-dropping in the most brilliant way possible. He could never begin to tell the many occasions where he found purpose in kicking oak trees and banana trees with his bare shins to the point where Thailand and Cambodia honoured him as a fighter worthy of discipline, respect, and dignity. No mugger nor murderer would be impudent to dare besmirch Hakkaku’s good name. While Hakkaku’s punches and kicks can disfigure skeletons and break bones, his clinches combined with his knee strikes, shin kicks, and elbow strikes can leave his enemies bleeding, bruised, and beaten almost to death. There is no stopping Hakkaku when it comes to dishing out a huge serving of pain and punishment when he puts his elbows, knees, and shins to phenomenal use. Ginta combines ferocity with speed through Myanmar’s Lethwei,…
Greetings and salutations, Splendid Seven devotees and martial arts aficionados. Antoni here. Have you ever wanted to watch Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, Shuran, Hakkaku, Ginta, Ayame, and Shunran duke it out with opponents much larger and stronger than them whether in the arena, the colosseum, the cage or the ring? Does the thought of seven Yokai warriors implementing their various fighting styles as one team in tournaments thrill you to the point of cheering for them? Do you find it fun to see The Splendid Seven use a fabulous combination of strength, stealth, speed, and stamina in their strikes, grapples, and holds against opponents who only use muscle? Dream no more, dear martial arts aficionados. Your day has arrived. The Splendid Seven have been reigning gold-medal champions as a martial arts tournament team ever since their teens, thus pummelling larger demons, mashing bulkier musclemen, and challenging more experienced martial artists with their skill, power, timing, valour, stamina, courage, and sheer determination. Attempting to best Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, Shuran, Hakkaku, Ginta, Ayame, and Shunran in combat is akin to asking where fighters would love to be buried should they be defeated. If you, dear readers, remembered my Splendid Seven updated martial arts entry, you will realise that Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, Shuran, Hakkaku, Ginta, Ayame, and Shunran specialise in a variety of Eastern and Western martial arts that I argue are perfect for them. Lest we forget that, when it comes to The Splendid Seven as a family of super Yokai fighters, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha are the strongest and most complete fighters by virtue of their striking and grappling skills, Shuran is the most physically powerful fighter by virtue of his grappling skills, Hakkaku and Ginta are the speediest strikers and the tightest clinchers, Ayame is a powerful puncher and incomparable kicker, and Shunran is a gracefully agile kicker and flipper. Be warned that The Splendid Seven are never to be messed with, especially when all seven of them are in their full Yokai forms. Sesshoumaru’s integrity as a combatant means he combines the old-fashioned traditions and customs of Shotokan Karate, Kyokushin Karate, and Japanese Jujitsu with the modern innovativeness of Shootfighting, Marine Corps Martial Arts, Mixed Martial Arts, and Brazilian Jujitsu. Considering his military precision through his experience in America’s Marine Corps Martial Arts, how he honours tradition, history, and reverence with Japan’s Shotokan Karate, Kyokushin Karate, and Japanese Jujitsu, and his no holds barred approach to bringing his opponents to the ground with America’s Mixed Martial Arts, Brazilian Jujitsu, and Japan’s Shootfighting, his opponents would end up bruised, shattered, and borderline destroyed thanks to his combat prowess. This is further evidenced in his straight punches, spinning back kicks, roundhouse kicks, uppercuts, knife hands, and hooks done in Shotokan and Kyokushin Karate; his brutal takedowns complete with merciless battering in Mixed Martial Arts and Shootfighting, his strangulating chokeholds and strangleholds full of muscular strength in Brazilian and Japanese Jujitsu, and his lethal timing in Marine Corps Martial Arts. Even when Sesshoumaru does his Kata, he always implements moves from not only Shotokan Karate and Kyokushin Karate, but also from Mixed Martial Arts, Shootfighting, Marine Corps Martial Arts, Japanese Jujitsu, and Brazilian Jujitsu. If a thug dared to smash a chair onto Sesshoumaru’s head, he would counter that attack with a gut punch, snatch the chair from the thug, bash it on his head, lock him in a chokehold, and bash his head in with his fists until blood is splattered on Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru’s sense of tradition, integrity, and honour is matched by his strength, stamina, and stealth as a complete martial artist. Inuyasha’s fatal brutality combines the pummelling takedowns of Pankration, Ancient Greek Wrestling, Hapkido, and Kapu Kuialua and the deadly punches, elbow strikes, knee strikes, and kicks found in Taekwondo, Bokator, and Ancient Greek Boxing. Those who dare challenge Inuyasha are looking at a fighter who has been punching and kicking huge and hard rocks, lifting boulders, wrestling stuffed deerskin dummies, and unleashing mighty roars ever since he was a young child, especially in his full Yokai form. This meant that, as he grew into maturity, his muscles bulged with power, his fists were hard as iron, his bones gained in sheer density, and his feet were lethal. In fact, Inuyasha is a lethal weapon in of himself, as he combines muscular power, super strength, and ferocious fierceness. Inuyasha definitely does go global with his powerful fighting style, as Pankration, Ancient Greek Wrestling, and Ancient Greek Boxing are from Greece, Taekwondo and