Requires: [Deft Hands] & [Perception]
D Ranks:*[b][color=#fc074f]Kūgāpou • Soft Paws[/color][/b]
D-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
Soft Paws is a bare-handed deflection technique and is used against bladed weapons. At this level, the practitioner is able to read the angles of the attacks to place the flat of their hand against the flat of the blade and push it away without getting cut by the weapon. However, prolonged use of this technique will cause the practitioner to suffer bruises on their hands.
*[b][color=#fc074f]Kūgāpou • Soft Elbow[/color][/b]
D-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
Requirement: *[b][color=#fc074f]Kūgāpou • Soft Paws[/b][/color]
After using Soft Paws to slap a blade away, the practitioner will continue moving forwards while jutting out their elbow. The momentum from the target's original attack that was slapped away, coupled with the sudden defenselessness of the target after having their attack deflected, makes for a powerful counter-attack. The elbow can be aimed anywhere on the torso and above, but is usually aimed at the target's face.
*[b][color=#fc074f]Kūgāpou • Down Paw[/color][/b]
D-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
Whenever a bladed weapon is coming towards the practitioner, they can slam their palm against the top of the blade, pushing it downwards. This can either cause the sword to miss or, if the practitioner's Strength is equal to or higher than the Strength of the attack, can force the sword into the ground. This technique only works on blades that aren't double-edged.
*[b][color=#fc074f]Kūgāpou • Down Rush[/color][/b]
D-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
Requirement: *[b][color=#fc074f]Kūgāpou • Down Paw[/b][/color]
After using Down Paw to drive the opponent’s blade downward or into the ground, the practitioner will rush forward and ram their shoulder into the opponent, driving them back and away from their weapon or even taking the weapon from them outright.
*[b][color=#fc074f]Kūgāpou • Slight Dodge[/color][/b]
D-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
Whenever in a situation where they can't avoid being struck, the practitioner will slightly shift their body. This slight movement allows them to cause the incoming attack to miss any vital organs and cause as little damage as possible.
C Rank:*[b][color=#fc074f]Kūgāpou • Quick Fang[/color][/b]
C-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
Useful for dealing with an opponent using a short weapon, such as a kunai, knife, or dagger, the practitioner waits for the opponent to attack. Taking advantage of the small size of the weapon, the practitioner then aims a slap or a punch at the opponent's fingers, aiming to simultaneously push the weapon off its trajectory and damage or even crush the opponent's fingers.
*[b][color=#fc074f]Kūgāpou • Leveraged Fang[/color][/b]
C-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
The practitioner will sidestep a weapon attack against them and attempt to disarm the opponent. They will grab and pull the weapon on a safe or dull spot before simultaneously slamming the other palm into the opponent's wrist. If the opponent has a Rigid Structure technique of equal or higher rank than this technique, they can resist being disarmed. Otherwise, the weapon is ripped from the opponent's grasp and their hand is knocked away. Their wrist will swell from the impact, making handling weapons in that hand difficult if the wrist isn't outright broken due to the practitioner having a higher Strength than the opponent.
*[b][color=#fc074f]Kūgāpou • Hunter's Prediction[/color][/b]
C-Ranked Taijutsu Discipline
By observing a weapon's movement through the air and having a deep understanding of weaponry in general, the practitioner is capable of predicting a weapon's trajectory. This technique is especially effective when the practitioner saw the actual moment the weapon was launched, as seeing the movement of the weapon wielder provides crucial information. If they didn't see the weapon being launched, they can still predict the trajectory to a smaller degree but are incapable of accounting for high-level taijutsu that may be applied to the weapon attack.
*[b][color=#fc074f]Kūgāpou • Intercept Fang[/color][/b]
C-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
The practitioner catches an attacking weapon with both hands and halts its momentum. Once they have stopped the motion of the attack, the practitioner will wrench their hands in a single direction to deflect the weapon or even rip the weapon out of the opponent's hands. Opponents with a higher Strength than the practitioner's Strength can resist being disarmed.
