Hammer of the Gods – Dragon Ball Martial Arts and the Double Axe Handle
Vegetto Smashes Majin Buu with a Double Axe Handle
In this Dragon Ball explorative essay we’re going to focus on the martial arts technique known as the double axe handle. This iconic technique is found throughout the Dragon Ball series and has both a rich history and symbolism.
Dragon Ball is a comic book and anime filled with fighting and all kinds of different martial arts styles. Yet many of them share similar techniques, and the double axe handle is one of the most identifiable.
These are the questions we will answer in this article:
- What is the double axe handle?
- What are its origins and history, and how does it relate to Dragon Ball?
- What are the histories of East Asian martial arts, Buddhism, and the Lightning Bolt Clasped Hands style of combat?
- How do eastern philosophies and this technique fit into the fights of DBZ?
- Why is the double axe handle used so often in Dragon Ball?
- Outside of Dragon Ball, where else can the double axe handle be seen?
Read on to find out! continue …
Rock, Paper, Scissor in DBZ’s Martial Arts
Goku preparing a Kamehameha
The martial arts in Dragonball Z are essential to the cultivation of the main cast. Goku’s style of martial arts begins with the Kame-Sennin (Turtle School) style of martial arts, as taught by Grandpa Gohan and Master Roshi. The turtle school emphasizes protection of others and oneself, and focuses on compassion.
In the martial arts there are two basic forms; soft, and hard. This can also be described as open and closed. An open hand or a closed hand signifies a great deal, as it is an expression of the artist who uses it. Many martial arts even use the closed fist as the symbol of their school. This is primarily done in the hard schools, such as Karate.
What is the main difference between open and closed? A soft martial art typically emphasizes morality and the building of character, or ‘heart-nature’. This is taught either specifically, or as it may be in the case of DBZ, through the process of physical training and enduring of hardships. continue …