Hapkido are from Korea, Bokator is from Cambodia, and Kapu Kuialua is from Hawaii. Combining Pankration’s and Kapu Kuialua’s brutal smatterings and body locks, Ancient Greek Wrestling’s mighty chokeholds, Full Nelsons, Boston Crabs, and bearhugs; Hapkido’s, Taekwondo’s, Bokator’s, and Ancient Greek Boxing’s powerful and extremely speedy punches, kicks, and strikes including uppercuts, elbow strikes, and knee strikes can mean that Inuyasha would cause collateral damage to his opponents doing all these attacks. Should a bigger opponent attempt to conquer Inuyasha, he would give him an uppercut to the chin, a spinning back kick, a face punch, and proceed to chokehold the life out of him until he is doused in blood. Inuyasha always comes out on top by virtue of his lethal muscular brutality as a fighter. Shuran is a wrestler who goes thoroughly global with his grappling approaches. From Japan’s Sumo Wrestling to the United States of America’s and the United Kingdom’s Professional Wrestling to Mongolia’s form of wrestling to Korea’s Ssireum to India’s Pehlwani and Malla-yuddha, he has definitely learned a whole lot of submission holds, pivots, grapples, and the occasional strikes from these international wrestling forms. While Shuran is a predominant grappler known for his anaconda-like submission holds, python-like bearhugs, back-breakers, neck-breakers, Boston Crabs, and Full Nelsons, he is also the possessor of powerful palm strikes, bodyslams, backfists, backhands, throws, and flips that could send his enemies flying out of the ring. If Shuran’s thorough wrestling background did not suffice, his background in Brazilian and…
Greetings and salutations, fellow Splendid Seven devotees and martial arts aficionados. Antoni here with another piece of writing revolving around my most favourite seven-member group of Yokai warriors ever. Ever since I have been writing about my Iron Fist AU for The Splendid Seven consisting of Sesshoumaru, Shuran, Inuyasha, Hakkaku, Ginta, Ayame, and Shunran, not to mention all of the martial arts documentaries, let’s plays of Tekken, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, King of Fighters, and Fatal Fury; indulging myself with watching content from Jesse Enkamp also featuring his brother Oliver Enkamp, Martial Arts Journey hosted by Rokas Leonavicius, Sensei Seth, and a bevy of martial arts-related channels; and watching National Geographic’s Fight Science, I have been more fascinated by martial arts as a whole. If you remembered my first entry where I listed seven martial arts that I thought could be appropriate for all seven members of The Splendid Seven, it was enjoyable doing that and hearing some feedback from you, dear readers, but I only scratched the surface of why I think these particular martial art styles are particularly excellent for them. Now that I am a lot more conscientious, I have managed to re-evaluate certain martial arts styles that I think fit Sesshoumaru, Shuran, Inuyasha, Hakkaku, Ginta, Ayame, and Shunran exceptionally well. Before going into the specific martial arts that these seven Yokai warriors specialise in, what needs to be kept in mind are the following aspects regarding their respective martial arts styles. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha aka The Inu Brothers are the strongest, fiercest, and most powerful fighters of The Splendid Seven, especially reflected in their skills as both grapplers and strikers, given their bone-shattering punches, nerve-destroying kicks, and overpowering submission holds, although Inuyasha is also completely open to throwing elbow strikes, knife hands, knee strikes, and clinches. Shuran is also the physically strongest fighter in terms of his skills as a grappler who specialises in various forms of wrestling, and his palm strikes, knee strikes, elbow strikes, and submission holds are truly powerful. Hakkaku and Ginta are strikers and clinchers through and through, given how effectively they use their elbow strikes, clinches, knee strikes, and head-butts. Ayame is a predominant striker who has a huge repertoire of punches from her uppercuts to her crosses and equally mighty kicks. Shunran is a flexible striker who has a sizeable repertoire of kicks and flips but also backfists and punches to show that she is more than just a fighter with kicks and flips. Furthermore, trying to challenge all seven of them in the arena, the ring, and/or the cage match is asking for trouble because, whether fighters try to combat them individually or together, they never hold back on their punches, kicks, submission holds, clinches, and strikes and can leave their opponents with concussions, broken bones, black eyes, bloodied noses, ballistic head traumas, and massive internal bleeding. With that said, let us get re-acquainted with The Splendid Seven’s updated seven martial arts styles based on their fighting skills. Sesshoumaru Mixed Martial Arts Kyokushin Karate Shotokan Karate Brazilian Jujitsu Japanese Jujitsu Marine Corps Martial Arts Program Shootfighting Inuyasha Pankration Taekwondo Hapkido Ancient Greek Wrestling Ancient Greek Boxing Kapu Kuialua Bokator Shuran Mongolian Wrestling Sumo Wrestling Professional Wrestling Ssireum Turkish Oil Wrestling Pehlwani Malla-yuddha Hakkaku Muay Thai Kajukenbo Pradal Serey Taekkyeon Panantukan Dambe Moraingy Ginta Lethwei Pencak Silat Sanda Hwa Rang Do Tang Soo Do Systema Eagle Claw Kung Fu Ayame Kickboxing Nippon Kenpo Shorinji Kenpo Judo Krav Maga Boxing Sambo Shunran Capoeira Shaolin Kung Fu Wing Chun Wushu Northern Praying Mantis Baguazhang Changquan There you have it, ladies and gentlemen. The Splendid Seven’s more updated martial arts styles. Your comments and additional suggestions are more than welcome. Cheers and have a lovely day.
