There are many reasons to study the martial arts in a crime ridden city like Redlake. Maybe you got mugged. Or maybe you decided you needed discipline, but the army wasn't for you. Maybe you were a victim of domestic violence, or you're an anime-obsessed japanophile.

You need to be able to protect yourself, and most people trust the cops even less than the criminals. They're the only ones allowed to carry guns, though. Redlake has some of the country's most draconian gun laws, though that hasn't helped curb violence much.

Whatever your motivation, you ended up in Sensei Sekou's karate class. It doesn't look like much, to be honest... a gutted strip mall Radio Shack turned into a "dojo" with empty stores on either side. It's cheap, though, $50 a week.

The Beginner classes are filled with a half-dozen or so students; kids dropped off by single parents, women looking for simple and easy self-defense, the elderly. Sensei Sekou doesn't push them hard, and he'll frequently set them to perform an exercise then go out for a cigarette break.

If you complain about the ease of the classes or ask for extra help, he'll invite you to the Intermediate class. This is where the real learning happens. Here, he's a harsh instructor, mercilessly correcting form until you get it right. It's very effective.

Apparently there's an Advanced Class for his best, most devoted students... but it takes more than practice in a dojo to get there.

GURPS Way of the Fist is a Martial Arts game in a run down dangerous  city. The players are Martial Artists who will protect the weak and punish the wicked. Game play will involve combat, problem solving, and social interaction.