Marakazen

A Flux-Inspired Martial Art/Lifestyle.

Background.
Marakazen is a martial art borne from a philosophical wanderer, aptly named Marak, who was seeking a way to integrate Body (Makru), Mind (Tabe), and Soul (Palot) into one single being, the Salran. He used his intricate knowledge of magic to create a manual for this new technique, which revolved around the core principle that every person had within them multiple conflicting pathways. He wished to use his control of Flux not to solely augment his muscular power, but to clear said pathways. "Flow" is a recurring theme in Marakazen, between the flow of a man's spiritual Djed, the intricate flow of his thoughts, or the steady and precise flow of his body. Marak had never actually intended this to be used in an actual fighting scenario, but preferred the spiraling kicks and fluid attacks to serve as a conditioning mechanism, to improve the being as a whole. The entire system required progress in all three aspects to improve, and through Marakazen, he was able to exercise all three in one sitting. However, the world itself is at war, and combat is inevitable. His peaceful techniques were soon adapted to deliver precise and fluid attacks. The dependence of Flux was kept to a minimal, not in deference to the possibility of injury or mutilation, but in deference to his Salran.

The Inner Trinity.
The body is it's own being, and should not interfere with the affairs of the spiritual being. The duty of the Palot was to clear the pathways, as to allow the Makru and Tabe a pure platform to work off of. The Tabe should be trained not only to anticipate his opponents actions, but those of his own as well. It should learn that the body does not answer to the mind, but rather the two respect and bond over their closeness, tightening the integrity and efficiency of the Salran. Each one defers to the other, the Tabe giving it's foresight and sequence to the Makru, which in turns draws on the flowing Tabe to create it's graceful and fluid attacks. The entire art depends on the coordination and embodiment of these three aspects. If one is lacking than the entire system lacks as well.

The Code of Marakendo.
The code was written to embody Marakazen and push the user to excel in the Trinity and art itself. Marakendo is the core philosophy of Marakazen, and lists essentially the Do's and Don'ts of the art. It is as follows:

=- An artist who cannot control his own spirit, cannot hope to control his mind or body, and will fall down into the path of failure and disgrace.

=- The man who conquers his own spirit, and forces his mind and body to cooperate, will only operate under the false light of the Salran. His Trinity lacks the true power of the Marakazen.
A forced soul is a weakened soul. Cooperation, Respect, and Unity are necessary for any successful endeavor.

=- Many have tried, and many have failed. But more so are the many who have not tried, fearing failure. The man who has trust in his inner being, is capable of achieving the most insurmountable of feats.

=- Your Salran is the sum of all your strengths and weaknesses, vices and virtues. A burdened soul causes a burdened mind and body to match.

=- The ultimate wisdom is this: There is no power greater than the will of the mind. The man who learns to harness his mind and soul, and integrate them into the body, will have achieved the true Salran, and will have the power and grace to conquer any foe.

History.

What little is known of the man is this; Marak was a wealthy man born to an inherently rich family, and therefore had a lot of free time to lounge around and ponder the mysteries of life. Philosophy grew on him, but whenever he tried to discuss it with others around him, he was shirked off. It was then that he started writing 'journals,' if they could be called that. They were essentially dialog between himself, and well... Himself. Strangely enough, due to this self-imposed dialog, he found ways to not only observe things from a different viewpoint, but see things from within himself. He began to wonder about the workings of his inner body, and stumbling upon a book in his family's immense library, found a manual on flux. He immediately wished to know more about this mysterious and almost taboo'ed magic...

Three years later, after years of study and a complete loss of interest in anything else, Marak had become quite competent at the control of his personal Djed. However, his interest would not stop here. He began to work towards meshing his new-found power with that of the human body, which it was naturally associated with. However, instead of pushing the limits of his muscles, he wished to cleanse the pathways and in theory his soul. He began this pursuit of unification at the age of 20. It will take Marak a full 18 years to achieve the epitome of his ingenuity and philosophical genius.

