Aikido/Bullshido in Dresden Files

**Phrost** · Posted On: 8/28/2012 7:59pm

Well ****, apparently I need to start checking my own website for book reviews before I start a series.

**Neo Sigma** · Posted On: 8/28/2012 8:51pm

The first book sucks because he intentionally wrote it to be as hackneyed and cliche-ridden as possible to flip the bird at a creative writing professor he had in college. He thought she was teaching bullshit, so he decided to write, in his words, "the most formulaic piece of genre trash possible" to show her she had her head up her ass. That ended up being Storm Front.

The thing with the wild inaccuracies about Chicago gets better later in the series as he actually does some research.

**LesbianSeagal** · Posted On: 8/29/2012 1:12am

Originally Posted by FLMikeATT

Ok, this is a humorous thread, but I want to point out that Jim Butcher, as much as I like his books, seems to be an Aikido nutrider.

The Dresden Files is a pretty good sci-fi/fantasy series. Not great by any means, but it's reasonably entertaining. It's a guilty pleasure.

Anyways, Karren Murphy, a cop, fucking wristlocks people left and right, and is somehow able to disable 6'6 dudes with ease. There are quite a few times throughout the series when she literally lays out Dresden (who is 6'6 or so) with a punch to the jaw, stomach, or some wristlocky Aikidoish move. Keep in mind that she is described constantly as '5 foot nothing, 100 nothing'. I have to suspend my disbelief because no matter how good a '5 foot nothing, 100 nothing lbs' chick is, the chance in real life to lay out a 6'6 dude is astronomical. He would have to be the most untrained, lazy, out of shape, uncoordinated person ever to get the **** beat out of him (all of the above Dresden isn't), barring a nut shot.

She also consistently beats the **** out of trained thugs with wristlocks and other Aikido moves.

As much as I like Jim for bringing us Dresden Files and Codex Alera, he really needs to stop drinking the Aikido kool aide. The vibe I get from him is that he is a classic example of the small, pseudo intellectual dude who buys into the whole eastern mysticism bullshit to make himself feel better about being small and that technique will always trump meathead strength, etc. It's painfully obvious in his writing.

Maybe it was choreographed by Seagal? :D
As for those who say you don't need to be in shape to fight, as long so you have fancy techniques, why don't they try it with a grizzly bear or a gorilla?

**LesbianSeagal** · Posted On: 8/29/2012 1:16am

I'm going to clone you so I can kill you twice.

**LesbianSeagal** · Posted On: 8/29/2012 1:20am

Originally Posted by David Koresh Jr.

Man I feel you about having to vent over Aikido. I got told yesterday to my face that bjj wouldn't work on the street and that High and mighty aikido could take on multiple opponents.:angryfire

I had the same reaction when I saw my first Seagal movie, "Above the Law;" 2 minutes into the film, and he was giving "fight-scenes" that looked like an aikido-instruction vid they were so fake.

And of course you had the fanbois-wankers all swooning over how "he can really DO that because 'aikido was made for WAR!'"
Yeah so was the Swiss Army-knife and the yo-yo.

**LesbianSeagal** · Posted On: 8/29/2012 1:23am

Originally Posted by poidog

Yeah, that's the one consistent thing about the Dresden Files (book) series that routinely has me groaning. But the greater travesty is the Karrin Murphy character in general. An aikidoka who can physically defeat most opponents (some of whom are supernatural, i.e. vampires), has the CQB skills of an expert SOCOM operator, has a shitty temper, is physically abusive and is banging a half-demon mercenary. As much as I like the series, the whole Karrin Murphy thing always makes me want to stop reading.

Aloha, Poi

And in a Harry Potter crossover, I'm sure a wristlock can beat "avada kadavra!"

Sounds written by some overweight twit in his mommy's basement.

**TheMightyMcClaw** · Posted On: 8/29/2012 1:33am

I'm glad this thread got necro'd, because I also have recently started reading the Dresden Files. And I, too, had a harder time buying into Murphy being able to kick ass with Aikido than Harry being able to shoot fire out of his hands. What's more, the author continually references the "Aikido Trophies" in her office to show what a badass she is (who still ends up being weak and delicate and needing to be rescued a lot because Jim Butcher is really kinda sexist).
Anyways, the series get's substantially better around book three. I didn't mind Stormfront, but I found Fool Moon to be, even for a book about werewolves, to be WAY too about werewolves. The whole thing read like a filler episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Anyways, **** gets good in Book Three. I've really come to admire the character of Harry in his diehard commitment to trolling, which starts kicking in around then.