TAP Martial Arts

TAP Martial Arts is a style of fighting taught and overseen by the TAP organization. TAP involves restraining opponents and putting them into submission holds and other advantageous positions, which makes TAP a highly popular skill for Officers to learn to deal with alien criminals. Like all martial arts in the universe, TAP can be used with BOT fighting.

While TAP teaches strikes and kicks as well, the primary focus is to put down opponents rather than beat them up, like boxing and Taiyang

## Positions

The goal of TAP is placing users into an Advantageous Position (or AP), often by placing the opponent into a Restraining/Submission Hold (or RCN). However, the fight can be brought into a Neutral Position (or NP), as both fighters have no positive or negative positions over the other. These positions are essential in determining winners of TAP tournaments, and knowing these positions in a battle will help students in knowing what to do next and what to expect from their opponent.

* Advantageous Positions include having control over an opponent's body in general, being on top of the opponent in a top mount or side control, have control of the back of the opponent, have the opponent into a submission hold, or having a strong guard
* Neutral Positions include both opponents standing up with no control or dominance over the other, and being in a guard
* Negative positions include having lost control of the body to the opponent in general, being at the bottom of the opponent in a top mount or side control, have back controlled by the opponent, be in a submission hold, or put into a strong guard
* Submission holds include chokeholds, limb breakers, and other moves that could cause opponents pain, to give up, or be eliminated

There are many other "sub-positions", such as DNPs (Disadvantageous Neutral Positions), GNPs (Good Neutral Positions), WAPs (Weak Advantageous Positions), and breaking point/NRC (Fighter in RCN still resisting/opponent in WAP)

## Styles of TAP

TAP has different styles of moves and techniques for students to focus and learn, in order to be able to focus on areas they want to improve upon and to strategize movements and positions against other opponents and students.

* **Smash** - This style involves using weight and leverage in order to use pressure against an opponent. Students of this style learn to stack and throw themselves carefully against an enemy, slowly wearing their stamina and defenses down. Related to wrestling, this style of TAP is popular with practitioners more weight and heavier BOTs.
* **Speed** - This style involves rushing opponents, blitzing defenses and switching positions and holds in an instant. The goal of Speed Style students is mainly to psychologically confuse their opponents in order to secure APs more easily. This style of TAP is popular with skilled practitioners who know how to apply techniques quickly and can think on the fly
* **Trip** - This style involves using powerful takedowns and sweeps in order to instantly place themselves in APs and surprise opponents. Students of this style learn to perform powerful takedowns, namely, body throws and sweeps that will instantly break an opponent's resolve and place themselves in an AP. Related to Jarso, this style of TAP is popular with Jarso practitioners and practitioners who want a quick fight
* **Guard** - This style involves using Neutral Positions in order to gain APs. Students of this style often learn to fight from NPs, DNPs, and even RCNs, using various techniques in order to surprise advantageous students and gain APs themselves. This style of TAP is popular with practitioners who are often in RCNs often.
* **Control** - This style involves using control in order to gain APs. Students of this style often learn dominant moves to take control of an opponent's movements and secure APs more easily. This style of TAP is popular with more strategic practitioners and Officers in general
* **Mixed** - Students can also have a mixed style, in which their fighting revolves around using multiple different principals and strategies from the other styles. An example of this style in action is Aaron Javes, who's move sets includes a variety of techniques from the different styles in order to deal with different situations.

## Moves/Positions

 Triangle Hold
 Hold Bypass