Sitting on a boulder overlooking a forest stream, Marak sat, seeming completely still and tranquil. However, on the inside he was fighting a fierce battle with his inner being. He had been conditioning his mind to overcome the will of his Djed, and to force upon the body whatever orders need be. For 18 years his mind had grown stronger and stronger, yet for 18 years his unification had not been achieved. He had on multiple occasions pooled all his resources together to take command of body and soul, and had been successful. However, he found himself constantly fighting just to remain hold of it, and wouldn't last ten minutes before crumbling. This time he had set a new record and was sitting there peacefully, on that piece of stone, as the battle to remain in command of body, mind, and soul raged on within. Twenty-seven. He held on for twenty-seven minutes before he could hold no longer. He felt defeated and hopeless, and without conscious effort, found his mind pleading with his other aspects.

Tabe -"Why... Why won't you just submit? Why do you feel the need to fight back and rebel?"
Palot -"Why do you feel the need to conquer? Do you not think we have our pride, as you do? Are we not as equal a part of this being as yourself?"
Makru -"Our power is beyond the control of one such as yourself. Your attempts to fight have and will always be futile."
Tabe -"Do you not want to find the true trinity as I do? I have gone year upon year in search of this true form and because of your stuborness I have yet to achieve it!"
Palot -"What reason do we have to join with you? I have no need for the complications of the mind, or the force of the body."
Makru -"Nor do I find myself in necessity of the smooth flow of the soul. In fact, I often find myself loathing my strength."
Tabe -"Why would you loath that which makes you strong?"
Makru -"Strength is not described solely as physical power. Strength is built on the integrity of the being as a whole, and more often than not, a soothing sonnet and caressing words are a better display of strength than a powerful punch or swift kick."
Tabe -"I see... Why have you not told me sooner?"
Makru -"You never asked."
Palot -"Besides, you wouldn't have been capable of understanding. Your mind has not passed the threshold until this moment."
Tabe -"Now? I haven't done anything besides listen to you!"
Palot -"On the contrary, you have done everything."
Makru -"That my comrade is the essence of the Trinity."
Tabe -"All are one... Which means your Flow is mine"
Makru -"Your Intellect is mine."
Palot -"And your Power is mine."
Tabe -"Together there is no obstacle unable to overcome, no problem unable to solve, and no fear unable to grip."

Marak had found his Inner being, and proceeded to return to that spot day after day to return to that joy and feeling of euphoria at being one with all aspects of his being. He would later utilize that holy unity in a flowing and precise technique he'd come to call Marakazen. He would write up a Manual about it, and spend the rest of his years perfecting his spiritual, mental, and physical art.

Technique.
Marakazen houses a myriad of different ways to attack one's foe. These are your basics: the Gunan, which is a knuckle-locked (Fingers bent at the second knuckle, leaving half the finger straight) strike (over-head or sweeping); the Kazai, a sweeping kick originating from the back and swinging around to it's target; and the Mekka, a grapple where the artist grips an opponent's extremity and proceeds to lock it under his arm, and sweeps his leg around and out to pin the foe to the ground. Each one can be fluidly (there's that word again) progressed from one to the other, and there are a variety of "patterns" that help an artist condition their muscles and let his Makru commit it to memory, in addition to practicing proper form and technique. The more Advanced techniques require a higher ability to keep your Djed pathways cleared and flowing purely, and even to give your fluid strikes lethal power.

Progression.

