Right, here we go, have your game's Karate Kid except it's another major part of asian martial arts culture instead. [hider=Mister Budo himself, Champion of Strong Style, the one and only Housen] [u][b]Basic Information[/b][/u] ========= [b]Superhero Name:[/b] Housen (鳳仙) [b]Nickname:[/b] Mister Budo [b]Civilian Name:[/b] Eiji Kido [b]Origin city/Planet:[/b] Hiroshima, Japan [b]Hometown:[/b] Lives on the road [b]Sex:[/b] Male [b]Race:[/b] Asian [b]Height:[/b] 6ft1 [b]Weight:[/b] 215 pounds [b]Age:[/b] 26 [b]Birth Date:[/b] December 12th -------- [b]Costumed Appearance:[/b] [img]https://i.imgur.com/aVC3SaA.jpg[/img] Tall, built powerfully wiry and gifted with an enviably defined musculature top to bottom, with long, flowing black hair, sharp hazel eyes outlined by red face paint and sporting a metallic mask reminiscent of typical ninja imagery, Housen makes for a very recognizable figure even in this day and age. Of course, his outfit follows suit. The wrestler’s standard getup is a form-fitting [url=https://i.imgur.com/yEQ0JhR.jpg]black jumpsuit reminiscent of those worn by japanese biker gangs[/url], with forearm-length gauntlets, tall tabi boots and kneepads all made to resemble japanese armor adding a traditional touch along with a red martial arts-like sash around his waist. A black and red, sleeveless thigh-length [url=https://i.imgur.com/Zdo4pCC.jpg]kimono jacket called a jinbaori[/url] emblazoned with his icon on the back completes the look. [b]Civilian Appearance:[/b] No such thing, following the wrestling tradition of upholding one’s identity at all times. Even when he opens his mask so he can eat in public one can only make out that the face underneath has its features hidden by paint as well. [b]Icon:[/b] A circular crest of a stylized asian phoenix in red. [hider][img]https://i.imgur.com/urVx1Ny.png[/img][/hider] [b]Personality:[/b] There’s no in and out of character for Housen, simply his personality that’s sometimes overplayed for dramatic effect. A tremendously competitive and self assured martial artist, adventurous to an often foolhardy degree and outspoken to a fault as befit a master of his craft, the wrestler enjoys being the center of attention and cultivating an air of mystique around him, all of which might not sound terribly heroic but really everyone knows the best heroes are flawed and conflicted as it serves to highlight their humanity. Housen’s personality defects are offset by a perhaps surprisingly amiable, honest, generous and ultimately fairly approachable nature, and especially by his genuine desire to be heroic, to battle threats and help and inspire others even if it’s in his own particular way. Holding himself to high standards because he knows of the value and power heroes hold as symbols, he places great importance in hard work and dedication and firmly believes that anyone has the potential to grow and surpass themselves should they truly strive for it. [b][u]Super abilities:[/u][/b] [b]Skills:[/b] -Strong Style Champion: To say that Housen is first and foremost a top class martial artist would be an understatement. Representing the Strong Style of professional wrestling, a japanese form of the discipline that encourages incorporating any and all techniques in a search to create the strongest martial art, he is a barehanded fighter of mythical caliber easily amidst the best in history. Tremendously adaptable and well rounded, commanding both a deep grasp of fundamentals and a spectacular arsenal of unorthodox moves, Housen can do it all: strikes, holds, throws, submissions, flying attacks, all of it with equal excellence in execution. -All around athlete: Professional wrestling prepares one for more situations than just directly fighting a man in front of you. Sneaking around arenas and crowds, working with the use of flexible ropes/steel cables, doing all manner of insane gimmick matches such as fighting on scaffoldings and cages, surrounded by blazing fires or barbed wire and explosives, combined with their exhaustive training regimen and the need for strength, flexibility, explosiveness and stamina it's safe to say that there's few athletes as malleable as wrestlers. -Deception: Fooling people is an integral part of a pro wrestler's life. Be it making something that didn't actually connect seem like a brutal deathblow, delivering a frightful-looking beating without harming a single hair on a man, keeping any kind of pain or discomfort from showing no matter how severe, selling audiences on stories and rivalries, they might not be movie star material but pro wrestlers can act. This extends to various sleight of hand tricks, necessary to carry and hide the use of props such as razor blades on occasion. -Living on the road: Pro wrestling involves travelling. Ceaselessly, and often on a budget. Do it enough and you start getting a feel for it, figuring out what transports, roads and stops seem best, how to get comfortable, making sure your money lasts until the next gig etc, and it helps that Housen speaks english, japanese and understands some spanish. [b]Powers:[/b] -Moeru Toukon: Housen has no overt manifestation of chi and makes no reference to it or its manipulation, but through willpower and fighting spirit he channels the same manner of self reinforcement as more spiritual martial artists. Transcending normal human limitations through dedicated, grueling training, the wrestler possesses a relatively low level of superhuman physicality though his toughness being particularly noteworthy, being tremendously resistant to poisons, disease and the like. His force of will is such he can contend with psychic or mental attacks, and he's capable of pitting his body against things that would normally be unaffected by mere brute force. -Fight IQ: What truly makes