Broken Chain

Broken Chain is a Charnean martial art and fighting system developed in the 18th century by enslaved Ikelan people of primarily Djerma and Yerwa origin that had become a partially assimilated community within the Tamashek caste system. It is based on many principles and techniques of Alamom, another Charnean combat art known for its acrobatic and highly mobile maneuvers, with the notable integration of armed combat. Originally, this would have been a taburek fighting stick but would later incorporate bladed weapons particularly the sheru long knife and tellak short knife which are featured heavily in modern Broken Chain techniques intended to incapacitate, disfigure or even kill an opponent outright. Broken Chain was developed during the 18th century Ikelan slave rebellions in Charnea and was used a military fighting style and training technique by the self-emancipated Ikelan, especially to train still enslaved or newly liberated persons which were expected to join the rebellion. These rebellions were ultimately successful in emancipating the Ikelan and ending the institution of slavery in Charnea, and Broken Chain was retained as the signature fighting style of the new communities, taught to the incoming volunteers of local defense forces and village militias. Its use was popularized in the 1980s during the East Scipian Wars among the Inter-Charnean Army and would thereafter be widely taught to Charnean military personnel, police and security forces in various states and local communities across the Charnean Confederation. The modern version of Broken Chain incorporates many techniques derived from Alamom and other Charnean martial arts, and is generally adapted and altered for use in modern military and civilian self defense scenarios. Broken Chain is not considered a contact sport and is exclusively classified as a self defense system, as its techniques are designed to inflict serious harm and are considered incompatible with the safety of combatants in the context of entertainment or fitness.

Principles

Broken Chain teaches its students that the best path of self defense is simply to avoid conflict and circumvent potential confrontations. However, students are taught that once conflict breaks out or has become inevitable, rapid, preemptive and overwhelming aggression should be used to end the fight as quickly as possible. Unlike other Charnean martial arts, Broken Chain does not teach restraint or avoidance of severe injury and in many scenarios such as in a military context students are taught to cripple or kill their opponents. Broken Chain particularly encourages improvisation and may teach the incorporation of rocks, dirt or pieces of furniture as well as a wide variety of traditional and modern weapons into its fighting techniques. Of the Charnean combat arts, Broken Chain has historically been the most adaptable to new conditions of conflict and is today the most applicable to realistic encounters in the modern world.

There are multiple central ideas of Broken Chain.

• Flexibility which emphasizes the practice of improvising and adapting learned techniques to the current situation. This generally encompasses awareness of the surroundings, and the ability to switch stances and use different techniques depending on the number of opponents and the availability of weapons or cover. Students are encouraged to carry knives, canes or keychain weapons for use in armed techniques but are also taught to use empty handed techniques if caught unarmed, or to employ nearby objects such as chairs or rocks and incorporate these into their learned techniques.

• Aggression which teaches preemptive attacks, sneak attacks and generally the rapid escalation of physical aggression towards an opponent as the central aspect of a fight. Students are taught to continue striking their opponent as quickly as possible, especially focusing on vulnerable areas such as the eyes, neck and groin and are also instructed to continue attacking until their opponent is completely incapacitated. The speed of attacks and the escalation of aggression is emphasized as the primary means to overwhelm and defeat an opponent, as the quick conclusion of a fight is believed to be favorable and is especially desirable in military or security contexts.

• Control which focuses on the mental state of a fighter and teaches students to reign in anger before and during a fight, primarily to aid in the correct performance of Broken Chain techniques as well as too ensure quick and sound decision making which is required for a positive outcome in a confrontation. While students are taught to overwhelm and completely incapacitate their opponents with consecutive strikes, self control is emphasized to prevent potentially catastrophic distraction such as chasing a fleeing opponent while other combatants remain a threat.

• Mobility, generally seen as an extension of flexibility, is a carryover from the parent art Alamom and emphasizes movement and relocation of a combatant to confuse and complicate attempts at counter attack and to exploit openings in a sluggish opponent's defense. This may include alternating between jumping attacks and ground work to split and overwhelm the focus of an opponent as well as physically running, strafing, diving or using other acrobatic movement techniques to quickly and unpredictably move around. As part of the tenet of mobility, students are also taught to seek out preferable conditions for fighting, and to run away if heavily outnumbered or otherwise caught in a bad position. For example, Broken Chain teaches retreat in face of greater numbers so as to defeat a large group of opponents individually or in smaller groups.

Broken Chain is somewhat unusual among Charnean martial arts in that it is not attached to a spiritual or philosophical set of ideals of beliefs and is generally taught as a purely practical fighting system to be used in whatever way any given practitioner sees fit. Its only significant non-physical tenet is that of emotional self control and self mastery as applied to the context of a fight and the belief that conflict should generally be avoided when possible. However, self mastery is also a common theme in Charnean philosophy which frequently applies the concept alongside self reliance and general individualism. As a result, some Charnean thinkers integrate the practice of Broken Chain into their philosophical doctrine as a means of teaching and practicing the principle of self mastery.