Could use a good picture: Kung Fu Wizard

This article could use a picture that illustrates this trope. My firs thought would be something from Negima but it is getting late where I'm at and I can't find anything that quite satisfies me.

From GIS, not sure what show this is, maybe someone will recognize it◊

It's from Fairy Tail. I know the character actually is an example of the trope but the image doesn't really convey the "wizard" part that well.

I wonder if we could pick and chose panels from one of these. [1]◊, [2]◊, [3]◊, [4]◊

edited 6th Jan '12 4:59:33 AM by Raso

2 is good, kungfu-looking pose and shooting lightning. Others not so much.

Hmm, maybe tweak size and cuts a bit to make the "crackle" sound effect readable...

edited 6th Jan '12 6:16:55 AM by Adannor

Hmm let me try cropping it a bit.

What's the name of that trope about never translating martial arts attack names? we should probably put that in the caption. For the "Bow-Step Fist Thrust".

edited 6th Jan '12 7:05:41 AM by Raso

I like, but maybe you could pothole "gi" to this article for those that don't get the joke?

Looks good. The robe helps show the wizard aspect for those who mistake the lightning as a ki-based attack.

The problem I have is that he's not actually doing kung-fu or any other martial arts thing - he's blasting the other guy with lightning in the style of a conventional wizard. He simply happens to be in a kung fu pose while doing it.

edited 6th Jan '12 8:34:57 PM by nrjxll

Yeah, it shows the wizard bit, but it's completely lacking the kung fu thing to me. He's just planting his feet.

It is a lightning fist attack, where basically the lighting is contained in his fist and is transmitted to the target by punching the person. It isn't a ranged attack, it is a contact attack, thereby combining wizardry with full contact martial arts. What you are seeing is the person punched being thrown back by the attack.

But will that be obvious to the readers of the page?

It certainly isn't to me. He looks like a fairly ordinary wizard who happens to like striking poses.

He is using a real Chinese marital arts move there just combining it with lightning. I mean look at his foot, and he is punching there.

I can break out the instruction pages how to do the moves (a step by step guide with a real person doing the moves.) to prove it if ya want me too it's in Japanese though.

edited 6th Jan '12 8:54:26 PM by Raso

We shouldn't really need to know that, though.

I'd actually suggest trying to come at this another way - anyone know of a good picture out there of a wizard-looking character doing martial arts?

That is exactly what the picture is!

And I seem to recall another thread that said "wizard looking" isn't good enough if you aren't showing active magic use.

This shows magic and martial arts being combined in combat. Sounds as close as you are going to get.

edited 6th Jan '12 9:00:54 PM by Auxdarastrix

But it doesn't look like martial arts. It looks like a stock wizard pose that I've been seeing since the 1970's. There's nothing martial arts about it to someone who doesn't know the work.

This.

Sorry, I phrased that badly. I meant something like a character with a "wizard-cliche" appearance - pointy hat, robes, beard, that kind of thing - doing martial arts. The suggested image is more like a character doing martial arts mixed with magic.

A guy punching someone doesn't look like martial arts?

edited 6th Jan '12 9:06:41 PM by Auxdarastrix

I big time disagree a guy in a wizard robe and martial arts Gi using actual martial arts and combining it with magic is a perfect image and example for this trope it can't get anymore Kung-Fu Wizard than that.

edited 6th Jan '12 9:05:18 PM by Raso

Cliche looking wizards are more likely to be Squishy Wizards even if they do the occasional close in fighting in a pinch. When they do close in fighting, they are going to use western armed styles like staffs or swords.

The Kung-Fu Wizard is going more likely dress in Eastern styles. You know, like what Negi is wearing beneath the robe.

I couldn't tell it was a robe, I just thought it was a cloak.

Again, it doesn't look like martial arts! It looks like he's doing a pose while blasting the other guy with lightning.

I'm not really talking about how likely it is - I'm just saying the most obvious way to show Kung-Fu Wizard would be a cliche wizard doing kung fu.

edited 6th Jan '12 9:07:51 PM by nrjxll

Cliche wizards don't do kung fu. You might as well insist on a unicorn that looks like a dragon.

edited 6th Jan '12 9:30:54 PM by Auxdarastrix