Novice (1-25): A Novice Artist is starting to understand the basic philosophy of Marakendo, as well as being able to know enough in terms of combat to utilize and improve upon. They know how to control their breathing in such a way as to allow a pure flow of oxygen, and allow for a deeper state of thought. This state of mind, (given a thorough amount of time and a tranquil surrounding), allows a person to reach an 'enlightened' trance, where the artist attempts to achieve his Salran. The Salran is the basis of the Marakazen art form. However, due to the lack of experience and immaturity of the Trinity, he is only able to achieve this meditative state and subsequent trance while sedentary, neutralizing it's combat effectiveness at this stage. It is recommended that the artist has basic knowledge of Flux, as to help prepare the Palot to join and contribute to the Salran. His strikes are basic and narrowed down to a basic few, however, this does not make him any less deadly. The Gunan, Kazai, and Mekka are his usual strikes, and he is able to execute these with an average amount of speed and precision. His ability to chain his attacks into a fluid motion is still somewhat poor, but he shows a basic understanding of what it is supposed to be and feel like, and has great potential for improvement. The multiple variations of each strike, as well as the overall adaptability of the fluid art begins to become apparent to the artist, but although his ability in combat is useful, it lacks the unity and flow of the Trinity. Competent (26-50): A Competent Artist is feeling more confident in his ability to achieve the ultimate being, and has a firm grasp on the explicit meanings of Marakendo. His abilities in combat have grown substantially from his Novice days, but still has a lot of areas to improve upon. The major sign of a Competent practitioner of Marakazen is the ability to achieve the Salran during combat. This can take all the way up to half a minute to achieve, but when the artist does his strikes are fluid, swift and smooth, hitting their marks with ease. However, he lacks some power of the Makru, and can only sustain it for a few moments, before being fatigued. This requires extreme care in using the Salran, especially against groups of foes. His exercise of the Salran has led to a steady increase in all aspects, and fighting seems to have been influenced by the fluid and steady art, increasing his speed and physical strength. His mind has been sharpened and his thoughts seem to flow more smoothly as well. The training of the Marakendo has begun to hasten the artist's reflexes, and grant him the time to react and plot out a precise plan of attack. His combat at this stage will usually consist of the more advanced variations of the Kazai, such as a reverse counter-attack and mid-air round sweep, due to it's natural flowing motion and flexibility. Expert (51-75): An Expert Artist has become a true fighter of the Marakazen way. His form has become precise and as fluid as water. His three aspects have matured and become wise, respecting each other and working together in tandem. This causes a drastic improvement in the amount of time (Cut in half) required to enter the Salran trance as well as the amount of time before the Makru is fatigued (30 seconds). The artist has embraced all the core principles of Marakendo, and the only things still hidden by a veil are the over-reaching and subtle lessons. More often than not, a simple demonstration of the extent that the fluid and continuous strikes capable at this level will cause a foe to submit in awe. By this point, especially with the aid of Flux, Kazai's, and their elite cousin, the Katai-Sam, (A thrusting kick that uses pushing off the foe to keep momentum), can create near-continuous barrages of strikes. An artist of this skill level can also utilize the ground itself to provide leverage when preforming complex combinations of hand strikes and kicks, conserving momentum and keeping the form fluid. Experts at this art are not to be underestimated, and are dedicated to the Code and the philosophy of Marakendo. Don't let dedication to spiritualism and philosophy make them seem any less lethal however... Master (76-100): A Master of Marakazen has become almost an equal to Marak himself. He has absorbed every word and ideal of Marakendo into his being. His inner aspects have become wise, and come together with a bond stronger than family. Even his step has become infused with the core fluid nature of the art, and has a certain aura about him as he walks. When he enters combat, it only requires a second or two of time for his aspects to join together and enter upon the Salran. If you ever see a Master in the Trinity coming towards you, it would be best for you to lay down and pray it's over quickly, 'cause it most likely would be. Most artists who make it to this stage are somewhat reserved about killing, but the precision and speed with which they can deal their attacks can completely knock a man out in a matter of moments. Any fixture an artist can grab onto is a tool to redirect their momentum with barely any lost. Not everything about them has an aura of invincibility however. Despite the immense power gained by the combination of the mind, body, and soul, and the conditioning done to each, it becomes difficult to keep a clear mind during combat, due to the immense calculations and anticipations the mind does during a fight. Because of this, friend or foe become indistinguishable without hard mental conditioning, as in a close bond. This usually doesn't bother most masters, whose diligent training and hardcore spiritualism usually alienates them from societies. Another issue that arises is the tendency of a master in a Salran state to ignore physical injuries, as opposed to a less disciplined practitioner who would be shaken out of it due to a gash or pierce. A master of Marakazen and it's principles of Marakendo is someone who has dedicated themselves to the pursuit of the art, and is a rare and revered figure, and one to be feared and admired.

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Comments are extremely welcomed and appreciated, as always ^^