*[b][color=#fc074f]Kūgāpou • Spun Fang[/color][/b]
C-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
Ducking under an attack from either side, the practitioner lifts their off-hand just enough to touch the weapon against its side and shove it outward, adding to its momentum to either imbalance the opponent or disarm them. As the practitioner comes up from under the attack, they will aim a direct punch at the opponent's face or chest.
B Rank:*[b][color=#fc074f]Kūgāpou • Calculated Paw[/color][/b]
B-Ranked Taijutsu Discipline
Requirement: *[b][color=#fc074f]Kūgāpou • Soft Paw[/color][/b]
When fighting multiple enemies, the user has learned to use Soft Paw as more than just an evasive technique. When a bladed weapon is incoming, they perform a very calculated Soft Paw which allows them to change the trajectory of the bladed weapon to where they desire. Meaning that they are able to not only avoid the strike, but aim it elsewhere so that it may go on to strike other people around them, or perhaps to do some other beneficial action.
*[b][color=#fc074f]Kūgāpou • Rapid Paw[/color][/b]
B-Ranked Taijutsu Discipline
When dealing with projectile weapons, the practitioner pushes their reflexes and their physical abilities to the limit. The practitioner attempts to rapidly catch the incoming projectile weapons, grabbing them where they will not hurt them. If successful, they can either keep the weapons for future use or they may simply move the weapons so that they're no longer a threat.
*[b][color=#fc074f]Kūgāpou • Return Fang[/color][/b]
B-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
Intercepting an opponent's weapon attack, the practitioner will catch the opponent's hands in their own, turning the direction of the weapon back towards the target and impaling them with it. Opponents with a Rigid Structure technique of equal or higher rank than this technique can resist having their weapon turned on them.
A Rank:*[b][color=#fc074f]Kūgāpou • Sly Paw[/color][/b]
A-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
Requirement: *[b][color=#fc074f]Kūgāpou • Rapid Paw[/color][/b]
When dealing with projectile weapons, the practitioner may use this technique as a counter or simply as a defense when there are too many projectiles to defend against with Rapid Paw. By rapidly swatting at the incoming projectiles just enough to alter their trajectories, the practitioner can defend against multiple weapons. Each time the practitioner hits these weapons, they may alter their trajectories in very specific ways, allowing them slight control over their new angles so that they may actually help the practitioner instead of hurting them.
*[b][color=#fc074f]Kūgāpou • Multiply Fang[/color][/b]
A-Ranked Taijutsu Discipline
Requirement: *[b][color=#fc074f]Kūgāpou • Sly Paw[/color][/b] & *[b][color=#fc074f]Kūgāpou • Spun Fang[/color][/b]
Having come so close to the pinnacle of the style, the practitioner has trained themselves to apply multiple techniques of Kūgāpou when fighting multiple foes. They may take up a position among multiple opponents in which they are able to push away projectiles or other weapons as they fight, reacting on instinct to stay alive. This technique also allows the practitioner to fully stop and negate weapon attacks launched at them if their Strength is equal or higher than the Strength of the attack in question.
S Rank:*[b][color=#fc074f]Kūgāpou • Diversity in Paw[/color][/b]
S-Ranked Taijutsu Discipline
Requirement: *[b][color=#fc074f]Kūgāpou • Multiply Fang[/color][/b] & *[b][color=#fc074f]Kūgāpou • Return Fang[/color][/b]
Having achieved the pinnacle of the style and of discipline within the style, the practitioner is able to expand on other Kūgāpou techniques. When fighting multiple opponents, they are able to position themselves to easily deflect projectiles, slap other weapons away, and with proper timing, redirect their opponents' attacks and weapons and turn them on targets the practitioner chooses, even while the opponents still hold the weapons in their own hands. A true master of the style is death even to a group of enemies that think the master is surrounded.