Innate abilities and martial techniques. For ease of reference, Western terms will use English names, and Eastern terms will use Japanese romanisations.
邪眼 jagan
The catch-all term for magic which uses visual contact and the eyes, and one of the base elements of the wicked arts and curse magic. Projecting malevolent magic simply by focusing evil intent into a gaze. However, regardless of its uses, this type of “magic power through eye contact” is considered one of the foundations of magic as a craft.
As the name implies, evil eyes are generally associated with negative magic – petrification, charm, and various destructive powers. Thus, there are also many types of protection that ward against magic achieved via eye contact.
Demon Eye
魔眼 magan
The left eye of Tatsumiya Mana. A type of evil eye. What is known is that it sharpens her visual capabilities: being able to see spirits, track and shoot at multiple targets at once, and completely evade Takahata’s Iaiken.
超感覚知覚 choukankakuchikaku
Extrasensoria Perceptio. ESP. Basic cognitive magic to perceive the outside world. Comparatively mundane, but important as a foundation.
Some examples are: reading thoughts, detecting specific types of magic, seeing the future, recognizing intruders in a specific area, detecting outside surveillance, seeing through illusions, feeling and confirming the exact locations of others.
As the name implies, ESP is simply an extension on the normal senses of sight, smell, etc. which work by feeling changes through a medium. Mages communicate to each other through telepathy by changing the concept of ‘speaking’; rather than using air as a medium to carry sound, they directly ‘feel’ and interpret each other’s intentions, giving words an unusual medium to travel through.
Clairvoyance
千里眼 senrigan
Clara Visibilitas. Observing in real time details and events that your eyes cannot physically see.
The Japanese literally means, “Thousand Li Eye” (a li being a Chinese unit of measurement, equivalent to 500 metres).
完全魔法無効化 kanzen mahou mukouka
Complete magic nullification – the “power to begin and destroy worlds” and one of the abilities maintained by the royal bloodline of Vespertatia from the Age of Gods. The Princess of the Twilight was born with Magic Cancel as an innate anti-magic field (反魔法場 hanmahoujou). The most extreme example of the Dispulso spell effect, by causing mana to decay and dissipate.
While Asuna is essentially indefeasible by directed offensive spells due to this, magic affecting a fixed space around its target can overpower this defense: the ‘infinite loop’ trap in Kyoto, for example.
瞬動術
Quick move; literally, ‘instant movement.’ By focusing qi or mana into the feet, the practitioner can cross a limited distance – 3 to 7 metres for a beginner – in a burst of extreme speed (enough to appear almost instantaneous). However, unlike true teleportation, the movement itself can be intercepted, and the exit point calculated; once began, the technique cannot be stopped. It must also be performed on some sort of foothold or surface.
Note that Shundou is just a generic term for the many variations of similar techniques in many different martial art styles.
Kokuu Shundou
虚空瞬動
Void instant movement. Instead of using a fixed surface, the practitioner simply uses ‘air’ (space) as a foothold. As this can be performed in mid-air, movement in any direction is possible, eliminating the base weaknesses of Shundou. Not quite the equivalent of flight, but a necessity in high-level battles.
縮地法
Suodi, ground contraction – in full, Shukuchimyaku (縮地脈), leyline contraction. “Even that at the end of a thousand li exists before my eyes.” The basis of Shundoujutsu. Not simply rapid movement, but the compression of leylines itself – analogous to Lorentz contraction in special relativity.
A method of transport used by the Immortals of Chinese mythology.
Shukuchimukyou
縮地无疆
Suodiwujiang, unbounded ground contraction. A long-distance form of Shukuchi.
The term ‘mukyou’, literally “without limits”, comes from the second hexagram of the I Ching, Kun (坤 kon); “mare, become one with the land, and where you walk the earth there shall be no borders.”
咸掛法 / 気と魔力の合一 ki to maryoku no gouitsu
Xianguafa, the method of conjoining; known in the west as Suntaxis Antikeimenoin [Συνταξις Αντικειμενοιν], “the union of the opposing,” the ultimate art. By combining the opposing forces of mana and qi, the user gains incredible physical and spiritual power. Simply activating the skill enhances physical strength and agility, protection against physical and magical attacks, fighting spirit, and a variety of other effects including resistance to heat, cold, and poisons.
Xian, the thirty-first hexagram of the I Ching, stands for the sympathic union between the two opposing forces of Ying and Yang. It is also a good omen for marriage, symbolising a fundamental ‘joining’ of female (ying) and male (yang). Thus, when Asuna uses Kankahou, she and Negi are joined in many fundamental principles,
[Ying = Qi = Asuna = Female] x [Yang = Mana = Negi = Male]
resulting in an explosion of energy.
Chinese or Chinese-derived martial arts can be classed into one of two large categories or ‘families’: external, and internal.
