Martial Arts as a Training Skill (Hack)

It’s a simple idea.
Treat Martial Arts (Boxing) as a Training Skill costing 2 points to open in character burning (with the training root being used for Aptitude only).
The only advantage you get from most Training Skills is either a special action in Fight! (Block and Strike with Shield Training or Two Fisted Fighter Training, Lower obstacles with Armor Training and Mounted Combat Training). As there are certain combat manuvers that require either Boxing or Martial Arts in unarmed combat (Disarm, Feint, and Throw Person), things that you can not do with just plain old Brawling.

Currently as skills, Boxing and Martial Arts are opened and advanced like any other skill. Often times with Brawling and occasionally all three forms of Hand to Hand combat are seen in one character (and being FoRKed together at that).

Obviously every game is different. Some may disallow mixing or even take out certain skills for flavor and context, but outside of the ring and dojo when our cans are on the line everyone becomes a brawler (some just do it with style).

I propose we treat Boxing and Martial Arts as Training Skills that affect the way we Brawl.
If you want to get in the ring you better have the Boxing Training Skill or face increased Obstacles with those rules and conditions. You want to challenge the local master in his Dojo you had better have the Martial Arts Training Skill to back it up or face increased Obstacles too!

Note that Martial Arts Training with Brawling would allow you to use your Brawling Weapons to perform Special Fighting Actions as well.

Let me know what you think.

I really like the idea of Boxing/Martial Arts as training, actually, but the simple version is that it just opens up all the special maneuvers for Brawling. No increased obstacle to fighting without them against someone with, though. The downside is that they have more options than you do, but an expert brawler can still just pound someone with a more technical but less highly developed combat skill. Increased Ob for trying to mimic the skill you don’t have, sure, but that’s a story-driven GM call.

OH… this thread reminded me that I worked out an entire Martial art system for Gold, with one style fully fleshed out. Basically, each style is a Skill with different techniques that are unlocked with each higher exponent.

The idea of increased obstacles was for attempts at martial arts or boxing contests without the proper training as even an expert brawler could win the fight but find he had been disqualified for using a illegal move/strike/hold/whatever. The obstacles I proposed were not meant to be used outside of such contests that would normally take place in the boxing ring or dojo.