THE WAY OF THE EMPTY HAND 

Full Instructions.

To quit the game press 'Alt+F4'.
To change controls press 'Ctrl+Y' (gamepads = default controls for both players 1 and 2).

The game supports 2 gamepads (second pad for 2 player mode) or Keyboard (redefinable).

SINGLE PLAYER:

Your goal is to take your karateka (someone who does karate) from a novice white belt right through to becoming a 10th Dan Black Belt master. You fight through a series of gradings to earn points which you can spend 'RPG' style to 'Level-up' your fighter. As you progress through the different belts, your fighter becomes more powerful.


CREATE YOUR FIGHTER:

You start with 2000 points to spend on customising your fighter's attributes.

Toughness costs 2 points to raise by 1 unit
Power costs 20 points to raise by 1 unit
Stamina costs 20 points to raise by 1 unit

Toughness = amount of damage you can absorb before you get KO'd.
Power = how hard you hit.
Stamina = you need this to perform moves. Most moves cost minimal stamina, but flying kicks, lunging punch, sweep and combinations use more stamina.

All 3 attributes recharge slowly over time.

Select how much of each attribute you want to start with. You can play around with adding or removing points in each at any time before you click the 'Done' icon (bottom right corner of the screen).


FIGHTING STYLE SELECTION:

Below the attribute selectors are several animations of the moves available to you, however, before you can use them, you must spend points to 'learn' them.

You start with a basic punch. Each move costs points; some moves won't be available to you at the start.
You select which moves you want to start with by clicking the blue button in the top corner of each animation. A selected move is shown by a small Yin-Yang symbol. If you change your mind, just click the button again to deselect.
You can change your mind at any time before you click on the 'Done' icon. 

Cost for each move is shown in red in the top right corner of each animation. 

You gain more points to improve your karateka by winning fights.

Points not spent are carried forwards to the next training stage (level-up). Unless you lose a fight, then you lose any unspent points.


THE 'NEXT FIGHT' SCREEN:

This screen has 3 options:
Next grade (level) ------------------------------------ Fight your next match to earn more points.
Practice in the Dojo (training hall) ----------- Learn how to use your moves.
Quit to title page -------------------------------------- Quit current game.

You start at white belt. Each match, you fight another karateka of the same level. If you win, you are promoted to the next belt and you can access the training screen to 'level-up' - spend points on boosting your attributes or 'learning' new moves, in the same way to the 'Create your Fighter' section. You can choose not to spend some or even any of your points - unspent points are carried through to the next training session, however, if you save points but lose your next match, you'll lose any points you were saving.

All the grades you've completed are shown around the large Yin-Yang symbol. Your aim is to complete the circle and reveal it's secret.


PRACTICE IN THE DOJO:

After creating your karateka, you'll want to learn how to do the moves you've just gained. You can do this in the dojo.
Using a combination of holding a button down and pressing the direction control either Up, Down, Left (=back for a right-facing fighter) or Right (=forward for a right-facing fighter) you perform fighting techniques. 

The diagram of the gamepad will show the last available move you performed and what you pressed to do it. The window next to this gives a brief description of the move.

Use the makiwara (straw-bound striking post) to try your moves against, in particular, take notice of the distance needed to hit the makiwara, and the height of each blow.

Several moves can be strung together to form a fast-flowing combination - devise your own combinations and practice them.

Full move list is at the bottom of this page.


FIGHTING:

Matches take place in several random locations.

All moves have a different base damage, generally kicks do more damage than punches. Flying kicks do the most damage. Sweeps don't do any damage but are still extremely useful!

The harder the blow, the more chance of a knockdown.

As you take hits, your Toughness gauge (red) and Power gauge (blue) reduce, but will recharge slowly over time. If you take several successive blows, you'll find it harder to hit with power - back away and take a breather to recover.
As you do more complicated moves, your stamina gauge (yellow) will reduce. This again recharges over time, but only when you stop attacking.
If your stamina runs out, the more advanced moves won't be available until you have sufficient stamina.

If you get knocked down, either from a sweep or a hard hit, you lie on the ground for a few seconds till you recover (recovery is automatic after about 3 - 4 seconds). During this time your attributes won't recharge.

If your Toughness gauge reaches zero, you are Knocked Out (KO'd). 

The winner is the fighter left standing, no rounds, no time limit.


DEFENSIVE MOVES:

Blocking. You can block an attack aimed at your head by pushing 'Up' with no buttons pressed. Attacks to your mid-section are blocked by pressing 'Down' without any buttons pressed. If the attack is aimed at your legs (low kick, sweep) you will automatically use a low block if you press 'Down' (no buttons pressed) just as  if you were blocking a mid-section attack. 

NOTE: The low block only defends your front leg - a sweep could still take out your back foot (supporting leg). If you miss-time any of your blocks, you may still make the blocking action but your opponent will land his shot.

To change from one block to the next, you must first release your block (D-pad or stick on gamepad must pass through centre position, or if using keyboard, release the key you're pressing to block before you press it again).

You retreat quicker than you advance, in some instances you can move just out of range and immediately counter-attack you opponent. Several moves advance you quickly - you can use this to 'jam' an attack and land your own counter.


GENERAL TIPS:

* Vary the height of your attacks, this way you confuse your opponent and make him      make a mistake.

* Rarely will a single attack  hit the target, especially at the higher levels. Learn to   throw your shots in short combinations.

* A strong defence is as important as a strong offence - one without the other will only   take you so far.

* Every move can be countered.


FULL OFFENSIVE MOVE LIST 
(From top to bottom, Left to Right, as shown in animations on training screen):

U=Up D=Down B=Back F=Forward 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 =joypad buttons 1-4


Reverse Punch (mid): B+4  (e.g. to do this punch hold down button 4 and move back)		
Reverse Punch (high): F+4

Snap Punch: U+4

Lunging Reverse Punch (mid) D+4



Low Lead Roundhouse Kick: D+2

High Lead Roundhouse Kick: F+2

Side Kick (mid): D+1

Side Kick (high): F+1



Roundhouse Kick+follow through: B+1

Wheel Kick: B+2



Jump Spinning Wheel Kick: U+2

Flying Side Kick: U+1

Sweep: D+3



Roundhouse Kick / Wheel Kick: F+3

Roundhouse Kick / Spinning Side Kick: B+3

Triple Lead Readhouse Kick: U+3


2 PLAYER MODE:

Both players start with full attributes and all the moves available to both of them.

To balance uneven player skill levels, you can reduce (or increase again) each attribute using the buttons next to them. When you're both ready, click the 'Fight' icon (bottom right) to begin.

As in the single player mode, no rounds, no time limit, winner is the fighter left standing.

Left and right controls are reversed for player 2 (pushing left will move forwards, right will move back).

After a match you can fight again, re-adjust attributes and then fight again, or quit 
2 player mode back to the main title page.



Don't forget, to quit the game and return to Windows press 'Alt+F4'.




I based the character sprites on the characters found in the old 8-bit ZX Spectrum game 'Fist II - The legend continues'.

I take no credit for any of the music - the title track is an edited version of a track I found on the net as part of an uncredited resource music file for making modules in Bioware's "Neverwinter Nights".

THE GAME "THE WAY OF THE EMPTY HAND"  IS FREEWARE ONLY.

Email: graeme2408@hotmail.com