Greetings, fellow Splendid Seven devotees and martial arts aficionados. Antoni here with another piece of written revolving around my Splendid Seven Iron Fist AU headcanon. I briefly covered some pairings and the martial arts Sesshoumaru, Shuran, Inuyasha, Hakkaku, Ginta, Hakkaku, Ayame, and Shunran would spar in whenever they are divided into groups of two or three in a previous entry I made. Now, I will state the following martial arts each pairing would find themselves in whenever they are together, regardless of sparring or working together with them. With that said, I hope this interests you. If you agree with the martial arts styles I chose for each pairing whether they be romantic or platonic, please let me know. Enjoy. The Most Loved OTP for Life Couples Inuyasha x Ayame Kickboxing, Taekwondo, Bokator, Pankration, Ancient Greek Boxing, Ancient Greek Wrestling, and Kapu Kuialua Ginta x Shunran Sanda, Tang Soo Do, Capoeira, Wing Chun, Lethwei, Wushu, and Eagle Claw Kung Fu The Liked Pairings but not on OTP Level Sesshoumaru x Ayame Kyokushin Karate, Shotokan Karate, Mixed Martial Arts, Taekwondo, Sambo, Nippon Kenpo, and Shorinji Kenpo Shuran x Shunran Judo, Brazilian Jujitsu, Japanese Jujitsu, Vale Tudo, Systema, and Baguazhang Hakkaku x Shunran Brazilian Jujitsu, Shaolin Kung Fu, Systema, Baguazhang, Judo, Panantukan, and Japanese Jujitsu The Main Familial Platonic Pairings Sesshoumaru x Inuyasha Taekwondo, Kyokushin Karate, Shotokan Karate, Hapkido, Pankration, Ancient Greek Wrestling, and Ancient Greek Boxing Sesshoumaru x Shuran x Inuyasha Brazilian Jujitsu, Japanese Jujitsu, Ancient Greek Wrestling, Pankration, Pehlwani, Malla-yuddha, and Mongolian Wrestling Sesshoumaru x Shuran x Hakkaku Brazilian Jujitsu, Japanese Jujitsu, Judo, Pehlwani, Kajukenbo, Pradal Serey, and Muay Thai Shuran x Hakkaku x Ginta Muay Thai, Lethwei, Judo, Japanese Jujitsu, Brazilian Jujitsu, Turkish Oil Wrestling, and Tegumi Inuyasha x Hakkaku x Ginta Taekwondo, Muay Thai, Lethwei, Bokator, Kajukenbo, Panantukan, and Judo Inuyasha x Ginta Bokator, Kapu Kuialua, Pehlwani, Malla-yuddha, Sanda, Lethwei, and Pencak Silat Hakkaku x Ginta Muay Thai, Lethwei, Pradal Serey, Kajukenbo, Pencak Silat, Sanda, and Panantukan Sesshoumaru x Inuyasha x Shuran x Hakkaku x Ginta Mixed Martial Arts, Muay Thai, Lethwei, Judo, Brazilian Jujitsu, Mongolian Wrestling, Pradal Serey, Bokator, Taekwondo, Mixed Martial Arts, Japanese Jujitsu, Ancient Greek Wrestling, Ancient Greek Boxing, and Pankration Ayame x Shunran Nippon Kenpo, Kickboxing, Shaolin Kung Fu, Wing Chun, Wushu, Taekkyeon, and Subak The Heterosexual Platonic Pairings Sesshoumaru x Shunran Wing Chun, Shaolin Kung Fu, Northern Praying Mantis, Wushu, Shorinji Kenpo, Taekkyeon, and Hwa Rang Do Shuran x Ayame Brazilian Jujitsu, Japanese Jujitsu, Judo, Sambo, Boxing, Krav Maga, and Tegumi Inuyasha x Shunran Taekwondo, Kyokushin Karate, Shotokan