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Kirk Fu Manual: An Introduction to the Final Frontier's Most Feared Martial Art by Dayton Ward

JD

JD

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I just saw on The Trek Collective that @Dayton Ward has a new book coming out from Insight Editions, the publisher's of the Klingon and Vulcan travel guides and the upcoming Incredibuilds, Kirk Fu Manual: A Guide to the Final Frontier's Most Feared Martial Art.
Here's the blurb from Trek Collective:
As captain of the legendary U.S.S. Enterprise, James T. Kirk engaged in his share of fisticuffs, besting opponents with a slick combination of moves and guile that remains unmatched. Is there anyone you’d rather have watching your back as you take on Klingons, alien gladiators, genetically engineered supermen, and even the occasional giant walking reptile?

Kirk Fu is a series of unarmed combat techniques developed by one of Starfleet’s most celebrated starship captains over several years of encounters with alien species on any number of strange new worlds. A blend of various fighting styles, Kirk Fu incorporates elements of several Earth-based martial arts forms as well as cruder methods employed in bars and back alleys on planets throughout the galaxy. It is as unorthodox in practice as it is unbelievable to behold. In unabashed celebration of James Kirk’s singular fighting skills, Star Trek: Kirk Fu Manual is an easy-to-use training guide for the new student, including excerpts from Kirk’s own notes and personal logs. With proper training and practice, every Starfleet cadet can become one with Kirk Fu.
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This sounds like it could be an absolute blast, I can't wait.
 
I realized this morning I forgot to post the link to the story on The Trek Collective. Sorry about that, I posted right after I got off work last night and I was tired.
 
Tim Thomason said:
Kirk Fu is mostly psychological. The goal is to have your opponent go "What the hell is he doing?!" before you launch your full body haphazardly in their direction and finish them off with a karate chop or double-fisted punch.
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Oi! Spoilers!
 
I remember in one of Shatner's books he told a story about thinking about getting into a scrap in the '70s, thinking about busting out some of his old stunts, then realizing that the flying leg kick, while cool, gives you no leverage and is specifically designed not to hurt anyone.

But what this really brought to mind is a comment I saw after ST09 came out, where someone said how great it would be if, in that establishing shot of Kirk and McCoy walking through Starfleet Academy, there had been twenty cadets in a field doing synchronized drills in double-fisted ax-handle punches, neck-chops, and flying kicks.
 
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David cgc said:
twenty cadets in a field doing synchronized drills in double-fisted ax-handle punches, neck-jobs, and flying kicks.
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Meaning it's not a Kirk thing?

I would have liked to see NuKirk get into a fight with some baddie to rescue NuBones from him. After Kirk levels the guy with a flurry of classic Kirk Fu moves, he stands over the unconscious guy breathing heavily from exertion, hands on knees. McCoy, catching his own breath nearby, looks at Kirk and deadpans, "You really oughta trademark that." :guffaw:
 
Laura Cynthia Chambers said:
In universe, I meant. Or more famous at least by the 23rd century because of him. Like he's the only one who does it anymore or revives it.
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Unlikely. I mean, presumably many TOS characters used the same fight choreography. Kirk just gets credit for it in fandom because he was the lead character and did the most fighting.

In one of my Rise of the Federation novels, I had Kirk's great-grandmother Val Williams use a couple of Kirk Fu-ish fight moves, albeit in extremely low gravity so they weren't exactly the same.
 
Even if it does originate from real world fighting styles, is there anything unique Trek has added to it?

Incidentally, people who are not writers - what could other characters teach us how to do? Spock's Got A Lot Of Nerve: 101 Minimalist Ways to Incapacitate Your Opponents, Physically and Verbally.

With a forward written by Leonard McCoy, naturally. :vulcan:
 
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Laura Cynthia Chambers said:
Even if it does originate from real world fighting styles, is there anything unique Trek has added to it?
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As mentioned in post #9, it's got little to do with real-world fighting styles, but more with stunt techniques designed to look splashy while actually being harmless. And I doubt Trek added anything particularly unique, since it was using the same stunt artists that were working on other Hollywood shows and films at the time. As far as I can tell, TOS's main stunt coordinator was Paul Baxley (also Shatner's usual stunt double), and he worked on numerous other Hollywood projects including Catch-22, Diamonds Are Forever, The Godfather, Cleopatra Jones, and TV series including Kolchak: The Night Stalker and Wonder Woman.
 
You know, I was thinking recently that Emperor Georgiou would utterly annihilate just about any other "fighter" in the history of Trek. That's one thing I'm glad they remedied with Discovery. Trek's not about fighting, of course, but Kirk-fu is ridiculous, and the 24th century choreography--though better--is still rather lacking.
 
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