Posts: 103 Location: Sweden
Thu 26 Apr, 2012 10:43 am
Being a geek and a martial artist allong with a general weapons nut, I feel I should add my fistful of cents to this discussion.
The idea of them as a blocking weapon in the movie most likely came from two things:
1. The actual spiked weapon that you could use to intercept (not block) weapon strikes with, as well as cause some nasty damage. The Climbing Claws known as Nekote/Neko te (Cat-hand), in essence, a reversed knuckle duster with sharp metallic claws/hooks.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v206/Thaserpent/neko-te.jpg
You kept it in the palm of your hand, allowing you to climb walls, suprise your opponent and intercept blades.
By "intercepting" the blade, I am talking about getting to the edge BEFORE it has gathered power. Every blade has that point. Before the final arc of acceleration is completed with the forearm and body movement, you can stop a piece of wood or an arm with little damage other than maybe some bruising (the more bruising, the closer to the critical point of "hehe, F-you" you are however).
In short, blade swings down, you reach up, lock blade in place with piece of metal in hand, you don't let the blade swing down and try to block it after it reaches Terminal speed.
2, The martial art they based Nolan-Bats moves on.
I cannot remember the name of it, but it has been in a few of the "behind the scenes" features floating around, in essence, you use your elbows, keep them high and swing your upper body around, this is how you enter combat, this is how you guard. Once you're ready to unleash, you're relatively close and strike with your elbows, knees, feet and fists.
Batman blocking with his forearms was established very early in the character creation by this.
He was gonna fight ninjas at some point.
How do you block swords with your forearms?
And the batbracer was born.