How to Become Akuma

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Name:  Akuma

Games: Street Fighter series, Marvel Vs. Capcom series, various guest appearances.

Skills/Attributes:

• Master of the fist.
• Incredibly skilled martial artist.
• Master of the satsui no hadou.
• Ruthless.
• Competitive.
• Vengeful.
• Ambitious.

Overview:

Akuma’s a pretty badass dude.  Yes, we’ve covered Ryu and Chun Li before, but I figured it’s been long enough that we should take a dip back into the world of Street Fighter again.  =D

Akuma is obviously a prime specimen of the Fighter archetype, and while I would say he could fit in either the Monk or Brawler class, I think his size and raw power define him better as a Brawler.  Yes, he has precision like a Monk, but his defining attribute is really unrelenting, raw force.  In fact, I almost placed him the the Juggernaut class (although I think that would be a bit off base.)

Regardless, Akuma is big for a fighter, and strong.  He’s got arms the size of most people’s thighs, and he’s arguably one of the most powerful characters in the Street Fighter universe.  He’s driven by a dark hunger for power, however he’s also not completely let go of his humanity (try though he may to insist he has.)  He intentionally limits himself in most fights because he relishes the challenge of combat, and he’s truly at his happiest in those rare moments when he’s fighting an equally skilled combatant.

Let’s take a look at what makes Akuma the massive badass that he is!

In The Akuma Workout, we’re going to be trying to build both size and sheer power.  We want to be big, sure, but we want to also be getting every ounce of power that we can out of those muscles.  They aren’t for show, they’re for punching submarines in half, and shattering small islands.  There’s also going to be a fair amount of anaerobic conditioning involved, to build our fighting stamina and anaerobic recovery.  We also want to maintain our speed, because for all of his strength, Akuma’s also incredibly agile.

Be ready for weights, sandbags, and drills!

In Master of the Fist we’re going to examine his fighting style, first.  The mythical style of ansatsuken may exist only in the video game world, but we’ll do our best to find real-world analogues.  We’ll also discuss what aspects of his style set him apart from, say, Ryu.  Then we’ll talk about developing overall striking power, and the science of hitting hard.  We’ve talked about developing punching power before with Little Mac and Ra-Oh, but Akuma does way more than just punch!

Finally, with The Raging Demon, we’re going to talk about Akuma’s internal wave of murderous intent, and how his blind ambition for power drives him ever onward.  We’re also going to talk about how his incredibly competitive nature drives him, and also drives him to limit himself.  We’ll close out with an examination of what exactly is left of Akuma’s humanity, his relation to his brother, Gouken, and his desired pupil, Ryu.

Akuma’s a personal favorite of mine, folks.  I’m definitely looking forward to this one!  I’ll see you again on Monday, with The Akuma Workout!  Until then, remember to live boldly, change the world, and continue to be awesome!

Dan “DaRatmastah” Wallace

PS: Have you checked out Unleash the Ultramind yet?  We’ve already covered Tony Stark and Leonardo daVinci!