... but Ranma almost never uses kata in battle; in fact, the most common

        Oh good, I'm not the only one who thinks it.

It is also worth noting that Akane has been shown on many an occasion
using weapons with a fair amount of skill -- the ones I recall off the
top of my head are bokken and a bow and arrow, and there is of course the
Hammer from Hell.  Although she has not the natural skill that Ranma has

        Don't want to nitpick but I don't recall her using a bokken, I
definitely recall a shinai though.  For the Kendo match against Kuno she
was rather skilled with it so it looks like she's had at least some kendo
training along the way.  She has her own shinai I think... I remember
seeing her chase Ranma with it.

Well, this point is debatable.  Certainly Happosai and Genma are
generally less than honorable, but Ranma seems to have a grasp on the
concept, at least.

        Is honor a part of the anything goes style of martial arts?  My
theory is that Happosai began the style, the point being to have no
restrictions.  Honor could be counted as a restriction.  Very few of the
attacks with origins in the Genma/Happosai era can be considered completely
honorable... bombs? tactical retreat? Hinako's five yen attack? Anything
Genma came up with?

http://www.pixi.com/~mousse/                                   mousse@pixi.com
MousseMousseMousseMousseMousseMousseMousseMousseMousseMousseMousseMousseMousse
      ,.            ,...,,,
    ,;'     ....,   '   ;'            This sig for rent.
  ,;;:...;.    `"   .,;'`:,           For sale by owner.
  '"      `'       ::'    :;
MousseMousseMousseMousseMousseMousseMousseMousseMousseMousseMousseMousseMousse
Everything Zen Productions, Nov. 15 1996
http://www.adgrafix.com/info/klee2/                         Web Server Systems