The Skills of Batman

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The Skills of Batman

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Okay, before we begin, a slight disclaimer:  Batman is quite possibly the most overpowered character in existence.  His plot armor is so strong that SUPERMAN has died more times than him.  His skillsets accumulated across all comics and storylines would be literally impossible for any one person to possess. WITH THAT SAID, we are going to be approaching this from the strictly Arkham game continuity.  We’re going to stick close to his combat style, capabilities, and resources possessed in the game cannon, and try to steer clear of delving into the comics/movies TOO much. So, without further ado, let’s jump in!

Martial Arts

The combat in the Arkham games is fantastic, and very unique.  Batman uses brutal strikes, quick counters, and bone-smashing disabling moves to neutralize opponents in combat.  There’s a definite rhythm to the fights as well, and some of the moves used in combat are actually pretty practical.  As always, I seriously recommend you pick up a martial art in real life, and if you’re looking to emulate The Bat’s combat style, I have a few suggestions…

Muay Thai Muay thai has experienced a surge in popularity with the rise of MMA as a sport, and for good reason.  This style features lots of nasty close combat techniques utilizing elbows, kneed, and shins to deal maximum damage in a fight.  Quite a bit of Batman’s standup fighting in-game is similar to muay thai moves, so this is an excellent art to look into to emulate him (also just an excellent art in general).

Krav Maga Another rather brutal style, Krav Maga tends to focus quite a bit on debilitating injuries and quick dispatching of opponents.  It’s an excellent style for defense against weapons, and some people would say it has some of the best real-world self defense applications out there.

Brazilian Jujitsu Now, spending any amount of time on the ground in a fight against multiple opponents is NEVER a good idea (think about all those times you went for a ground finish in the game only to have an enemy you forgot about run up and punch you in the head unexpectedly).  That said, BJJ is GREAT for joint manipulation and locks, chokes, and leverage maneuvers.  In a 1v1 fight, its ability to go to the ground and win is almost unparalleled. I will definitely be doing a “Fight Like Batman” video at some point, but until then, get yourself down to a martial arts school and get yourself some real learnin’!

The Suit

Let’s be honest, in the Arkham Games, half of Batman’s superiority is from his suit and gadgets.  That’s okay, they’re AWESOME!  Let’s take a look at how we might go around making a “bat-suit” of our own…

Suit:

Helmet: Black SWAT 3A Rated Helmet – $290
Chest: Ballistic and Stab Resistant 3A Vest – $695
Arms/hands: Reaktor Hard Knuckle Gloves and ExoTech Elbow and Forearm Protection – $75
Legs: ExoTech Leg/Crotch and Shin Guards – $120
Feet: 5.11 ATAC Shield Boots – $150.99
Gear: MOLLE Modular Vest – $45.49
Now, granted, you’ll look a little more like Bane from Dark Knight Rises, but you can honestly jazz this all up with a decent over and undershirt, a good cowl, and look relatively close to the part.  You’ll also feel freaking indestructible.

Gadgets:

Grappling Hook – $51
Grappling Hook Launcher – Asst. Parts Cost
Taser Knuckles – $29 (illegal in some areas)
Handcuffs – $30.98
Shuriken – $7.45

So there’s a start.  Granted, Batman has a few more gadgets in the game that are a bit difficult to make work with real-world physics (looking at you, gliding cape and line launchers), but we could make a pretty good analogy for “Bat-guy” here. Total cost: $1525.00  (or so) See?  You don’t even have to be Bruce Wayne to afford the whole getup!  (note:  please don’t buy all this gear and go out and try to fight crime.   Bullets hurt a lot more in real life).

The Man

Batman is driven by a singular desire for vengeance-fueled justice, and bound by a duty to protect his city from supercriminals.  This kind of drive has created a human far beyond the usual limits of a ‘normal’ person.  Looking to turn yourself into Batman?  Here’s a daily schedule for you to try out.  Even if you aren’t mourning your parents, this will still turn you into a tough-as-nails superhuman.  (I’m also assuming you’re stuck with a day job, like myself.  Adjust your schedule accordingly) Check it:

6AM – Wake up, jump straight into a cold shower
6:10-6:20 Warm Up
6:20-7:20 Work Out
7:20-7:30 Cool Down  OR Yoga
7:30-8:00 Breakfast
8:00-5:00 Work (stop for lunch halfway through, get in a good snack mid-afternoon)
5:30-6:30 Martial Arts Practice
6:30-7:00 Dinner
7:00-9:00 Learn New Skills (research, tinker, build, read, learn a language, etc.) 9:00-9:30 Meditate
9:30-6AM – SLEEP. Seriously, try to hammer out a solid schedule for yourself like that.  As advised in The Four Week Reset Button(join the mailing list to get it for free!), you should definitely move into it in steps, but you will turn into a seriously impressive human being following a schedule like this.  Give it a shot, eh?  (maybe we’ll make it a challenge month or something sometime soon).

Anyhoo, I think that’s enough Batman for one post.  I hope you enjoyed it!  I’ll see you again on Monday, with a new Grab Bag post!  Until then, remember to live boldly, change the world, and continue to be awesome!

Dan “DaRatmastah” Wallace