The World of Kung-Fu 3.4: Vigilantes

“Being a Vigilante means being someone who stands up and says: you are pissing me off and I’m going to punch you.”—anonymous Vigilante.

The Vigilantes are ordinary Americans who refuse to allow criminals to rule the streets. They are by far the largest, least informed, least organized, and most loosely affiliated good-guy faction in the US. Anyone can become a Vigilante just be announcing that they are one. The Vigilante movement has no formal structure beyond the neighborhood level, and many Vigilante groups have little contact with other Vigilante groups, let alone other good guy factions. Most Vigilantes have only the vaguest understanding of the true nature of the world, and may never even have heard of the “Kung Fu War”. The vast majority of day to day martial arts crime-fighting in the USA is performed by Vigilante groups. Little do most Americans know, but the Vigilantes are the only thing that stands between them and a living hell of crime and martial arts violence.

Not all Vigilantes are martial artists, though all the effective ones are. Some Vigilantes, under the influence of television and action movies, make use of guns, though genuine good guy Vigilantes will not tolerate lethal weapons. Most Vigilante martial artists are not Trained by a Master. Of those that are Trained by a Master, many were trained before they turned Vigilante, while others were trained by a Vigilante master.

The most popular martial arts among Vigilantes are generally the most popular martial arts among Americans: Taekwondo, Karate, Jujutsu, Brazilian Jujutsu, Kick Boxing, Judo, Hapkido, and Muay Thai. Kickboxers and Muay Thai artists are particularly likely to be drawn to the Vigilantes due to being alienated from the Wulin, after Wulin criticism of their public popularity. Also well represented among Vigilantes are Aikido, Aikijutsu, Jeet Kune Do, Pentjak Silat 1, and Tang Soo Do. Many Vigilantes are MMA fighters, mixing martial arts to find the ideal combination. Unlike most criminal gangs, Vigilante teams often use a variety of different styles.

Perhaps what horrifies traditional martial artists most about the Vigilantes is that, unlike other good guy factions, they often make no effort to operate in secret. They may even go out of their way to court publicity, though the Wushu Effect prevents them from being very successful.

Vigilante group names are highly idiosyncratic, and include Bensonhurst Civilian Police, Bozos, Citizen’s Alliance, Clan Kelly, Dojo Dawgs, Eagle Army, Eddie’s Guys, Green Dragons, Karate Patrol, Law and Order Underground, Punching Angels, and the Williamstown Muay Thai Club.

Common Professions: Any, but most Vigilantes are working class.

Q: “How do farmers in Thailand tether their cattle?”

A: “They use Muay Thai”—anonymous.

Vigilante Relations

Vigilantes and Vigilante groups are highly idiosyncratic, each with their own ideas and attitudes. Still, there are some common tendencies, with the specifics depending on how much the individual knows about the secret World of Kung Fu.

The Circle of Iron provides the Vigilantes with their largest social hubs in the form of Circle tournament venues, and often lets them use Circle facilities, like kwan belonging to Taekwondo or other Korean martial arts. There is a lot of unofficial sympathy and support for the Vigilantes among Circle of Iron members, and many martial artists belong to both groups. On the other hand, traditionalists within the Circle would like to withdraw support, for fear of being drawn into the Kung Fu War.

Vigilantes who know about the Wulin generally see them as a bunch of Chinese Vigilante groups. As such, they are potential allies, provided that they don’t try to impose their rules and values onto the Vigilante movement. The Vigilantes have always been more interested in cooperating with the Wulin than the Wulin have been in cooperating with the Vigilantes, who they distrust. Still, the Vigilantes are slowly winning the Wulin over through their heroism and success in fighting the Kung Fu War on the American streets. Many modern American Vigilante teams include members who identify as Wulin, and many Wulin teams have Vigilante allies.

Some Vigilantes think of traditional Chinese martial arts as being antiquated, far less useful in a real combat situation than more popular martial arts. The relative absence of Chinese martial arts in MMA championships and Infinite Fighting Federation matches reinforces the impression that Chinese styles can’t compete in modern contests. Other Vigilantes, especially those with more experience and fans of martial arts cinema, are rather in awe of the Wulin, and the Shaolin in particular.

Of all good-guy factions, the Vigilantes are the most welcoming to members of the IFF. Plenty of Vigilantes like to watch martial arts sports and will be impressed, rather than repulsed, by an IFF fighter’s public displays of martial arts mastery.

Vigilantes as Villains

The Vigilante movement attracts a lot of angry people, not all of whom are well-balanced. The Vigilantes mostly does a good job of socializing zealots, but the lack of central authority makes it easy for individuals or groups to go their own way if they really want to. Vigilante villains almost always see themselves as good guys. They are idealistic fanatics who mean to be fighting on the side of right, but lose their way in a fit of enthusiasm and adrenaline. They kill, or attack the innocent, or fight with reckless disregard for public safety, or simply become too brutal to be counted among the good guys anymore. Vigilante villains generally claim they are only doing what they must be done in order to save society from being torn apart in martial arts anarchy.

Footnotes

1. Silat was being celebrated in martial arts pop music as early as 1968 and Beetle Style’s song “Silat” from "Let It Be Invincible”.

Jojo was a man who thought he was a loner / So he hitched around the roads like that.

Some bikers drove up and said he was a goner / But he knew Pentjak Silat.

Silat, Silat. / JoJo knew Pentjak Silat. / Silat, Silat. / Silat put dents in every hat.

Jojo hit the town and went down to the disco. / He was one audacious cat.

He’d never learned to dance but it was far-out San Francisco / And he knew Pentjak Silat.

Silat, Silat. / Kickin’ to Pentjak Silat. / Silat, Silat. / He span around the floor like that.

Now Jojo ain’t no loner, cause all the ladies love him. / He’s a discotheque aristocrat.

If you wanna be cool then you gotta work at your gym. / You gotta have Pentjak Silat.

Silat, Silat. / Baby that’s where it’s at. / Silat, Silat. / Groovy people know Silat.