Karate, Wushu, Wing Chun, Hwa Rang Do, and Bokator Hakkaku x Ayame Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Kajukenbo, Nippon Kenpo, Pradal Serey, Judo, and Krav Maga Ginta x Ayame Lethwei, Kickboxing, Pencak Silat, Krav Maga, Judo, Nippon Kenpo, and Sanda Sesshoumaru x Inuyasha x Shunran Kyokushin Karate, Shotokan Karate, Taekwondo, Shaolin Kung Fu, Baguazhang, Wing Chun, and Wushu Shuran x Hakkaku x Ayame Brazilian Jujitsu, Japanese Jujitsu, Judo, Mongolian Wrestling, Muay Thai, Kajukenbo, and Boxing Hakkaku x Ginta x Ayame Muay Thai, Lethwei, Pradal Serey, Pencak Silat, Kickboxing, Kajukenbo, and Nippon Kenpo Super Strong and Diversely Dynamic Groups Sesshoumaru x Inuyasha x Ayame Mixed Martial Arts, Kyokushin Karate, Shotokan Karate, Pankration, Bokator, Ancient Greek Boxing, Taekwondo, Nippon Kenpo, Shorinji Kenpo, Kickboxing, Kapu Kuialua, Hapkido, Ancient Greek Wrestling, and Krav Maga Shuran x Hakkaku x Ginta x Shunran Brazilian Jujitsu, Japanese Jujitsu, Judo, Muay Thai, Pradal Serey, Lethwei, Systema, Hwa Rang Do, Tang Soo Do, Pencak Silat, Sanda, Taekkyeon, Kajukenbo, and Mongolian Wrestling Inuyasha x Ayame x Ginta x Shunran Taekwondo, Pankration, Bokator, Nippon Kenpo, Shorinji Kenpo, Kickboxing, Lethwei, Sanda, Pencak Silat, Eagle Claw Kung Fu, Shaolin Kung Fu, Wing Chun, Capoeira, and Wushu Formidable Square-Offs chiefly with Main Platonic Pairings Sesshoumaru vs Inuyasha Shotokan Karate vs Taekwondo, Kyokushin Karate vs Hapkido, Mixed Martial Arts vs Pankration, Hapkido vs Bokator, Japanese Jujitsu vs Ancient Greek Wrestling, Taekwondo vs Ancient Greek Boxing, and Brazilian Jujitsu vs Kapu Kuialua Shuran vs Hakkaku vs Ginta Mongolian Wrestling vs Muay Thai vs Lethwei, Sumo Wrestling vs Pradal Serey vs Pencak Silat, Professional Wrestling vs Kajukenbo vs Sanda, Ssireum vs Taekkyeon vs Hwa Rang Do, Turkish Oil Wrestling vs Panantukan vs Tang Soo Do, Kurash vs Dambe vs Systema, and Shuai Jiao vs Moraingy vs Eagle Claw Kung Fu Sesshoumaru vs Shuran vs Hakkaku Shotokan Karate vs Mongolian Wrestling vs Muay Thai, Kyokushin Karate vs Sumo Wrestling vs Pradal Serey, Mixed Martial Arts vs Professional Wrestling vs Kajukenbo, Hapkido vs Ssireum vs Taekkyeon, Japanese Jujitsu vs Turkish Oil Wrestling vs Panantukan, Taekwondo vs Kurash vs Dambe, and Brazilian Jujitsu vs Moraingy vs Eagle Claw Kung Fu Inuyasha vs Ginta Taekwondo vs Lethwei, Hapkido vs Pencak Silat, Pankration vs Sanda, Bokator vs Hwa Rang Do, Ancient Greek Wrestling vs Tang Soo Do, Ancient Greek Boxing vs Systema, and Kapu Kuialua vs Eagle Claw Kung Fu Ayame vs Shunran Kickboxing vs Capoeira, Nippon Kenpo vs Shaolin Kung Fu, Shorinji Kenpo vs Wing Chun, Judo vs Wushu, Krav Maga vs Northern Praying Mantis, Boxing vs Baguazhang, and Sambo vs Changquan Ladies and gentlemen, there you have it. The Splendid Seven sparring pair-ups I have concocted. Please let me know if you have suggestions too. Cheers.