the man who he is, Housen understands the art of fighting to an intrinsic, instinctive level and has a preternatural ability to read the flow of a battle; making him outstanding at figuring out matchups, learning and adapting on his feet, and especially at using his own abilities to their fullest extent. He is effectively the total package, a martial artist of the highest caliber equipped to offset the physical disadvantages he's liable to go against as a superhero through sheer polished application of skill. -Limitations: Fight IQ isn't infallible, he can still be surprised, misled or make the wrong choices or predictions even without enemy interference at times, simply out of ignorance of the various factors that go into something as chaotic as any given fight. For a hero that wants to act against higher level threats, being hardlocked into hand to hand melee combat with no weapons, use of gear or access to the more overt mystical applications of chi ever is quite the liability. Add to that that he is likely at a physical disadvantage in most encounters at that level, depending primarily on carefully measured and applied skill, and when it comes to specialists he's less of a hammer and more of a sharp but relatively brittle blade. [b]Equipment:[/b] -The Mask: A genuine article, legitimate modern day ninja craftsmanship (or close enough that it can feasibly be presented as such), it hides the identity, protects the face, and wards off breathable dangers without encumbering proper breathing. Does Housen really need the last two parts? No, not particularly, but it’s good to have either way. -The Tokkofuku: Housen refers to his clothes as a tokkofuku, a “special attack uniform”, and it lives up to the lofty term. Nevermind that it’s really just what bosozoku biker gangs call their uniforms. The costume’s especially made to withstand the wear and tear a professional wrestler superhero of his level might find on the road and he has spares just in case. [b]Civilian Occupation:[/b] Pro Wrestler --------- [b][u]Biography[/u][/b] Mister Budo returns westward! First seen five years ago ripping through Mexico's territories like a typhoon followed by conquering Hawaii in 2017, the sensational asian warrior Housen puts an end to a dominant three years in Japan and sets foot in the american mainland for the first time in his career! But what draws the Strong Style Champion isn't the call of further gold and accolades to be found in the travelling grappling troupes of the land, no, he comes to deliver justice outside the confines of the squared circle. Busy as he was capturing the prized Daito Pro Heavyweight Championship and defending it against challengers from both the Tenryukan Dojo and the Frontier Fighting Association this past year, surely his first of many major title runs, Housen made waves in his homeland by breaking a longstanding taboo and taking his skills to the streets. Out of a sense of duty towards his fans and indeed all the people of his country, the martial artist began operating as a superhero to help battle the mounting number of superhuman incidents with great success. Some even theorize that it was this distraction, and the obvious extra wear and tear, that cost Mister Budo his title belt against longtime rival Rikio Honda, but the wrestler has not once expressed such thoughts. Complimentary of Tenryukan's Honda and FFA's own Kokushi, Housen has revealed little but his desire to expand his horizons against new challenges, but reports from Daito Pro Wrestling management confirm international communication regarding his heroic activities linked to the epicenter of magic disturbances located in America. So while we all break down the potential clash between the Strong Style Champion and America's Favorite Bad Boy Scott Gunn; or even the dream match between the one who ruled Hawaii for a year and the strongest champion in the country, Hawaii's own Island King Samu Koa, it seems as though Housen's time in the west will be taken up by more important matters at least initially. Is this perhaps a sign of the rumored international expansion for the Justice League? Will more wrestlers and other fighters cross over to heroics? Only time will tell. For now, there's only one hard truth: Housen's coming to fight. [hider=Optional information] The above is the gist of generally available information on Housen, given it's not rare for luchadores and the like to go their whole lives with their identity a well kept secret. Eiji Kido was a juvenile delinquent recruited by wrestling legend and Hiroshima mayor Kinryumaru at age 18 for his physical talents, it would take him but a lone year of full time training in the Daito Pro Wrestling school to be considered ready to step into the ring, where most people quit after a year and the rest need several more to complete their training. Originally wrestling under his real name as a young, attractive punk clearly groomed to be the company's next big star, his overall style didn't connect with either the Tenryukan or Frontier Fighting Alliance brands after two years and so he was sent overseas to gain experience. His year in Mexico inspired him to create the Housen identity and taught him the agile, unpredictable ways of lucha libre, while Hawaii's historic involvement in martial arts helped him polish his skills into a better whole, all while learning to wow crowds. His major breakthrough came by debuting as the ninja-like warrior Housen in Japan, which combined with his ever evolving martial prowess made him an instant attraction and saw him finally capture his homeland's biggest prize. It was then that Kido decided to take a step further, initially working as an anonymous vigilante, then eventually publicly battling threats as Housen. [/hider] ---------- [/hider]