External styles (外家 gaika) focus on training the body physically, equating it to power and strength; examples include Hakkyokuken and Shourinken. On the other hand, internal styles (内家 naika) focus on energy flow – that is, qi – and circulation, method of breathing, and other subtle elements; examples include Hakkeshou and Keiiken.
合気柔道
Specialises in techniques which neutralise the attacks of an opponent, and using the opponent’s power and momentum against him.
Aikitessenjutsu
合気鉄扇術 – Unifying Qi, Iron Fan Technique
八卦掌
Baguazhang, an internal style which specialises in free-flowing stances designed to maneuver around an opponent, and using full rotations of the body to deflect an opponent’s attack, using the same motion to increase the power of a counter strike.
Soutoushou
双撞掌 – Dual Striking Palms
八極拳
Bajiquan, an external style that emphasises simple, direct, explosive strength at close range.
北流少林拳
Northern Shaolin, the style of Chao Ringshen; it is one of the most orthodox Northern Styles (arts originating from Northern China), and one of the most prominent external styles. Taking the exact opposite approach of Hakkyokuken, this style instead focuses on wide sweeping stances and keeping a distance from the opponent, allowing kicks and fast throwing techniques.
居合拳
The style of Takahata T. Takamichi, taught by Gateau Kagura Vandenberg. An empty-handed version of Iaidou – the sword art of fluidly drawing, attacking, then replacing the sword in the scabbard in a single motion – with the ‘sword in the scabbard’ replaced by ‘the fist in the pocket’. Reinforced by mana, the punches accelerate to the point of being invisible, making the technique nearly undetectable in execution; due to this, it is also known as the Soundless Fist (無音拳 muonken).
Iaiken does not strike the opponent with a physical blow or qi bullet, but simply the shockwave of the attack. The maximum range of the technique is close to 10 metres; however, it cannot be used at close range, as the attacks require a minimum of 1 to 2 metres to build up initial velocity.
When powered by Kankahou, the technique is referred to as Gousatsu (豪殺, ‘magnificient slaughter’) Iaiken, and contain enough force to completely break through the magic shields of Daemon Soldiers. However, these powerful attacks require a larger motion to trigger, making the execution easier to read and thus avoid.
犬上流
The personal style of Inugami Kotarou: a mix of martial arts, Ninjutsu, and his powers as an Inugamitsukai.
Kuuga
空牙 – Air Fangs
Shikkuu Kokurouga
疾空黒狼牙 – Void Black Wolf Fangs
Rouga Soushouda
狼牙双掌打 – Black Wolf Fangs, Dual Palm Attack
形意拳
Xingyiquan, an internal style that specialises in aggressive direct attacks and efficient techniques meant purely for battle, with little aesthetics. Focuses on forms and styles conceptually based on the Five Elements System and the Twelve Animal Signs.
Houken
崩拳 – Crushing Fist
Houken
砲拳 – Cannon Fist
Batei Houken
馬蹄崩拳
魔法拳
The personal style of Negi Springfield combining Western magic and martial arts, firing spells off his fists in melee combat.
Byakuraishou
白雷掌 – White Lightning Palm
Gokuen Houzan Takutenshou
獄炎崩山托天掌 – Hellfire Crushing Mountains, Heaven-Bearing Palm
Houken
崩拳 – Crushing Fist
Fuukahouken
風華崩拳 – Crushing Fist of Wind Majesty
Oukahouken
桜華崩拳 – Crushing Fist of Cherry Blossom Majesty
Oukasoushou, Taikou Chougyosei
桜華槍衝、太公釣魚勢 – Spear Thrust of Cherry Blossom Majesty, Grand Duke Fishing Stance
Raikahouken
雷華崩拳 – Crushing Fist of Lightning Majesty
忍術
Kekkai Hakai
結界破壊 – Barrier Destruction
Bushin
分身 – Split Body
Kagebushin
影分身 – Shadow Split Body
Yotsumi Bushin Oborojuuji
四つ身分身朧十字 – Four Split Bodies, Hazy Cross
神鳴流
雪広あやか流
Nuff said.
Secchuuka
雪広あやか流合気柔道、雪中花 – Yukihiro Ayaka Self-style Art of Unifying Qi, Flower in Snow
裂空掌
A form of tooate (遠当て), the art of firing qi shots.
羅漢銭
A type of Chinese hidden weapon, or anki (暗器). Simply put, this is the throwing of coins. A trained user can toss multiple coins at once. Infused with qi, the projectiles (in Tatsumiya Mana’s case, 500-yen coins) have bone-crushing force.
布槍術
The art of using a length of cloth like a spear. Not meant purely for direct attacks, but to constrict and bind the opponent.
硬気功
Reinforcing the outer body with qi for defense. Ku Fei used this against Tatsumiya Mana’s Rakansen barrage.
浸透剄
An esoteric technique prevalent in Chinese martial arts, causing the full power of an attack to explosively release inside the opponent’s body.
Quality Mistranslations
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